After studying the unsolicited letter below, answer the questions.

1. How did Marcus Bauer hear about Mitchell Hill?

2. What is his present post, and what does he do?

3. What are his qualifications?  

4. Why do you think his bank encourages employees to work abroad?

5. What does he want Mitchell Hill to send him?

 

Furstenberg 78 D-30000 Hanover 71 Germany   21 June 2014   Mr John Brown Manager Mitchell Hill PLC 11-15 Montague Street London EC15DN   Dear Mr Brown   I am writing to you on the recommendation of David McLean, Assistant Manager in your Securities Department. We met last month on a course in Hanover, and he suggested that I should contact your company and mention his name. He told me that you often employ people from other countries on one-year temporary contracts, and I am writing to enquire about the possibility of such a post.   I am at present employed by the International Bank in Hanover, in their Securities Department. I have worked here since 2006, when I graduated from the University of Munich with a degree in Economics. In my present position as Assistant to Wolfgang Lugers, Director of the Securities Department, I deal with a wide range of investments from companies throughout Europe, buying shares and bonds for them on a worldwide basis. As well as speaking fluent English, I also have a good working knowledge of French.   I would like to spend a year in the UK to gain further experience in securities investment with a British bank, and believe that my experience, training, and language skills would prove useful to your organization. My employer encourages all its staff to spend a year abroad and Mr Lugers would be willing to give you a reference.   I would be grateful if you could send me an application form and further information about the posts currently available. If you need any further information, I can be contacted by email on bauernm@mail.de or telephone on 49 511506941.   Yours sincerely Marcus Bauer Marcus Bauer

 

 

Application form

 

Covering letter

In this example, notice that the applicant starts by referring to the job advertisement. She then goes on to expand on her present duties and give other information that she feels is relevant to the post. She also explains why she is applying for this particular vacancy. If, on her CV, she gives her current employers as referees, she could mention that she would prefer International Computing Services not to approach them until after an interview.

35 Westland Road Kingston UK   18 June 2013   Mrs J. Hastings Personnel Officer International Computing Services PLC City Road London EX4HU   Your Ref: KH 305/9   Dear Mrs Hastings   I would like to apply for the vacancy advertised in the Guardian on 16 June for a Personal Assistant to the Sales Director.   As you will see from my CV, I am currently Personal Assistant to the Sales Manager of a small engineering company. In addition to the day-to-day administration work, I represent the Sales Manager on some occasions and am delegated to take certain policy decisions in his absence.   I speak good French and Italian, and use both languages in the course of my work. I am particularly interested in this post as I would like to become more involved with an IT organization and am very familiar with many of your software products.   If there is any further information you require, please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.   Yours sincerely Carol Brice Carol Brice (Ms)   Enc. CV

CURRICULUM VITAE (RESUME)

 

A Curriculum Vitae or CV is a summary of your working history, the skills and experiences you have gained during the course of it.

 

A good CV should:

1. attract attention,

2. create a positive impression,

3. present your skills and qualities clearly and concisely.

 

The purpose of a CV is to tell your prospective employer why you should be hired. Consider it as your personal marketing instrument. A good CV will help you open the door to a job interview.

        

CV Writing Tips

As you write your CV keep in mind the following:

- use concise language,

- minimize or omit everything which is irrelevant,

- select and order the major categories so that the most relevant information is placed near the top of your CV where it will draw the reader’s special attention,

- your CV must be free of spelling and grammar mistakes,

- have your CV critiqued by an experienced person,

- print your CV on white paper.

 

A CV is essential if you’re applying for a new job or for promotion within your own company. Some information might be given in your CV, some in your letter of application. There are no fixed international rules about this: different countries have different practices.

10. Now work in pairs. Decide whether you in your country and in your line of business would normally give the information below in

a) a CV or Resume?

b) a Letter of Application?

c) an Application Form?

1. Your name, address and telephone number
2. Your marital status
3. Name and address of present (or last) employer
4. Your hobbies and leisure interests
5. Sports you play
6. Details of all jobs you have had
7. Languages you speak, read or write
8. Details of the examinations you passed at school
9. Details of professional diplomas or degrees you have gained
10. Details of training courses you have attended
11. Details of your achievements and responsibilities in your working career
12. Your suitability for the job advertised
13. Your reasons for applying for this job
14. When you are available for an interview
15. Details of your present (or last) job
16. Your current (or last) salary
17. Salary you would expect to receive
18. Names and addresses of two or three referees

 

What other information would you provide? Which of the information would you not give at all?

 

There are a number of ways of presenting information in a CV.

 

Traditionally, the sequence was name, address, contact details, marital status, education, qualifications, work experience, referees, and interests. However, it is now more common to begin with brief personal details, followed by a short profile or description of yourself (sometimes also called a career summary). After that, the most important information is recent employment history, and skills and qualifications. In the interests of completeness, you should account for all years since leaving school, but if the information is irrelevant to the position you are applying for or is some years old, you should summarize it as briefly as possible.

 

These days, it is generally unnecessary to mention marital status, children, age, health, or current salary unless specifically asked to do so, but this will vary according to the law and custom in different countries.

 

Here is a typical CV for an experienced professional.

 

Wendy Benson

Address Telephone Email Profile Employment 2002-present   1995-2002   1991-1995   Qualifications     Publications 48 Danbury Road London UK 01494665093 bensonw@amc.co.uk   - A highly competent qualitative and quantitative market researcher with wide experience in advertising, market research companies, government research, and production and retail organizations in the UK and overseas. - Highly numerate, with excellent communication skills. - Analytical, innovative, self-motivating, confident. - Able to lead or to work as part of a team. - Welcomes new challenges, especially if they involve implementing and developing schemes. - Experienced trainer and facilitator. - Fluent in French and German. - Computer literate.   Department of Employment Senior Market Research Officer. Responsible for planning and implementing research on future government manpower requirements; formulated marketing strategies; conducted customer care study; set up database for labour-force survey. Organized statistical training courses for government staff at all levels. Responsible for a team of six market researchers. Universal Advertising PLC Assistant Director, Research and Planning Department. Responsible for trade and consumer research; market information systems; market forecasting; trade and consumer analysis of existing and new business for marketing and sales departments. Managed two members of staff. MMBC Associates Market Researcher. Involved in research on products and data relating to the retail food and beverage market.   MBA, Open University (part-time)                        1995 Diploma of Institute of Statisticians                       1991 BSc.(Mathematics and Statistics),                   University College, London            1990   See list attached.

11. Below there is a typical CV for a recent graduate. Study and translate it, then answer the following questions:

1. Where did Melinda study environmental problems?                

2. What did she do while she was in Germany?

3. Who is Dr Martina Gordon? 

4. What do you think   Melinda’s main interest is?

5. Where did Melinda graduate from?              

6. What commercial experience has she had?

 

 

Melinda Brown
Date of birth: Address: Tel.: Email: Profile	13 March 1985 22 Victoria Road, Oxford, UK 0123456 mbrown@interserve.net.uk   A highly-motivated, well-travelled, and creative graduate with practical work experience in both sales and TEFL teaching. A 4-month postgraduate residency at the Biosphere 2 Center, Arizona, has given me wide-ranging knowledge of, and insight into, environmental problems and ways of presenting them to the public.
Education Work experience Other information	1991 - 2001     2001 - 2003   July, 2003   April –July,       2002   January 2004- May 2007   September – December,       2008 May 15-16,        2009     June 20-24,        2010	King Edward’s School, Oxford 0 Levels: Art, Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Geography, History, Maths, Spanish A levels: Art                               A Environmental Studies A Chemistry                    B Spanish                        B   Leeds Metropolitan University BA (Honours) in Environmental Studies Academy School of English, Leeds Cert CELTA   Weekend sales assistant. Kings Norton Garden Centre, Oxford   TEFL tutor, Berlin School of English, Berlin, Germany   4-month residency at the Biosphere 2 Center, Arizona, USA   Co-presented ‘No smoke...’ at the Bretton Hall Sculpture Park, University of Leeds. An installation which explored the environmental implications of major forest fires, both natural and man-made.   Co-presented ‘Time microscope’ at the Covent Garden Flower Festival. An installation which explored different ways of presenting information about the natural world.
Interests	My main interest outside work, although related to it, is travel. In 1999 I took part in a school expedition to the High Atlas mountains in Morocco, and produced a video of the trip. In my gap year I travelled extensively in South America, again documenting the trip by means of sketchbooks and video. I also enjoy World Music, particularly that from countries I have visited, and play the oud (Moroccan lute).
References	Prof. T.N. Fagin Department of Environmental    Studies Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds UK		Dr Martina Gordon Principal Berlin School of English Floribundastr., 14 Berlin Germany

12. Action Verbs for CV. Read the words in the table below. They are often used in a CV to make it more persuasive. Choose the ones you can use to describe your duties and responsibilities. Make up phrases with them.

E.g. administered the project ‘Oil Rigs of the Future’; conducted customer study.

· accomplish	· conduct	· examine	· instruct	· produce
· achieve	· construct	· expand	· integrate	· promote
· administer	· consult	· facilitate	· launch	· propose
· advise	· create	· formulate	· maintain	· provide
· analyze	· demonstrate	· generate	· monitor	· publish
· arrange	· design	· head	· negotiate	· represent
· assist	· develop	· identify	· organize	· research
· build	· devise	· implement	· perform	· restore
· calculate	· direct	· improve	· plan	· review
· chair	· edit	· increase	· prepare	· solve
· collaborate	· establish	· initiate	· present	· supervise
· compile	· evaluate	· innovate	· process	· upgrade

Accepting a post

Letters confirming that you accept a post can be brief, as long as they cover all the relevant points.

- Thank you for your letter of 23 December 20— offering me the post of_______. I am delighted to accept. I look forward to seeing you at 09.00, on Monday 10 January. As requested, I enclose one signed copy of the contract of employment.

- I am returning a signed copy of the contract of employment, which you sent me with your letter of 15 February. I confirm that I will be able to begin work on Monday 9 March at 08.00, and look forward to seeing you then.

- Thank you for offering me the temporary position of trainee in your bank, starting on Monday 14 November. I have read the Staff Handbook and the relevant details concerning traineeships, and accept the conditions of employment.

25 Victoria Road Birmingham UK   27 July 2013   Anne Levin L.B. Richman Associates 27-29 Moore Park Road Peterborough UK   Your Ref: KH 305/9   Dear Ms Levin   I am very pleased to accept your offer of the post of senior lawyer, starting on 15 August 2013. As requested, I enclose a signed copy of my contract of employment. I look forward to meeting you.   Yours sincerely Adam Hall Adam Hall   Enc. Contract of employment

NB for Russian CV writers

1. В русском языке принято писать Петрова Ольга Ивановна. В английском же языке правило написания имени следующее: сначала пишется имя, затем первая буква отчества, а затем фамилия. Т.е. на английском языке Петрова Ольга Ивановна должно быть записано так: Olga I. Petrova.

2. Есть два варианта заполнения раздела Objective (цель, т.е. должность, на которую претендуете):

a) краткий вариант – просто указываете должность, на которую претендуете. Objective: Sales Manager – Цель: менеджер по продажам.

b) в одном предложении написать то, что бы вы хотели сделать для той компании, в которую Вы посылаете резюме, и в какой должности.
Objective: To contribute outstanding skills to achieving your company’s goals as a sales manager – Цель: работать на благо Вашей компании, используя все свои выдающиеся способности менеджера по продажам.

Если раздела Objective в резюме нет, то оно прилагается к сопроводительному письму (Covering Letter), в котором содержится просьба о приеме на работу и указывается желаемая должность.

3. При указании периода времени (July 2010 – March 2012) помните: название месяца пишется с заглавной буквы. После цифр, обозначающих год, никаких букв, аналогичных нашей “г.” не пишется.

4. Все слова в названии должности, названия подразделения, названии компании в английском языке пишутся с большой буквы: Administrative Assistant; Sales Department.

5. Перед названием города никаких букв, аналогичных нашей “г.”, не пишется: г.Уфа - Ufa.

6. В разделе образование (Education) сначала необходимо указать высшие учебные заведения, затем дополнительные курсы, курсы повышения квалификации. Например: Master of Science in Networking, Networking Faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, 2013.

Сначала указываем степень и специальность – Master of Science in Networking (магистр наук в области компьютерных сетей). Или Bachelor in … (бакалавр в …). Далее факультет – Networking Faculty. Далее ВУЗ – Moscow State University. Затем город – Moscow. Затем страну – Russia.

Если Вы посылаете резюме в компанию, находящуюся в вашей стране, то страну можно и не указывать, а если в компанию, которая находится в иностранном государстве, то рекомендуется указать.
В заключение необходимо указать год окончания учебного заведения, в примере – 2013.

Как правильно перевести название своего ВУЗа и факультета? Обычно, на сайтах крупных вузов всегда имеется и русская, и английская версии. В английской версии всегда переведено название учебного заведения и названия факультетов.

7. В раздел Education можно добавить подраздел Extra-curricular activities (Внеучебная деятельность), где можно перечислить свои увлечения, участие в общественной, научной, спортивной жизни ВУЗа. Обычно эти сведения указывают студенты или выпускники, которым больше нечем заполнить свое резюме.

8. В разделе Skills (умения и навыки) или Qualifications (квалификация, подготовленность, профессионализм) можно указать уровень владения офисными программами: Skills: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), 1C, Outlook Express, Photoshop.

9. В разделе Languages (знание языков) кроме указания тех языков, которые Вы знаете, желательно указать уровень владения языком:

native Russian – родной язык – русский
fluent English – свободный, беглый английский
advanced English – продвинутый уровень английского
good French – хороший уровень французского
intermediate German – средний уровень немецкого
working knowledge of English – могу читать и говорить по-английски, но не свободно
basic knowledge – базовый уровень, могу читать со словарем
beginning Spanish – начальный испанский

10. В разделе References (рекомендации) если Вы не желаете пока указывать конкретных людей, то пишется стандартная фраза: Reference s are available upon req u est – Рекомендации предоставлю по запросу.