cover letters and resumes vocabulary

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Get a new job: Vocabulary & grammar for your RESUME & COVER LETTER

Test your understanding of this English lesson

85 comments.

wow.. 100% correct answer…

Thank you so much for the lesson Emma. I got 90% correct.

Thanks Emma!!Interesting lesson

thank you 80%

It’s an awesome lesson, I’d like to appreciate the effort you have gave, many thanks teacher.???

Thanks Emma

I got 10 correct out of 10.thanks Emma.

Hello! I would like to ask you about using present perfect. If I tell about my achievements and results, can I use present perfect instead past simple? For example: (I) have implemented new planning process. Or it will be mistake?

I think that you can do that because even the present perfect can be used to express things of the past.

Thank you Emma. Even if I am retired and have no intend to find a job, I learned your lesson with pleasure.

I wasn’t nice in the firts test.

Thank you 70%

Thank you Emma. You are a great teacher, but I still starting my english course. Congratulations

Thanks, Mam for your great lesson. The problem comes when we start writing the intro part of a cover letter. It is the most important and main part to make ourselves noticeable to someone. For the intro part, we need the power verb as you told on the video. In this part we some smart sentence but we are failed most of the time on that part.

It would be extremely helpful for us if you suggest us how we could structure a sentence with some powerful word and how to practice this?

vow, 90 percent correct answer!

Thank you Emma! Your lesson is great!

09. Thanks Emma. <3 you!

Thank you. I got 8 out of 10. your lesson amazing.

If I didn’t get 90 or 100 Make a review

I got 7, but I understood the lesson! Thanks Emma

Your class will be very useful. Thank you Emma.

Hii Emma! Please make one lesson on USE OF LIKE AND UNLIKE AS PREPOSITION.. ☺.. I really enjoy your lessons!

The class was clear and easy to understand, thank you Emma. I have got 90 in the quiz.

Thank you Mrs Emma , I benefited from this lesson, and I got 10 correct out of 10.

I get 100% Thank you Emma ?

Thank you Emma… great lesson.

Thank you Emma.

Thanks…scored 100%

thanks Emma, i was made 8 out of 10. Now i know that we can use paragraph in cover letters.. i wrong this one !!

Now I’m ready to write CV: 100% correct answers ! ;-)

nice lesson clear voice thanks alot Emma

It is so interesting Emma thank you

Wow 90% Thank you

thanks a lot

Thank you Enmma. Your video class are amazing. You are great !

Thank you for the video. It’s helpful for me.

70% correct answer, thanks emma

It’s my first test ,so thank you

i get 90% as well as usually

Thx emma. This video so helpful for me

100 % . Thank you for test.

100 % thank you for support.

Nice tips and english lessons Emma, thank you!

I got 90%. Thanks Emma.

Great lesson, thank you.

Thank you Maam! 100per it,s never possible before this support.

Thank you Maam! 100per it,s never possible before this wonderful teaching method.

80% Nice lesson. Thank you, Emma.

Hello my name is Emma …..i love when You say it dear teacher Emma awesome clase as always by the way please emma i would like you make a class about Canadá’cities its pronunciations ,spelling and a little bit of history about the names …Toronto,Alberga,Calgary ,Montreal And so on……bye greetings from surco

That’s a good idea! I’ll add it to the list of lesson requests.

Thanksgiving forma considering me

Good lesson!

Thank you for lesson. It’s really nice 100%

Thank you very much Mrs. Emma.

90% great :)

Thank Emma. Every day I follow your lessons.

I am really confused about the third question.. Could anyone explain it to me please.

“I increased sales by 20%.” better than others + active voice ( I do…) + strong word (increased) + no using slang

I think that the structure differenc between a resume and cover letter explains the difference in grammer applied to them. In my opinion, cover letter is a bit like an essay, you should use full sentences and expresstions in a cover letter should use active voice as teacher Emma said in the video. while expressions in a resume are intended to let the interviewer know the achievements you got in your past working experience. Use bullet points and write down your achievements briefly without a subject. Hope it won’t make you more confused.

the verb increased is more strong than others (made, ….)

100% Thanks

Thank you Emma, your lessons are great.

Best regards!!

Thank you very much Emma! I recommended you to my friends!

Ema, you are an excellent teacher.

Your lessons are very clear and the topics are very useful.

i got 80%, Thank you

80 2 were wrong.

Thank you so much for this Emma. I love all of your classes!

Thanks for the lesson, I got 100%. You’re the best.

thanks Emma for this great lesson, i almost understood 90% of your explication, now i’m able to write a cover letter and resume without practically so much mistakes, bu i have to practice more your tips and advice. from tomorrow i’ll start to write them and i’ll try to apply all those steps and tips, i feel i can really start writing cover letter and resume correctly. thank very much for this video and i hope you all the best in your podcast.

Thank for this excelent test. I have a question for you or i need a suggestion about. I ear to you and I understood your explanation . But i have a hard problem with people that speed fast, am affected by the speed of some when they speak how I can improve this.

oh i got 70. i should review this lesson again. tnx emma

thanks a lot,Emma.

I have appreciated this lesson. Very helpful, thanks!

Thanks a lot Emma. I got 100/100.

Thanks, Mrs.Emma! I got 70%, but I understood your tips!

I need to focus on this , 70 out of 10 is not bad but I n Ed to push more??

Thanks a lot Emma. You are amazing. (Azores Islands, 30Jan2022);

This lesson is very useful. I am improving my English with your videos. Thank you very much.

Thanks Sweet Emma for another superb lesson great for us

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Dear Sir or Madam 

To Whom It May Concern �

I am writing to you about your advertisement. I am writing to you to apply for the position of....

I am writing to you in reference to your advertisement. . As indicated in your advertisement� Your advertisement in ( source ) for the position of ( job ) sparked my interest. I have worked as a ...  (/in) �.

In my current position I have worked � developed... created � I would define myself as a �.. I believe it is time for me to move to another company / department ... like yours I believe my qualifications would match your requirements. I am available for an interview.

Please find my resume (US)/r�sum� enclosed. I am sending my resume (US) / r�sum� as an attachment. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon. / Yours faithfully.

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• Career Planning
• Finding a Job

Resume and Cover Letter Action Verbs

• What Are Resume Action Verbs and Keywords
• Why and How to Include Action Verbs in Your Resume

Alphabetical List of Action Verbs

• Resume Example With Action Verbs

Why should you use action verbs in your resumes and cover letters? Hiring managers want to see what you can do to accomplish goals. Using keywords and action verbs cuts to the chase and demonstrates your abilities.

But choosing the right words doesn’t just show what you have accomplished in previous jobs. These words also help your resume , cover letter, and other application materials get selected by the software and hiring managers who screen your documents.

What Are Resume Action Verbs and Keywords?

Action verbs show your ability to succeed. For example, words like accomplished, developed, managed, and handled describe what you have achieved.

Keywords  are the words you use to search for available positions. They’re also the terms that hiring managers use to screen resumes and cover letters to find applicants that are a good fit for a job. Job keywords describe the  hard skills  you have that qualify you for a job.

The closer the keywords in a resume are to those in a job description, the better a candidate's chances of being selected for a job interview.

Why and How to Include Action Verbs in Your Resume

The keywords in your resume will help you get selected for a job interview. Hiring managers search by keywords to find resumes that match the  job qualifications  they established when they listed the job.

In addition to  listing keywords  specific to your occupation (like software or sales skills), include action words that show you what you have accomplished. Rather than just stating a list of duties, including action keywords in your position descriptions.

Here's an example:

• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Specialized in product order management
• Helped manage associates on the sales floor

Review these tips for how to get your resume past the applicant tracking systems  employers use, and this list of action keywords to use to get your application noticed when applying for jobs.

The Balance

A Achieved, accomplished, acted, adapted, addressed, analyzed, authored, authorized, assessed, assisted, appraised, amended, advised, allocated, altered, accelerated, acquired, aided, assembled

B Budgeted, built, brainstormed, balanced, blended, boosted

C Compiled, combined, challenged, chaired, committed, communicated, coordinated, calculated, contributed, commissioned, confirmed, customized, created, challenged, critiqued

D Decided, developed, disclosed, documented, discovered, designed, determined, demonstrated, deferred, distributed, directed, devoted, drafted, doubled, diversified, designated, dedicated, discussed

E Exercised, expected, earned, elected, engaged, entered, engineered, employed, edited, evaluated, entertained, eliminated, exchanged, ended, estimated, exempted, endorsed, expedited, experienced, enforced, explained

F Facilitated, focused, financed, fueled, figured, fit, formed, fortified, functioned, formulated

G Guided, grouped, gave, garnered, granted, generated, guaranteed, gathered, graphed

H Hired, handled, helped, headed

I Improved, identified, installed, inspired, interviewed, issued, invested, illustrated, implemented, incurred, innovated, inspected, invented, interpreted, inaugurated, informed, induced, instilled, incorporated

J Judged, joined, justified

L Located, lectured, launched, litigated, lobbied, led, listened

M Mastered, managed, merchandised, modified, met, minimized, modeled, measured, moderated, motivated, multiplied, marketed, maximized, moved, mediated

N Negotiated, noticed, navigated, networked

O Operated, owned, observed, oversaw, organized, obtained, oriented

P Participated, printed, proposed, pursued, persuaded, perceived, preserved, processed, produced, promoted, planned, performed, pioneered, passed, prioritized, proficiency, provided, profiled, polled, presented, procured, purchased, placed, permitted

Q Quoted, qualified, questioned, queried

R Ranked, resolved, received, rewarded, revised, revitalized, revamped, responded, restored, rejected, reinforced, reinstated, rehabilitated, remedied, redesigned, recruited, recovered, recorded, reduced, replaced, retained, retrieved, reversed, ran, raised, reached, reviewed, researched

S Saved, secured, stabilized, scheduled, screened, settled, separated, sent, selected, shaped, shortened, showed, signed, simplified, sold, specialized, staged, standardized, steered, stimulated, strategized, surveyed, supported, supplied, substantiated, set goals, supervised, studied

T Trained, tabulated, took, traveled, transformed, tested, transferred, tailored, targeted

U Utilized, uncovered, united, updated, undertook, unified, upgraded

V Verified, valued, validated, visited, visualized

W Witnessed, worked, weighed, wrote, won, welcomed

Resume Example With Action Verbs 

This is an example of a resume with action verbs. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online),

Resume Example With Action Verbs (Text Version)

Lewis Givens 18 Oak Lane Houston, TX 77009 Cell: 555-555-5555 lgivens@email.com

PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Physician Education / Territory Development / Relationship Building

Nationally top-ranked pharmaceutical sales representative with unprecedented success establishing market dominance for antidiabetics products. Charismatic presenter and negotiator, deftly forging and maintaining lasting relationships with physician groups and pharmacies.

Notable Sales Achievements

• Scored Pharma Sales Rep of the Quarter regional and national titles every year between 2010 and 2021.
• Pioneered new territories for newly launched Bleudacan® family of products, leading product to top 5% ranking nationally within six months of release.
• Consistently earned Chairman’s Circle and National President’s Club accolades throughout my career.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Biomed Corporation, Houston, TX Pharmaceutical Sales Representative  (06/2016 to Present)

Orchestrated market launch and territory penetration for Bleudacan® antidiabetics across the Southwest region of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.

• Leveraged network of major accounts across the four-state territory to ensure immediate market dominance of novel Bleudacan® products.
• Authored well-received whitepaper on sales trends in the antidiabetics market.

Biogenics LLC, Houston, TX Pharmaceutical Sales Representative  (06/2009 to 06/2016)

Established reputation as a winning physician educator as a representative for the antidiabetics Restorex® and Historelb® in the Texas regional market.

• Captured Chairman’s Circle rankings for each year of tenure.
• Increased sales of Restorex® by 58% and of Historelb® by 46% within six months of hire.

The University of Texas, Austin, TX Bachelor of Science in Marketing

Professional Development Antidiabetics Sales, Value-driven Sales Techniques, Territory Growth Strategies, Regulatory Issues

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Resumes and Cover Letters

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

When you apply for a job, most employers want to have these two important documents from you:

• a resume or CV
• a covering letter

First impressions are important. Your resume/CV and letter are usually the first impression that an employer has of you. And because an employer may have hundreds of job applications to consider, you have about 15 seconds to make sure that first impression is a good one.

Why you need a good CV

Your resume/CV is your visiting card, your ambassador, your shop window. It represents you and it has a specific purpose: to get you an interview ! To do this, it must:

A good resume/CV is one of your most important tools in the search for employment.

What a resume/CV is not

A resume/CV is not a book.

A resume/CV is not an obstacle.

A resume/CV is not a tombstone.

A resume/CV is not boring or difficult to read.

A resume/CV is not your life story or autobiography.

A resume/CV is not a catalogue of your personal opinions.

A resume/CV is not a list of problems with past employers.

What a resume/CV is

A resume/CV is short.

A resume/CV is seductive.

A resume/CV is an important document.

A resume/CV answers the question 'Why?'

A resume/CV is interesting and easy to read.

A resume/CV is a list of benefits for the employer.

A resume/CV is as much about the employer as about you.

Why you need a good cover letter

Before even looking at your resume/CV, an employer usually reads your covering letter. If it is badly-written, or untidy, or difficult to read, your resume/CV will probably go into the nearest trash-bin. If it is well-written, attractive, easy to read and persuasive, the employer will turn to your resume/CV. It's that simple!

"Helpful information & many thanks!" Dr. Klaus Wetter, Germany

"Gives very clear instructions on producing powerful and effective CVs." Terence Desborough, USA

"I like the attention that has been devoted to the use of powerful, yet simple wording." Hetty Vonk, Canada

"A gem to find on the net! I thought I knew what there was to know about CV's, but you put me straight on a few points. A very useful tool for students of English wishing/planning to be employed by MNCs (Multi National Companies)." Yvonne Gluyas, Australia

"I thought it was very down-to-earth and extremely simple to understand. I needed some information fast and I got it." Michael Blunden, UK

An email cover letter

Learn how to write a cover letter or email to respond to a job advert.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

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From : Laura Mazzanti To : David Kelly, HR Manager Subject : Application for sales manager position

Dear Mr Kelly,

I am writing in response to the job advertisement on the ABC Jobs website for the position of sales manager.

I have five years of experience in sales. For the last three years, I have worked as a team leader, managing a team of 20 sales assistants in a large store. I have experience in hiring, training and managing staff. I have good communication skills and I can speak Italian, Spanish and English.

I have attached my CV with more information about my background and qualifications.  

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

Laura Mazzanti

• Be specific in the subject line and say what job you are applying for.
• Start your email with Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms + person's surname.
• Say where you saw the advertisement.
• Say which job you're applying for. You can use the sentence I'm writing in response to the job advertisement for the position of … .
• Write a short paragraph to say why you're suitable for the job. Mention your education, qualifications, work experience or skills.
• Attach a CV (also known as a résumé in the USA) with more information about your qualifications and background.
• End by saying I look forward to hearing from you soon or I hope to hear from you soon .
• Sign off with Best regards or Best wishes .

What kind of information would you include in your CV or résumé?

Language level

Dear Mr. Vizitue,

I am writing in response to the job post on the DSGN Jobs website for the position of graphic designer.

I have 7 years of experience in design. For the last four years, I have worked as a freelancer with numerous creative projects and different types of clients. I have experience in motion design, infographics, typography, and artificial intelligence. I possess good communication skills and am fluent in English, German, and Finnish.

I have attached my CV along with my portfolio and additional information about my background and qualifications.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes, An Andre

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In my resume, I include information about my work experience, age, education, skills, and hobbies.

In my resume, I include some information such as personal information, skills, portfolios, relevant work experience, previous workplaces, reasons for leaving jobs, and some of my outstanding personality traits.

My CV includes job experiences, educational background, and skills. Those are essentials for a resume.

In my CV I include short info about me, my professional skills and my hobby with a few of jokes. It's welcome in IT)

The kind of information that we should include in a résumé: - Personal information (Name, date of birthday, email, address, phone number...etc) - Education career - Work experiences - Skills - Habits

In my opinion, would include in CV or resume , picture person ( uniform), also information personal, Education , skills and qualification.

I would include personal information, for example, name, age, phone. Of course, there will be my soft and hard skills, work experience. And a bit of smile.

I usually include information like: my last experience in other works, my principal skills and why I want the job.

I would write down personal information such as name, address, Educational attainment, relevant skills for the job and work experience.

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