Posts Tagged ‘uk’

Tips on how to write an effective and attention-getting CV!

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

You wish to complete your studies with a practical component abroad? 

Get ready for an international experience! 

But how to apply? Getting an interview for an internship placement can depend on how good your CV is… It is the opportunity for you to show the employer that you are the right person for the placement!

Have a look at the following guidelines!

How long? Don’t write more than 2 pages! Writing “CV” or “Curriculum Vitae” is no more necessary. Don’t worry, employers know what a CV is! This kind of unuseful information definitely has to be avoided. Your CV must be clear and readable, so don’t forget the importance of spaces between the different sections!

What should I definitely include? It sounds basic but your CV should include sections like contact information, education, work experience, and skills.

Start with your Personal Details: your name, address and contact details. It is up to you whether you include your age, marital status and nationality - it’s not essential but some employers would like to know, and it can sometimes be an asset for you!

Don’t forget how essential it is to order information according to what’s the most important! Education or Work Experience? Well, it actually depends on the work placement you’re applying for! For some positions your experience may be a real asset for you while for others qualifications will be more important.

Keep in mind that if you have already been working for a while, you should put your Work Experience first, all the more so as it is relevant. Create bulleted lists showing not only your main duties and responsibilities, but above all highlighting your specific achievements and skills you used and developed. This is the information the employer uses when deciding whether to interview you or not

If you are younger and do not have much work experience, focus on your Education and training, don’t worry, we hardly all went through this stage! The fact is that you have to make this section attractive with key information.

Include then Other Skills that might be useful to an employer according to the work placement you’re applying for - Driving, Languages, IT Skills etc. You can also have one specific Languages or IT Skills’ section for example. Once again be specific above all regarding your levels in languages. If you already passed some certificate such as TOEIC, for example through an English course in Cambridge or other, specify it! An employer will appreciate. You can use words such as ”fluent”, “intermediate”, “beginner” (if not bilingual!) but it won’t be as relevant.

And of course, don’t forget your Hobbies and Interests! They’re also important because they help the employer to understand which kind of person you are. As well as in the other sections, information must be relevant to the work placement you’re applying for. Avoid activities that are too general and be specific. For example, if you’re keen on dancing or music, specify which types! If you play tennis say for how long, if you already played in tournaments etc.  Don’t forget that your hobbies show who you are!

Be consistent in style! When talking about CV consistency is a key word. Determine the way you want your CV to look and be consistent with your font (pick a quite standard one in general) and setup each section in the same way. For example, titles of the different sections must all be alike.

Tailor your CV to the job! The words you choose are important. You should adapt the content of your CV for each work placement you’re applying for to reflect certain key words the employer will be looking for. Think about what the employer is asking for. Take some time to find out about the main activities of the company. 

And last but not least, proofread your CV! If you don’t want your CV to be thrown into the “No” pile immediately, proofread it! Mistake and CV are two words which are not compatible! So don’t hesitate to ask somebody else to review your CV again before applying!

More tips!

DO’S DO'S!!!

* use positive language and power ‘doing’ words like ‘launched’, ‘managed’ and ‘improved’. Quote figures if possible to back up your claims.

* use good quality paper - first impressions count!

DON’TS

If you don’t want to pull such a face, just don’t:

DON'TS!!!

* lie - employers have ways of checking if what you wrote in you CV is true. If they find out you’ve lied to them, consequences can be severe for you!

* delay responding to contact made by prospective employer. You shoud contact them only in the way they requested to (don’t phone them if they only gave an email address for example).

Now that you are ready to apply for a work placement, what about an internship in England? Or maybe you’d prefer an internship in Canada? Let’s go!

Life in an British or Irish Host Family: General Advices and Information

Friday, September 18th, 2009

You are going to best hosted by an Irish or British host family, and you are a little bit afraid of what to expect? Here are some general advices about the behaviour that the family with expect from you, as well as general information about life in England and Ireland.

Bristish and Irish families specificities:

-In many families, there will likely be a pet. Don’t be disrespectful toward it.
-You are an ambassador of your country abroad so don’t forget to stay polite and have a perfect behaviour! For example, ask to the family before doing any action like switching on the TV, inviting friends…
-Ask to your host family what is the most appropriate time for you to take your shower.
-Usually British and Irish families host students on a regular basis. This allows to get a better knowledge of the family, even if the hosting is not always as spontaneous as when the family is volunteer.
-Always be polite and ask nicely to repeat if you haven’t understood something.
-Don’t contradict your hosts, this wouldn’t be decent. If the family organizes some activities for you, thank them!
-Sunday is a special day in UK. British people like to take it slow on that day: they go to the religious service, meet family or friends… Enjoy it and use this special occasion to get to know better your hosts! Lunch will be served later on that day, around 2pm. The traditional Sunday meal would be Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. At the end of the day, British people usually have sandwiches and cakes made for the occasion.
-Regarding religion, most Irish families are Roman catholic, whereas British families tend to be Anglican. Scottish people are generally Presbyterian, and the Welshs are generally Methodists.

About general life in England and Ireland:

-Whatever the season is, it is highly recommended to bring a cloth item to protect you from the rain. The general temperature is 15.5° (Celsius) in summer, and room are usually not heated a lot, so don’t forget to bring items to keep you warm!
-Banks are usually opened from 9.30am to 4pm. In big cities they will likely be open on Saturday, whereas in the rural areas they will be closed.
-Post offices are opened from Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 5.30 pm, except on Saturdays where they closed at noon.
-Shops are opened from 9am to 5.30 pm generally. It is recommended to keep your receipts so you won’t have any problem or misunderstandings while leaving a shop.
-Don’t forget that in the UK and in Ireland, people drive on the left side of the road!
-To be able to enter a pub, you have to be 16 years old at least. However, if your host family goes to lunch in the pub, you will be able to accompany them, even if you’re not 16. Pubs generally close at 11pm.
-Coin machines near the beaches always attract suspicious-looking people. Try to avoid these places. Also, clubs and pubs surroundings around close time are also a place to avoid.
-If you are travelling with a group of foreigners, try to avoid speaking loudly in the public transports. You would be targeted as an easy prey to thefts.

I hope these advices and information have been useful for you!

Host Family in England and Ireland: Food Tips!

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

You are going to Ireland or to England, and you will be hosted by a local host family? Here are some useful information and advices related to food and meals!

About meals!
Generally, there  are 3 meals in the UK:
-Breakfast: you will generally have cafe or tea, cereals with milk, toast with butter/marmalade. Breakfast is a serious business in the UK: don’t hesitate to eat a lot since the lunch will likely be light!

-Lunch: usually taken around 1pm, this is generally a light meal. A typical lunch would be a sandwich, potato chips, a little cake, a fruit, fruit juice, sweets like candy bars… In most homestay, the family will provide you this lunch. If you are a “big” eater, you should try to take pocket money in order to be able to buy more food.

-Tea or Dinner: The evening meal is served early, around 5.30 or 6pm. This is the most important meal of the day. Generally speaking, you will eat a main dish followed by a dessert. In most English host families, your dish will already be served when you will sit at the table! If you are home after 6 pm, it is really likely the family will have already eaten. Since Britannic consider as impolite to watch their host eating when themselves have already eaten, you will likely eat alone.

Other generalities about food in UK and Ireland:
-Red meat is not eaten a lot in UK due to its high price. You will more likely eat chicken, turkey, pork or sheep. Meat is usually served with a brown dressing called “gravy”
-Generally, vegetables are boiled
-Bristish and Irish people don’t use a lot of fruits, but they love “sweets” like puddings, cake, syrup fruits with custard…
-Usually, there is neither bread nor water at the table. If you want some, you will have to ask to the family.

Expected behaviour!
Here are some information and advices on how to behave during meals in English and Ireland.
- Your hosts will be pleased if you helped with little household chores, like dressing the table. You also have to make your bed and keep the common places you’re using clean!
- Always be on time, and advise the family if you think you are going to be late for a meal.
- If asked about what you are served, be honest but tactful.
- Regarding manners, don’t be  surprised if you see your hosts loadings their forks or having their hands under the table. British and Irish manners likely are different from the one of your country!
- At the end of your meal, put your knife, fork and spoon on your dish, but don’t cross them
- Meals are usually taken rather quickly. The family rather gathers in the salon afterward with a cup of tea to do the conversation.
- Above all, be open and try to taste everything! Never forget to congratulate your hostess for what she has prepared, she will appreciate it!

Have you other advices to share with us? Don’t hesitate to do so!

Discovering London and Learning English at the Same Time?

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Have you ever dreamed of visiting the United Kingdom? Discover London, its worldwide famous places, see changing the guard, visit the Royal Palace…Nacel offers an exceptional program that combines language courses and a visit of London and its surroundings.

But enough talking… The best way for you to picture yourself there is by watching a little video of our past participants!

 

 

So, did you enjoy the video? Have you ever been in the UK or in London? What did you like? Share your experience with us!

High School in England : Students’ Testimonial

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

At Nacel we really value our student’s satisfaction. We recently received a testimonial from 2 students, Alex and Iris, who are currently on an academic program in the United Kingdom, where they are learning English while studying in an English “high school”, along with English students!

This testimonial shows what their goals are and explain a bit more about their experience in the UK! The picture allows you to get a night glimpse of the school’s student residence!academic program uk study abroad

 

Dear Nacel,
 
            Me and Iris are writing this letter to you to tell you about our experience in England.
 
Our goals and motivations before applying to this program were to learn English and to get to know English culture. We chose to come to England and not to go to USA because England is closer to our country and we can learn the most spoken language. As we are an EU country we didn’t have to request visa for UK but we had to fill in the forms for applying at college.
When we arrived in UK we were welcomed by the college staff and we met our new mates. Boston is a small town with a big supermarket and lots of nice people. The good part of this program is that at the end of the year we will have an Academic IELTS certification for English language and some degrees in the subjects we studied that could help us for university application. Our future plan is to apply for university here and maybe to continue the college here.
 
Best regards,

Alex and Iris

Admit it: you would like to be there too ;) To receive information about an academic program abroad, contact us!