DEH Student Workshop: Writing CVs and Cover Letters
On November 16, 2023, the Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh organized an online workshop titled, “Writing CVs and Cover Letters.” The workshop was outlined especially for the students of ENG 498, 499, and 413 to guide them through the importance, objectives, and steps of writing CVs and Cover Letters. The workshop is part of a series of workshops designed to prepare the final term students for their careers and higher studies. The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Oliur Rahman Sun, Lecturer, Department of English Language and Humanities.
Mr. Sun started the workshop by discussing the meaning and origin of CVs, and how, from a rough outline introduced by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1482, the structure and significance of the CV has changed over time. He offered an overview of the formatting of a CV for both academic and employment purposes. Further emphasis was put on the ways a student can showcase their work and experience by creating websites or LinkedIn profiles in order to represent their potential worth to institutions and organizations. Mr. Sun also gave some examples of poorly written CVs where he pointed out the flaws in grammar, font, formatting, and false information. He then demonstrated the correct steps for writing a proper CV with detailed information within 2 to 3 pages.
He mentioned the elements of a CV, which include Contact Information, Academic History, Professional Experiences, Relevant Skills/Qualifications, Publications/Presentations, List of Achievements, Professional Associations and Affiliations, and Hobbies/Interests. The facilitator also gave an example of a well-written Work Experience section, discussing how, with bullet points, one can separate the Work Experience and Achievements, to offer a more precise outlook for the recruiters. He elaborated on the About/Profile section, mentioning it should give a brief summary of a student’s personality, achievements, and work experience. Students were given an exercise to write their own About/Profile section and share it with the class, where they were given feedback. Mr. Sun used his own CV as an example to discuss more about the primary components in detail.
Finally, Mr. Sun briefly discussed Cover Letters and talked about how it is different from a CV, where it is written as a letter and addressed to the Recruiting Manager. He gave an idea about the tone of the letter, where it will start off with a brief introduction about the student, their background, and how they can contribute to the particular position they are applying for. He emphasized pointing out the achievements and accomplishments, highlighting the student’s potential for the position, and writing everything within one page. The workshop successfully came to a conclusion with a round of questions from the students, followed by Mr. Sun’s responses and suggestions.
Report by Shanjida Nusrath Ali (201013093)