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points in the letter? 5) Does knowledge of the resume suggest new ways to improve the letter? 6) Could you suggest changes that would make the letter more effective?

40.Assume you are the members of the interviewing board discussing the application letter above. Read carefully the comment on the letter and choose the argument (1, 2 … 6) you are going to present. Substantiate it with particular examples from the letter, if possible. Work together as a group. Role play the comment.

Model:

St. 1: I think this applicant is not a good choice for us because he even doesn’t know how to spell “experience” or “principle” correctly.

St. 2: He is really no good. If he can’t write a literate letter, I doubt he will be able to cope with far more sophisticated tasks like management consulting.

SThis letter contains quite a number of basic flaws, which makes it poor and ineffective prose. First, the letter is mechanically poor: the applicant transposes letters, misspells, etc. Mistakes such as these are harmful because the reader is tempted to think that someone who cannot write a literate letter will not be capable of far more sophisticated tasks like management consulting.

SSecond, this letter sounds vague and clumsy because the writer tends to describe rather than exemplify his qualifications.

SThird, the applicant diminishes his work experience. His job at Food Market is probably one in which he has considerable responsibility (check the resume). But what do we remember about the job? That he misspells “experience”.

SIn addition, the writing strategies are inappropriate. The very first word he uses, “Please”, is weak in this paragraph, it makes the letter sound passive and timid. In the second paragraph we learn something negative about the writer (no experience) before we learn something positive (job in Food Market). The same applies to the third paragraph, informing us that his job as tutor was not relevant to the business world. Moreover, the first sentence of the third paragraph sounds too forward.

SWhat is more, this letter speaks poorly for someone whose qualifications are not poor. It squanders the applicant’s qualification by failing to produce a good guide to his resume.

SThe letter looks like a “form” letter being designed to fit a number of possible openings (note especially that no mention is made of either company or position for which he is applying). All the applicant had to type individually were the Heading and Salutation. So the statements like “I am especially interested in securing a position with a firm such as yours” seem unpleasant and insincere.

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This strategy never achieves good results. Letters of application should be individually designed as they are meant to be tailored to a particular job.

41.Revise the letter to make it sound more professional.

42.Here is another version of the same letter. Read it through and be ready to answer the discussion questions that follow.

Dear Mr. Baley:

I am writing in response to your notice sent recently to the Placement Office of University of N. Carolina, announcing openings in Management Consulting for young professionals. I am scheduled to graduate with honors this spring with MBA in Management Administration and would like to be considered for this position. I feel that both my academic background and work experience would qualify me for the position.

My program at NC University which included a number of courses focusing on Business Administration has exposed me to the problems of marketing analysis, consumer demands, pricing policies and sales forecasting and allowed for their practical implementation. Thus, within a course on Behavioral Theory recently completed, I have developed a computer model of pricing decisions on the local retail market for NC Food Market, which they are considering implementing (available at your request). This project was given an award by NC University.

Over the past few years I have been lucky enough to work as night manager for the local Food Market, where my responsibilities covered scheduling of service staff, keeping a weekly payroll, organizing stock work, etc. This experience has given me both technical skills of business management and the possibility to apply some of my classroom work to the business environment.

Please review the enclosed resume to decide whether it meets your needs for the position. I am available to interview any time at your convenience and can be reached at my home address or by phone at 555 – 3833.

Sincerely yours,

43.Answer the discussion questions below.

1)Does this letter put the applicant in a better light than the first version? a worse light? 2) Does it contain any unnecessary information? 3) Are all the facts of his resume emphasized in this letter? 4) Should the applicant call attention to these facts in the letter or should they stay buried within the resume? Why? 5) Could you find any detail in the job ad that was not given

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attention in the letter? 6) Does the knowledge of the resume suggest new ways to improve the letter? 7) Could you suggest changes (language, design, strategy) that would make it still more effective?

44.Read the comment given below on the second version of the letter of application. How does your commentary compare?

SOn the whole, this is a much better version of the letter. It is not to say that the letter is perfect, only that the applicant makes the most he can from his education and work experience.

SThe letter is clear, businesslike and complete. The reader gets a good idea of the courses the applicant took, the project he completed, and an impressive sense of what he has been doing on the job.

SThe applicant talks about himself without seeming to brag – he presents facts, rather than strings of showy adjectives. It is details like these, not grade point average or one’s feelings about one’s college experience that usually get the attention of employers.

45.Revise the following job application letter to make it more effective. Add any reasonable details.

April 12, 20XX

Collin Wayne, Personnel Director

135 Willow Lane

Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mr.Collin Wayne:

I came across your ad for a laboratory assistant as I was reading the Sunday Monitor. I have always been interested in jobs like this, so would you consider my application?

In a month I will receive my degree in organic chemistry that relates well to your requirements. During my studies I have taken many courses in my major, so I feel I have a strong academic background in the field.

Also, I have had extensive experience working part-time during two summers for a major company in a related business. In addition, I was a temporary department supervisor for a week.

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I have enclosed a resume and would like to interview with you at your convenience. Hope to see you soon. My phone number is 364 – 8832.

Sincerely,

46.Write an application letter following the general guidelines below in response to a newspaper ad in Unit 1. Write a letter of application for that position: 1) begin by explaining how you heard about the position and identifying your connection with the person who told you to apply for the job; 2) in discussing your education, point out your training in some field, and 3) mention the duties that gave you relevant experience in your field; 4) in closing, suggest a convenient time for an interview and include a phone number with specific daytime hours.

1) Opening: Identify yourself:

Srefer to an ad, mutual friend or other source of information about the job;

Sidentify the position applied for;

Sgive a summary statement that shows how you can meet the main need of your potential employer.

2) Body: Match your background to the job:

Sdetermine priority of academic or professional experience;

Shighlight main qualifications that respond to and satisfy these needs (without repeating resume);

Sinclude specific examples rather than generalizations;

Sinclude relevant supplemental information;

Smaintain the “you” attitude throughout;

Srefer to resume, if enclosed.

3) Closing: Indicate your availability:

Sexpress interest in an interview (avoid sounding too forward);

Sindicate special considerations;

Sgive the times you are available to be reached.

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47.Write a letter to a local business inquiring about summer employment. Indicate that

1)you can only work for one summer, and 2) that you will be going back to college September 1.

48.In your job hunt, you may apply for positions advertised in print or known to you by word of mouth (the so-called solicited applications). Job seekers do not limit their search to advertised openings. Sometimes, you will write “prospecting” letters to companies that have not advertised but might need someone with your qualifications (unsolicited applications). The unsolicited letter is a good way to uncover other possibilities. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such letters answering the following questions:

SDo you think it is waste of time writing to organizations that might have no openings?

SCan you tailor your letter to the specific requirements if you do not know what the opening is?

SDo you compete with a lot of applicants for an advertised opening / nonadvertised opening?

SDo you think companies may welcome unsolicited letters and keep impressive applications on file?

SWill the companies pass unsolicited applications along to a company that has an opening?

SWho do you address your unsolicited letter to?

SCan you establish a connection in the unsolicited letter through a mutual acquaintance? Which opening phrase is better in an unsolicited letter and why?

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LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Dialog 1

49.Listen to your teacher reading Dialog 1. Did it sound like an unexpected call?

50.Listen to the dialog once again and repeat after each speaker. Follow the script if necessary.

Scheduling a Phone Interview

Secretary: Hello, this is General Electronics calling. Could I speak to Mr. Bosh, please?

Applicant: Hello. Speaking. What is it about?

Secretary: I’m Sandra Davis, secretary of Hiring Manager Mr. Brian Johnson. We are screening candidates for the position of programmer that we have open.

Applicant: Oh, fine.

Secretary: Are you prepared to speak to Mr. Johnson right now and answer some of interview questions?

Applicant: Mmm. That’s difficult. I’m right in the middle of something else. How about later?

Secretary: Let me see. I can only fit you into Mr. Johnson’s schedule for tomorrow at, say, 11:00 a.m. Is that OK?

Applicant: Great. That suits me fine. How shall I prepare?

Secretary: Well, you may need some reference materials close at hand, a copy of your resume, or something.

Applicant: Good idea. Thanks for calling. Goodbye.

Secretary: Goodbye, Mr. Bosh, and good luck with the interview.

51.Read Dialog 1 in pairs. Trade roles. Then role play the dialog.

52.Sometimes you may need to arrange a phone interview for a mutually agreable time. Note the way it is done in Dialog 1 and study some more ways

a)to ask about the purpose of the call:

– What’s it in connection with?

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–What’s it about?

b)to make an appointment:

–What time would suit you (best)?

–Would … (day) at … (time) suit you / be OK?

–Can you manage … (day) at … (time)?

c)to confirm arrangements:

–Yes, that suits me fine.

Sthat would be fine / OK.

SThat’s fine / OK.

d)to decline arrangements:

–I’m afraid, I can’t manage / make … (day / time ).

–I’m sorry, but (day / time) doesn’t suit me / doesn’t work for me (at all).

e)to suggest alternatives:

–Can you manage …(day) at … (time)?

–How about … (day / time)?

–I could make it on … (day) at … (time).

53.Make up your own dialog arranging a phone interview. Suggest any reasonable details. Work in pairs. Role play the dialog. Trade roles.

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Dialog 2

54.Listen to Dialog 2. Are there any changes in the schedule of the interview?

55.Listen to Dialog 2 once again and repeat after each speaker. Trade roles. Follow the script if necessary.

Confirming an Interview

Manager: Personnel Department. Collin Greg.

Applicant: Hello, Mr. Greg. My name is Ted Willis. I’m calling to confirm my interview with R & B, Inc. tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. Any changes in the schedule of the interview so far, Mr. Greg?

Manager: Oh, let me check. I’m sorry, Mr. Willis. Your interview has been rescheduled to another time. You are to come to the Personnel office, seventh floor, Room 71, tomorrow at 10:30 a.m.

Applicant: Fine. Thank you for the information. Goodbye.

Manager: Goodbye, Mr. Willis. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.

56.Look back at Dialog 2 and note how to confirm an interview by phone.

57.Study some more phrases you may need to confirm an interview by phone:

–I’d like to know if there are any changes in … ?

–I’d like to check the time (place) of the interview.

–Let me just check. … Right?

58.Make short dialogs confirming an interview by phone. Work in pairs.

Model:

Applicant: Are there any changes in the schedule of my interview?

Manager: No changes so far. (Your interview has been rescheduled to … .)

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Commentary

h.r. specialist – a human resources specialist, a personnel officer put on airs – to pretend, show off, boast

in the long run – finally, ultimately

GPA – grade point average, an average score in related subjects in one’s transcript, etc. underscore – 1) underline; 2) emphasize

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