Lesson 4 - Work
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This page: Read an article on how to write a resume.
Below you will find a list of key vocabulary you need to know to understand the lesson. Click on each word to hear it and practice its pronunciation.
Read the definition and select the word that was defined.
Before writing your resume you'll need to gather your information. Look up information about previous jobs and training that you've had. You should even try to remember names of your old supervisors so that you can create a reference list, a list of people (with their names, job titles, company names, addresses, and phone numbers) that the interviewer can contact to find out what kind of employee you are.
Next it's time to sit at the computer and create the resume. Use a word-processing program with a spell-checking feature to make sure that you don't accidentally put any spelling errors in your resume. You may also want to use the thesaurus, a dictionary of synonyms (words with the same meaning), to look up alternative words to put in your resume. If you're not familiar with the word-processing program, have a friend help you make the resume look professional.
There are many different types of resumes. It's best to try to see a lot of samples of different styles before creating your own. There are many books with sample resumes or there are also web sites with samples. You need to tailor the resume to fit your background and your personal style, however, traditional resumes have the name, address, and phone number at the top. This is followed by the job objective, what kind of job you are looking for. Some resumes also include a "Summary of Skills" section where the job applicant's skills or qualifications are outlined briefly. Many employers like this because if they don't have time to read the entire resume, they can just glance at the summary of skills section to find out what the person can do.
Next comes the education section. Put your more recent training first and then work backwards through time so that the oldest training is last. Include the name of the school, the course of study (what you studied), when you graduated, and, if you had good grades, include your grade point average.
After the education section comes the work experience. Again, put your most recent job first and then work backwards through time so that your oldest job is last. If you've had a lot of jobs, don't list all of them. Just include the most recent and the most relevant to the job you are applying for. If you've never had a paid job, list volunteer positions or other relevant experience.
Finally, if you've received any awards or recognitions in previous jobs or in school, list them at the bottom of your resume. Include the name of the award, the place where you received it, and the date.
It's very important to take your time and create a professional-looking resume. Misspellings or sloppy resumes give employers the impression that you will be sloppy or careless on the job.
Identify three errors in the resume below based on what you learned in the article (one error in each section with a blue title). After identifying the errors, click on the title to see if you identified them correctly.
Laura Thomas |
OBJECTIVE |
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CHICAGO VOCATIONAL SCHOOL, graduated from Legal Secretary program UNITED COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Associates degree, GPA 3.5 |
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SALESPERSON - Gill's Department Store, Chicago, IL, May 2012 - June 2015 SECRETARY - Howard's Accounting, Chicago, IL, June 2020 - May 2026 |
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Employee of the Month - July 2014 |
Write your resume in English.
Advanced English -
Lesson 4 - Work
Vocabulary - Grammar - Listening - Dialogue - Reading - Expressions - Dictation - Game
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Pronouns - Pronunciation Rules - Verbs - Irregular Verbs
Vocabulary - Grammar - Pronunciation - Spelling
