Full transcript
Hi Students!
0:00Hi there. This is Harry. Welcome back to Advanced English Lessons with Harry,
0:04where I try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language,
0:08So in this advanced English lesson, we're actually looking at CV or covering letters
0:14to look at some phrases that you could use that will give you or leave the person you're talking
0:19to with a very positive impression about you. So if you're writing business letters just to
0:26practice or if you're writing a letter for a job application where for the summer or you've
0:32just left college or you're looking to work for an international company, then pay attention.
0:38Because some of these phrases are those that you could use. And we'll also look at some that you
0:43shouldn't use. Okay, so advanced English lesson all about CV and covering letters and phrases
0:50to give and leave a positive impression. Now we've I've got ten of these in the in
Must-have phrases for CV
0:56the first list okay. So I'll give it to you and then I'll give you an idea as to what it means.
1:01So first one I'm very much in touch with. So here you're describing your skills. It
1:07could be hard skills or soft skills I'm very much in touch with current market trends. So
1:14if you're looking for a marketing job or a sales job then this is an expression that
1:20you could use. I'm very much in touch with current trends in the technology industry.
1:25I'm very much in touch with trends in the fashion industry. Okay. Number two, I have considerable or
1:34extensive experience of or with. Okay. So I have considerable experience of selling technology.
1:44I have considerable experience of running a district ori area for sales. I have extensive
1:54experience of managing people or building teams. So depending on the the position you're looking
2:00for, the job you're going for, when you can use an expression that I have considerable,
2:05experience or extensive experience, the meaning is the same, but they are both business orientated
2:11expressions that will indicate to the person that you have got the sort of knowledge and the extent
2:17the extent of knowledge that they are looking for in that particular position. Next, I
2:23enthusiastically maintain my knowledge of. So this has gone to tell the person that you've got great
2:31enthusiasm for your position. Not only that, but you maintain your knowledge by constant reading,
2:37attending courses, giving training, whatever it happens to be. You and Suzanne Stickley
2:44maintain or keep your level of knowledge up to the required level in that particular field.
2:50Okay, so it could be in the area of medicine. It could be in the in the legal area. It could
2:57be in the area of accounting or whatever it happens to be. You study, you improve,
3:04you keep up to date with what is happening. So you enthusiastically maintain your knowledge of
3:10something. If you want to tell somebody that you have been involved in certain committees,
3:17that you were responsible partly or fully for certain developments in your previous
3:23company or in university, then you can use an expression like I played an active role in now,
3:30it could be very simply, I played an active role in the political debates
3:34that took place in our university political club. Okay. Or I played an active role in the
3:41theatrical club. So people see that you're a people person, you're not shy, that you're you
3:47like to put yourself forward and you could easily make presentations or I played an active role in
3:54all sports so that you are seen as a team player, somebody who gets on well with other people.
4:02I played an active role in number five. I acquired or I developed some relevant skills in this area
4:11while doing some job placements over the summer, or I acquired or developed some
4:19valuable skills when doing my trainee program in some other company. So here again, your
4:26underlying all your trying to inform this would be employer that you've got skills, a certain
4:34skill set that would be suited and related to the position that you're applying for.
4:39So I acquired or I developed relevant skills or valuable skills or even both. I acquired
4:46and developed relevant and valuable skills in the following areas. So you can set it out
4:52quite specifically, a more simple expression to use. I have been able to okay, I've been
4:59able to put into practice all the knowledge I gained and the final year of my university.
5:06I've been able to develop my career quite successfully and I'm applying for this
5:12position because. So I've been able to. It's open for you to edit or add any other explanation,
5:19but it's a good way to introduce the skills that you have, the skills you had,
5:25the skills you have developed, and the speciality or the experience that you now have obtained.
5:31Okay, number seven, I have taken a keen interest in politics since I started university. I've taken
5:40a keen interest in international diplomacy. I've taken a keen interest in world economics. Whatever
5:50the topic happens to be. Again, you're using strong words to emphasise your knowledge base,
5:56your interests and how adaptable you would be to a position that they are offering
6:03some just general statements to make in your in covering letter could be.
6:08I feel that with my breadth of knowledge that with my in-depth knowledge, with my interests, with
6:19the performance I've had, the experience gained in other companies, blablabla. So I feel that with my
6:27knowledge, with my experience, with my contacts, you know, perhaps you've got a really strong
6:34network of key people in that business that would make it easy for you to start a career in selling,
6:41marketing, development, whatever it might be. I would be very well qualified to represent your
6:49company. I would be very well qualified for this position because of my extensive knowledge of
6:57the international business community that operates in our company, our our country.
7:03I'd be very well qualified to take part in these forums that you will run in the business
7:11development areas to represent the company in any international trade shows or trade fairs.
7:19And then finally, I believe and I'm certain that my knowledge of systems will be valuable
7:26to your future development. I believe, and I'm certain that my knowledge of criminal
7:32law will enable me to represent your legal firm in the best possible way. So again,
7:39depending on what job you're applying for, where you see yourself, what your skill levels are, both
7:45soft and hard skills, you can use any of those or any of these particular phrases to help you.
7:52So let me give you one more time. Number one, I am very much in touch with number two,
7:58I have considerable or extensive experience of or with. I enthusiastically maintain my knowledge
8:07of number four. I played an active role in number five. I have acquired or developed
8:16some relevant or valuable and or valuable skills. Number six I have been able to.
8:24Seven I've taken a keen interest in number eight. I feel that with my whatever extensive knowledge,
8:34in-depth knowledge, whatever that might be, number nine, I would be or I am very well
8:41qualified to represent your company, to take part in trade fairs, to run your training department,
8:49and then finally, number ten, I believe, I am certain that my knowledge of this area will
8:56enable me to do the job that you require. Okay, so all really, really good expressions
9:03that if you include one or 2 or 3 of these in your covering letter, your CV,
9:07it will certainly go a long way to explain to potential employers exactly who you are and what
9:13they're going to get. Okay, so what we're going to have now is a quick little quiz and relate in
9:19relation to some other matters. Okay, so what you're going to see on the screen is
9:25a couple of expressions okay. And you then have to choose which of these expressions is
Quiz
9:32appropriate or which of these expressions is inappropriate for a covering business
9:39letter. So something very very formal. So here are the expressions that you're going to see.
9:46Here is my CV I am attaching here with my CV. Please find attached my CV. So you have to choose
10:01which of those is inappropriate, which of them you would not use with your covering letter for
10:08applying for a job. Okay, so for those of you who have selected that, here is my CV. Yeah,
10:15that would be inappropriate. It's nothing wrong with it. It's nice, clean, simple English,
10:20but it's not the most appropriate for a business style covering letter.
10:25You would want to say I am attaching here with my CV. Please find attached my CV. Okay,
10:33now the second one. And again we're looking for you to select the inappropriate option out of
10:39these okay. So it's the end of the letter okay. So at the very end of the letter I look forward
10:45to hearing from you in due course. I look forward to hearing from you in
10:51a bit. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Okay. And again, for those of you who selected the
11:01inappropriate one, as in a bit, absolutely right. So the most appropriate would be I look forward to
11:08hearing from you in due course, or I look forward to hearing from you soon. I would prefer the first
11:14one. I look forward to hearing from you in due course. Much more businesslike, but not in a bit.
11:20Okay, I remember when you use I look forward to. It's always followed by the
How to use 'looking forward to'
11:26AMG. I look forward to hearing from you. I look forward to meeting you. I look forward
11:32to greeting you. I look forward to lunching with you, whatever it might be. It's always
11:38I and G follow following. I look forward to. Okay, so it's just some simple competitions there just
11:46to check how you use the beginning of your CV covering letter, and then also how you would end
11:54or sign off with your covering letter or CV. So I look forward to meeting greetings C all
12:02right okay. So if you have any difficulty with those or you find them a little bit problematic,
12:08well drop me a line. I'll certainly help you a little bit more to understand the type of
12:13expressions and phrases that you can include in CVS and covering letter to give you the best
12:18chance of being listened to, the best chances of getting invited to an interview, and hopefully
12:24the best chance of getting that all important first job or second job that you want to get.
12:30Okay, so it's a bit about practice. As you said before, you know what the drill is. If you if you
12:35really want to try and use these and practice and come back to me with any questions that
12:41you have. Okay. So I really appreciate you watching. I would appreciate you listening,
12:46join me again for the next lesson. This is Harry saying goodbye.