English Learning Content: CV / Resume Words
Dialogue
Alice: Hey Bob, what are you doing? You look very focused, or maybe just confused.
Bob: Alice! Perfect timing. I’m trying to write my CV, but I feel like I need to make ‘washing dishes’ sound like an Olympic sport.
Alice: (Laughing) Oh, Bob. It’s not *that* dramatic. You need to focus on key skills and experience.
Bob: Right! So, for skills, I put “Expert in competitive napping” and “Highly proficient in snack consumption.”
Alice: (Shakes head playfully) Uh, those are… unique. But for a job, think about things like being organized, detail-oriented, or even “good communication.”
Bob: Organized! Like how I organize my socks by color? Or detail-oriented, like noticing the exact crumb count on the kitchen floor?
Alice: Closer! More like “managed inventory” if you worked in a shop, or “prepared reports” if you helped somewhere. For your part-time library job, you could say you were responsible for shelving books.
Bob: Ah, “responsible”! I am responsible for making sure the TV remote never gets lost. That’s a huge accomplishment, right?
Alice: (Chuckles) While important at home, for a CV, accomplishments are things like “improved customer satisfaction by 10%” or “successfully completed X project.”
Bob: So, “Successfully completed a 10-hour Netflix marathon” is out?
Alice: Definitely out! How about focusing on something like “demonstrated initiative by helping patrons find books” at the library?
Bob: Initiative! That sounds fancy. So, instead of “I waited for instructions,” I can say “I took proactive steps”?
Alice: Exactly! Taking proactive steps means you don’t wait to be told; you just do it. It shows you’re a good team player too, if you help others without being asked.
Bob: Got it! So, I need to sound like a superhero, but for boring stuff. Organized, detail-oriented, responsible, initiative, proactive…
Alice: And don’t forget reliable. Someone who always shows up on time and finishes tasks.
Bob: Oh, I’m super reliable! I’m reliably late… Just kidding! Thanks, Alice. This actually helps a lot. Now, how do I make “made coffee for the boss” sound like “managed beverage logistics”?
Alice: (Smiling) Let’s just stick to “prepared beverages for staff.” Keep it professional but clear!
Bob: Deal! You’re the best CV coach ever.
Current Situation
The job market today is very competitive, and a well-written CV (Curriculum Vitae) or Resume is your first chance to make a good impression. A CV is a formal document that summarizes your education, work experience, skills, and accomplishments. For beginners, it can be challenging to know what to include and how to describe their experiences in a professional and impactful way. Using specific, strong vocabulary can help your CV stand out to employers, showing them you are serious and capable, even when describing simple tasks you’ve done. Mastering these words is a key step towards landing your first job!
Key Phrases
- Skills: Abilities or proficiencies you have. Example: My skills include excellent communication and problem-solving.
- Experience: Knowledge or practical contact with a job or subject. Example: I have one year of experience working in a retail store.
- Organized: Able to plan one’s activities efficiently. Example: She is very organized and keeps track of all her tasks.
- Detail-oriented: Paying close attention to all the small particulars. Example: Being detail-oriented is important for this accounting job.
- Responsible (for): Having an obligation to do something. Example: I was responsible for managing customer inquiries.
- Accomplishment: Something successfully achieved. Example: My biggest accomplishment was leading a successful team project.
- Initiative: The ability to assess and initiate things independently. Example: He showed great initiative by proposing a new marketing strategy.
- Proactive: Creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it. Example: We need proactive employees who can solve problems before they start.
- Team player: Someone who works well with other people as part of a group. Example: She is a great team player and always helps her colleagues.
- Reliable: Consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted. Example: Our company needs reliable staff members who arrive on time.
- Managed: Succeeded in dealing with or controlling something. (Often used for tasks, projects, or people). Example: I managed the daily inventory checks at the supermarket.
- Prepared: Made something ready for use or consideration. Example: He prepared reports for the weekly team meetings.
Grammar Points
When writing a CV, certain grammar structures and vocabulary choices are very effective:
- Using Adjectives to Describe Yourself:
Words like “organized,” “detail-oriented,” “proactive,” “reliable,” and “responsible” are adjectives. You use them to describe your qualities.
- Structure: I am + adjective. / He/She is + adjective.
- Examples: I am organized. She is detail-oriented. They are reliable.
- “Be Responsible For” + Noun/Gerund (-ing verb):
This phrase is very common on CVs to state your duties or tasks.
- Structure: I was responsible for + noun. / I was responsible for + verb-ing.
- Examples: I was responsible for customer service. (noun)
I was responsible for answering phone calls. (verb-ing)
- Using Strong Action Verbs for Experience/Accomplishments:
CVs often use past tense action verbs to describe what you did. These verbs make your contributions sound more impactful than simple verbs.
- Examples:
Instead of: “I made coffee.” -> Use: “Prepared beverages.”
Instead of: “I helped customers.” -> Use: “Assisted customers with inquiries.”
Instead of: “I looked after the store.” -> Use: “Managed daily operations.”
Instead of: “I found solutions.” -> Use: “Developed solutions.”
- Examples:
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Match the word with its meaning.
- Organized a. To do things without being told.
- Reliable b. Good at planning and keeping things in order.
- Initiative c. A successful achievement.
- Accomplishment d. Someone you can trust to do what they say.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blank with the best CV word.
Choose from: experience, responsible, skills, proactive
- I have two years of work __________ as a sales assistant.
- She is very __________ and always tries to help before problems arise.
- My main __________ include problem-solving and communication.
- I was __________ for opening and closing the store every day.
Exercise 3: Rewrite these sentences using a stronger CV verb.
(Choose from: managed, prepared, assisted)
- I helped customers find products.
-> I __________ customers with product inquiries. - I made reports for my boss.
-> I __________ weekly reports. - I was in charge of the inventory.
-> I __________ inventory levels.
Answers
Exercise 1: Match the word with its meaning.
- Organized -> b. Good at planning and keeping things in order.
- Reliable -> d. Someone you can trust to do what they say.
- Initiative -> a. To do things without being told.
- Accomplishment -> c. A successful achievement.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blank with the best CV word.
- I have two years of work experience as a sales assistant.
- She is very proactive and always tries to help before problems arise.
- My main skills include problem-solving and communication.
- I was responsible for opening and closing the store every day.
Exercise 3: Rewrite these sentences using a stronger CV verb.
- I assisted customers with product inquiries.
- I prepared weekly reports.
- I managed inventory levels.
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