disappointed,need help

[Maria2012 16]

I agree with everyone who advised you to focus on grammar. When I read your original post my first thought was " he needs to improve his English" . That really should be your main focus, because it is unacceptable to make so many grammar mistakes especially when you say you come from an English speaking country and that you worked as an English teacher.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Maria2012

[Pickle 65]

I have to agree with everyone on the language suggestions. No, you didn't come here to ask how to improve your English writing skills, but employers look at cover letters/resumes. They listen to you when you speak (I would assume one speaks as one writes). It's probably not a deal breaker for some (since you were able to find jobs here before), but for others your grammar might be the deciding factor between you and another applicant you are up against. And of course you will find a job where it doesn't matter, I'm just saying it might matter in a job where you have to send emails, create letter templates, speak to high profile clients, or whatever the case may be. I'm not attacking your grammar skills, mine aren't perfect either! I just think that it is possible that you might miss out on some job opportunities because of this. I hope you find a job where it doesn't matter though. I'm sure you are already stressed out enough as it is. I wish you the best in your job search!

[Novembro 1,763]

What in the world is this 'two space' rule?! I have a degree in English and have NEVER heard that.

Also lols @ a VJ grammar lesson.

[verysadguy 170]

Directly from writer's digest folks...

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/how-many-spaces-after-a-period

[kehills 217]

Novembro - you probably wouldn't have, since it's not an English thing, it's a typography thing some people assume (incorrectly) that is a grammar or typewriter related thing. There's a long and (unless you deal with layouts day in and out) boring history about em-spaces and the like, and the rules for how much space should be between sentences, and how people started cheating those spaces with typewriters and computers. Blah blah blah.

Basically, if someone tells you the rule is one (or two) spaces after a period/at the end of a sentence, they're wrong, unless they're telling you what the house style guide is, in which case, for the love of everything, listen to your editor!

[IcezMan_IcezLady 582]

I think I can understand the points coming from both sides.

I am not a native English speaker but the official language in my home country is English , therefore, I get offended when an American tries to make fun of mmy English and lack of American accent.

However, after attending college here, I found out that some Americans are very picky with job applicants. I took my resume to my professor for review and he draw a long line through it. He complained about different FONT SIZE, bad punctuation and over all presentation.

If you send a resume to someone like my professor, he will not only trash the resume he will tell his friends not to hire you.

One thing I appreciate about Americans is their response to criticisms which is done on goodwill.

Take the advice and if it helps you in getting a job..yay!

Be patient. The job market is still recovering and never quit a job until you have a replacement.

[discoverusa 233]

When I was looking for a job it was very helpfull to attend a job fair. Look up local university or state run career services agency. Those have regular job fairs where you can talk to prospective employers or recruiters. I got few job offers by attending job/career fairs.

[mtempelaar 190]

I agree with others here that are suggesting additional education in American English (particularly grammar). As a former VP at a bank and now at a major consulting firm, I have had to staff a lot of positions. With the number of CVs that get sent to me for vetting, competition is incredibly fierce for every level from intern to manager. If I see something that isn't spell-checked and grammar-checked, that person is going to be pretty low on my list and likely won't be interviewed. It appears to be a lack of care and attention to detail. Many positions at the managerial level also require presentation skills, so when I see questionable things on a CV, I'm going to question their presentation skills and whether they are up to the standards I would expect.

I would recommend that anyone coming here to find work submit their CV to a professional CV writer for assistance. What is a good CV in one part of the world is not necessarily good in the US. I see many foreign CVs for my offshore positions. The CVs I see coming in from certain countries makes me wonder how I will be able to place people in front of a client. A professional resume writer can not only fix any spelling and grammar issues but also draw out of you any experience you didn't include or write it in such a way as to appeal to American hiring managers. It could mean the difference between an interview and the trash bin.

I took my husband's CV and totally revamped it even though he's 100% fluent and an excellent writer. I re-wrote some of his responsibilities and experience to appeal to the US job market. For example, where he said "Logistics" I changed to "Supply Chain Management". And as his English is British English, I had to change things like "labour" to "labor". It literally pays to have a good, solid CV as the first impression is what it takes to get the foot in the door.

Regarding the space or double-space after a period, I was trained to write following the MLA Handbook for Research Papers. I had high school teachers that would mark down term papers if I didn't follow every rule in the handbook. At the time, double-space was the rule. I always double-space unless I'm using justified text in MS Word and the space messes up the layout. Changing it to single space makes me cringe but I recognize current convention. The MLA Handbook now has been updated to state that single space is common but double-space is still acceptable.

[d3adc0d3 186]

I am a software engineer with 2 degrees in IT, and nearly a decade of experience in my chosen field. I have worked several well paying jobs, some of the companies whom I have worked for are industry leaders, some are fortune 500 companies.

We are in a digital age, and the means of communication through this new age is written word. Employers and recruiters scour the internet and social networking sites to determine who they want to employ. People have been fired because of what was posted on a social networking site. What kind of impression do you think they would get if they found your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn profiles? While your spoken English is likely much better than you've presented, and I've confidence your written English can also be much better when you put more effort into it; with how competitive the current job market is for citizens, it is going to be even tougher than that for you as a non-citizen. You need to focus on the "first impressions" you are giving these potential employers and give them absolutely no excuse to put your resume in the "no interview" pile.

Most companies have a limited number of slots for "round 1" interviews, and many more applicants for a position, they will find ANY flaw in a resume, social networking profile, or background as an invitation to move you out of the "interview" list. They want the process done and over with quickly and your history, education, and experience won't even be considered if they find an excuse to move your resume into the other pile. Never mind moving that resume to the "round 2" interviews... that's a whole new subject!

Your English is decent, but if you're looking for a white collar job, I'm afraid it will need improvement in your grammar and punctuation. Your spelling is pretty good, but your sentence structure will need work. This is not a dig at your intelligence or capabilities, I know plenty of native English speakers who struggle with aspect of the English language; it's a confusing language with a lot of contradictory rules!

You should created a LinkedIn profile if you have not, as well as make sure any social networking site (Facebook, Twitter, InstaGram, etc) is not public and your privacy is kept to friends only. Post your resume on Career Builder, Monster, and any other popular recruiter websites, they will find your resume and contact you for jobs in your area that you may not even be aware of. Robert Half International is a huge temp agency, and they may find some work for you as well, they have locations all over the United States and the world.

You may have to chose some positions below your means to get some local work experience, often times work experience makes a huge impact as it speaks of your reliability as a potential employee, which means just as much as qualifications. No use in hiring someone who is qualified but unreliable - many would rather find someone less qualified and more reliable.

There are job fairs, classes on how to build a resume and interview better, and job search assistance. If you contact your local unemployment office they will be happy to assist you and direct you to some free classes. You don't need to qualify for unemployment insurance or be a US citizen to use their services.

Good Luck!

Edited September 4, 2014 by d3adc0d3

[S-C 21]

I wonder if he ever realised he needs to focus on his writing when applying for jobs. I am curious. Also I thought the first comment about his writing skills was pretty tame and well meaning.