CultureBridge: ESL job, career, resume

E S L C O R N E R
Definitions and use of
job, career, and resume

Job - any work you are paid to do

Career - the lifelong or long-term process of achieving professional goals. Career is used when referring to work in some kind of profession that requires training, education or specialized knowledge. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, business managers, translators, and politicians are some examples.

Examples:
Andrea got a job at McDonald's this summer so she could save money for college.

Someday I'll finish law school and have an exciting career.

Resume - a document that lists and summarizes your work and experience. In Europe it is often called a curriculum vitae, or CV.

Examples:
John's resume showed that he had a successful career as a writer for the city newspaper.

When Ann applied for a job at the bank, she met with the manager. Ann asked, "May I give you a copy of my resume?"

Verb phrases:

Search - (verb) - to look for; (noun) - the act of looking for

Job search - (noun) - the process of looking for a job

Example:
George: "How's your job search going?"
Al: "It's going pretty well. I have an interview tomorrow on campus, with a computer company."

Job hunting - (verb) - looking for a job

Example:
Maria: "I haven't had much time to study for final exams. I've been too busy job hunting this semester."

Note: It is not accepted usage to make verb phrases using "career". Don't say, "career search", or "career hunt"!

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