In the last post we talked about how useful it is to be able to draw on an extensive vocabulary when writing up a curriculum vitae and looking for work. Of course, once you’ve used your vocabulary skills to write a compelling cover letter that bumped your application to the top of the file, you’ll be called in for an interview. Your ability with words will help you smoothly and professionally answer the questions in the interview process, and create a persuasive argument for why you should be hired. But once you’ve been hired, don’t drop your vocabulary study thinking that you’ve gotten all you need – a good vocabulary is key to a lucrative career, no matter what field you’re in.

The word lucrative means “profitable.” If you look at the word’s etymology, you’ll see that it comes from the Latin word lucrum (“wealth, riches”). One of the best ways to gain wealth and riches is to improve your salary and earning potential by moving up the career ladder. You can do this by gaining more knowledge and training in your field, which means you’ll have to know the vocabulary and jargon specific to your industry in order to succeed. You can also get promoted by being an excellent employee who can be counted on for quality work and innovative ideas, which means you’ll have to know the vocabulary related to your daily work as well as the word skills to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. Finally, a quick way to bring yourself to the attention of upper management is by being the person who takes charge of projects and presentations, which means you’ll be the one called on to speak about programs and topics in front of others – and you’ll definitely need an excellent vocabulary to do that.

If you always have the words you need, you will never be at a loss when called on – and you’ll profit from your expertise in English vocabulary.