Are you potentially worried about working in an English language environment? Meet Sue Trory, she is the head of Adult and Higher Education, Business and Marketing at Cambridge Assessment English. Her goal to open more employment opportunities by being able to prove your English language skills. She spoke to Gulf News about how to tackle life in an English speaking/writing job if you aren’t a native speaker.

Tips on: Writing applications for an English-speaking job

Applying for a job in an English-speaking environment can be a daunting task. You will need to have a really good grasp of English to write a great application letter and an impressive resumé (or CV in British English). Potential employers have to make quick decisions when sifting through hundreds of applications. This means that it’s essential that your application stands out and is perfectly written so that it progresses to the next level and doesn’t get binned because of mistakes or poor English.

Use the right words in your application

When writing to get noticed, you will need to use your language to help tell your story. The first tip I would give is to make sure anything you put down on paper is written in an accessible everyday language that recruiters will understand. You should also use positive words or adjectives to describe yourself. There is no right or wrong, but good examples of effective adjectives include ‘creative’, ‘dependable’ and ‘energetic’.
Other great words include
• Adaptable
• Innovative
• Reliable
• Flexible
• Hardworking
I’d suggest doing some quick online research, find your favourite adjectives and then have fun constructing some killer sentences that can be used in your application. But remember to be honest and back it up with specific examples.
Keywords are also a really effective way to get noticed, particularly on a resume, but which ones should you use? Again there is no right or wrong here but do your research. A quick Google search will reveal hundreds of keywords you can use - but three of my favourites are: accurate, confident and hard working.

What should new graduates consider when applying for a job?

The first thing is to make sure you have the English language skills they need not just to have a chance of being shortlisted for a job, but also to have a positive experience after you have been hired. This should be reflected on your application. What I mean by this is, if you’re applying for a job that requires a high level of English language ability – make sure any written work you send to potential employers is in perfect English and has been checked by someone you trust, if you are unsure.
If you are being requested to prove your skills, then sit down for a Cambridge English exam, which is recognised by more than 25,000 organisations around the world.

What are most important sort of skills people in the job market are looking for in the UAE?

Reading, writing in English language remains one of the top desirable skills that employers are looking for.
The significance of English in the workplace was highlighted further by a major piece of research which we carried out with QS World University Rankings. The study ‘English at Work: Global Analysis of Language Skills in the Workplace’ canvased the opinions of over 5,300 employers in 38 countries/territories. It found that English language skills are important for over 95 per cent of employers in many countries and territories where English is not an official language.

So the three things I would say to bear in mind when submitting your application are:

• check you have the skills for the job you’re aiming for
• do some research
• most importantly have fun writing about yourself