Making the most of languages for your CV

Ruth O’RourkeProject Manager, Routes into Languages North East

Aims of SessionA whistle-stop tour to....

• Improve your confidence• Improve your knowledge

on how to brag your language degree

• Skills audit• Give an insight to job application procedure• Spot the Rat

Job applications

• Job description– Main purpose– Main duties– Organisation

• Person specification– Knowledge– Skills– Experience

• Essential vs desirable

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/index.htmGoogle: “uk employment law”

Structuring an effective answer• S = situation

• T = tasks

• A = actions

• R = results

Newcastle University’s Undergraduate Graduate Skills Framework

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/quilt/modules/gsf.htm

Your degree is not enough!

Top Language Jobs In groups, consider the job description and start a mind map with your experiences.

From each experience write 3 tasks, from each task add the purpose/result

Student ambassador- Presentation

1. Research materials in order to... 2. Formatting design in order that...3. …

- Group work1. Organised meetings to ensure that...2. ...... has resulted in...3. ...

- Organise travel1. ...2. ...3. ...

One way of doing it…..?EMPLOYMENT

November 2007 – present: Student Ambassador for ‘Routes into Languages’, Newcastle University– Employed for a minimum of XX hours each

week to participate in a range of events designed to encourage language-learning amongst school pupils.

– Developed effective time-management skills in order to balance my job and studies.

– Regular presentations to groups of young people, their parents and teachers have confirmed my ability to communicate information concisely and imaginatively. Audience size has varied from five to fifty.

– Assisting with administrative tasks in the project office has improved my knowledge of business communication and event organisation.

SKILLS

• Interpersonal skills• As a RiL ambassador I have worked with a

variety of people (school pupils, teachers, university professors, project stakeholders) in order to deliver project outcomes to a high standard.

• Communication skills• Choosing the right medium, register, and

approach to a variety of audiences including French, in which I am fluent, where necessary.

• Professionalism• As an ambassador to a national project and

to my university I was always required to behave and dress professionally. This meant excellent timekeeping, remaining approachable, and answering queries on a wide range of issues.

SKILLS- Interpersonal- Cultural awareness- Communication (layers)- Creativity/Adaptibility/flexibility

EXPERIENCES- Ambassador work- Year Abroad- Independent learning- Essay writing

KNOWLEDGE- Target language(s)- Target culture

- UK HE infrastructure

Why you BEAT the Rat Race