Business English

ENG 2201
Instructor: Abid Yousha
abid.smuct1@gmail.com
Writing a CV
Résumé (AmE)
Abid Rabbi Yousha
 Connects with potential employer

Required for university applications

Importance
of CV Résumé (AmE) Organize your skills

Brag about your achievements

Strengths and weaknesses

 • One or two pages
• Lots of white space
• Uniform formatting
General • Big section headings
guidelines • Takes time to develop - keep updating
• Skill levels - beginner, intermediate, expert
(avoiding vague scales)
• Relevant information first - depends on the job
 Physical address

Date of birth
Do Not
Include Family information

Irrelevant social media URLs.

Note the following
• Imagine roles of the job • Write skills and share
Sample CV
 Contact and photo

Summary (2-3 lines)

Components Experience

of a CV Education

Computer/Technical
Skills or Certification Language - level of proficiency (basic,
intermediate, fluent)

Achievements/accomplishments
Optional: Awards
Activities
 Graduation date

Your degree
Education
The name of the institution.

Relevant courses
For entry-level CVs Your honours
You can add: Your dissertation titles
 • 4–8 skills relevant to the job
• Soft skills and job-specific hard skills
• Problem solving
Skills • Work under pressure
• Organization
• Collaboration/team work
• Leadership
 I’ve been _______and have
successfully _______. I am currently
______(experience). I am at my best
Summary when________/ My specialty is
_______(unique skill/job success). I
want to enhance businesses reach by
________. (future goal)
• I’ve been working as a accounts manager for the business
club at my university for 3 years and have successfully
reduced the expenses by 9%.
• I am currently studying/working BBA with a focus in
marketing. ______(experience).
• I am at my best when________/ My specialty is managing
people and _______(unique skill/job success).
• I want to enhance businesses reach by ________. (future
goal)
• I have worked • MS Word
• I have been working • Beginner
• Intermediate
• I am currently • Advanced/Expert
• Powerpoint
• Photoshop
• English
• Bengali
Best education, experience,
and skills
• During my degree/work at _____
• Over the last three years ____
• Recently ____
• Since I started working as ____
• Managed • https://www.themuse.com/
• Built advice/185-powerful-verbs-
• Designed that-will-make-your-resume-
• Developed awesome
• Facilitated
• Accomplished
• Boosted
• Completed
• Enhanced
• Managed
• Maximized
• Produced
Sentence format
Past experience:
• Verb past + noun + preposition + object

Present work:
• Verb-ing + noun + preposition + object
Thank You

The End
Cover Letter
Abid Rabbi Yousha
 CVs are limited

Why Cover Explain your value

Letter?
Explain gaps in your resume

Add personality
Cover Letter
• Why should they hire you? -
• Talk about Your skills and qualifications
• Why are you the best fit for their company?
• Think about the company requirements and connect them to your skills
Sample
Cover
Letter
Elements of a Name &
Salutation
Opening Body
Sincerely,
Cover Letter Contact paragraph

Clear
paragraph

Your
pitch name
 Name •
•
Your name
Phone number

and •
•
Email
LinkedIn

Contact
 • Dear Mr/Ms[Hiring Manager’s
Name]

Salutation • Dear Sir/Madam

• To whom it may concern
 An attention-grabbing opening paragraph
that introduces yourself, your intention to
apply for the open role

Your cover letter opening should contain a

Opening self introduction.
Paragraph
(Introduction) Write about

• who you are

• where your expertise lies
• where you found the job posting
• and why you want to apply for the job
Opening line
• I Am Applying for the Role of [Title] at [Company]”

• When I graduated from ________ last May, I didn’t want to

leave. So, I decided I shouldn’t—and immediately went to
check out job openings at the company.

• Reference: https://www.themuse.com/advice
 One or two paragraphs describing
your relevant professional experience,
achievements, skills, and education

Body Your cover letter should respond

directly to the job description
Paragraph
Describe how your previous job
experiences, skills, and abilities will
help you meet the company’s needs
 • Include exact words and phrases from
the job descriptions
• Include a bulleted list of your

Body accomplishments
• Use numbers or percentages to

Paragraph
emphasize your bullet points e.g.
Increased online revenue by 13%
• Research about the company
II • current activities and goals
• how you can help them achieve
those goals.
 A call to action (CTA)
• asking the hiring manager to invite you in for an interview

Tell them that you’ll reach out in a week if you

Closing
don’t hear back

Thank them for spending their time reading your

Paragraph cover letter

“I welcome the opportunity to speak with you

more about how I can contribute to the [team]”

“I would love to schedule a time for us to discuss

this role and my experience.”
 I am writing this letter to express my interest in the graphic designer opening as
advertised on [Website’s Name].

From day one, I believe that I can begin making valuable contributions to the design
team at [Company Name]. I possess a wide range of abilities that combine innovative
art and design principles. Furthermore, my expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite,
HTML, and CSS will allow me to play a crucial role in the implementation of your
design initiatives.
The following are highlights of my skills and accomplishments:

Sample • Lead a team of five designers to develop and implement the graphic, layout, and
communication materials

Cover Letter • Oversaw the efficient use of production project budgets ranging from $2,000 –
$25,000
• Developed numerous marketing programs that have improved client transactions
by an average of 45%
• Time Management Skills: Manage up to 5 projects or tasks at a given time while
under pressure to meet strict weekly deadlines

Enclosed is my resume for your review. I welcome the opportunity to discuss with you
personally how my skills and strengths can best serve your company. I appreciate your
time and consideration.
 As a [Position Name] with [X] years of
experience [Action], I believe that I am the
ideal candidate for [Company Name].

Short Cover I am a [Adjective], [Adjective] worker, and in

my current position have successfully
Letter [Achievement — with numbers]

I look forward to hearing from you. I can be

reached at [Your Email] or [Your Phone
Number].
 •In my five-year career as a ________ I have
honed my __________ skills, and the ______ I’ve
worked with have complimented me on my
command of ________.

•________’s 4 years in the industry proves that

Language the company has strong values and clear goals,
which is why I want to be a part of the ________.
Practice
• I currently serve as a ______ for _______,
where I work closely with ______ on a number
of high-priority companies. During my time
here, I implemented _____________which
___________.
Sub + have/has + verb past participle + object

• I have honed my designing skills

• The teams I’ve worked with have complimented me on my knowledge

of adobe illustrator / design
Thank You
The End
References

• https://resumegenius.com/cover-letter-examples#what-should-a-cover-lette
r-say
• https://www.themuse.com/advice/cover-letter-examples-every-type-job-se
eker
Elevator Pitch
20 - 25 seconds advertisement

Who you are and what you do4

What values you bring to the company

Steps to make an elevator pitch
1. Write down about yourself
a. Qualifications and experiences
2. What makes you unique
a. What are you best at? A success experience
3. Write down your goal
a. Be specific
4. Call to action
Practice

My name is ____ and I’ve been ________. I am currently ______ (experience)

I am at my best when ____ or My speciality is _____. (unique skill/job success)

I want to ________. (future goal)

What type of candidate are you looking for? (call to action)

Pitch examples
I recently graduated from college with a degree in communications. I worked on the college newspaper
as a reporter, and eventually, as the editor of the arts section. I'm looking for a job that will put my
skills as a journalist to work.

I have a decade's worth of experience in accounting, working primarily with small and midsize firms. If
your company is ever in need of an extra set of hands, I'd be thrilled to consult.

My name is Bob, and after years of working at other dentists' offices, I'm taking the plunge and
opening my own office. If you know anyone who's looking for a new dentist, I hope you'll send them
my way!
Pitch example 2
I'm a lawyer with the government, based out of D.C. I grew up in Ohio, though, and I'm looking to
relocate closer to my roots, and join a family-friendly firm. I specialize in labor law and worked for
ABC firm before joining the government.

My name is Sarah, and I run a trucking company. It's a family-owned business, and we think the
personal touch makes a big difference to our customers. Not only do we guarantee on-time delivery, but
my father and I personally answer the phones, not an automated system.

I create illustrations for websites and brands. My passion is coming up with creative ways to express a
message, and drawing illustrations that people share on social media.
Pitch time references
● During my degree/work at _____
● Over the last three years ____
● Recently ____
● Since I started working as ____
Resources
● Jane Cordell, Cambridge business english activities, lesson 4.2
● Paul Emmerson, Business English Handbook Advanced, p.101
● Resume verbs. Retrieved from:
○ https://www.jobscan.co/blog/resume-action-words/
○ https://www.themuse.com/advice/185-powerful-verbs-that-will-make-your-resume-awesome
● Resume feedback. Retrieved from:
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP-S9rvAYYo&ab_channel=BusinessInsider
● Elevator pitch. Retrieved from:
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Noowl0ydDvA&ab_channel=Homeat30
○ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/elevator-speech-examples-and-writing-tips-2061976