Applying for a job/Letter of Application

The letter of application is usually the first direct contact between you and your future employer, so make sure it is well-written and presented.

Also called the cover letter, it should follow the rules of Formal Letter-Writing and it should normally contain 3-4 paragraphs and be no longer than one page. If there are any mistakes it will stand out negatively, so give it to your teacher or career counselor to proof-read it.

Task

1. Read the following text.
   1. Make notes what should be included in a letter of application.
   2. Write a short text about your strenghts, skills and successes (about 80 words).
2. Do the interactive exercises.

Content

Salutation

Write an engaging first paragraph. Employers read a lot of cover letters, and most of the time a hiring manager will scan them quickly deciding if your letter goes in the trash or the “keep” pile.

• Open with a strong, declarative statement that informs your reader that you are excited to be applying for [the position] at [company].
• Be short and specific with what attracted you to the job. What is it about the company that you like? Give an example, and don’t be afraid to be a little conversational depending on how casual the company is.
• Show that you are familiar with the company’s work!

main body

Explain why hiring you will benefit the employer. You don’t want to tell them why getting hired will benefit you. There’s a reason this position is open, there’s a problem that needs solving. You’re here to solve it.

• Look at your accomplishments and experience and find one or two examples that you can speak about. These should highlight why you will be great in the role.
• Tell about the skills you can offer. For example, if you see that the position needs someone who can lead a team and handle multiple projects at once, look at your accomplishments to see if you have any experience that solves that need. If you've led team members before, briefly speak to how your leadership skills increased productivity across multiple projects.

Briefly summarize your strengths, qualifications, and experience.

Interactive exercises

Letter of Application 1

Put in the missing words.

Dear Mr Smith I refer to your advertisement in Saturday's newspaper. As I see better opportunities offered in a large company like yours I wish to apply for the post as secretary. I am familiar with export matters and speak German fluently. Therefore I am able to handle correspondence and take phone calls from abroad. I would be grateful if you invited me to a personal interview. Yours sincerely, Jeff Bozo PS: I enclose a c.v., references, certificates

Dear Sir or Madam, I saw your advertisement in Saturday's newspaper. I studied business correspondence, typing and other business subjects. I would be grateful if I could come to a personal interview. Yours faithfully, Jeff Bozo PS: I enclose a resumé (=my cv), references

Letter of Application 2

Put the words in brackets into the correct form. Find words to fill in the gaps where necessary.

Dear Mr Brown 27 May 2018

I read your advertisement(??) for a call centre operator in yesterday's Manchester Times and I would like to apply for (???) the job. I am twenty years old and I have been working (work) as a computer operator for a small company in Manchester for three years now. I got the job after I had got(got) my GCSE exam and luckily I was trained by an experienced operator.

I always enjoy (always / enjoy) working in a team and I am easy to get on with. I like my job, but unfortunately I am not able to (???) work with customers here. I would really enjoy answering customers' (customer) questions and helping them to get the products which (???) they are looking for.

I have good communication skills (???), a polite and friendly telephone manner and a clear voice. I would like to leave (leave) my home town and look for (???) new opportunities in and around London.

I am independent, willing to work hard (hard), and I am also able to work at (???) weekends. I could come for an interview (???) at any time. I would be able to join your company next month if (???) necessary.

I would be pleased if I was invited(invite) to an interview.

I am sending a copy of my CV and look forward to(???) hearing from you.

Yours (???) sincerely

Michael Jackson

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useful tips for letter-writing

Achtung

Attention: Some of these sentences are orders and requests.

An old teacher advised me how to write formal letters. Report what he said.

1. Always put your name and address at the top of the letter.
   He told me always to put my() name and address at the top of the letter.

2. Do not send any photocopied letters. It’s a good idea to write individually.
   He warned me not to send() any copied letters but said that it was() a good idea to …

3. Can't you ask a friend or teacher to check it for any mistakes in spelling or grammar?
   He asked me whether I couldn't() ask a friend to check it …

4. Don’t forget to mention why you think you are right for the job.
   He advised me not to forget() to mention why I thought I was()right for the job.

5. Write about the experience you’ve had.
   He suggested to write() about the experience I had had().

6. You can also mention your hobbies if they have anything to do with the job.
   He told me that I could() also mention my() hobbies if they had anthing to do with the job

7. The most successful letter is one that contains all the necessary information and is short at the same time.
   He told me that the most successful letter was() the one that contains all …

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Applying for a job

1. Choosing a Career
2. Letter of Application
3. CV and Statement
4. Job Interview
5. Quiz