| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Optimum CV length for newcomers to translation Thread poster: Vivien Green
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Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 09:53
Member (2007)
English
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| Lots of good advice there, IMO | Feb 26, 2013 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
It is true that an HR manager spends very little time reading the CV upon first read, but they don't start reading from the top of the page and then stop reading when they hit 30 seconds. Instead, the HR manager scans the page(s) for the information that he is looking for at that stage, and he does not spend more than 30 seconds (or even 10 seconds) looking for it. What this means is not "keep it short" but rather "keep it organised" or "keep it obvious".
That's the nub of it: stop thinking about your entire life and organise your CV so that the reader finds lots of useful matches with their requirements in those critical first 10 seconds, then you have a hope of them spending a bit longer reading more details about you. Remember, a job applicant is being hired for the next nn years; you're often being hired for no more than a couple of hundred words in one subject area (hopefully with repeat jobs to come, but they'll come as a result of the quality of the first job rather than based on the CV).
BTW, thanks for the link, Samuel.
Jessie says she finds it difficult to keep the CV short, but then comes up with the perfect suggestion of condensing it all into one or two lines. If it's relevant, that's all it really needs; if it isn't, then it doesn't need to be on the CV at all. Personally, I was a computer programmer/analyst for nigh on 15 years but I don't mention that on my CV as the last thing I want is for them to expect me to understand today's ICT environment (and I don't think there are too many texts about batch runs, foot-high dumps, card decks, JCL, etc. ).
I don't think those "personal" facts Tomás refers to are necessarily completely useless. Nowadays, it's so easy to search for the minutest detail in enormous data banks, so perhaps the word "peat" will actually bring a job one day. Mind you, that may not be too useful if you don't know a thing about it other than how to cut it. But at least it will have brought your CV to the agency's attention once again, so it's on the top of the virtual pile for the next, more relevant, job. The things I don't like to see on CVs are those unquantifiable stock phrases and words such as "good team player"; "good organiser"... If they have a place, it isn't in the factual CV, it's in the accompanying letter - or in our profiles here on ProZ.com and elsewhere.
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 10:53
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Slightly off-topic: sample CVs | Feb 26, 2013 |
I took a few minutes and created thumbnails of the CVs of 11 participants in this and previous threads in this forum about CVs. Out of 13 CVs, four were 1 page long, three were probably meant to be 2 pages long, and the rest were 2 pages long (except for one that was 6 pages long (not included in the thumbnails)). Three of the CVs in MS Word format ended up as 3 pages long in my MS Word but look like they were meant to be two pages long -- this is why PDF is a good idea.
[Edited at 2013-02-26 11:13 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Thank you! I have greatly appreciated everyone's help! | Feb 26, 2013 |
Wow - massive thanks to everyone! Some of you have gone to a fair bit of effort for me and I really appreciate that - thanks especially to Samuel for sending the thumbnails. Thanks also to those that posted links and advice about where to look for more guidance.
I have had a longer look at the CVs of proz.com members and it does seem that most native English speakers have a 1 page CV although those of native speakers of other languages often seem to be longer. As the consensus o... See more Wow - massive thanks to everyone! Some of you have gone to a fair bit of effort for me and I really appreciate that - thanks especially to Samuel for sending the thumbnails. Thanks also to those that posted links and advice about where to look for more guidance.
I have had a longer look at the CVs of proz.com members and it does seem that most native English speakers have a 1 page CV although those of native speakers of other languages often seem to be longer. As the consensus on here seems to be "1 page", I have cut mine back although I may make a longer version that is available to clients or agencies on request. It was interesting to hear about the variation in what's considered appropriate between countries.
I will also think about including a link to my (as of yet uncreated) website. I had planned to get my own website at a later stage but I can see the value of getting it done now so I can link to it on my CV. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 09:53
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Interim measure | Feb 26, 2013 |
Vivien Green wrote:
I will also think about including a link to my (as of yet uncreated) website. I had planned to get my own website at a later stage but I can see the value of getting it done now so I can link to it on my CV.
Until you get your website up and running, you could do worse than using your ProZ.com profile, with its "about me" section, as your website. It has some disadvantages, including bringing your contacts here - where the competition is eagerly awaiting - but your "about me" section is very well written and would be useful for your potential clients, who can get an idea of your writing style.
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| Good idea, Sheila! | Feb 27, 2013 |
I had wondered about that Sheila, but now you have suggested it I feel more confident about doing it. I've just noticed you've done that yourself too. It also means I can start applying a good bit sooner and that if my website goes down it won't look unprofessional (I presume clients know that if proz.com goes down it's not my fault)
And thank you for the profile compliment - it's a nice confidence boost at this rather nerve racking stage in my career! Incidentally I thought your... See more I had wondered about that Sheila, but now you have suggested it I feel more confident about doing it. I've just noticed you've done that yourself too. It also means I can start applying a good bit sooner and that if my website goes down it won't look unprofessional (I presume clients know that if proz.com goes down it's not my fault)
And thank you for the profile compliment - it's a nice confidence boost at this rather nerve racking stage in my career! Incidentally I thought yours was one of the best CVs of those I looked at (I'm not just saying that now - I liked the layout and have gone for something quite similar myself). I was surprised by how many didn't follow any of the advice typically given out on the subject. No prominent language pair at the top, some in essay form, others a bit wonky in format, one that looked like it had been done on a typewriter. The people who had written them still had plenty of work to speak of though; not sure if that should be encouraging or discouraging! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 09:53
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| The cream will always rise to the top | Feb 27, 2013 |
Vivien Green wrote:
I was surprised by how many didn't follow any of the advice typically given out on the subject. No prominent language pair at the top, some in essay form, others a bit wonky in format, one that looked like it had been done on a typewriter. The people who had written them still had plenty of work to speak of though; not sure if that should be encouraging or discouraging!
I'm glad you found my CV helpful, Vivien. It's the fruit not only of my own career path, but also of 6 years leading a workshop, helping a total of over 500 French unemployed people with their English CVs. They came from all walks of life and they were applying for all sorts of jobs in every part of the world: bar staff and genetic engineering researchers, artists and IT geeks, all attending the workshop to find the best possible CV for their unique circumstances. Can you imagine how many really, really bad CVs I was exposed to?
I know my CV has helped me land some jobs in the past - clients have said so; OTOH, it doesn't get me every job I'd like to have . And the title of this post is certainly true: a good CV may get you a bigger percentage of the jobs you quote for than a very mediocre CV, and certainly more than a very poor CV, but only a good quality translation, delivered on time, with the whole process inspiring confidence in the client, will get you those all-important repeat jobs. Those repeats are important to us, and they're important to potential clients, too. A successful translator (even one with a poor CV) will gain new clients through personal recommendations from existing clients.
BTW, I'm sure having a website is a good idea, so do get around to that. I paid for hosting of a website and its domain name for years before I accepted that I'm not capable of setting a good one up myself and I'm too mean to pay someone else to do it. But I'm ticking over nicely without one, and I'm 57 already, so I can live without one. I'd certainly advise all younger translators to have one.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:53
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Family member is right | Feb 27, 2013 |
Vivien Green wrote:
.....a family member ......thinks .... that .....one side of A4 is optimal .
I agree with your family member.
The point of sending someone your CV is not to pour out your soul, but to give them a taster that will make them want to know more.
So the trick is: be very brief, but very tempting! Make them want to contact you for more information!
| | | | | Dazzle HR with your 1st page to keep them captivated knowing more of you | Feb 27, 2013 |
My resume has a few pages. I feel that one page may not be enough. The techniques I use are:
- I try to make sure that my 1st page includes the highlighted information that can dazzle HR.
- I also make a little note on my 1st page saying that there will be a list of the past organized, selected projects and further relevant information on Pages 2-... I think the past selected-project list is kind of important because you never know, one project on your list may get right into HR's ... See more My resume has a few pages. I feel that one page may not be enough. The techniques I use are:
- I try to make sure that my 1st page includes the highlighted information that can dazzle HR.
- I also make a little note on my 1st page saying that there will be a list of the past organized, selected projects and further relevant information on Pages 2-... I think the past selected-project list is kind of important because you never know, one project on your list may get right into HR's mind and hit the jack pot. However, make sure your list is not too long. Just select what you bet a given client would be interested. That means sometimes you may have to adjust your resume before you send it out since each client is different and is looking for different things.
- I think our resume should be dynamic and adaptive as well as creative. I think we should not stick to just one form or one rule or one pattern.
In my opinion, if your 1st page does dazzle HR, they will definitely want to flip and read your next page (s). However, you may have to make sure that your following pages do not dilute your 1st page.
Thanks so much,
Prachya
[Edited at 2013-02-27 11:07 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-02-27 11:19 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| Thanks again! | Mar 2, 2013 |
That job sounds very interesting Sheila.
That's also a good idea Prachya, although I don't have many projects to list as of yet (around 10 I think plus a few voluntary ones I did as a student while on my year abroad).
Thanks again to everyone, I got some very helpful advice.
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