English -- the Cv Professional Communication Skills

English -- the CV

Professional communication skills in English

Looking back over your portfolio and the course as a whole, what have you learned (about yourself/your strengths/weaknesses/the job application process/employer expectations/interviews etc.), and what ideas/information will you use in future internship and job applications? Why? (If you feel you have not learned anything, please explain why you feel that is, and explain what would have changed that).

One of the most important things I have learned this semester is the difference between casual and professional English. When communicating with English language speakers on a casual level, I often find it easy to be understood, provided that my intention is sincere. Friends are willing to overlook bad grammar and poor choice of vocabulary. I can restate what I mean, use body language and gestures, and laugh at my own lack of comprehension. During a job interview, however, an employer is assessing my ability to speak English as well as my professional qualifications. In many ways, someone speaking English as a second language has two hurdles to overcome: the first is to prove his or her competency as an employee, the second to demonstrate he or she is as fluent in life as stated on the job application.

In terms of my personal strengths and weaknesses, I would say that my greatest strength is my willingness to work hard. I am willing to work diligently and to apply myself day in and day out to learn what I need to learn. Learning a language requires a great deal of repetition and consistency to make new words and unfamiliar grammar feel natural. I will bring this same diligence to whatever job I chose to do as an employee. My greatest weakness is my self-confidence. Sometimes when I know what I am talking about and feel confident that I understand what the speaker is saying, I will begin to doubt and second-guess myself. I begin to falter and stutter. A sense of self-confidence is a very important quality to possess in the modern workforce.

When compiling a CV, thoroughness and honesty is essential. A CV must showcase the job candidate in his or her best light. Specific qualities and experiences that might be of interest to the employer because they are directly relevant to the job should be emphasized. Every CV should be altered to ensure that it fits the jobs that are being applied for and should not be generic. Prospective employees should not lie or embellish, but they should be able to select the experiences that showcase their best qualities. Extraneous data should be eliminated, given that employers only have a short period of time to review a candidate's documents. This is why being able to use language effectively and vividly is so essential.

Being able to communicate well in a compressed format is also an essential component of the interview process, during which a candidate must clearly and succinctly make his or her case for a job. Gaining self-confidence in the language and my ability to articulate myself will help me when I am interviewing. A good interview subject can be warm, personable, professional, and memorable all at once. The candidate should have questions about the employer as well. Seeming intellectually curious and competent and genuinely excited about the position leaves a good impression. The candidate must understand what type of image he or she communicates and projects to the world.