How correctly write it in English?

Lessie

Electoral Member
Mar 17, 2010
135
1
18
Russia
Could you advise me, please, how correctly write in English (in official document like a Curriculum Vitae) that "I was a main developer of the project"?

It's mean that I made the most part of the work for the project, but I wasn't an organizer of the project (a chief of the project was another person)

How correctly write it for scientific project and for practical project (related with creating GIS projects and different environmental protection projects)?.
 
Last edited:

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,677
161
63
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
Saying "I was a main developer of the project" or "I was a senior developer of the project" or "I was one of the main developers of the project" would all work.

So long as you don't say "I was the creator of the project" or "I did it all by myself" then you explained clearly that you played an important role in the project, but you were not the leader of that project.

You could follow with a quick and short list of some of the things you were responsible for on the project:

• Quality Control of Equipment and Resources
• Optimized Work Flow to Finish the Project Ahead of Schedule
• Responsible for Enforcing Safety Regulations.

And so on.... whatever you did that you think would be important or appealing to your reader to see, put it down.... between 3 and 7 things would be enough.... depending on what this is for, you don't want a long list of 10 or 20 things for them to read through, unless it is supposed to be a detailed report you are making.

Beyond that, I don't think I can help you much, since I don't do what you do, and I don't normally write up reports or reviews for others to read, so I'm certainly no professional to help you..... but others might be able to help more.
 

Lessie

Electoral Member
Mar 17, 2010
135
1
18
Russia
Beyond that, I don't think I can help you much, since I don't do what you do, and I don't normally write up reports or reviews for others to read, so I'm certainly no professional to help you..... but others might be able to help more.

Thank you very much!!
Your advices are very useful for me.
 

YukonJack

Time Out
Dec 26, 2008
7,026
73
48
Winnipeg
As someone who learned English the hard way (you know, to survive) my advice to you is LEARN!!! And one can learn from the most unexpected sources.

Pick up a book. Ask people when you are in doubt. Put a heavy emphasis on spelling.

And by all means avoid anything and everything that has to do with rap, ebonics and hip-hop.
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,677
161
63
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
As someone who learned English the hard way (you know, to survive) my advice to you is LEARN!!! And one can learn from the most unexpected sources.

Pick up a book. Ask people when you are in doubt. Put a heavy emphasis on spelling.

And by all means avoid anything and everything that has to do with rap, ebonics and hip-hop.

"Ask people when you are in doubt"

^ I thought that's what he was doing :p
 

bobnoorduyn

Council Member
Nov 26, 2008
2,262
28
48
Mountain Veiw County
Здравствуйте Lessie. It's been a long time since I've written a C/V, but I've had to suffer reading through more than a few. It's a bit hard to tell you what to say when I'm not sure what it is you are trying to say. Praxius and Spade noted some key items but I could add a few other suggestions, and maybe a few questions; Is this a sort of mass mail C/V or to you have a particular target in mind? Many C/V's I've gone through are the mass mail type and if nothing notable sticks out and we are not in hiring mode, they just get filed away. It takes a lot more time, but if an applicant has made the effort to research the targeted company and makes their C/V and cover letter more personal it gets more attention.

Saying you were instrumental in developing this project and what your responsibilities and duties were is a good start. It might be risky, but you could ask the organizer or supervisor of this project if you could use them as a reference. I would only use them if I were targeting specific companies or departments within your present company. The risk lies in the fact that once you ask them to be a reference they will know you plan on leaving, this could be good or bad. Always confirm your references before you put them on a C/V, we do call them without asking you first.

You didn't say where you were planning on going, whether it is another department in your organisation, another firm or another country. Knowing the culture of your target helps; Although there are societal cultural differences between Canada, the US, and Russia, corporate culture can deviate from what could be considered the norm anywhere. I can't speak to corporate culture in Russia, but here, being a team player is what corporations look for. While team building is what they say they want, empire building, sadly, is what really happens, at the older and more established firms anyway. Selling yourself as a team player is the best route; many supervisors have reached their level of incompetence and need people who will make them look good, they don't want those who will threaten their tenure by being or looking better than them. It can be an art finding the right balance of tenacity and humility to get you in the door.

Another thing is that unsolicited C/V's and resumes to large establishments end up in the HR, or Human Resources Department, (we call it the Human Remains Department, but I digress). To be fair, these folks have to sort through plenty of applications for anything from mail room clerks to highly trained professional positions they have absolutely no knowledge or understanding of. Our company has a program where employees are encouraged to pass along C/V's of qualified friends or family members directly to the appropriate department head. To save your efforts being lost in the HR abyss you have to research each company you want to apply to, find the head of the department you want to work in and apply directly to them. Most often this requires some effort to get past the switchboard for an introductory phone call. A follow up phone call after you've sent your C/V will keep you in the mind of a prospective employer.

I'm not sure what industry you are in or what kind of project this was either, how you present yourself depends on who your audience is. I'm not prying, but just a little more information can help with the wording of what you want to say.
 

Lessie

Electoral Member
Mar 17, 2010
135
1
18
Russia
Thanks to all for your advices!!

Здравствуйте Lessie. It's been a long time since I've written a C/V, but I've had to suffer reading through more than a few. It's a bit hard to tell you what to say when I'm not sure what it is you are trying to say. Praxius and Spade noted some key items but I could add a few other suggestions, and maybe a few questions; Is this a sort of mass mail C/V or to you have a particular target in mind?

Bobnoorduyn, thank you for your detailed answer, your advices are very valuable for me.
Yes, I have a particular target. I want to send an application for MSc position to a Canadian University. I’ve chosen a concrete University, a concrete laboratory and concrete person where I want to go. I’ve chosen the best variant for me and the second and the third variants.
So, just now I preparing CV and my web-site (where will be some more detailed professional information about me) for concrete target and concrete persons.
My specialization is environmental protection. So, I want to get MSc position in this field.
Besides plan for education (maybe conjointly, maybe in the future after education) I’m going to work in some Canadian environmental protection NGO or State organization.

So, now it’s really difficult for me to orientate myself, because now I’m in Russia and I’ve never been in Canada. That’s why I have only an approximate strategy and I’m trying to realize it.

Your information is really important, but now I think it would be difficult for me to make my СV almost correctly. I don’t know how my experience will be estimated by Canadian professor.
Though I think that my background is normal for MSc position. I learned in Lomonosov Moscow State University (one of the best University in Russia), I have 3 years experience of work on the scientific position as a zoologist in academic institution and 3 years experience of work in an independent Russian nature conservation NGO. In my CV I put brief information about all projects where I participated in.

Of course it would be very good to show CV to somebody before sending it to the University.
Could you tell me, please, what do in this situation people in Canada? Maybe there are some Internet recourses (like forums) or services where people could check theirs CV?
 

Ariadne

Council Member
Aug 7, 2006
2,432
8
38
Have you contacted the university and requested an admission/application package (also downloadable online)? Different faculties will have different requirements. In some, you can expect that you will have to provide the following: a statement of interest, samples of work, transcripts, and three references - one of which must be non-academic. The statement of interest requires that you explain why you want the degree - it's about what you plan to do after you have the degree. As a non-resident, your tuition will be higher than for Canadian citizens. Have you looked into this? Also, the TOFEL exam is mandatory before admission to a graduate faculty. You will need to prove that you have completed the exam. Transcripts and proof of competencies must be received in official format. Having been on the admissions committee in a graduate faculty, I can tell you that the TOFEL is the first thing they will look for in foreign student applications.

Whereabouts are you in the application process?
 

bobnoorduyn

Council Member
Nov 26, 2008
2,262
28
48
Mountain Veiw County
Oddly my daughter lived in St. Peterburg and studied at Санкт-Петербургсий Государственный Университет, she's been tutoring me in Russian so you'll have to excuse me, (I've been paying for it so I think I deserve it). We do know some people who might be able to help you, my daughter is quite well liked by a former head of the Russian Department at her university who is also a Russian immigrant. I don't know what part of the country you are looking to come to but we certainly have a wide variety of ex patriots here. I'm not too familiar with your area of study, but I can try to find someone who can help.
 

Lessie

Electoral Member
Mar 17, 2010
135
1
18
Russia
Oddly my daughter lived in St. Peterburg and studied at Санкт-Петербургсий Государственный Университет, she's been tutoring me in Russian so you'll have to excuse me, (I've been paying for it so I think I deserve it). We do know some people who might be able to help you, my daughter is quite well liked by a former head of the Russian Department at her university who is also a Russian immigrant. I don't know what part of the country you are looking to come to but we certainly have a wide variety of ex patriots here. I'm not too familiar with your area of study, but I can try to find someone who can help.


Bobnoorduyn, thank you for your offer!!
But really I don’t want to bother you so much!.
Actually, now I have very little time (deadline is in the middle of January). So I’ve decided to try with my CV without revision.

But I have another very important for me question. Maybe you could help me. What do I need to write in my first letter to professor? Maybe you could give me some advices about general principles of this letter (like your advices about CV).

Have you contacted the university and requested an admission/application package (also downloadable online)?
Yes, I've examined the requirements.

In some, you can expect that you will have to provide the following: a statement of interest, samples of work, transcripts, and three references - one of which must be non-academic. The statement of interest requires that you explain why you want the degree - it's about what you plan to do after you have the degree.
Thank you. Do I need to write about my plan after I have a degree in the first letter?

As a non-resident, your tuition will be higher than for Canadian citizens. Have you looked into this?
I don't have money, I will seek a a financial support (a support Programme acepteble for me).


Whereabouts are you in the application process?
I think in Russia