- Hello everyone.
And welcome back to English With Lucy.
In this lesson, I'm going to teach you
how you can sell yourself in English
on your CV, in your cover letter,
and in your interviews.
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In your CV,
your cover letter,
your telephone interviews,
and your job interviews,
you are selling yourself.
Language plays a huge part in this.
In this lesson,
I'm going to teach you about the weak words
you should avoid saying
and the powerful words you should use instead.
To start, let's talk about 25 words
you should use to sell yourself.
You should pick a handful of these that describe you
and see how you can work them
into your job application process.
Number one, determined.
Determined.
This means that you have determination to get a job done.
Number two, hard-working.
Hard-working.
This means that you put a lot of effort into a job,
and you like to do it well.
Number three, diligent.
Diligent.
This means that you show care
and effort in your work.
Number four, trustworthy.
Trustworthy.
This means that people can rely on you to be good,
honest, and sincere.
Number five, a team player.
A team player.
This means you work well in a team.
Number six, motivated.
Motivated.
This means that you are willing to do something
that involves hard work and effort.
Number seven, reliable.
Reliable.
This means you can be trusted to do something well.
Number eight, a self-starter.
A self-starter.
This means you're a person who is able to work on their own,
and make their own decisions
without needing anyone to tell them what to do.
Number nine, loyal.
Loyal.
This means you will remain faithful to your company.
Number 10, studious.
Studious.
This means you spend a lot of time studying or reading.
11, attentive.
Attentive.
This means that you are helpful,
and make sure that people have what they need.
12, conscientious.
Conscientious.
This means that you take care
to do things carefully and correctly.
13, industrious.
Industrious.
This means you are hard working
and get a lot done.
14, dedicated.
Dedicated.
This means that you work hard at something
because it's important to you.
15, dynamic.
Dynamic.
This means that you produce change,
action, or effects.
16, enterprising.
Enterprising.
This means you have the ability
to think of new projects,
or new ways of doing things.
17, enthusiastic.
Enthusiastic.
This means that you show a lot of excitement,
and interest about things.
18, self-aware.
Self-aware.
This means you have a lot of knowledge,
and understanding, of your own character.
19, consistent.
Consistent.
This means you always behave
in a predictable way.
20, organised.
Organised.
This means that you are able to plan your work
and life in an efficient way.
21, professional.
Professional.
This means that you are well trained
and extremely skilled.
22, methodical.
Methodical.
This means that you do things
in a systematic way.
23, logical.
Logical.
This means that you do things in a careful
and well-thought-out way.
24, skillful.
Skillful.
This means that you are good at doing something,
especially something that needs a particular ability
or special training.
And the last one, number 25, it's passionate.
Passionate.
This means that you become emotionally invested
in what you're doing.
Career advisors will often talk about including
powerful action verbs in your CV and cover letter.
But what are they?
They are impactful verbs
that express physical or mental action.
They make you seem like you really know
what you're talking about.
I'm going to talk about eight categories.
And for each category,
I will give you five powerful action verbs
that you can use.
You should pick a handful of these
to use in your CV, cover letter,
and in your job interviews.
Let's start with management and leadership.
Assigned.
Delegated.
Organised.
Scheduled.
Directed.
Now, for communication.
Addressed.
Corresponded.
Moderated.
Negotiated.
Authored.
And for research.
Clarified.
Critiqued.
Examined.
Inspected.
Investigated.
And for technical skills.
Assembled.
Calculated.
Computed.
Fabricated.
Programmed.
Now for organisation.
Catalogued.
Compiled.
Categorised.
Logged.
Chartered.
And for financial.
Appraised.
Audited.
Balanced.
Budgeted.
Forecasted.
And for creative.
Conceptualised.
Designed.
Illustrated.
Invented.
Shaped.
And for education.
Coached.
Guided.
Stimulated.
Informed.
Advised.
For the last part of this lesson
I'm going to talk to you
about the words you should never use
in your interview,
in your CV,
or your cover letter.
These are weak words
and you should avoid them.
Firstly, you should never use "stuff"
and you should never use "things".
"Stuff" and "things" are lazy words.
You should only use them,
very sparingly,
when you're intentionally trying to be informal.
Use a more descriptive noun instead.
The next word you should never use is the verb to "get".
This verb is way too ambiguous.
It means so many things.
I have an entire video
about the many meanings of "get".
And it's one of the most confusing words
in the English language.
It's a weak word.
Avoid using it.
Another word that I've discussed extensively before
on my channel is "very".
"Very" is an intensifier,
and you should use a powerful adjective instead.
"Fairly", "really", and "quite"
should also be avoided in the same way as "very".
Another word that many career advisors
will tell you to avoid
is "just".
It means "only" or "simply".
For example, "I just wanted to check
"if you've received my application."
It implies that it shouldn't be prioritised.
Instead ask something along the lines
of, "Did you receive my application?"
It's more powerful.
Another you should avoid is "probably".
It shows doubt or uncertainty.
Another group of words you should avoid
are "I think... ",
"In my opinion... ",
"Personally... ",
"I'm not sure... ",
"I feel like... ".
This gives people the chance to dismiss what you've said.
Another one is "whatever".
It's far too dismissive.
And the last one you should avoid
is "try".
It makes you sound unconfident
in your ability to execute something.
Right, that's it for today's lesson.
I hope you enjoyed it.
I hope you learnt something.
Don't forget to connect with me
on all of my social media.
I've got my Facebook,
I've got my Instagram,
and I've got my Twitter.
And I shall see you soon
for another lesson.
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