2011年ESL之商务英语 05 Preparing a Video Resume

 

05 Preparing a Video Resume

GLOSSARY

video resume – a short video created to present information about one’squalifications, education, experience, and skills, to be viewed by the people whoare hiring for a particular job

* Why did you decide to send a video resume instead of a traditional, paperbasedresume?

to take the place of – to replace; to be used instead of something else

* In many situations, emails have taken the place of regular mail.

to supplement – to add to something else; to make something else better ormore complete

* The doctor recommended supplementing the children’s diet with a dailymultivitamin.

outside – external; not directly related to something, or in addition to something

* Rakei is a professional hockey player, but his outside interests include paintingand skiing.

well-rounded – with many interests and skills; involved in many differentactivities

* Lina is a well-rounded student who does well academically, but is also involvedin music, sports, and volunteer activities.

to market (oneself) – to present oneself in a particular way so that one appearsqualified for a particular position or opportunity

* Heidi is well-qualified, but she’s too shy to market herself, so nobody ever offersher a job.

business attire – clothing that is appropriate to wear while working in aprofessional, formal office environment

* Jeans and sandals are not appropriate business attire. If we want to work in abank, we need to start wearing suits and ties.

to knock (someone) out of contention – to prevent someone from beingconsidered for a competitive position, opportunity, or award; to make someonelose

* If athletes are caught using steroids, it knocks them out of contention for theprize.

to count – to be important and relevant; to be something that should beconsidered; to be a factor

* Even if she doesn’t like your gift, she’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness. Afterall, it’s the thought that counts.

to handle (oneself) – to control one’s actions and words in a particularenvironment; to demonstrate self-control

* How did Jessie handle himself under such stressful conditions?

business setting – a professional work environment

* If I’m going to work in a business setting, I might have to stop dying my hairpink and blue.

to sell (oneself) short – to doubt or question one’s ability to do something well;to present oneself as being less able or skilled than one really is

* Don’t sell yourself short during the salary negotiations! Be sure to ask for themoney you deserve.

as (something) as the next guy – as much as anyone else; in the same way asanyone else

* You’re as smart as the next guy, so there’s no reason why you can’t do well onthis test.

to believe in (oneself) – to be self-confident; to believe that one can dosomething well

* Starting a new business is challenging, but if you believe in yourself, you can doit!

polished – very well done; complete and nicely finished; with all the finishingtouches; without anything left unfinished

* Now that they’ve finished hanging artwork on the walls, the office looks verypolished.

stand-in – a person who does another person’s job for a period of time,especially when talking about an actor

* When the lead actress had a sore throat, Chelsea was asked to be her standin.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What is a well-rounded person?

a) Someone who has a very round face.

b) Someone who is very overweight.

c) Someone who has many interests.

2. Why does Raj tell Katrina, “Stop selling yourself short”?

a) Because she needs to be more self confident.

b) Because she needs to stand up straight.

c) Because she needs to buy high-heeled shoes.

______________

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

outside

The word “outside,” in this podcast, means external, not directly related tosomething, or in addition to something: “Let’s ask someone with an outsideperspective to give us feedback on our presentation.” An “outside chance”

describes a very low probability or a very small likelihood: “There’s an outsidechance it might rain, so bring your umbrella just in case.” An “outside call” is atelephone call that is directed outside of the building, not simply to another phonewithin the same business or organization: “If you want to make an outside call,you need to dial a 9 first.” Finally, the phrase “outside of (something)” meansexcept for something: “Outside of desserts, I think spaghetti is my favorite food.”

stand-in

In this podcast, a “stand-in” is a person who does another person’s job for aperiod of time, especially when talking about an actor: “When we went to see theplay, we were very disappointed to see a stand-in instead of the world-famousactor we had been expecting.” A “standout” refers to something that is excellent,and much better than other things: “That book is a standout among the books theauthor has written over the past 10 years.” When talking about trees, a “stand” isa group of one type of trees that grow in a particular area: “Jacques favoritepicnic spot is under that stand of oak trees.” Finally, in a court, the phrase “totake the stand” means to go to the part of the courtroom where a witness musttell the truth as part of a legal case.

CULTURE NOTE

Some people think video resumes are the “hot” (exciting and interesting) newway to apply for jobs. Unfortunately, many employers disagree and actuallystrongly dislike receiving video resumes.

Some of their reasons for disliking video resumes are “technological” (related tothe tools and equipment needed to do something). Video resumes are large filesthat come in many different “file formats” (ways of saving electronic information).

They can be difficult to store and open, and they may have “embedded” (includedas part of something) “viruses” (electronic software code and programs thatcreate problems in computers and/or delete data).

Viewing video resumes takes time, and they cannot be “scanned” (reviewed)quickly. Paper resumes can be scanned in a few seconds by “reviewers” (peoplewho evaluate resumes or applications) who “cull” them (take out the worst onesthat should not be considered further). With video resumes, this is not an option.

Also, many companies rely on “databases” of resumes, so that they can searchfor “key” (the most important) “terms” (words and phrases), but thosetechnologies cannot identify information stored in a video resume.

In addition, because there is no “standard” (an agreed-upon way of doing things)for video resumes, they contain many different kinds of information. This makesit difficult for employers to compare applicants and their qualifications fairly.

Finally, some people argue that video resumes simply invite “discrimination”

(treating people different based on their sex, race, age, religion, etc.). When avideo resume is “merely” (simply; only) a person “reciting” (stating) theinformation that would otherwise be on a paper resume, the only difference isthat the reviewer can see what the applicant looks like – and this becomes a“liability” (a risk or danger, something that can create problems) for the companyif it begins making discriminatory hiring decisions.

______________

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 664: Preparing aVideo Resume.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 664. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is eslpod.com. Go there to download a Learning Guide for thisepisode that will help you improve your English even faster – and keep yourhands from getting dirty!

This episode is about a “resume,” which is a description of your experiences thatyou give to someone you want to work for when you are looking for a job. Let’sget started.

[start of dialogue]

Katrina: Okay, I’m ready to hear all of your advice about what to put into a videoresume.

Raj: All right. The first thing to remember is that your video resume doesn’t takethe place of your traditional resume; it supplements it.

Katrina: Okay, I got it. I was thinking of talking about some of my outsideinterests and activities to show that I’m a well-rounded person.

Raj: I’d forget about that, if I were you. The point of the video resume is to makea good business impression. It’s not about showing your outside skills orinterests. You’re marketing yourself as a business professional so you shouldwear business attire, something you would wear to an interview.

Katrina: Oh, so this outfit is out, I guess. I wanted to show them my personality.

Raj: I think that outfit would definitely knock you out of contention for any job.

You have to get it out of your head that you’re going to get hired for yourpersonality or charm. What counts are your qualifications, your skills, and howyou handle yourself in a business setting.

Katrina: Oh, I was afraid you were going to say that.

Raj: Stop selling yourself short. Your qualifications and skills are as good as thenext guy’s. You just have to believe in yourself.

Katrina: Right, I have to believe in myself…I have to believe in myself. Hey, Ithink I can do it!

Raj: Really? You think you can produce a video resume that’s professional andpolished?

Katrina: Sure, it should be no problem. I know just the right person to hire as astand-in!

[end of dialogue]

Our dialogue begins with Katrina saying to Raj, “Okay, I’m ready to hear all ofyour advice about what to put into a video resume.” Katrina wants to hear whatRaj thinks about what she should put into, or what she should have, on her videoresume. A “resume” is a list, typically on a piece of paper, of your qualifications,your experiences, your educational background. All of these things you put on apiece of paper, and you give to a company who is looking for someone; you, ofcourse, hope that they will look at your resume and hire you – give you a job.

Sometimes, in some settings, a resume is called a “CV,” that stands forcurriculum vitae. In the university – in the academic world we often talk aboutCVs (the letter “C” and the letter “V”). More commonly – more generally, they’recalled resumes. A “video resume,” then, is when you record a short video andtell people what your qualifications are; so, it’s a video about you.

Raj says, “All right. The first thing to remember is that your video resume doesn’ttake the place of your traditional resume.” “To take the place of (something orsomeone)” means to replace, to be used instead of something else. Raj issaying that you can have a video resume, but you also need a traditional resume.

That is, a resume on a piece of paper or nowadays, I guess, a file that you wouldemail someone. “To take the place of” means then to replace. “No one can takeyour place,” you may hear. Well, that’s probably not true; everyone can probablybe replaced! Raj says that the video resume supplements the traditional resume.

“To supplement” (supplement) means to add to something else, to makesomething else better. Your doctor may tell you to supplement your diet, whatyou eat, by taking vitamin pills. That is also a noun – that is, “supplement” canbe used as a noun to refer to those things you take to make your health better inaddition to any sort of medicine. So vitamin C, for example, would be asupplement; it would help you improve your health, it would add to what you aredoing otherwise with your diet – with your eating.

Katrina says, “Okay, I got it (meaning I understand). I was thinking of talkingabout some of my outside interests and activities to show that I’m a well-roundedperson.” Your “outside interests” are things that you do in addition to your work.

That might include skiing, going to the bar and drinking beer and watchingtelevision, it might be dancing; all of these things you do when you’re notworking. Well not all of them, but some of them you probably do, especially theone about the beer I guess! Anyway, Katrina has outside interests, things thatare not directly related to her business life and experience. She thinks sheshould talk about those. “Outside,” by the way, has some other meanings inEnglish, and those can be found in our Learning Guide for this episode. Shesays she wants to show – she wants to demonstrate – that she is a well-roundedperson. A “well-rounded person” is someone who has many different interestsand skills, someone who is involved in many different kinds of or types ofactivities. Maybe you like to dance, but you also volunteer your time to helpteach children how to read, or you also like to travel, and you like to read modernpoetry. All of these things could make you a well-rounded person – or they couldmake you crazy, both are possible!

Raj says, “I’d forget about that, if I were you.” He’s telling Katrina no, don’t talkabout your outside interests. “The point (or the reason, the main goal) of thevideo resume is to make a good business impression.” An “impression” is howsomeone reacts to you, what they think of you. “It’s not about showing youroutside skills or interests,” Raj says, “You are marketing yourself as a businessprofessional.” “To market yourself” means to present yourself in a particular wayso that it seems as though you are qualified. You could market yourself as aclothes designer, and you would show that you know how to design clothes. Soyou can market, or sell yourself as a different kind of person, depending on thejob you are applying for. Raj says that you want to market yourself, Katrina, as abusiness professional therefore you should wear business attire. “Attire” (attire)refers to the clothing that you wear, so “business attire” would be businessclothing, clothing you would wear to work. Raj says, “something you would wearto an interview.”

Katrina says, “Oh, so this outfit is out, I guess.” Here, the word “outfit” refers tothe clothing that you are wearing. When Katrina says, “this outfit is out,” shemeans that it is not appropriate, she can’t use it for the video resume. She says,“I wanted to show them my personality.” Raj says, “I think that outfit (thoseclothing, your attire) would definitely knock you out of contention for any job.” “Toknock (knock) someone out of contention” means to prevent you from getting thejob or getting the opportunity, to make you lose basically. If you have someonewho knocks you out of contention, that means that you are going to lose, that person is better than you or that person will be selected before you. So Raj tellsKatrina that her outfit – her clothing would definitely knock her out of contention.

I’m not sure what Katrina was wearing, maybe a bikini; I don’t know – she saysshe wanted to show them her personality! Raj says, “You have to get it out ofyour head (meaning you have to stop thinking) that you are going to get hired foryour personality or charm.” “Charm” is the way that you are nice to other people;it’s a quality that makes people like you. Raj says, “What counts (meaning whatis important) are your qualifications, your skills, and how you handle yourself in abusiness setting.” “To handle yourself” means how you act, how you behave; inparticular, how you are able to control your actions and reactions in a difficultsituation, in this case in a business setting. A “setting,” here, just means anenvironment, the place where you work.

Katrina says, “Oh, I was afraid you were going to say that.” Raj says, “Stopselling yourself short.” “To sell yourself short” means to doubt or question yourability to do something, to think that you’re not very good at something when youreally are. It doesn’t mean anything related to being physically short or tall; it hasto do with your opinion of yourself and your abilities. That’s why Raj then says,“Your qualifications and skills are as good as the next guy’s.” When we say“(something) is as (something) as the next guy’s” – “as smart as the next guy’s,”

or “as big as the next guy’s,” or whatever – we mean that you have this quality asmuch as anyone else or in the same way as anyone else. The word “guys,” inplural, can refer to both men and women when used informally; it can also justrefer to men, it depends on the context. Here, Raj is referring to men andwomen. He says, “You just have to believe in yourself.” “To believe in yourself”

means to believe that you can do something well, to be, what we would say, selfconfident.

This is a very popular phrase, or at least it’s become one in the last30-40 years. Everyone believes in themselves, maybe a little too muchsometimes!

Katrina says, “Right, I have to believe in myself…I have to believe in myself.”

She repeats it. “Hey, I think I can do it!” Raj says, “Really? You think you canproduce (or make) a video resume that’s professional and polished?” “Polished”

means very well done, finished perfectly. Katrina says, “Sure, it should be noproblem. I know just the right person to hire as a stand-in!” A “stand-in” is anoun; it refers to a person who does another person’s job for a short period oftime, especially when we are talking about an actor in a play or some otherperformance. The “stand-in” is someone who is just there temporarily, becausethe regular actor is sick or can’t be there or is in prison, or is rehabilitated frombeing an alcoholic – you get the idea! Here, Katrina says, “I know just the rightperson to hire as a stand-in,” she means I’m going to find someone else who’s going to pretend they are me and they will make the video resume. Of course,that’s not what you should do, and not what Raj was suggesting!

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Katrina: Okay, I’m ready to hear all of your advice about what to put into a videoresume.

Raj: All right. The first thing to remember is that your video resume doesn’t takethe place of your traditional resume; it supplements it.

Katrina: Okay, I got it. I was thinking of talking about some of my outsideinterests and activities to show that I’m a well-rounded person.

Raj: I’d forget about that, if I were you. The point of the video resume is to makea good business impression. It’s not about showing your outside skills orinterests. You’re marketing yourself as a business professional so you shouldwear business attire, something you would wear to an interview.

Katrina: Oh, so this outfit is out, I guess. I wanted to show them my personality.

Raj: I think that outfit would definitely knock you out of contention for any job.

You have to get it out of your head that you’re going to get hired for yourpersonality or charm. What counts are your qualifications, your skills, and howyou handle yourself in a business setting.

Katrina: Oh, I was afraid you were going to say that.

Raj: Stop selling yourself short. Your qualifications and skills are as good as thenext guy’s. You just have to believe in yourself.

Katrina: Right, I have to believe in myself…I have to believe in myself. Hey, Ithink I can do it!

Raj: Really? You think you can produce a video resume that’s professional andpolished?

Katrina: Sure, it should be no problem. I know just the right person to hire as astand-in!

[end of dialogue]

No one can take the place of the scriptwriter here at ESL Podcast, and that is theone, the only, Dr. Lucy Tse.

From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Comeback and listen to us again on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan, copyright 2011 by the Center for EducationalDevelopment.