A Letter of Application

Paulo has read this advertisement in 'Health and Fitness' magazine.

Keen on sport? Busy health club requires outgoing person for part-time work (including late hours). June to September. Good command of English. Must be adaptable. Please write to: The Manager, Sundance Health Club, Harbour Lane, Chichester, Sussex, POl 2JE including a recent photograph.

This is Paulo's letter of application.

Rua de Gloria 10 3000 Coimbra Portugal 15th April 1995

The Manager, Sundance Health Club, Harbour Lane, Chichester, Sussex, POl 2JE

Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm writing in reply to your advertisement in 'Health and Fitness' magazine for general part-time work in your health club. I am a 20-year-old Portuguese student and I come from Coimbra in the north of Portugal. At present I am still studying at college but I am taking my final exams in May. I have studied English for six years but I want to spend some time in England in order to improve my spoken English.

I am interested in sport and fitness and at home I go to a sports centre three times a week. I am also a member of the college swimming team. I get on very well with people and I like making new friends. I don't mind doing any sort of work including cleaning, washing up and helping in the gym.

I am prepared to work any hours but ideally I would like to work in the afternoons and evenings only so that I can attend English classes in the mornings. I have friends who live in Chichester, so accommodation is not a problem. My term ends on 28th May, so I would be able to start on 1st June.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Paulo Freitas

A. Study and practise the text.

B. You want to go to Britain in the summer and would like to earn a little money while you are there. Read the following job advertisement.

Winsdor Leisure Centre

Stowell Road, Winsdor

wants part-time summer helpers

The employer: runs two leisure centres and employs about ten casual staff

Season: July to September

Work period: evenings, weekends and holidays

The work: setting up and taking down sports equipment; in­volvement in children's summer activity programme; work­ing as lifeguards

Pay and conditions: £3.50 — £4.00 per hour

Qualifications: lifeguards must be strong swimmers, prefera­bly trained in first aid. Life saving training will be given. Good knowledge of English is essential.

Age: 18

Application: to the manager at the above address

Now in pairs discuss the information you need to include in your letter of application for the job. Make notes under the following headings.

• you and your personal details

• knowledge of English

• current course of study or current job

• stability for job

• availability

• any questions

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Write a letter to the manager of the Winsdor Leisure Centre applying for the job. Use Paulo's letter as a guide.

Out of Work

Your Career History

A CV ('curriculum vitae' or 'resume') is essential if you're applying for a new job or for promotion within your own company, or even to register as a delegate at a conference. Some information might be given in your CV, some in your letter of application — and perhaps some on Supplementary Information sheet (giving information relevant to the particular job you're applying for). There are no fixed international rule about this: different countries have different practices.

Work in pairs. Decide where you in your country and in your line о business would normally give this information:

1. Your name, address and telephone number.

2. The title and reference number of the j ob.

3. Your date of birth.

4. Your marital status.

5. The name and address of present (or last) employer.

6. Your hobbies and leisure interests.

7. The sports you play.

8. Details of all the jobs you have had.

9. The languages you speak, read or write.

10. Details of the examinations you passed at school.

11. Details of the professional diplomas or degrees you have game

12. Details of training courses you have attended.

13. Details of your achievements and responsibilities in you working career.

14. Your suitability for the job advertised.

15. Your reasons for applying for this job.

16. When you are available for interview.

17. Details of your present (or last) job.

18. Your current (or last) salary.

19. The salary you would expect to receive.

20. The names and addresses of two or three referees.

in your CV or resume?

in your Letter of Application?

on a Supplementary Information sheet?

or on an Application Form?

In Britain a lot of people are out of work. Tracey Chapman is 18, and she left school a year ago. She lives in the North East, an area of high youth unemployment. She hasn't been able to find a job yet.

'My dad just doesn't understand. He started working in a steel mill when he was 15. Things are different now, but he thinks I should start bringing home some money. Oh, I get my unemployment benefit, but that isn't much and I'm fed up with queuing for it every Thursday. I hate having to ask my mum and dad for money. Oh, mum gives me a couple of pounds for tights now and then, but she can't stand seeing me at home all day. I've almost given up looking for a job. I buy the local paper every day but I'm really tired of looking through the 'Situations Vacant' column. There are 50 applicants for every job. I was interested in being a dentist's receptionist because I like meeting people, but now I'd take any job at all. People ask me why I don't move to London, but I don't want to leave my family and friends. Anyway I'm scared of living on my own in a big city.'

Tracey Chapman went to the Careers Advisory Service. She had to complete this questionnaire.

Questionnaire

1. Are you seeking

1. full-time employment?

2. part-time employment?

2. Which of these is most important for you?

money? job satisfaction?

people? an interesting job?

security?

3. Do you like Yes No

1. meeting people?

2. working alone?

3. working with other people?

4. working with your hands?

5. travelling?

4. What do you like doing in your free time?

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George Morley is 54. Until last year he was a production manager in the textile industry. He had worked for the same company since he left school. He had a good job, a four-bedroomed house and a company car. When his company had to close because of economic difficulties, he became redundant.

'It's funny really... I don't feel old, but it isn't easy to start looking for a job at my age. I've had so many refusals. Now I'm frightened of applying for a job. All the interviewers are twenty years younger than me. You see, I'm interested in learning a new skill, but nobody wants to train me. I can see their point of view. I'll have to retire in ten years. It's just... well, I'm tired of sitting around the house. I've worked hard for nearly forty years and now I'm terrified of having nothing to do. When I was still with Lancastrian Textiles I was bored with doing the same thing day after day, but now I'd really enjoy doing a job again... any job really. It's not the money... I got good redundancy pay, and the house is paid for... and I've given up smoking... no, it's not just money. I just need to feel... well, useful... that's all.'

A. Play the cassette of the introduction about Tracey Chapman. Answer the questions.

1. What's her name? 2. How old is she? 3. She isn't a student, is she? 4. Where does she live? 5. Does she work? Why not? 6. Is she happy? Why not?

B. Play the cassette again. After each sentence with an –ing form pauseto ask questions, for example:

Cassette: He thinks I should start bringing home some money.

(Pause) T: What does he think?

St: He thinks she should start bringing home some money, etc.

Questions.

1. Where did he start working? 2. What does he think? 3. What's she fed up with? 4. What does she hate? 5. What can't her mother stand? 6. What has she almost given up? 7. What's she tired of? 8. What was she inter­ested in? 9. What does she like? 10. What's she scared of?

C. Read the text. Speak about Tracey Chapman. Use the -ing forms.

J). Play the cassette of the introduction about George Morley¹. Answer the questions.

1. What's his name? 2. How old is he? 3. What was his job? 4. How long had he worked there? 5. Why did his company have to close? 6. What happened to him?

E.Play the cassette pausing as in 'B'.

Questions.

1. What isn't easy? 2. What's he frightened of? 3. What's he interested in? 4. What's he tired of? 5. What's he terrified of? 6. What would he enjoy? 7. What's he given up?

F. Read the text. Speak about George Morley. Use the -ing forms.

G. Focus attention on the 'Questionnaire'.

Pair work. Students complete the questionnaire for a partner. Ask a few students about their partners' answers.

H. Exercise 1

I like meeting people.

Make sentences about yourself with:

love/enjoy/don't like/dislike/hate/can't stand.

Exercise 2

I'm scared of living on my own. Make sentences about yourself with: afraid of/frightened of/terrified of.

Exercise 3

I’m bored with doing the same thing. Make sentences about yourself with: fed up with/tired of/interested in.

Exercise 4

I gave up smoking.

Make sentences about yourself with:

start/begin/stop/give up.

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Focus on phrasal verbs.

Getting on in Life

Two people, Jeremy and Angela are describing how they came to choose their careers.

Jeremy

At the moment I have a very good, well-paid job that I enjoy doing, but it hasn't always been like this.

Several years ago I used to work as a salesman for a small company that specialized in making motor components for the car industry. It was the sort of job where you had to be committed to your product, you had to believe in it and do everything possible to sell it. But times were hard, and a lot of companies were going out of business, so our company started to cut back on the number of people it employed in order to save money — fortunately, I wasn't one of them — but in the end it had to close down, and I found myself out of work for the first time in my life. I applied for several jobs in similar companies, but I wasn't success­ful — every one of them turned me down.

Then one day I was looking through the paper and I came across an advertisement for courses that specialized in journalism. I filled in an appli­cation form, sent it off, was accepted onto the course, studied hard, passed my exams, and became a qualified journalist. I then wrote to a small maga­zine for the car industry, attended an interview along with dozens of other applicants and, to my surprise, they took me on. The magazine grew in size and popularity. 1 moved from writing articles to being sub-editor, and this year I became the editor, so I suppose I've been lucky really.

Angela

When I was young my father always told me how important it was to get on in life and be a success. 'You must make something of your life,' he used to say. I think he wanted me to be a doctor or an engineer or some­thing like that. And I can remember how disappointed he was when I left school early and started work as a secretary.

It was a small, badly-run company, and when I went there they told me the job wasn't difficult and I would soon pick it up. At the beginning I liked the job, but as time passed the work started to take up more of my time and I found I was working late in the evenings and even at week-

ends. And in addition to this I had to put up with poor working condi­tions and a low salary — I earned just enough to get by — and there were no promotion prospects at all. All this really got me down. And then I started to wonder if I was really cut out for this kind of work — it didn't really suit me or my particular abilities.

Then one day — I remember I'd been working very hard that month and had put in a lot of extra hours — I went to see my boss to ask for some time off work. I needed to visit my mother, who wasn't well at the time. I have to say that I didn't get on with my boss very well. Anyway, he re­fused point-blank. He said it was out of the question and he didn't want to hear another word. I tried explaining but I just couldn't get through to him. He wouldn't listen. So I walked out of the office, and as far as I was concerned, that was it, that was the last straw. The next day I handed in my resignation, and I said to myself I would never put myself in that kind of position again. I decided to return to studying and go in for law. I gradu­ated from London University and now I'm starting to make my way in the world. As my father used to say, 'The world is my oyster'.

So was my father right? Is it important to get on in the world? Well, in some ways it is, but it depends on how you measure success and what you want to get out of life. After all, there are other things in life besides work.

A. Decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F) and ex­ plain why.

1. Jeremy was made unemployed because the company wanted to save money. 2. The company went out of business because of the poor eco­nomic climate. 3. Jeremy was offered several jobs in other similar com­panies but he rejected them. 4. Jeremy's application to a small magazine was successful. 5. Angela's father wanted her to be ambitious. 6. She needed special training to do her job as a secretary. 7. She had to spend a lot of time doing her job. 8. She couldn't live on her salary. 9. A few things about her job depressed her. 10. She chose law as her career.

B. Practice.

1. Match the verbs in A with the definitions in B.

, A __B

1 to cut back (on) (something) a. to learn something without dif

ficulty or special study

2. to close (something) down b. to make someone feel depressed

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3. to turn someone/something down с to close something (a factory or

organization) temporarily or per­manently

4. to take someone on d. to manage to survive and have a

satisfactory life

5. to get on e. to use or require a certain amount

of time, effort, or space

6. to pick something up f. to employ someone

7. to take up an amount of something g. to choose something as one's ca-

reer

8. to get by (on something) h. to refuse or reject someone/some-

thing

9. to get someone down i. to reduce something, especially

to save money

10. to go in for something j. to succeed, to be successful in

one's job

2. Read the sentences. Then say the sentences again, using the multi­word verb prompts. The first one has been done for you.

1. The company has employed extra staff. {take on) The company has taken on extra staff.

2. I've decided to make a career in medicine. {go in for)

3. She survives on a very small income. {get by)

4. He didn't accept my offer of help. {turn down)

5. The factory will have to reduce production. {cut back on)

6. The bad working conditions depress me. {get me down)

7. The company has stopped doing business. {close down)

8. I learnt some Arabic while I was in Cairo. {pick up)

9. She wants to be a success in her job. {get on)

10. Writing reports uses a lot of my time. {take up)

3. Translate into English.

1. Он не годится для этой работы. 2. Он увлекается рыбалкой. 3. В конце концов работа и домашние заботы подорвали здоровье Луи­зы. 4. Как вы поживаете? 7. Ее наняли в качестве прислуги в бога­том доме. 8. Она живет на очень маленькую пенсию. 9. Они отвер­гли мой план. 10. Его молчание угнетает меня. 11. Многие заводы закрыты из-за забастовки. 12. Он преуспел в жизни. 13. Уборка квартиры занимает у меня много времени. 14. Он научился немец­кому языку, когда работал в Германии. 15. Он наотрез отказался помочь мне.

4. Fill in the gaps below.

Originally I worked... a school teacher, but I applied... a grant to study medicine at university and was accepted ... the course. I specialized ... mental disorders, and then started my present job. I believe completely ... what I am doing, I never take any time ... work, and I am totally committed ... my clients. I have to listen very carefully ... what they say, and I sometimes explain... them what I think the problem is. Some­times they start to depend ... me too much. What is my job? Oh, I forgot to tell you. I am a psychiatrist.