Advertisement

Annual\per annum\yearly

Application form

Application\applicant

Candidate

To apply for a position of

Appointment\job

To be qualified for\to have degrees in

Career prospects

Contract of employment

Resume

To fire\to dismiss\to make redundant\to lay off

Freelancer

Fringe benefits\remuneration package\perks

Interview\interviewer\interviewee

On leave\ holiday\vacation

Personal assistant

Personnel staff

Personnel\recruiting officer\human resource manager

To quit\to live\to resign\to retire

Recommendation\reference\referee

Recruit\recruitment\to take on\to hire\to employ

To report directly to\to be under\to be senior

Salary\wages\remuneration

Sick\maternity leave

Temporary\permanent post\contract position

Trainee\apprentice\apprenticeship

Vacancy\post\position\opening

(Week’s) notice\termination of employment

Working conditions\atmosphere\environment

Applying for a job

In different countries different conventions apply to the process of job application and interviews. In most parts of the world, it is common to submit a typed CV (curriculum vitae — British English) or resume (American English). This contains all the unchanging information about you: your education, background and work experience. This usually accompanies a letter of application, which in some countries has to be handwritten not typed. A supplementary information sheet containing information relevant to this particular job may also be required though this is not used in some countries.

Many companies expect all your personal information to be entered on a standard application form. Unfortunately, no two application forms are alike and filling in each one may present unexpected difficulties. Some personnel departments believe that the CV and application letter give a better impression of a candidate.

Interviews may take many forms in business today: traditional one-to-one interviews, panel interviews where several candidates are interviewed by a panel of interviewers, deep-end interviews where applicants have to demonstrate how they can cope in actual business situations. Moreover, the atmosphere of an interview may vary from the informal to the formal and from the kindly to the sadistic. Fashions seem to change quite rapidly in interview techniques and the only rules that applicants should be aware of may be Expect the unexpected and Be yourself.

In different countries, different trades and different grades, the salary that goes with a job may be only part of the package perks like a company car or cheap housing loans, bonuses paid in a “thirteenth month”, company pension schemes, generous holidays or flexible working hours. Such fringe benefits may contribute to the attractiveness of a job.

 

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Advertisements (ads) for employment appear in all the media including radio and television. However, newspapers and magazines are usually the main source for vacancies.

Generally, the terms vacancy, post, position, or opening are used instead of the word job in applications.

If replying to an advertisement, as with most correspondence, it is better to simply state what you are doing, and remember to give a date or reference.

If your enquiry is only for an application form, you can give some brief details about yourself, then ask for the form. It is worth remembering, at this point, that your letters, in these cases, are not for the positions themselves, but are for interviews.

Some companies do not send application forms, but prefer applicants to supply a curriculum vitae (c.v.), which is your personal and working history.

There should be a covering letter with application forms and c.v.s, either explaining points that might not be clear, or giving further information to emphasize your suitability for the post.

 

Letter of Application in Response to an Advertisement.

  Jan. 15, 2002

Return Address:

Street,

City, Country

 

Phone Number and Email Address

 

Name of individual

Job Title

Their Address: Street, City, Country

Dear_______________

 

Reference to the job advertisement

 I saw an advertisement for a teacher in the Guardian Newspaper. The purpose of this letter is to apply for a position as a secondary school English language teacher.

In response to your advertisement in the Guardian Newspaper, I am writing to apply for a teaching position.

 

Something about your suitability for the position

 I have worked as a teacher for three years at School Number 29 in Riga, Latvia. I adore working with children.

My desire has always been to work with young people and I enjoy children very much.