Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
I'm over 30, and I know what a gerund is, though it's not an ideal fit for the English Language, or the rest of the Germanic Languages such as Gothic, German, Icelandic/Old Norse, Old English, or suchlike. Ah, but then, I taught myself Latin. I also taught myself Classical Greek. What that does for my Geekitude, I don't have the faintest, foggiest notion ... Still haven't taught myself Sanskrit though I've had a good go at learning Prakrit, and only got so far with learning Biblical Hebrew and Classical Arabic ... ;) Ditto for Old Church Slavonic and Aramaic. Not enough hours in the day! Don't believe the hype about school! If they couldn't get you interested, you'll never learn from them. So much depends on two factors - were your teachers dorks? And what sort of reaction did they bring out in you? Just my two cents - inflation, of course! ;) Wesley Parish On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 18:25, Steve Holdoway wrote: I'm well over 30, and had 17 years of UK education, and nobody ever taught me grammar. However, even I know that slashdot (link from Nick) need to learn some... they'll be writing 'a hotel' next (: Steve On Thu, September 15, 2005 12:59 pm, Roger Searle wrote: who over 30 can? i sure can't... Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:01, Nick Rout wrote: I regularly receive CV's from Germans looking to spend their three month elective working in a law office in NZ. Their spelling and grammar are usually perfect. Ah. But they are actually taught the grammar of the English Language in all it's glorious detail as part of of their curriculum. It just doesn't happen in most of the English speaking world. e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. -- Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish - Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui? You ask, what is the most important thing? Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers ( rather long )
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 13:19, Gareth Faull wrote: Perhaps I should drink more caffeine before interviews? No, caffeine is a stimulant. It will perk you up to even higher levels of angst. ( That's assuming that you are not addicted to the ghastly stuff already like me ) imho, What you need to do is to do the OE bit. Elsewhere in the world appointments are made on the basis of skills and knowledge, not on some fictional (mis)understanding of social graces^H^H^H^H^H mores. You'd then be able to return home and retire to Wanaka in just a few years. For example: I have a young friend of just over 30 who is an 'inept genius'. He is now working in the City setting up a banking and insurance IT infrastructure for a bunch of foreigners ( I can't remember if they are Arabs or East Asians ). His current earnings are of the order of 110,000 pounds p.a. Put very concisely his emplyment history is something like:- Left school Dole 2 or 3 years. Worked hard getting his head around both MSWin and unix. A year or two doing a taskforce green subsidised job. Created a database for some charitable trust or other, amongst other odd job computer projects for various charities. Income Dole + $20. Worked for a little commercial outfit for about a year as a typesetter. Told the silly, stupid cow who ran the joint exactly what she was and left. Went to UoC Comp Sci for 3 years. Worked like a drain. Got 2 straight As and an A+ ( iirc ) Dole in Christchurch for about 6 months. Went to Auckland. Got a job with one of the larger NZ owned software houses. Was paid a pretty standard salary. Resigned, and did a 6 to 9 month consulting stretch for a Government owned enterprise creating a data-warehouse. More than doubled his income. Went to London and virtually tripled his income. Now lives pretty comfortably in a little village on the Kent-Sussex border. -- CS
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Fri, 2005-09-16 at 10:58 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 10:09, Michael JasonSmith wrote: On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 22:28 +1200, Steve Holdoway wrote: At least he got the apostrophe in the right place! Now does everyone see why GNOME banned the accursed character? http://developer.gnome.org/documents/style-guide/grammar.html generalisation type='sweeping' !- but pretty close to the truth imho -- The GNOME people had to write an English grammar lesson because the school systems in most English speaking countries fail spectacularly in that activity. /generalisation Well, actually they were looking for document consistency right across all the user documentation in GNOME - the people writing most of it at the time were fully qualified paid technical writers, and produce high class, quality documents. They knew what they were doing - sadly Sun pulled the plug on the funding, and we're back to non-native speakers writing again :/ Glynn
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
sadly Sun pulled the plug on the funding, and we're back to non-native speakers writing again :/ Makes it all more international... :) Wasn't that the idea in the first place??? Volker -- Volker Kuhlmann is possibly list0570 with the domain in header http://volker.dnsalias.net/ Please do not CC list postings to me.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
... in all it's glorious detail ... Yeah, right. Up there with a current of a million volts
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
I'm well over 30, and had 17 years of UK education, and nobody ever taught me grammar. However, even I know that slashdot (link from Nick) need to learn some... they'll be writing 'a hotel' next (: Steve On Thu, September 15, 2005 12:59 pm, Roger Searle wrote: who over 30 can? i sure can't... Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:01, Nick Rout wrote: I regularly receive CV's from Germans looking to spend their three month elective working in a law office in NZ. Their spelling and grammar are usually perfect. Ah. But they are actually taught the grammar of the English Language in all it's glorious detail as part of of their curriculum. It just doesn't happen in most of the English speaking world. e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. -- Windows: Where do you want to go today? MacOS: Where do you want to be tomorrow? Linux: Are you coming or what?
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, September 15, 2005 3:49 pm, Volker Kuhlmann wrote: grave action=dig owner=self You might want to investigate the use of apostrophies between the letters it and s... ;) /grave pedant apostrophes /pedant Get digging (: Steve -- Windows: Where do you want to go today? MacOS: Where do you want to be tomorrow? Linux: Are you coming or what?
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 18:31, Steve Holdoway wrote: On Thu, September 15, 2005 3:49 pm, Volker Kuhlmann wrote: grave action=dig owner=self You might want to investigate the use of apostrophies between the letters it and s... ;) /grave pedant apostrophes /pedant Get digging (: pedantry type='total' There is only one apostrophe associated with the words its and it's so the above sentence should read:- You need to investigate the use of the apostrophe in, and meanings of, the words its and it's. The apostrophe substitutes for the letter i and the preceding space in the word pair it is. The word its ( no apostrophe ) is the possesive of it. The one exception to the use of the apostrophe to signify the possesive. /pedantry Isn't the English language so much fun? :-) Now all we need to do is to get the use of their, there, and the're sorted out, and we'll be able to tell the dotty slashers where to go. -- CS
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On 15/09/05, Christopher Sawtell wrote: Ah. But they are actually taught the grammar of the English Language in all it's glorious detail as part of of their curriculum. It just doesn't happen in most of the English speaking world. e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. I can tell you. /me checks age -- oops, 32. You weren't talking to me :) Anyway, I learned about gerunds and other forms in Latin, not in English. I'm such a language geek, last time I was introduced to a girl called Amanda I replied Oh, as in the gerundive of the latin verb amare? Actually, that *is* where the name comes from. Yuri -- ** WARNING to mailing list repliers ** Gmail over-rides Reply-To: field. Check your To: address before sending reply to this post.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
John Carter wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005, david merriman wrote: I want to get a new CV/Resume written, and being a bit of a geek I'm not being that good at self-promotion ;-) , so I'd like a little help doing this. Does anyone have any recommendations for companies that produce good 'technical' CV's for IT personnel (programmers in particular) ? You need to change your self image for awhile. Your self image is that of Geek, but when you haven't got a job, have have got a job. Salesman. You're a salesman of a single, big ticket item. Yourself. So for now lose the Geek self image and think of yourself as a Salesman for a rather pricey item. As a Geek you would never say, I can't do tech X, you would say I would love to learn to do tech X. I'm going to sit down and work at it until I can. So you've got a job. Get to it. Sit down and get to work and learn to sell yourself. Once you have sold yourself, you can shuck off that skin and get back to being a comfortable Geek. On the other hand, keep some of the old Salesman personality around, you never know when you are going to need him again to sell your great idea to management, convince a big customer that your tech is best, John Carter Phone : (64)(3) 358 6639 Tait ElectronicsFax : (64)(3) 359 4632 PO Box 1645 ChristchurchEmail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] New Zealand Carter's Clarification of Murphy's Law. Things only ever go right so that they may go more spectacularly wrong later. From this principle, all of life and physics may be deduced. And I have a C/V writer program you can have a copy of if you want it. Graeme.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 19:20, Christopher Sawtell wrote: Isn't the English language so much fun? :-) Now all we need to do is to get the use of their, there, and the're sorted out, and we'll be able to tell the dotty slashers where to go. You will need to include colour, labour, disc etc ;) Phil. -- Philip Charles; 39a Paterson Street, Abbotsford, Dunedin, New Zealand +64 3 488 2818Fax +64 3 488 2875Mobile 025 267 9420 [EMAIL PROTECTED] - preferred. [EMAIL PROTECTED] I sell GNU/Linux GNU/Hurd CDs DVDs. See http://www.copyleft.co.nz
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 19:20 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: the're ? -- Nick Rout [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:05, Nick Rout wrote: On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 19:20 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: the're ? Yes, indeed! They're is the trans-atlantic patois form. Anyway that's what I was taught at school all those years ago. -- CS
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/theyre?view=uk COED, Google and I have never heard of your alternative! Steve On Thu, September 15, 2005 9:23 pm, Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:05, Nick Rout wrote: On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 19:20 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: the're ? Yes, indeed! They're is the trans-atlantic patois form. Anyway that's what I was taught at school all those years ago. -- CS -- Windows: Where do you want to go today? MacOS: Where do you want to be tomorrow? Linux: Are you coming or what?
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
Nick Rout wrote: On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 21:23 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: the're ? Yes, indeed! They're is the trans-atlantic patois form. Anyway that's what I was taught at school all those years ago. Interesting, here is me thinking you had made a pselling mistake. They are / them are = the're - a non-specific generalisation, rarely used. - derived from grrr. :-) -- FreeNix!
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 19:20, Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 18:31, Steve Holdoway wrote: On Thu, September 15, 2005 3:49 pm, Volker Kuhlmann wrote: grave action=dig owner=self You might want to investigate the use of apostrophies between the letters it and s... ;) /grave pedant apostrophes /pedant Get digging (: pedantry type='total' There is only one apostrophe associated with the words its and it's so the above sentence should read:- You need to investigate the use of the apostrophe in, and meanings of, the words its and it's. The apostrophe substitutes for the letter i and the preceding space in the word pair it is. The word its ( no apostrophe ) is the possesive of it. The one exception to the use of the apostrophe to signify the possesive. /pedantry Isn't the English language so much fun? :-) Now all we need to do is to get the use of their, there, and the're sorted out, and we'll be able to tell the dotty slashers where to go. corrigendum their, there and they're /corrigendum ;) -- Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish - Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui? You ask, what is the most important thing? Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 13:00, Nick Rout wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:54:49 +1200 Michael JasonSmith wrote: My favourite grammar question annoys many wingers: what is a person from Canterbury called? One-eyed? That was the result of Richard Lowe (King Richard) getting in some practice, or so I heard ... ;) Wesley Parish -- Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish - Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui? You ask, what is the most important thing? Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:05, Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:45, Craig FALCONER wrote: grammer The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide] grammer \grammer\ (gr[a^]mm[~e]r) n. Grammar; -- a common misspelling. [Misspelling] [PJC] :-) My point precisely I think. Actually, I thought Grammer was an English Midlands dialect word for grand-mother, the other being Gramps for grand-father. ;) I could be wrong ... ;) Wesley Parish -- Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish - Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui? You ask, what is the most important thing? Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:44, Nick Rout wrote: On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 21:23 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:05, Nick Rout wrote: On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 19:20 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: the're ? Yes, indeed! They're is the trans-atlantic patois form. Anyway that's what I was taught at school all those years ago. Interesting, here is me thinking you had made a pselling mistake. pselling? nice one! much better than speeling. Must confess to never seeing the're before. Will consult wife with engrish degree. (lit not lang) It is also quite a possibility that said teacher got it wrong. He also told us that aweful was the correct spelling for the word which is a synonym of ghastly. I am now quite convinced that he was utterly wrong on that one. Similarly arn't. Interesting how language changes. -- CS
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, September 15, 2005 10:23 pm, Christopher Sawtell wrote: It is also quite a possibility that said teacher got it wrong. He also told us that aweful was the correct spelling for the word which is a synonym of ghastly. I am now quite convinced that he was utterly wrong on that one. Similarly arn't. Interesting how language changes. -- CS at least he got the apostrophe in the right place!
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 22:28 +1200, Steve Holdoway wrote: At least he got the apostrophe in the right place! Now does everyone see why GNOME banned the accursed character? http://developer.gnome.org/documents/style-guide/grammar.html -- Michael JasonSmithhttp://ldots.org/
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
Now does everyone see why GNOME banned the accursed character? Not sure why this has anything to do with gnomes. http://developer.gnome.org/documents/style-guide/grammar.html Where did they ban apostrophes? They only say don't use them where you shouldn't. Volker -- Volker Kuhlmann is possibly list0570 with the domain in header http://volker.dnsalias.net/ Please do not CC list postings to me.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 10:09, Michael JasonSmith wrote: On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 22:28 +1200, Steve Holdoway wrote: At least he got the apostrophe in the right place! Now does everyone see why GNOME banned the accursed character? http://developer.gnome.org/documents/style-guide/grammar.html generalisation type='sweeping' !- but pretty close to the truth imho -- The GNOME people had to write an English grammar lesson because the school systems in most English speaking countries fail spectacularly in that activity. /generalisation What would be interesting is to know whether schools in countries which use other languages similarly fail to teach the grammars of their Mother Tongues? -- CS
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On 9/16/05, Christopher Sawtell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: What would be interesting is to know whether schools in countries which useother languages similarly fail to teach the grammars of their Mother Tongues? Dunno about that but (interesting _totally_ OT stuff to follow)according to some Japanese people I was talking to apparently using chopsticks is a dying skill amongst young people over there. --Slosh
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Fri, 2005-09-16 at 10:30 +1200, Volker Kuhlmann wrote: Where did they ban apostrophes? They only say don't use them where you shouldn't. To quote the page Apostrophe Rules: * Do not use apostrophes to denote possession. * Do not use apostrophes to denote contractions. * Do not use apostrophes to denote plurals. I would like to know of a use of apostrophes outside possessions, contractions, and (rare) plurals! Neither “The Penguin Guide to Punctuation” and “The Elements of Style” do not list any other uses… -- Michael JasonSmithhttp://ldots.org/
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
My advice: Bite the bullet, and do it yourself. Google for CV's and copy and paste the good bits for yours (as long as they are appropriate!). I know it's not easy saying how wonderful you are, but it's worthwhile learning to do it for your CV. Good CV consulting is expensive. or, equally: Cheap CV consulting is not good. Cheers, Carl. On 15/09/05, david merriman [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I want to get a new CV/Resume written, and being a bit of a geek I'm not being that good at self-promotion ;-) , so I'd like a little help doing this. Does anyone have any recommendations for companies that produce good 'technical' CV's for IT personnel (programmers in particular) ?
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005, david merriman wrote: I want to get a new CV/Resume written, and being a bit of a geek I'm not being that good at self-promotion ;-) , so I'd like a little help doing this. Does anyone have any recommendations for companies that produce good 'technical' CV's for IT personnel (programmers in particular) ? You need to change your self image for awhile. Your self image is that of Geek, but when you haven't got a job, have have got a job. Salesman. You're a salesman of a single, big ticket item. Yourself. So for now lose the Geek self image and think of yourself as a Salesman for a rather pricey item. As a Geek you would never say, I can't do tech X, you would say I would love to learn to do tech X. I'm going to sit down and work at it until I can. So you've got a job. Get to it. Sit down and get to work and learn to sell yourself. Once you have sold yourself, you can shuck off that skin and get back to being a comfortable Geek. On the other hand, keep some of the old Salesman personality around, you never know when you are going to need him again to sell your great idea to management, convince a big customer that your tech is best, John Carter Phone : (64)(3) 358 6639 Tait ElectronicsFax : (64)(3) 359 4632 PO Box 1645 ChristchurchEmail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] New Zealand Carter's Clarification of Murphy's Law. Things only ever go right so that they may go more spectacularly wrong later. From this principle, all of life and physics may be deduced.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 09:44, david merriman wrote: I want to get a new CV/Resume written, and being a bit of a geek I'm not being that good at self-promotion ;-) , so I'd like a little help doing this. Does anyone have any recommendations for companies that produce good 'technical' CV's for IT personnel (programmers in particular) ? Don't forget that your CV will be in a pile of hundreds so you need to make it both stand out from the horde and say 'Buy Me'. Put an 'Executive Summary' on the first page which summarises all the salient facts about you, and then then you can flesh out your life in the following pages. Don't put too much detail, after all you want to whet their curiosity so they call you in for an interview. Also too many details take too long to read and the reader will get bored and flip on to the next candidate. Don't worry about either Gramer or Speeling over much. While a few employers might want to see a work of literature, most would not recognise such a thing even if it slapped them across the face. It's more important to get the message across that you will fit happily into the team, rather than how fantastic your academic qualifications are, because appearing even slightly 'over qualified' will lose you any opportunity to even sniff the air of the interview room. Witness all the superbly qualified professional people who have ended up driving taxis, or running restaurants, etc. etc. -- CS
RE: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
I beg to differ... if theres a grammer or spelling mistake in a CV here it gets lowered in value, which could be the difference between a shortlist and not shortlisted. Maybe that's different in business though. The purpose of a CV is to get you an interview. -Original Message- From: Christopher Sawtell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, 15 September 2005 11:37 a.m. To: linux-users@it.canterbury.ac.nz Subject: Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers Don't worry about either Gramer or Speeling over much. While a few employers might want to see a work of literature, most would not recognise such a thing even if it slapped them across the face.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:45, Craig FALCONER wrote: grammer The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide] grammer \grammer\ (gr[a^]mm[~e]r) n. Grammar; -- a common misspelling. [Misspelling] [PJC] :-) My point precisely I think. -- CS
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
I thoroughly agree (with Craig). Most employers are of a generation where spelling and grammar are still valued, I am talking people over, say, 40. (Generalisations abound I'm afraid). While I can tolerate spelling mistakes in open source documentation written as an afterthought at 3.00 am by a Czechoslovakian or American, I wouldn't expect a spelling error in a CV, even from the same programmer. I regularly receive CV's from Germans looking to spend their three month elective working in a law office in NZ. Their spelling and grammar are usually perfect. On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:45:23 +1200 Craig FALCONER wrote: I beg to differ... if theres a grammer or spelling mistake in a CV here it gets lowered in value, which could be the difference between a shortlist and not shortlisted. Maybe that's different in business though. The purpose of a CV is to get you an interview. -- Nick Rout [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
LOL slashdot, second item onthe rss list: http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/14/194218from=rss On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:01:40 +1200 Nick Rout wrote: Grammar blah blah Spelling blah blah
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
I regularly receive CV's from Germans looking to spend their threemonth elective working in a law office in NZ. Their spelling and grammar are usually perfect. Having attended an English class at a German school I don't find that surprising. I attended the equivalent of a 7th from level class and they all spoke better English than I number of people* I know in New Zealandand were studying a book, which I can't remember the name of, of which all I remember is that guaranteed every 10 words would contain at least 1 I'd never heard of before, and they were reading it fine. :S Along the lines of this tho I understand it is not uncommon in certain areas to come across txt shorthand in CVs (ie 'hope 2 hear from U soon') and I'm going to suggest it's an unwise idea should you be tempted. ;P --Slosh* Needless to say I mean people who speak English as a first language.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:01, Nick Rout wrote: I regularly receive CV's from Germans looking to spend their three month elective working in a law office in NZ. Their spelling and grammar are usually perfect. Ah. But they are actually taught the grammar of the English Language in all it's glorious detail as part of of their curriculum. It just doesn't happen in most of the English speaking world. e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. -- CS
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On 9/15/05, Christopher Sawtell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ah. But they are actually taught the grammar of the English Language in all it's glorious detail as part of of their curriculum. It just doesn't happen in most of the English speaking world. Perhaps the curriculum should be extended so that it does then? This is one of my arguments when I'm trying to tell someone they should learn a foreign language, particularly if it's one of the indo-european branch. e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. It looks _really_ familiar.. it involves verbs right? --Slosh
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:32:56 +1200 Christopher Sawtell wrote: . who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. Given the identity of the poser of the question, I thought it might have come from the same root as geriatric, ;-) looking it up proved otherwise. -- Nick Rout [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 12:32 +1200, Christopher Sawtell wrote: Ah. But they are actually taught the grammar of the English Language in all it's glorious detail as part of of their curriculum. It just doesn't happen in most of the English speaking world. e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. I have found that people, regardless their age, are often confused about grammar. Many are not aware of the difference between three full-stops and ellipsis, the different uses of commas, and the different types of dashes. The GNOME Documentation Style Guide (to go slightly on-topic) explicitly forbids apostrophes because they are commonly used incorrectly! My favourite grammar question annoys many wingers: what is a person from Canterbury called? -- Michael JasonSmithhttp://ldots.org/
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
who over 30 can? i sure can't... Christopher Sawtell wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:01, Nick Rout wrote: I regularly receive CV's from Germans looking to spend their three month elective working in a law office in NZ. Their spelling and grammar are usually perfect. Ah. But they are actually taught the grammar of the English Language in all it's glorious detail as part of of their curriculum. It just doesn't happen in most of the English speaking world. e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:54:49 +1200 Michael JasonSmith wrote: My favourite grammar question annoys many wingers: what is a person from Canterbury called? One-eyed? -- Nick Rout [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
Nick Rout wrote: On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 12:54:49 +1200 Michael JasonSmith wrote: y favourite grammar question annoys many wingers: what is a person from Canterbury called? One-eyed? He tangata o Waitaha. And if you can't accept an Official Language, go to hell. C/C++ -- Richard Tindall, InfoHelp Services http://www.infohelp.co.nz
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
I have had hundreds of interviews this year, so I've become quite the expert at getting to the top of the list (just don't ask me how to have a successful interview). The most important thing is not the CV, it's the covering letter (often the contents of the email, with the Word/PDF CV attached). Some people don't even look at your CV! The art of the covering letter is to make your skills and experience match what was asked for in the advertisement. Perfectly. Don't lie, just be positive! I think my problem is that I'm great at making myself look wonderful on paper, then my social ineptitudes make me fail at the interview stage (I become shy and reserved and curl up into my shell). Perhaps I should drink more caffeine before interviews? Gareth.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
Join a toastmasters club. I'm serious. I joined one this year, and have found it very useful to work on the sort of social ineptitudes common to geeks. The club I go to, Woolston toasmasters club, meets on Monday evenings, but there's about 20 or more around Christchurch if the time/venue don't suit. Check out www.toastmasters.org.nz for more details. Perhaps if we get some geeks along to a toastmasters club we can have more (and better quality) presentations at CLUG meetings. Cheers, Carl. On 15/09/05, Gareth Faull [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have had hundreds of interviews this year, so I've become quite the expert at getting to the top of the list (just don't ask me how to have a successful interview). The most important thing is not the CV, it's the covering letter (often the contents of the email, with the Word/PDF CV attached). Some people don't even look at your CV! The art of the covering letter is to make your skills and experience match what was asked for in the advertisement. Perfectly. Don't lie, just be positive! I think my problem is that I'm great at making myself look wonderful on paper, then my social ineptitudes make me fail at the interview stage (I become shy and reserved and curl up into my shell). Perhaps I should drink more caffeine before interviews? Gareth.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
e.g. who under the age of 30 on this list can tell us what a gerund is -- without looking it up. I can. :) grave action=dig owner=self You might want to investigate the use of apostrophies between the letters it and s... ;) /grave Volker -- Volker Kuhlmann is possibly list0570 with the domain in header http://volker.dnsalias.net/ Please do not CC list postings to me.
Re: [OT] Recommendations for CV/Resume Writers
On Thu, 2005-09-15 at 15:49 +1200, Volker Kuhlmann wrote: grave action=dig owner=self You might want to investigate the use of apostrophies between the letters it and s... ;) /grave boot position=shaky Starting a sentence with a conjunctive, rather than a conjunct, is often frowned on, too. /boot [I will stop now, as I am not holier than thou!] -- Michael JasonSmithhttp://ldots.org/
