| background |
n. the whole of one's education, training and experience |
| With your background in business, you could apply for a management position. |
| bi-lingual |
adj. able to use two languages with equal ease - see fluent |
| Her CV says she's bi-lingual, but it doesn't say which languages she speaks. |
| career |
n. the course of one's (professional) life |
| After his career as a professional footballer, Diego embarked on a new career in sports management. |
| challenge |
n. a difficult or demanding task that needs special effort - challenging adj. |
| Before a job interview, think of some challenges you've overcome in case you're asked about this. |
| cover letter |
n. an introductory letter that is sent with one's resume/CV; letter of application |
| Writing a good cover letter is just as important as writing a good resume. |
| date of birth |
n. the day on which one was born, often as day/month/year [eg: 21/11/01] (British) or as month/day/year [eg: 11/21/01] (American). |
| To avoid confusion between British and American formats, it's worth writing your date of birth in full (e.g: 21 November 2001 or November 21st, 2001). |
| education |
n. training and instruction at school, university etc - to educate v. |
| A well-funded public education system gives poor kids an equal chance of fulfilling their dreams. |
| experience |
n. jobs held, including dates, posts etc; work history - professional experience n. |
| Do you have any experience in sales and marketing? |
| fluent |
adj. able to speak and write a foreign language easily - see bi-lingual |
| I speak a little French, but I'm far from fluent. |
| interest |
n. an activity outside work in which one is interested or concerned; hobby |
| Her interests include gardening, learning English and singing in a gospel choir. |
| objective, resume objective |
n .a headline that summarises the job opportunity you are seeking |
| You should tailor your resume objective to the job position you are applying for. |
| miscellaneous |
adj. various; mixed [eg: nationality, languages spoken, marital status] |
| Miscellaneous personal details like marital status, religion or your height and weight are no longer expected on a CV in some countries. |
| nationality |
n. the status of belonging to a particular country [eg: Japanese nationality] |
| In some countries, rejecting a job applicant because of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or nationality is illegal. |
| native language |
n. the language one first learned to speak; mother tongue |
| Javi's native language is Spanish, but he's also fluent in English. |
| qualifications |
n. the education and experience that make one suitable for a particular job |
| She has all the right qualifications, but she wants to negotiate a higher salary package. |
| reference |
n. a written statement by another person about one's character and ability |
| I've attached written references from two former employers. |
| skill |
n. an ability, expertise or aptitude in a particular activity [eg: language skill] |
| You won't get any of these jobs unless you improve your computer skills. |
| training |
n. the process of learning a particular skill [eg: sales training] |
| What about on-the-job training? Does that go in the education section? |
| work history |
n. jobs held, including dates, positions etc; employment history/experience |
| Most of a job seeker's resume is about his or her education and work history. |