An Investigation into English-Majored Students’ Challenges in Writing Curriculum Vitae in English

Abstract

Although writing a resume when applying for a job (CV) in English has become popular among English language students, difficulties and obstacles in the process of writing a CV in English still exist. This study explores the challenges faced by English majors students in the process of writing CVs in English. Through Socio-Cultural Theory, the study also explores the methods of overcoming difficulties in the process of writing CVs in English that students have applied. Thereby, the research will provide appropriate support solutions in the teaching environment to help students succeed in the job search process. This is a quantitative study. The instrument for data collection is a questionnaire consisting of 48 questions on a 5-step response scale. There were 90 English majors in the Faculty of Foreign Languages answering the questionnaire. The results show that the majority of students faced many challenges from linguistic aspects: vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar and difficulties in content presentation: structure, presentation style display. Many students had a proactive attitude in overcoming difficulties in writing CVs in English by using digital tools: dictionaries, translation software, ready-made resume templates, or take courses that teach writing skills in English. However, these methods also bring new challenges for students: confusion with large amounts of information, uncomfortable experience with technology tools, lack of support from the community. The study also offers solutions to help students overcome these challenges.