Tell Me About Yourself!

It is common for job interviews to start with the interviewer saying, “Tell me about yourself.” (They might also say: "Tell me about your background.") What should you say? Here are some tips:

- This is a time for you to state your skills, experience, and education that make you great for the job - but don't repeat your resume. 

- Don't include personal information, such as information about your family or hobbies that aren't related to the job. 

- The answer should only be a few sentences so that your answer is about one minute long.

- You can change your answer for each job interview so that it is the best answer for that job. 

- Practice! You can write out your answer and then practice saying it and time yourself. Practice with a friend or classmate to make sure it sounds great!

Here are some examples of good answers:

"I have worked as a cashier for two years and I really enjoy working with customers. Before I moved to the U.S., I worked as a receptionist at a busy real estate office, where I kept the office organized while helping clients. I am looking for a position where I can use both my office and people skills.”

"Hi, my name is Maria Jobs and I am a Certified Nursing Assistant. I have 10 years of experience in nursing in the U.S. and in my home country. I am looking for a position as a home health aide. I'm bilingual in Spanish and English; this helps me connect with more of our patients. I really enjoy working with families to help them understand the treatment for their family member."

This video will help you create your own answer to this question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5kR7TPAkSw

Want to practice this and other interview questions? Make an appointment with Rachel, the ESOL Career Navigator, at rsbuczynski@fcps.edu! 

 

Spooky Jobs

Halloween is here and scary things are everywhere! However, there are some professionals who work spooky jobs all year round. In the spirit of Halloween, let's learn about some of the spookiest jobs around.

Gravedigger

Gravediggers dig graves in cemeteries for burials. It sounds creepy, but this is an essential role in American life (and death). Technology and construction equipment make the job both efficient and quicker than individual shoveling, allowing gravediggers to spend time mowing grass, pruning plants, setting grave markers, and making cemeteries beautiful places for loved ones to grieve their losses.

Undertaker

While morbid, undertakers always have a job. Undertakers arrange for removal of the deceased’s body, offer counsel and comfort to families of the deceased and file death certificates and other legal documents. The spooky factor comes in when undertakers have to transport human remains and oversee cremation.

Coroner

The key job responsibility of a coroner or medical examiner is to determine the manners and causes of death, often by performing autopsies. During autopsies, coroners inspect the body of a deceased person to identify marks or other evidence that indicates how he or she died. The scariness factor soars when there is a particularly gruesome murder or a body is found in a lake for example. Weather, the elements, and the kind of death make this job one of the spookiest around.  

Forensic scientist

The gun that killed JFK. The fingerprints left behind by bank robber John Dillinger. Each of these were examined by forensic scientists. Whether working in a lab or on a crime scene, forensic scientists help criminal investigations by collecting and analyzing evidence. 

Crime scene cleaner

There is no certification required to become a crime scene cleaner, but the government requires any employee that has the potential of being exposed to blood to complete training. Someone in this role could clean up a bloody crime scene one day, a hoarders’ home filled with roaches another day, and finish the week with an unattended body clean up. No day is the same! 

Embalmer

In a funeral home, the embalmer is responsible for embalming and preparing the bodies of the deceased for funeral services as well as burials or cremations. This may involve removing blood and replacing it with embalming fluid, performing reconstruction to disguise damage, and applying makeup to provide a peaceful, relaxing appearance. Embalmers must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This may mean working during a holiday or special event.

Diplomas and Degrees

Many jobs require a high school diploma or even a college degree. Even if you graduated from high school or college in your home country, you may not know if your degree is the same in the United States. 

Remember, your life, work, and education experience counts, even if your degree is not the same in the United States! You could find a job in the same field as your home country, even if it's not the same job yet, to practice English. For example, if you were a nurse in your home country, you could work as a nurse's assistant or a hospital staff member to practice medical English until your degree is verified. 

Here are some resources to help you!

I Need a High School Diploma

• National External Diploma Program® (NEDP) - This virtual program evaluates your skills and awards a traditional diploma. Great for adults with work and life experience! https://www.casas.org/nedp 
  
• General Educational Development (GED) Test - You can take classes to help you prepare for a test to earn your high school diploma. Find out more: https://vaged.vcu.edu/index.html 
• Here is a list of the GED preparation classes in Northern Virginia: https://www.nvcc.edu/forms/pdf/125-010.pdf
• General Achievement Adult High School Diploma (GAAHSD) Program - Learn more about Adult High School with Fairfax County Public Schools: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/adult-education-academics/fairfax-county-adult-high-school

I Already Have a Diploma/Degree

• Evaluating International Diplomas and Degrees - There are many companies that can review your diploma or degree from your home country and provide proof of what the degree is equal to in the United States. These are all paid services.
• American Education Research Corporation (AERC) www.aerc-eval.com
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) www.ece.org
• Academic & Professional International Evaluations, Inc. (APIE) http://apie.org
• Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI) www.acei-global.org
• Validential https://validential.com 

Small Business Resources

Small Business Resources

Starting a Business – Business Planning

Community Business Partnership
6564 Loisdale Court, Ste. 600, Springfield, VA 22150
(703) 768-1440
https://cbponline.org/Provides online and in-person training and counseling for people who want to start or grow small businesses.

Virginia Business One Stop
http://www.bos.virginia.gov/index.shtml
Information on all steps of owning a business in Virginia.

Virginia Small Business Development Centers, State Office
4031 University Drive, Suite 100, Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 277-7703
https://www.virginiasbdc.org/
Provides counseling and training.

Fairfax County Bizex
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/starting-business
Business, Professional, and Occupational Licenses (BPOL) Information
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes/business/information-new-businesses
New businesses must file a business license application within 75 days of the date business began.

SCORE Counseling
https://washingtondc.score.org/
SCORE is a nationwide, non-profit volunteer association with over 12,000 retired and active business owners and executives. SCORE provides one-on-one counseling and mentoring, low-cost business-related workshops and FREE house calls to your business location to conduct business reviews. The Washington, D.C., area chapter has over 50 expert volunteer members to assist you.

Marketing a Business Online

• Wordpress.com – https://wordpress.com/start/user?ref=pricing-lp - free website builder
• Facebook.com – https://www.facebook.com/business/pages/set-up - Create a business page for free.
• Yelp.com - https://biz.yelp.com/ - Create a business listing and ask for reviews.
• Google.com - https://www.google.com/business/ - List your contact information and ask for reviews.
• Put pictures of your work online so people can see that you do a good job.

Networking

• Talk to friends, family, and classmates to see if they need your business.
• Visit www.meetup.com to find local groups in contracting, remodeling, housekeeping, or other common careers.
• Google businesses doing the type of work you would like to do in your area - and call them to see if they need help.
• Look on Facebook for local businesses like the kind you want to start, and follow their page to see what information they post and if they have jobs.

• 
  

8 Essential Tips for Writing Your Resume in English

Source: English Live, https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/career-english/8-essential-tips-for-writing-your-resume-in-english/ 

One good first step when looking for a job is creating your resume (or CV). This document is a collection of your skills, education, and experience. 

Resumes in the United States might be a little different than CVs in your country of origin. Here are some tips on writing your resume in English. You can read the full article from English Live here. 

1. Make sure your resume is easy to read by using a simple font and good formatting.

2. Your resume is a short summary of all of your qualifications. It should be 1-2 pages total.

3. Include your full name, email address, and phone number at the top of your resume so it is easy to find. You do not have to include your full address (you can just use city and state).

4. Organize the information on your resume into three categories: work experience, education, and skills. Your most recent job and most recent education go first, followed by past jobs/education.

5. Include a job title for each job.

6. Use bullet points to list your experience and make sure to edit your resume. (You can send your resume to the FCPS ACE ESOL Career Navigator to help!)

7. Use action words like 'created,' 'managed,' 'coordinated,' and 'assisted' in your job descriptions. 

8. Be honest - make sure everything is correct on your resume before you send it to a job.

ESL: Improve Your English Telephone Skills

 Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/telephone-practice-english-with-dialogues-1211307 

By Kenneth Beare - Updated July 18, 2019 

Practice your telephone skills using the short English conversations provided below that focus on several everyday situations. Print these telephone scenarios for use in class or share telephone conversations with your friends online. For example, you could Skype your friend, navigate to a telephoning English practice page, and rehearse together by each taking a role, exchanging roles, and practicing a few times. 

Telephone Tips

Practice each dialogue with a friend or classmate a few times. Next, write your own telephone dialogues, go into another room, and use your smartphone to call your partner. Practicing by using a real phone will make future conversations with native speakers much easier. After you've practiced with a friend, try these tips:

1. Call local businesses: The best way to get better is by practicing calling various stores or businesses. Before calling, jot down a few notes on the information you would like to find out. Use your notes when you call the stores to help you feel more confident when you speak.
2. Call yourself: To practice leaving messages, call yourself and leave a message. Listen to the message to see if you can understand the words clearly. Play the recording for a native-speaking friend to see if she understands the message you have left. 
3. Introduce yourself properly: When on the phone, use "This is..." rather than "I am..." when introducing yourself in English. 

Don't be shy about asking the speaker (politely) to repeat names and numbers to ensure that you get the right information. Repeating names and numbers will help slow speakers down.

Key Vocabulary

Before practicing the following dialogues, familiarize yourself with the following terms, which are common to many telephone conversations:

• This is ...
• May (Can, Could) I speak to...?
• I'm calling ...
• Please hold...
• put someone through...
• Who's calling...?
• take a message

Calling Someone at Work

• Caller: Hello. This is [your name]. May I speak to Ms. Sunshine, please.
• Receptionist: Hold the line a moment, I'll check if she is in her office.
• Caller: Thank you.
• Receptionist: (after a moment) Yes, Ms. Sunshine is in. I'll put you through.
• Ms. Sunshine: Hello, this is Ms. Sunshine. How can I help you?
• Caller: Hello, my name is [your name], and I'm calling to ask about the position advertised on JobSearch.com.
• Ms. Sunshine: Yes, the position is still open. Could I have your name and number, please?
• Caller: Certainly, My name is [your name]...

Leaving a Message

• Fred: Hello. Could I speak to Jack Parkins, please?
• Receptionist: Who's calling, please?
• Fred: This is Fred Johnson. I'm a friend of Jack's.
• Receptionist: Hold, please. I'll put your call through. (after a moment)—I'm afraid he's out at the moment. Can I take a message?
• Fred:  Yes. Can you ask him to give me a call? My number is 909-345-8965.
• Receptionist: Could you repeat that, please?
• Fred:  Certainly. That's 909-345-8965.
• Receptionist: OK. I'll make sure Mr. Parkins gets your message.
• Fred: Thank you. Goodbye.
• Receptionist: Goodbye.