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9.Choose some job listings from Unit 1 and write a skeleton letter to the address given in the ad. Be sure to include all the necessary parts of a letter. Follow one of the formats outlined in the Unit.

10.If your letter has a SECOND PAGE, type the name of the addressee, page number and date 1) across the top of the page or 2) in the upper left-hand corner. Practice indicating the second page of your letter. Follow these models.

Model (2):

Mr. John Fisher page 2

March 12, 20XX

11. Study the addressed envelope. Can you guess which is the writer’s address?

Jeffrey Collins

3456 Fifth Avenue

Waverly, CT 12836

Dr. Beryl Wright

2843 Lincoln Avenue

College Park, MD 20138

12.Look at the address on the envelope below. Who is the letter written to? addressed to? Is it the Outside address or the Return address? What change should be introduced to make it the Return address?

Model:

Dr. John Doe c/o Ms. Jane Smith 1234 Main Street Iowa City, IA 52345

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13. Practice addressing envelopes using the following information:

SStanley Harris lives at 1857 Willow Lane, Squire, West Virginia (WV) 24 663. He is writing to Patricia Harper, who lives in Lamont, Oklahoma (OK) 70312, at 613 West Street.

SMichel Swan, 2638 Columbus Avenue, Detroit, Michigan (MI) 18305, is writing to Harry Brown, who is now on holiday and is staying with his sister Sandra Smith, living at 204 Southland Drive, New York (NY) 10138.

SSusan Wright lives at 508 Main Street, Chicago, Illinois (IL) 60610. She is writing to Jane Davis, who lives at 1638 Park Avenue, Mainland, Ohio (OH) 44283, but is now away on business. Susan wants her letter to be held till Jane comes back.

Text 2

14.Answer this question before reading the text. Why is it important for people seeking employment to develop contacts with friends and professionals in their field?

15.Read the text. Is it possible to write an effective letter in half an hour?

WRITING NETWORKING LETTERS

While conducting your job search you will launch a marketing campaign selling yourself to various employers. People are always selling something, but in a job search you are selling the benefits of hiring you over the competition. Employers are very cautious about making the right choice and do not like to hire total strangers, because if an employee fails on the job, the company will have to dismiss the person and start the search over, which is rather costly. Managers tend to hire people they know, their friends, or friends of their friends to avoid any trouble. This means that your next job may come from one of your friends or business associates rather than from a recruiter or a newspaper ad.

Begin by making a list of your friends. You may be pleasantly surprised by their useful suggestions. But it is impossible to predict who will help you and who will not, so do not rule anyone out prematurely. It may come quite as a surprise for you to learn that some of your closest friends have let you down, while those you have written off have come up with useful leads and ideas. Contact your own personal network and ask your business friends to write to their key contacts on your behalf.

To involve your friends in the job search, you should write them a letter specifying exactly what kind of help you need. Be as specific as you can. Your friends will not be able to help unless they know what fits, so give them a clear but brief picture of your ideal job,

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mention possible job titles, size of the company, preferred industries, duties and responsibilities, as well as geographic preferences or restrictions. Also let them know if your job search is confidential. Show your excitement and enthusiasm.

When writing to a stranger, it is better to ask for advice and information, rather than to ask directly for a job. Most people are willing to be helpful, if you make it clear you will not be pressuring them for employment. When you draft a letter to an important contact, end it strongly by promising to call to see if there might be something to talk about. And do not take their “no” for an answer, because it does not mean “never”, it just means “not right now”. Keep all your options open.

Most people have trouble writing; they dislike it and agonize over it. This is very common among executives and professionals who have not had to do it themselves – their secretaries usually write letters, or they delegate writing to subordinates. When you begin to write, your ideas will probably not come out logically or sequentially. Nevertheless, write them down as they appear, without worrying about order or logic. Sometimes it helps to put all your thoughts on individual index cards, exactly as they come to mind.

So, your first goal is simply to collect your ideas. Later, you will evaluate, sort out, and organize them to get a finished product, eliminating cards that do not fit. You can expect to spend several hours, or even days, on a letter. Write a draft. Then let it “cool off” overnight, and rewrite if necessary. Do not feel bad if you can not write an effective letter in half an hour. Besides, the letter you have written to one of your friends can be modified slightly and mailed to a number of people. But be sure to tailor it to the situation, making it sound personal, not cold or distant. It takes time to write a “universal personal”, but it is worth trying.

It is good to let your friends know you are in the job market, but people tend to be too busy and your letter may stay unanswered for weeks. You will improve your chances if you follow your letter with a phone call to remind your friends you are still looking. The reason a letter is written is to provide background information. Do not repeat all the information, unless you feel confident you can sell yourself over the phone, which is difficult. If you promise to call, do so. If you fail to call, you convey the impression you do not keep your promises. That can work against you as you do not want to develop a reputation in your network for lack of follow-through*. After you have received a job offer or while you are happily employed, it is easy to let your network grow cold, which is a mistake, as you may need their advice and ideas some time in the future. Never close a door on yourself.

EXERCISES

16.Look through the text once again to see whether you agree with the following statements.

SI hate to ask people for favors.

SI would be embarrassed to say I’m unemployed.

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SI would feel funny writing to people I see in person all the time.

SAll my friends live in Los Angeles but I want to work in New York. What’s the use of writing to people who can’t help me?

SWhy should I write a letter? I’d rather make a call to my friends just to say I need a job.

SI do not like to be pushy asking for favors.

SIf I tell people exactly what I want, I might miss out on other things I might like.

17.In the text, find sentences with words and expressions which mean the following (use the key, if necessary):

1)A system of interconnected individuals; 2) start, begin; 3) offer for sale; 4) exclude; 5) done too early, before the proper time; 6) fail somebody in time of need; 7) dismiss from further consideration; 8) most important, essential; 9) describe in detail; 10) duties, obligations; 11) the right of choosing; 12) limitations; 13) insist, exert pressure on smb.; 14) a rough copy, a preliminary piece of writing; 15) remove; 16) change slightly; 17) sure of oneself.

(Key: responsibilities; a network; launch; confident; key; market; eliminate; prematurely; restrictions; let down; write off; pressure; specify; a draft; modify; avoid; option)

18.When writing a letter to a friend, you will give news about yourself and other people. It is common to announce a piece of news with the Present Perfect Simple (which connects the past and the present to show that some finished actions have results now). Join the beginnings (A) and the ends (C) with a suitable verb (B) to make pieces of news.

Model:

My boss has offered me a new job.

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19.The Present Perfect Simple is normally used with time expressions that refer to “any time up to now”, like ever, never, before, recently, lately, often, just, already, yet, etc.

Complete the sentences correctly.

Model:

–Have you finished your letter yet?

–I have just started.

1) My sister just (have) a baby girl. 2) You (hear) from David recently? 3) I (not see) much of him lately. 4) I often (wonder) what he does for living. 5) You (see) any good films recently? 6) I never (enjoy) a weekend as much as this one. 7) You (drive) a car before? 8) She (manage) to catch the plane at nine this morning; 9) You ever (be) to California? 10) My mother always (want) to go to Spain, but she never (have) money enough. 11) She always (be) friendly and ready to help out. 12) I always (want) to go to Italy.

20.You can think of an action as taking place “any time up to now” even if you do not use any time expression. Complete the sentences correctly using the Present Perfect Simple.

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Model:

–Have you read Shakespeare in the original? (= Have you ever read Shakespeare in the original?)

–I feel I have outgrown my present position. (= I have already outgrown my present position).

1) You (travel) a lot? 2) I (not see) his latest project. 3) You (be to) Egypt? 4) How many times you (be) in love? 5) It (stop) raining? 6) I am afraid he (go out). 7) You (find) a job? 8) He (not get) the promotion he deserves so much. 9) I (learn) much on this job. 10) I’m sure I (pay) the bills.

21.Use the Present Perfect Simple to talk about situations that started some time ago and continued “up to now”, especially when you say how long they have lasted: in my life, this morning, in the last few days, for a long time, for years, ever since, up to now, so far, etc. Complete the sentences correctly.

Model:

I (do) a lot of stupid things in my life. = I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life.

1) We (not see) each other for a long time. 2) She went to Canada five years ago and she (live) there ever since. 3) In the last few days I (have) trouble sleeping. 4) She (have) bad luck all her life. 5) He (be) in that job for two years now. 6) How long you (live) in America? 7) I (have) a headache all day. 8) I (make) more than twenty calls this morning.

22.The Present Perfect Progressive is also used to talk about actions continuing up to now, especially to say how long something has lasted. But while the Present Perfect says that an action is completed, the Present Perfect Progressive looks at the continuing situation itself. Compare the two examples and explain the use of tenses. Which sentence shows the result of the activity? Which sentence speaks about the activity itself?

Model:

a)I’ve written more than thirty networking letters today.

b)I’ve been writing networking letters all day long.

23.Put in the Present Perfect Progressive or Simple.

1)I (live) in California for the last few years. 2) I (live) here all my life. 3) I already (do) all my Christmas shopping. 4) I (do) my Christmas shopping all day. 5) How long you (wait)?

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6) I (wait) long enough. I’m going. 7) I (work) very hard this week. 8) Ever (work) for this company? 9) How long you (save) for your trip to Europe? 10) How much money you (save) this year? 11) Mary (garden) all afternoon. 12) She (plant) a lot of flowers. 13) How long you (look for) a job? 14) How many interviews you (take)? 15) You (update) your resume? 16) I (update) my resume all the day long.

24.Use FOR in sentences with the Present Perfect (Simple or Progressive) to say how long an action goes on:

Model:

I have lived in the United States for the last thirty years.

She has been teaching music for more than ten years now.

1)How long you (work) for this company? 2) How long you (have) a pain in your ear?

3)Mary and Martin (be married) for a year now. 4) I (not call) him for a long time. 5) I (know) my business partner for more than ten years. 6) I (not have) a holiday for three years. 7) We (know) each other for ages. 8) I (have) a chat with her for the last half hour. 9) I (not hear) from him for two weeks. 10) She (play) the violin professionally for ten years. 11) I (learn) English for more than seven years.

25.Sentences with SINCE usually have the Present Perfect (Simple or Progressive) when the meaning is “time up to now”, but after SINCE it is normal to use a Past tense. Complete the sentences correctly. Note that the verb BE does not take the Present Perfect Progressive form.

a) Model:

She has been more careful since the car accident.

She has been learning English since childhood.

1) My father (be) in hospital since Wednesday. 2) He (be) out of work since April. 3) I (not see) her since last Christmas. 4) I (know) her since my childhood. 5) There (be) a lot of change here since his arrival. 6) I (not hear) from them since their trip to France. 7) She (be) all alone since his death. 8) He (change) a lot since his marriage. 9) I (not see) him since last April, which seems like years. 10) It (rain) since Monday. 11) What you (do) since we last met? 12) Peter (work) here since last September.

b) Model:

Things have been difficult since I lost my job.

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I have been working hard ever since I got that job.

1) He (be) unemployed ever since he (leave) the University. 2) I (know) her since we (work) for the same company. 3) Since she (go) to live in Australia, we (not hear) from her. 4) Nobody (have) any peace since Robby (bring) his friend to stay with us. 5) She (be) alone since her husband (die). 6) Things (change) a lot since we (leave) California. 7) He (be) absolutely different since he (get married). 8) It (be) too long since I (hear) from you last. 9) He (be) ill since he (meet) with an accident. 10) I (collect) stamps since I (be) a child. 11) I (not hear) from them since they (separate). 12) We (talk) all the time since you (leave). 13) I (garden) since we (meet) in the morning. 14) I (think) about it since I (learn) the news.

26.Begin your marketing campaign by making a list of your friends. Use the following check list to help you. Who of these do you think might be of help? Why?

SFamily (parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, distant relatives), ex in-laws;

Sclose personal friends, friends of your parents, parents of your children’s friends, neighbors;

Sstudents, fellow classmates, former college professors;

Speople from hobby groups, social groups, church groups;

Scurrent and former employers, fellow employees (your peer group);

Sthe staff, editors, and reporters of your local newspaper;

Sformer clients, buyers, suppliers, and sale representatives;

Slibrarians, store owners, secretaries;

Sprofessionals (dentist, doctor, attorney, realtor, insurance agent);

Sfellow vacationers or travelers;

Syour hairdresser.

27.When you go hunting for lucky opportunities in the job market, you will write letters to your friends or business associates asking their help in guiding you to job openings. Such letters perform a number of functions. You need to:

Introduction: 1) establish contacts with the reader;

6)summarize your qualifications;

7)give job preference characteristics;

Conclusion 8) close the letter by:

a) expressing gratitude for cooperation;

b)speaking of future contacts.

28.Below is a sample letter to a friend asking for assistance. Look through the letter and identify the functions of its parts.

Dear Bob:

It’s been quite a while since we were in touch, and I hope things are going well for you.

As for me, the years since Stanford have been rather varied and fulfilling. Right now I am in the process of making a job change, and I’ m writing to college friends whose opinions and insights I trust. The firm I’ ve worked for the last ten years, R & B, Inc., was sold and merged with another organization. As a result, my job was eliminated. I accepted a large severance package* and now I am looking for another position.

As you may be aware, I am a professional with over 15 years of experience in management. These include 3 years of consulting and 10 years in management of two different companies together with 5 years as a department director.

I am open to the type of industry as I have worked with companies in a number of diverse businesses. I am looking for an important high-paying job and would like to be associated with an established, growing company based in California which is in need of an executive to take responsibility of its administrative and financial activities.

I know you make contacts with many business leaders in California, which is invaluable in connection with my job search. Any lead you can provide will be of great help to me.

The enclosed resume, current as of July 20XX, will probably fill in some gaps for you on what I’ve been doing since Stanford. Please feel free to pass along copies of it to any of your business associates that you think may be interested.

I plan to call you within the next 10 days to make sure you received this letter and ask if you have any thoughts or ideas about people I should contact or specific opportunities I should pursue.

Bob, once again, any assistance or advice you can give me would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help,

Edward D. Norris

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29.Look back into the text of the letter and analyze the use of the Present Perfect Simple and Progressive. Can you figure out the difference between the situations?

30.Look through the phrases that may help you OPEN A LETTER and ESTABLISH CONTACTS:

–It was a very pleasant surprise running into you at … this morning.

–You’ve played a major part in my career development, and I can’t thank you enough.

–Thank you for taking the time to speak with me on the telephone last week regarding the possibility of finding employment with R & B, Inc.

–It’s been some time (too long) since we’ve talked (been in touch).

–I hope this letter finds things going well for you. As for me, these years have been filled with lots of change.

–I can’t help remembering the fun we had in … .

–Until other possibilities come my way, I plan to actively participate in … .

–Mr. Smith suggested I contact you. I am seeking information from individuals active in … business.

31.Chose from the phrases above to open your own letter.

32.Here are the phrases that may help you express your DECISION TO CHANGE THE JOB:

–I am in the process of making a job change and am writing to people whom I trust seeking their advice in my job search.

–I am writing this letter to you because, after several years in … business, I have rethought my lifetime objectives and decided to change the direction of my career.

–I’ve decided to make a career change and have determined that I shall move into … business.

–I’ve made a career decision to look for a long-term position with a growing but stable medium-sized company.

–I’ve completed that contract, and I’m ready to move forward with something more long-lasting.

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