Happy Friday. Today’s session is about the vocabulary you actually need in a performance review or a promotion conversation — not generic “leadership” buzzwords, but the specific language for showing impact and asking directly for what you want.
Word of the Day: Quantify
- Word: quantify
- IPA: /ˈkwɒn.tɪ.faɪ/ (UK), /ˈkwɑːn.t̬ə.faɪ/ (US)
- Vietnamese: lượng hóa, định lượng (biến điều gì đó thành con số cụ thể)
Example sentences:
- “Before the review, I quantified my impact: reduced deploy time by 40%, cut on-call incidents in half.”
- “It’s hard to quantify how much a good mentor helps a junior engineer, but retention numbers are a start.”
- “My manager asked me to quantify the cost savings from the migration before we present to leadership.”
Real links:
- Cambridge Dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/quantify
- YouGlish (hear it in real videos): https://youglish.com/pronounce/quantify/english
Vocabulary Table
| Phrase | Vietnamese | Example |
|---|---|---|
| make the case for | đưa ra lý lẽ thuyết phục cho việc gì | ”I want to make the case for a promotion this cycle.” |
| track record | thành tích, quá trình làm việc đã qua | ”My track record on this team speaks for itself.” |
| level up | thăng tiến, nâng cấp kỹ năng | ”Leading that project helped me level up fast.” |
| punch above your weight | làm việc vượt cấp bậc hiện tại | ”She’s been punching above her weight since she joined.” |
| ask for what you’re worth | yêu cầu đúng với giá trị bản thân | ”Don’t undersell yourself — ask for what you’re worth.” |
Pronunciation Guide
Quantify breaks into three syllables: QUAN-ti-fy. The stress is on the first syllable — say it strong and a little longer, then the other two syllables are quick and light: KWAHN-tuh-fye.
Practice sentence (read aloud 3 times):
“I want to quantify my impact before I ask for a promotion.”
Read it slowly the first time, focusing on the stressed QUAN. Second time, at normal speed. Third time, imagine saying it to your manager in a real 1:1 — with confidence, not hesitation.
Exercises
Exercise 1 — Fill in the blank
- Before asking for a raise, ___________ (quantify) your contributions with real numbers.
- She has a strong ___________ (track record / level up) of shipping projects on time.
- He’s been ___________ (punch above his weight / make the case) on a team two levels above his title.
Show answers
- quantify
- track record
- punching above his weight
Exercise 2 — Translate to English
- “Tôi muốn lượng hóa tác động công việc của mình trước cuộc họp đánh giá.”
- “Đừng ngại yêu cầu đúng với giá trị bản thân.”
Show answers
- “I want to quantify the impact of my work before the review meeting.”
- “Don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth.”
Idiom of the Day: “Put your best foot forward”
Vietnamese: thể hiện bản thân theo cách tốt nhất có thể, tạo ấn tượng tốt nhất
Examples:
- “Walking into the promotion conversation, I made sure to put my best foot forward — data ready, examples ready.”
- “First 1:1 with a new manager? Put your best foot forward and come with a clear summary of your recent wins.”
Recommended Watching
- Linda Raynier (YouTube) — real career-coaching content on salary negotiation and promotion conversations, aimed at tech/corporate professionals.
- Cambridge English (YouTube) — short, accurate pronunciation and vocabulary clips, good for verifying word stress.
- YouGlish search for “quantify” and “track record” — hear both used in unscripted, real speech.
Today’s Challenge
Write one sentence quantifying a real accomplishment from this week — a number, a percentage, a concrete outcome — and say it out loud three times before your next meeting. That’s the exact sentence you’ll want ready the next time someone asks “what have you been working on.”