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If English is your second language and you have written your CV or cover letter in English then this article is for you. Let us first acknowledge the obvious: organisations do not need justification to filter out poor CV’s or cover letters from their consideration. So your job as a professional job seeker is to present something that is polished and free of significant errors. What are these significant errors? Errors in spelling; errors in grammar; poor formatting; unprofessional email address; untailored CV profile; and more.

There are some pitfalls for candidates who speak English as a second language (ESL) which we need to discuss. It is difficult for an ESL candidate to present a CV or cover letter that is free of language errors, in fact it is almost expected to some degree. In this article we discuss some of the more common ESL-specific errors so that ESL candidates can keep themselves within the scope of decision makers across organisations. What are the major pitfalls to avoid?

Confusing words

There are many words in English that are similar or even have similar meaning but which are incorrectly used. Spell checks often cannot help to apply the correct word in such situations. It is not possible to discuss the correct application of the words but let us highlight some of the most commonly confused examples, and discuss just some of them:

  • A vs the: the influence of an original language on a second one is quite easy to see in the use of articles. There are many languages which do not use definite (“the”) and indefinite (“a” or “an”) articles, and many ESL writers come across this problem. The definite article limits the meaning of a noun to a specific thing (the dog ran away); indefinite articles suggest that a noun refers to a general concept (a dog ran away).
  • Advice vs advise
  • All ready vs already
  • Bring vs take: while these two words are similar, there is a difference in direction of the action. To bring something implies movement towards the speaker, and to take something implies movement away from the speaker.
  • Complement vs compliment
  • Coarse vs course
  • Could have vs Could of (very common to native English speakers)
  • Emigrate vs immigrate
  • Feel vs fill
  • It’s vs its
  • Loose vs lose
  • Maybe vs may be
  • Principal vs principle
  • Resign vs re-sign: this is a particularly dangerous one as the incorrect application can convey the opposite meaning. To “resign” means to voluntarily leave a job or to surrender a privilege. To “re-sign” means to sign a document (often a contract) once again.
  • Their vs there vs they’re
  • To vs too
  • Who’s vs whose
  • Your vs you’re

Rules of grammar

English is the most widely spoken language in the world and many ESL speakers pick up the basics of verbal communication relatively quickly. In many respects, and certainly with writing protocols in mind, it is a complicated language that is full of irregularities which need to be adhered to. Grammatical errors are quite common in the submissions of ESL candidates and can sometimes modify meaning quite dramatically. Some common examples include:

Underuse of action verbs

The use of action verbs is strongly encouraged. Possibly for reasons of cultural norms, many ESL candidates prefer to avoid the use of action verbs. Action verbs often make your sentences clearer and more concise, so consider how you can use them more effectively in your CV. Compare the following:

  • Incorrect: I was responsible for resolving project bottlenecks through management
  • Correct: I resolved project bottlenecks through management

Misused modifiers

The building blocks of sentences are phrases or clauses. If these phrases or clauses are not linked correctly, the sentences become clumsy. Such clumsiness can create a perception problem: lack of professionalism.

  • Incorrect: While working in James and Smith Brothers, the project I was a part of delivered sales growth.
  • Correct: While working in James and Smith brothers, I was responsible for delivering sales growth.

Misuse of adverbs

The purpose of an adverb is to modify a verb (“…she walks gracefully…”). Common ESL errors on CV’s include the placement of adverb too far away from the verbs being modified or placing adverbs between the word “to” and the verbs (e.g., “…to gracefully walk…”). One of the most dangerous adverbs for the ESL writer is the word “only” which can significantly change the meaning of your communication. These 4 sentences mean completely different things even though they might appear similar:

  • Only I like dancing at a party
  • I only like dancing at a party
  • I like only dancing at a party
  • I like dancing only at a party

Here is a more typical work-related example: “…The budget can only be balanced if programs are cut for next year…” which is incorrect and should be “…the budget can be balanced only if programs are cut for next year…”

Vocabulary may be too heavy (if not technically incorrect)

Usually, a simple choice of words makes your English more attractive and concise. However, the temptation to use more “bombastic” language can be too strong to resist for some candidates (both native and ESL but for different reasons) and this can often have a degrading effect on the quality of communication. Many ESL individuals use words that are translated directly from their first language or they use a thesaurus and this modifies the sentences, often to a degree that reduces the contextual meaning. For instance, I have worked with a client who enjoyed drinking tea and often talked about “rescuing” the tea bags when he wanted to take the tea bags out of the cup. This was clearly a case of one language influencing another. When you use a thesaurus to construct your sentences, you can end up with clumsy communication. Words have both denotations (literal meanings) and connotations (suggestive meanings). ESL candidates may more typically struggle with connotation while native speakers will often and unconsciously use the words as they are supposed to be used. ESL candidates can learn to use the suggestive meanings or the emotional “flavours” of words to their advantage (Chef vs cook? Youth vs juvenile? Request vs nag? Assertive vs bossy?).

Consider the following: “…I feel a cementitious bond between the values of your organisation and my values…” Even though its use may be technically acceptable, this adjective is more appropriately applied to aggregates and mortars in the construction industry, not job applications.

Homonyms and homographs

Homonyms and homographs commonly trick ESL candidates. Homonyms are words that sound identical but have different meanings (e.g., cent vs scent vs sent); homographs are words that have identical spelling but different meanings (such as “fine” which can mean “of good quality” or “a penalty”). Try to avoid the incorrect use of the following commonly misused homonyms (misused by both by ESL and native-speaker candidates):

  • Allowed vs aloud
  • Bear vs bare
  • Waist vs waste
  • Steel and Steal
  • Write vs right
  • Plane vs plain
  • Passed vs past
  • Tide vs tied

Too many (con)junctions, which way to go?

Conjunctions are the connecting words that are used to link clauses, phrases, and words in the construction of sentences. The most common ones are the following coordinating conjunctions:  and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet. A sentence which features many coordinating conjunctions is a poor sentence and can easily be improved by splitting it into several sentences. You should avoid starting with or using too many coordinating conjunctions in your sentences; in this way you avoid the non-professionalism that can sometimes be accidentally communicated.

Final words

To end on a light note, here are some real examples of errors that have come to the attention of organisations from candidates (mostly ESL but also native speakers):

  • “Hope to hear from you, shorty.”
  • “Have a keen eye for derail.”
  • “Dear Sir or Madman.”
  • “I’m attacking my resume for you to review.”
  • “I am a rabid typist.”
  • “My work ethics are impeachable.”
  • “Nervous of steel.”
  • “Following is a grief overview of my skills.”
  • “Graphic designer seeking no-profit career.”

As an ESL candidate for a job, you should ensure that you get your work reviewed both manually and automatically to ensure you go through the initial filtering processes and give yourself a chance to score an interview.