CV and cover letter

K

kira

Valued Senior Member
Help, please... :eek: I have some questions regarding spelling, grammar, etc. which are related to job application documents. If similar thread is already existed, would you please merge it with that one? Thank you in advance...

* In a job application form, in the employment history, there is a question about "Reason for leaving". I'd like to write: "Taken up a master degree". Is that correct, or should that be:
- Taken up a master's degree, or
- Taken up a Master's degree, or
- ...?

Is "taken up" correct?

* Similar question for the cover letter, which one is correct:
- I have a bachelor/ master/ PhD degree in ..., or
- I have a Bachelor/ Master/ PhD degree in...., or
- I have a Bachelor's/ Master's/ PhD's degree in..., or
- I have a bachelor's/ master's/ PhD's degree in...?

* What is the best source (that you know) for a website which can give guidelines about this kind of stuffs? I know there are many, but perhaps you know the best which you could recommend me?

I would like to ask more questions later.

Thank you!
 
I have a Bachelor/ Master/ PhD Degree in

...is the correct one.

Instead of "taken up", you should say "left to pursue a Master's Degree". Both Master's and Degree should be capitalized.
 
spidergoat said:
I have a Bachelor/ Master/ PhD Degree in

...is the correct one.

Instead of "taken up", you should say "left to pursue a Master's Degree". Both Master's and Degree should be capitalized.
Click to expand...

"To pursue a Master's Degree" indeed sounds much better. Thanks for your prompt reply, Spidy! :)
 
I'd actually question the capitalisation, though.

If referring to them in general I would tend to use the lower case... "I have a master's degree in..."
But if being specific and referring to the full title of the degree then it would be "I have a Master of Science degree in..." (although the "degree" is optional in this case).

But I would never capitalise the "degree", though.

That said, there may be no standard convention. :)
 
I agree. Don't capitalize "master's degree." But "Master of Science" is a title so it should be capitalized.

But we never spell it out; we just write B.S., M.S., Ph.D. Many people leave out the periods and write BS, MS, PhD -- in fact that may be the norm in the UK, since they don't even write Mr and Dr with periods.

Don't write "I have a Master of Science degree." Just "I have a Master of Science." It would be like saying "My father came home from the war with a Purple Heart medal." But you don't say "I have a Doctor of Philosophy." You'd say "I have a doctorate in..." whatever your specialty was, such as mathematics or music.

People also say, "I have a master's in..." But if they just have a bachelor's degree they say "I have a degree in..." and it's assumed that they mean a bachelor's or else they'd be bragging about it.

If you write "bachelor's degree" and "master's degree," then instead of "Ph.D." or "PhD" you have to write "doctor's degree" to be consistent.

There are universities that, instead of a PhD, award a DSc: Doctor of Science. This is, of course, specifically for the sciences. You would not get a DSc in history.
 
Fraggle Rocker said:
But we never spell it out; we just write B.S., M.S., Ph.D. Many people leave out the periods and write BS, MS, PhD -- in fact that may be the norm in the UK, since they don't even write Mr and Dr with periods.
Click to expand...
It's an odd thing, as the "rule of thumb" I was taught was that if the shortened form ends in the same letter as the original word then you don't use a period (or full stop, as we call it). So it would be "Mr" and "Dr".
But if shortening Professor to Prof. then you would use the period.

But again I don't think there's a correct way - just be sure to use one and stick with it... nothing sticks out like using different forms in the same correspondence.

There are universities that, instead of a PhD, award a DSc: Doctor of Science. This is, of course, specifically for the sciences. You would not get a DSc in history.
Click to expand...
And some that offer DPhils. ;)
 
kira:

kira said:
* In a job application form, in the employment history, there is a question about "Reason for leaving". I'd like to write: "Taken up a master degree". Is that correct, or should that be:
- Taken up a master's degree, or
- Taken up a Master's degree, or
- ...?

Is "taken up" correct?
Click to expand...

Do you mean you left because you started studying for a Master's degree? In that case I'd probably write something like "Reason for leaving: to undertake [or "start" or "commence"] a Master's degree in ...".

* Similar question for the cover letter, which one is correct:
- I have a bachelor/ master/ PhD degree in ..., or
- I have a Bachelor/ Master/ PhD degree in...., or
- I have a Bachelor's/ Master's/ PhD's degree in..., or
- I have a bachelor's/ master's/ PhD's degree in...?
Click to expand...

I'd probably write something like "I have a Bachelor of Science." or "I studied at X University and was awarded a Bachelor of Science in 2006." Replace "Bachelor of Science" with "Master of Science" or "Ph.D. in Science (Biology)" or whatever, as appropriate.

My own degree certificates state that I have been "admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of X". Getting a degree is kind of like being accepted as a member of a club. But people most commonly write "I have a Bachelor degree in History" or something along those lines.
 
James R said:
kira:Do you mean you left because you started studying for a Master's degree? In that case I'd probably write something like "Reason for leaving: to undertake [or "start" or "commence"] a Master's degree in ...".
Click to expand...

"Complete" would be the ideal, if applicable.
 
keith1 said:
"Complete" would be the ideal, if applicable.
Click to expand...
That clearly implies that the person is already partway through the postgraduate program. If you haven't started yet, a nice spin to put on it would be, "to continue my education and earn a master's degree."
 
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