Never Assume

I’ll start with a little background to this post: I am currently applying for jobs, internships and training schemes, as well as building my profiles on networking websites. This means that I have been fine-tuning my CV to show off the skills that are most relevant to translation (French and Spanish to English). I made a few mistakes:

I assumed that potential employers would realise I have a high level of French because I wrote that I am expecting a high Merit/ Distinction for my MA. Apparently not.

I assumed that potential employers would realise that I left two of my jobs when I went to university and one when I moved to France because the dates coincided. Apparently not.

A very kind friend who looked over my CV said the above had completely escaped her and she was making an effort to see the positives. She also pointed out that I had hardly mentioned my French skills.  ‘You’ve said France once.'  

Although she thought my CV was impressive, she was also surprised that I hadn’t mentioned that I have lived in France. Again I had assumed; this time, that since I had mentioned my time in France in my cover letter, potential employers would read this and get this information there. Again, apparently not.

The moral of this story is twofold. Firstly, never assume that someone will understand something you have not stated. Even if it seems obvious to you, potential employers read hundreds of CVs and will not make the connections you want them to without a helping word or two. Secondly, ask a friend, one you know will be honest, to read your CV and pick holes in it. Only someone who knows you well, but isn’t you, can see the potentially important facts that you have missed or assumed the potential employer would realise.