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BUSINESS ENGLISH HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER (2) LESSON 3
1 ΚΑΤΕΡΙΝΑ ΤΣΙΩΡΑ M.A. Applied Linguistics
LESSON 3
HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER (2)
WARM UP (from: businessenglishsite.com)
I'm writing _______ your advertisement in the Los Angeles Times. A. in response to B. to respond at C. in respond to
I'm writing to _______ the possibility of employment with your company.
A. inquire about B. inquest about C. question
I have a _______ deal ( = a lot) of experience in (sales, web development, making folk-art, etc.)
A. big B. large C. great
I'm a _______ motivated self-starter.
A. high B. highly C. height
I have been _______ ( = formally or informally commended) for
my ability to manage others.
A. noticed B. notified C. recognized
I would very much like to meet with you _______ to discuss this
position. A. in person B. personal C. for a chat
I would very much like to meet with you to discuss this position _______.
A. in detail B. in details C. details
I will call you on Tuesday to arrange a _______ meeting. A. eye-to-eye B. nose-to-nose C. face-to-face
My main area of _______ is ( = what I know/do best is) ... A. expert B. expertise C. experienced
As the _______ CV/resume illustrates ( = shows) ... A. closed B. enclosed C. encapsulated
My academic training combined with my _______ work experience make me an excellent candidate for this position.
A. previous B. before C. precious
This experience _______ me with complete confidence in my
professional ability ( = made me feel confident in what I do)
A. insulted B. instilled C. installed
I am completely _______ in Spanish.
A. fluid B. flowing C. fluent
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I have a very good _______ of quality assurance.
A. understanding B. comprehend C. understand
I developed strong _______ communication skills while working as
a customer service representative for Bell South.
A. verbose B. speaking C. verbal
During the _______ ( = span) of my career ...
A. life B. course C. coarse
I believe that I could be _______ asset to your organization.
A. a valuable B. a value C. valuable
Please contact me at your _______ convenience.
A. early B. earliest C. earlier
I graduated in June with a BA in Sociology _______ University of
Georgia.
A. from B. from the C. at the
Most recently, I have been working as a representative for a major
pharmaceutical company, presenting and _______ various pharmaceutical products to potential clients.
A. making promotions B. doing the promotions C. promoting
Because of the small size of this company, I have been _______ to
and participated in most aspects of managing a business.
A. averse B. exhibited C. exposed
_______ a Web Developer with MasterCard ( = when I was working
as a WD at MasterCard), I was responsible for updating and
maintaining all of the corporate websites. A. Since B. As C. Like
I _______ the development of (= I helped develop) several prominent products.
A. spoke about B. assisted in C. included
I believe that the _______ of my education, work experience, and
personal interests make me an ideal candidate for this job. A. combination B. union C. unification
An ideal candidate = A _______ candidate
A. good B. decent C. perfect
As I _______ ( = said, mentioned) earlier...
A. indicated B. vindicated C. appointed
Please don't _______ to contact me ( = feel free to contact me)
with any questions. A. hesitate B. a value C. valuable
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I look forward to _______ your reply.
A. the reception of B. receive/get C. receiving/getting
My education and employment background are _______ ( =
suitable) for the position.
A. appalling B. appropriate C. appealing
Some of my _______ ( = tasks, et.) included designing and testing
the user interface of the company's corporate intranet.
A. responsibilities B. responses C. respectability
I've done a bit of _______ about your company. = I have
studied/looked into your company. A. research B. looking C. searching
As the school's main psychiatrist, I _______ ( = advised) teenagers about a variety of personal concerns.
A. concealed B. counseled C. consolidated
In _______,... = What's more/Also,... (used when you want to give more examples of something_
A. addendum B. adding C. addition
work _______ = employment history
A. background B. groundwork C. review
My previous job required me to _______ intermediary between the
brokers and the investors.
A. act the B. act like an C. act as an
This is my _______ ( = main, principal) area of interest.
A. prime B. primary C. primordial
I am _______ ( = especially) interested in animal rights.
A. particularly B. essentially C. intuitively
I am seeking to _______ myself with... = I am looking to get a job
with...
A. assert B. align C. assist
invaluable = _______
A. not valuable B. very valuable C. somewhat valuable
I believe that I can be of _______ ( = help, assistance, etc.) to
both your company and your clients.
A. goodness B. benevolence C. benefit
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ENTRY-LEVEL COVER LETTER SAMPLE
READING (from: zety.com)
Since it’s a job application for an entry-level position, or just a minor first resume with no experience, you can skip that cover letter, right? Wrong. A cover letter is crucial if you want that interview.
But how do you write a cover letter with no experience, especially when most employers want candidates with a work history? You’ll soon have a perfect cover letter for entry-level jobs that will soon get you your first paycheck. Remember to follow these key points to write a successful cover letter for entry-level jobs:
Start with a bang. Your opening statement on your cover letter is important because it’ll determine if the hiring manager reads on.
Show you belong together. Use the majority of the entry-level cover letter’s body area to show that you’re a perfect fit for the company and they’re the ideal workplace for you.
Finish strong. You held their attention till the end, now use a powerful ending so they’ll be sure to move on to your enclosed resume and an interview.
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BUSINESS ENGLISH HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER (2) LESSON 3
6 ΚΑΤΕΡΙΝΑ ΤΣΙΩΡΑ M.A. Applied Linguistics
7 Cover Letter Mistakes Entry-Level Candidates Make—and How to Fix Them
If you’re a first-time job-seeker, you probably feel a lot of pressure to find a job quickly. And at this stage, the fastest way to land more interviews is to take your cover letter seriously.
Yes, your resume is also important, but here’s the thing: In a sea of youthful candidates, most of your resumes will look very similar. Instead, they’ll use your cover letter to measure your potential.
Here are seven big mistakes entry-level candidates make, and how you can avoid them to come out on top
Problem #1: It’s Too Long
Everyone learns how to write a 500-word, one-page essay in school. To most of us, it sounds like “the bare minimum.” But for a cover letter, it’s way too much—and will only serve to annoy the hiring manager.
The Fix: Keep it Simple, Direct, Clear, and Short
Aim for 250 words. Almost 70% of employers either want a half page cover letter (250 words) or “the shorter the better” approach.
If that seems short, just remember: All you really need to include in your cover letter is the job you want to fill, the reason you can do the job, and how you intend to do the job—with a little flair of personality. No need to write out your whole resume. Keep it short and sweet for the hiring manager who’s reading through dozens of these.
Problem #2: It’s Overly Formal
Too many cover letters have sentences that read like this: “I wish to convey my interest in filling the open position at your fine establishment.”
Is that so, Mr. Shakespeare?
The problem with this wooden and unnatural language is that it’s off-putting to hiring managers: It makes you seem insincere and even robotic, not anything like the friendly, approachable, and awesome-to-work-with person that you are.
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The Fix: Use Common Language and Speech Patterns
Skip the frills, and just use clear language - “I’m thrilled to be writing to apply for the [position] at [company].” You can sense that this sentence has a much more genuine and friendly tone than the first example.
Spot overly formal language in your cover letter by reading it out loud to see if there are areas that feel unnatural coming off the tongue, and rework them to flow better.
Problem #3: It Sounds Dishonest
All career advisors will tell you to target your cover letter. Unfortunately, too many people think that this simply means writing something like “I love [insert target company here].”
That’s simply not good enough to show a hiring manager your enthusiasm for a company.
The Fix: Show Your Understanding of the Company With Details
Instead, you’ll need to read enough about the company to make a truly personalized comment in your cover letter. Pay especially close attention to the department you’d like to join. Find out what the team is doing and how they’re doing it, and take note of the areas that you know you can contribute to.
Including that specific information in the cover letter shows that you’re interested and already have ideas for how you can help the company.
Problem #4: You’re Underselling Yourself
If you have any lines in your cover letter that read like these, you must remove them:
I’m probably not the most qualified candidate…
I’m sure you have many other more qualified candidates who have applied…
Give me a chance to prove myself…
Why would the hiring manager not hire the most qualified candidate? That would be absurd!
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The Fix: Make an Argument for Yourself
Even if you feel under-qualified, put on a brave face and tell the hiring manager the attributes that would make you a strong candidate. Respond to the job description, and play up the directly related and transferable skills you have that would allow you to meet the challenge.
For instance, someone applying for an entry-level position as a salesperson might write:
During college, I was responsible for ad sales in our newspaper, The Blue and Gold. I learned how to create, manage, and maintain professional relationships with business owners around our campus. My direct efforts led to a 10% profit margin increase over the year, and I believe that those skills can be directly applied to your open position.
Of course, remember that having too much bombast (“I’m absolutely the best and you better believe it!”) also isn’t good.
Problem #5: It Sounds Selfish
The following is one of the most important rules to remember about writing your cover letter: It isn’t just about you.
In other words, avoid writing about how working at your target company will create a great boost for your resume and career. Hiring managers are fully aware of that. What they need to know is how you’re going to provide a boost for the company.
The Fix: Ask What You Can Do for the Company
Your cover letter should state what you can do for the company. Ask yourself—what is it about your education and experience that would allow you to meet the challenges of the open job position? What ideas do you have to move the business forward?
It’s perfectly fine to mention that being hired would be mutually beneficial—the hiring manager wouldn’t want you to be a demoralized worker in a role that doesn’t suit your career prospects. Just keep it to a quick sentence and then move on to what you can do for the company.
Problem #6: It’s Full of Irrelevant Filler
Got a paragraph about your semester abroad, or some other travel experience where you found your “true calling?” You should probably delete it. Do you have sentences like, “I am a hardworking, efficient, and
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loyal person?” Don’t make a series of lists of positive sounding words about yourself. It’s not convincing.
Most importantly, if you’ve included personal information about your religion, marital status, or race, delete it. Even if you think it’s adding personality, it’s actually irrelevant to the job.
The Fix: Focus on Your Relevant Skills and History
Only talk about the experiences that directly relate to your skills and abilities that will help you succeed in the position. So if you learned a relevant skill while you were abroad, like a language? Then it’s perfectly fine to bring it up.
You should also make sure to show the hiring manager proof of your skills rather than simply say that you have them. For any word you choose to describe yourself, make sure to include an example from your work experience to back up your claim.
For example, instead of saying that you’re “hard-working” or “a problem solver,” write something like:
I felt like my own training could have been better, so I took the initiative to create new documents and checklists to make employee training less resource-intensive, which led to shorter training periods and faster content production.
Problem #7: It Has Too Much Information About College Metrics
This may be strange to hear, but here are four things that don’t really factor in your cover letter: the university you attended, the classes you took, your grades, or your thesis.
You should be proud of yourself if you got great grades, but in most cases, they aren’t great metrics for determining whether you’ll be a strong employee.
The Fix: Stick to Activities and Responsibilities
To the greatest extent possible, talk about activities you participated in both inside and outside of college that have some relevance to the job. A student with lower grades but with experience as editor of a college newspaper is still very likely to get an interview for a media job.
The reason that activities speak louder than statistics is because they act as proof that you have the skills necessary to be a good employee and co-worker. Activities provide experience you can use to show that you
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are organized, have leadership skills, can work in a team, and can easily get used to a professional environment.
Above all, activities show that you were motivated to succeed beyond simply earning a degree.
By fixing these seven mistakes, your application will stand out from the sea of other entry-level candidates jockeying for the same position. A genuine, refreshing, and smart cover letter is sometimes all it takes to get attention—and kick start your career.
SAMPLE COVER LETTER
After weeks of searching, you’ve found the clerical job of your dreams. To get that opportunity, you’ll need a great administrative assistant cover letter.
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5 Common Cover Letter Phrases That Are Losing You the Job
(themuse.com)
You’ve personalized your cover letter to the role and company, written killer opening and closing lines, and even figured out how to give it something special.
But you’re not done yet. Before you submit it, double check to make sure you’re not using any of these five words and phrases—they’ll sabotage even the greatest cover letters.
1. “I Think I’d Be a Great Fit…”
When I was in my high school, my English teacher told us never to use “I think” in an essay because if we were writing something, well, it was obvious that was what we thought.
The same holds true for cover letters. Not only are “I think,” “I feel,” “I believe,” and so on redundant, they also make you sound insecure.
The Fix
Get rid of every “opinion phrase” in your cover letter. 99% of the time, you won’t even have to reword the sentence. For example, instead of saying, “I’m confident my communication skills would make me a strong Project Manager,” write “My communication skills would make me a strong Project Manager.”
It’s shorter, simpler, and more convincing.
2. “Good”
Sure, you could say you’re “a good writer,” or “good at working with other people.” But there are so many adjective options out there, and they’re almost all more powerful than “good.”
The Fix
Replace “good” with one of these:
Skilled/ Talented/ Experienced/ Accomplished/ Expert/ Able/ Successful/ Capable/ Competent/ Efficient
Note: Make sure the alternative you choose accurately represents your skill or experience.
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3. “This Job Would Help Me Because…”
Let’s be real: You, your friends, and your family members care why this job would help you. But the hiring manager does not. All he or she cares about is finding the best person for the role. So if you find yourself explaining how this position would help you develop your leadership skills, learn more about your desired industry, or get established as a thought leader—hit the delete key.
The Fix
You do need to explain why you’re applying for this specific job at this specific company. Here’s the magic formula:
Your abilities + the company’s needs = desirable results
Let’s say you’re applying for a front-end engineering job. By following this formula, you’d get:
“My four years of experience with open-source JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3, combined with my passion for building responsive web applications, would allow me to create elegant, maintainable, and functional front-end code—and ultimately make Panther’s products even more user-friendly than they already are.”
4. “As You Can See on My Resume…”
This is a common phrase. But if the hiring manager can see something on your resume, announcing its presence is unnecessary.
The Fix
All you have to do is remove this phrase—no other changes needed!
So instead of saying, “As you can see on my resume, I’ve been working in marketing and PR for the last five years,” you’d write, “I’ve been working in marketing and PR for the last five years.”
Bonus: Your directness will project confidence.
5. “I’m the Best Candidate Because…”
Confidence is good, but arrogance is not. And even if you’re sure that you’d be an absolutely fantastic choice, you don’t know you’re the best. Imagine reading through six cover letters in a row from people who all
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claim to be “the best candidate.” That would get annoying pretty quickly, right?
To stay on the hiring manager’s good side, avoid using “best.” Along similar lines, I’d also stay away from “ideal” and perfect.”
The Fix
You want to choose adjectives that are in between “good” and best.”
Words like:
Excellent/ Great/ Terrific/ Strong/ Outstanding/ Unique
Putting a cover letter into shape isn’t easy or quick—but being rewarded by a job makes it all worth it!
THE BEST COVER LETTER I EVER RECEIVED
BY DAVID SILVERMAN (hbr.org) (Harvard Business Review)
There are really only a few times to use a cover letter:
1. When you know the name of the person hiring 2. When you know something about the job requirement 3. When you’ve been personally referred (which might include 1
and 2)
Under those conditions, you can help your cause by doing some of the résumé analysis for your potential new boss. To illustrate, here’s the best cover letter I ever received:
Dear David:
I am writing in response to the opening for xxxx, which I believe may
report to you.
I can offer you seven years of experience managing communications for
top-tier xxxx firms, excellent project-management skills, and a great eye
for detail, all of which should make me an ideal candidate for this
opening.
I have attached my résumé for your review and would welcome the
chance to speak with you sometime.
Best regards,
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Here’s what I like about this cover letter: It’s short. It sums up the résumé as it relates to the job. It asks for the job.
The writer of this letter took the time to think through what would be relevant to me. Instead of scattering lots of facts in hopes that one was relevant, the candidate offered up an opinion as to which experiences I should focus on.
And that means the writer isn’t just showing me skills related to the job, he’s showing me he’ll be the kind of employee who offers up solutions — instead of just laying problems on my desk.
COVER LETTER EXAMPLE
Lucie Smith
12 Sesame Street,
Somerville, 2013
0411-111-111
Peter Hirer
Recruitment Officer
Open Colleges
3 Elizabeth Street, Sydney
2000
Dear Peter, This is where you will introduce yourself, state the position you are applying
for, explain how you came to know about the job/company and why you are applying.
This is the place where you will list the specific reasons why you should be considered for the job. This can include relevant experience, education or personal accomplishments that make you an ideal candidate.
This is your closing paragraph. Here you will list any information that was specifically requested in the job posting, such as availability dates, and thank the employer for his/her time.
You can say something like “I look forward to hearing from you” or you can be more assertive by saying something like “I will contact you within the next two weeks to see if you require any additional information.”
Sincerely, Lucie Smith. (from: opencolleges.edu.au) EXPANDING Why don’t you try to write a cover letter on your own? You can use the tips and expressions from the cover letter examples in this lesson and the sites mentioned to download templates.
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GLOSSARY
Absurd Παράλογος
Accomplished Πετυχημένος
Accurately Ακριβώς
Align Ευθυγραμμίζω
Annoy Ενοχλώ
Appalling Αποκρουστικός, φρικτός
Appealing Ελκυστικός
Arrogance Υπεροψία
Assert Διαβεβαιώνω
Attribute Αποδίδω, χαρακτηριστικό
Back up Υποστηρίζω
Bare minimum Το λιγότερο δυνατόν
Be redundant Απολύομαι, περιττός
Beneficial Ωφέλιμος
Benevolence Καλοσύνη
Bombast Στόμφος
Boost Ωθώ
Bring it up Αναφέρω
Broker Μεσίτης
Comment Σχολιάζω, σχόλιο
Conceal Κρύβω
Consolidate Εδραιώνω, συγχωνεύω
Contribute Συμβάλλω
Convey Μεταφέρω, διαβιβάζω
Convincing Πειστικός
Decent Αξιοπρεπής
Demoralized Αποθαρρημένος
Desirable Επιθυμητός
Determine Καθορίζω
Enclosed Εσώκλειστο
Expertise Τεχνογνωσία, ειδικές γνώσεις
Factor Παράγοντας, παραγοντοποιώ
Filler Γέμισμα, γέμιση
Fix Διορθώνω, επιδιόρθωση
Flair Στυλ
Fluent Με ευχέρεια
Frill Στολίδι
Genuine Αυθεντικός
Hesitate Διστάζω
Ideal Ιδανικός
Illustrate Απεικονίζω
Instill Εμπνέω
Interface Σημείο επαφής
Intuitively Ενστικτωδώς
Invaluable Ανεκτίμητος, πολύτιμος
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Make an argument Επιχειρηματολογώ
Marital status Οικογενειακή κατάσταση
Mention Αναφέρω
Metrics Μέθοδος μέτρησης
Mutually Αμοιβαία
Off-putting Αποτρεπτικός, αποθαρρυντικός
Overly Υπερβολικά, ιδιαίτερα
Participate in Συμμετέχω
Pattern Σχέδιο, μοτίβο
Personalized Προσωποποιημένος
Potential Δυνητικός
Primary Πρωταρχικός, βασικός
Prime Άριστος, εξαίρετος
Primordial Πρώιμος, πρωτογενής, πρωταρχικός
Prominent Εξέχων
Refreshing Αναζωογονητικός
Respectability Σεβασμός
Semester Εξάμηνο
Stand out Εξέχω, ξεχωρίζω
Statement Δήλωση
Sum up Συνοψίζω
Thesis Διατριβή
Thrilled Ενθουσιασμένος
Tongue Γλώσσα
Verbose φλύαρος