1. What types of cover letters are there?
2. What are the general rules you should follow when applying for a job and writing application letters?
3. What is the purpose of your application letter?
Exercise 36. Fill in the gaps in the text with the words from the box.
| business complement cover letter |
What is a cover letter?
A CV gives information about the educational qualifications and professional experience you have, whereas a ___________ explains why you want the job. A cover letter should ___________, not duplicate, your CV. The main purpose of a personalized cover letter is to ___________ the reader to read your CV and consider you for the vacant ___________. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact with a potential ___________, creating a critical first impression. A well-written, ___________ cover letter demonstrates your written communication skills and will help you to get that all-important ___________. The letter of application should follow the general guidelines for all ___________ letters. It should have an ___________, a main body, and a final paragraph.
Exercise 37. Work in pairs. Read the statements about writing a cover letter and tell whether they are true or false. Then discuss your answers.
1. Use high-quality paper that matches the paper of your CV. ___
2. Ensure that your cover letter is written using formal language. ___
3. Use the same cover letter for every application. ___
4. Show that you have done some research into the company you are applying to. ___
5. Emphasise your suitability for the post. ___
6. Give your contact information and current date. ___
7. Repeat the information indicated in your CV. ___
8. Give a clear context – say who you are and why you are writing. ___
9. Support your claims with evidence, focusing on achievements. ___
10. Mention where you saw the job advertisement. ___
11. Enclose copies of your educational qualifications and certificates. __
12. End your letter with “Yours faithfully” if you addressed the person by name at the beginning of the letter. ___
Exercise 38. A) Complete the following opening paragraphs using the words in the box. Translate these paragraphs into Ukrainian.
| advertised application consideration enclosed enquire graduate qualified recommended requirements response |
1. I am a final-year student who is about to _______________ with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Bristol University. I am writing to _______________ about possible employment opportunities with Mendoza. I am interested in a position related to transportation manager.
2. I am writing in _______________ to you job posting for a Web Designer on your company website. I have ______________ my CV for your consideration.
3. Please accept this letter as _______________ for the Marketing Manager position currently listed on www.indeed.co.uk. My CV is attached for your_______________.
4. I was recently speaking with Mr Fox from your company and he _________________ that I send you a copy of my CV. Knowing the _________________ for the position, he felt that I would be an ideal candidate, given my experience in the construction industry.
5. I would like to apply for the post of an Assistant Engineer in your firm as _________________ on www.jobsearch.monster.co.uk. As a recent graduate, I was particularly happy to see that the position is open to newly _________________ engineers.
B) Match the opening paragraphs in A (1─5) to the type of cover letter (a─c) they come from. Which type of letters do you think is most likely to be successful? Why?
a) A reply to a job advertisement _________
b) A ‘cold’ speculative job application _________
c) A letter following a personal recommendation _________
Exercise 39. Read the letter of application below and complete it using the phrases and words in the box.
| I consider myself As you will see experience widely I look forward to hearing hard-working deadlines fluently I am writing in response advertisement on business CV |
Dear Mr Benton,
__ _______________ to your _________________ in today’s Guardian for a journalist based in Geneva.
_______________ from the enclosed ________. I studied journalism and modern languages at University College, London, and went on to do a master’s in journalism at Queen Mary’s College, London.
_____________ the ideal candidate for the job because I have all the relevant ______________. In my present job I am in charge of Eastern Europe publications for Intertec Publishing. Before this, I worked for the BBC World Service, at first covering Mexico and Argentina, then Europe. I have travelled _____________ in South America and Europe. In my present job I frequently go to Japan ______________. I speak French, German and Spanish _______________.
I am an enthusiastic and ________________ person. I am good at organizing people and can meet _________________.
_____________________ from you in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
Nancy Mann
Exercise 40. Write a word in each gap to complete this cover(ing) letter.
Dear Sirs
I am writing to __________ for the position of marketing assistant, which is _____________ in magazine New Marketing this month.
I am enclosing my ___________ which gives details of my qualifications and previous work _____________. As you can see, I am currently employed in the marketing department at Carwells Ltd, where I am ______________ for collecting and analyzing market research data. However, this is only a __________ post which terminates at the end of December and I am therefore looking for a permanent post to start from January. I am available to attend an ____________ at any time. I hope that you will _____________ my application for the post and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Brian Drake
Exercise 41. Tenses in the Cover Letter. Fill each gap with the past simple or present perfect of the verbs in brackets.
As you can see from my curriculum vitae, I ___________ (study) computer programming in the United Kingdom for three years.
After I ___________ (qualify) in 1997, I ___________ (work) for STU in Germany for three years and ___________ (become) fluent in German. Working for STU ___________(give) me considerable experience in automated billing systems. My responsibilities __________ (include) overall product design. In addition, I __________ (work) closely with the customer service department. In my present position I ___________ (travel) widely in Asia where I __________ (develop) a regional help network. Recently I __________ (advise) senior management on the introduction on Internet-based help systems.
Writing
Exercise 42. Whether applying online or sending your cover letter through the post, it is important to write using appropriate language. Although informal language may sometimes be acceptable in cover letters, more formal alternatives will create a more professional impression. Complete the blanks using the words in the box.
| about contact require talk about want request look for receive give ensure more additional employer show tell employment |
