Writing a CV in English: Structure and Key Phrases (B2/C1)
Writing a CV in English: Structure and Key Phrases (B2/C1)
🎙 From the classroom: I’ve written my CV in English, French, and Bengali. The English version is the hardest — not because of language, but because of culture. A British or Australian CV is concise, achievement-focused, and uses action verbs. My first CV was two pages of job duties. Every duty, no achievement. Recruiters read for thirty seconds.
💡 The Idea
A strong English CV (or résumé) has: (1) Personal Statement — 3 sentences, present-past-future; (2) Work Experience — reverse chronological, bullet points, action verb + result; (3) Education — most recent first; (4) Skills — languages, software, certificates. Use active verbs: managed, delivered, improved, created, trained.
🗣 Example
✅ Weak bullet point: ‘Responsible for the training of new staff.’
✅ Strong bullet point: ‘Trained and onboarded 15 new hospitality staff, reducing induction time by 30%.’💼 Action verbs by category:
Leadership: managed, led, directed · Communication: presented, negotiated, advised · Improvement: streamlined, increased, reduced
🎯 Try It Now!
Rewrite these weak CV bullet points using action verbs + results:
- ‘Worked at a hotel for three years.’
- ‘Did customer service work.’
- ‘Was in charge of social media.’
✅ Check Your Answers
✅ Examples: (1) ‘Managed front-desk operations at a 4-star hotel for three years, serving 200+ guests daily.’ (2) ‘Resolved customer complaints in person and by phone, maintaining a 95% satisfaction rating.’ (3) ‘Created and scheduled weekly social media content, growing the Instagram audience from 500 to 3,200 followers.’ Key: Action verb + specific detail + result = strong CV bullet.
Independent project — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
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