Common English Mistakes in Career Portfolios by Cantonese Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong when writing a Career Portfolio in English.

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

I am very happy to introduce myself in this career portfolio. I have been working in the marketing field for over five years, and I am gooskilled at creating strategies that can help acompanyto grow. In my previous job, I was responsible for leading ateam to achieve itssales targets, and—we have successfully increased revenue by 20% last year.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to sound more native and natural."

I am very happy to introduce myself in this career portfolio. I have been working in the marketing field for over five years, and I am skilled at creating strategies that can help a company grow. In my previous job, I was responsible for leading a team to achieve its sales targets—we successfully increased revenue by 20% last year.

I am very happy to introduce myself in this career portfolio. I have been working in the marketing field for over five years, and I am good at creating strategies that can help company to grow. In my previous job, I was responsible for leading team to achieve sales targets, and we have successfully increased revenue by 20% last year.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of 'very' to emphasize adjectives

I am very excited to present my career portfolio, which I believe provides avery comprehensive showcase of my skills and experiences. I have worked on verydiverse projects that have given me a verydeep understanding of theis industry. My leadership skills are verystrong, and I am verycommitted tomy continuous professional development to ensure I remain verycompetitive in the job market.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I took out every "very" and made some additional stylistic improvements. Nice work overall!"

I am very excited to present my career portfolio, which I believe provides a comprehensive showcase of my skills and experiences. I have worked on diverse projects that have given me a deep understanding of this industry. My leadership skills are strong, and I am committed to my continuous professional development to ensure I remain competitive in the job market.

I am very excited to present my career portfolio, which I believe is a very comprehensive showcase of my skills and experiences. I have worked on very diverse projects that have given me a very deep understanding of the industry. My leadership skills are very strong, and I am very committed to continuous professional development to ensure I remain very competitive in the job market.

Mistake Example #3

Confusion with countable vs. uncountable nouns ('She has much friends')

As a dedicated professional with manylot of experience in marketing, I have developed strong skills in communication and project management. I have worked on several campaigns that required much creativity and strategic thinking. My goal is to contribute to a dynamic team where I can apply my knowledge and gain more insights into the industry.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Almost perfect :)"

As a dedicated professional with a lot of experience in marketing, I have developed strong skills in communication and project management. I have worked on several campaigns that required much creativity and strategic thinking. My goal is to contribute to a dynamic team where I can apply my knowledge and gain more insights into the industry.

As a dedicated professional with many experience in marketing, I have developed strong skills in communication and project management. I have worked on several campaigns that required much creativity and strategic thinking. My goal is to contribute to a dynamic team where I can apply my knowledge and gain more insights into the industry.