UNIT 28 LETTERS ABOUT JOBS

1
Structure
Objective
Introduction
Curriculum Vitae
Presentation: putting yourself on paper
The Covering letter
Other letters about employment
Let us sum up
Key Words

28.0 OBJECTIVES

You have already learnt some basic principles of business correspondence, and
become aware of different types of business letters. One important letter you need to
know about is: letters about jobs. In this unit you will learn how to prepare your
curriculum vitae(c.v.), and present it in the best possible manner. You will also learn
how to apply for a job, how to accept an offer of a job, as well as reject a job offer.

28.1 INTRODUCTION

When you are looking for a job, you may have to send applications to various
companies or organizations. Each employer wishes to know details about your
academic qualifications, your present interests or your work experience, etc
Therefore, you need to prepare a C.V. or what is often referred to as Bio data or
information about yourself. Once this is done, you can make many copies of it and
, when you send a job application, you can attach a copy of your C.V. So let us first
find out how to prepare the C.V.

28.2. CURRICULUM VITAE (C.V.)

For a moment pretend that you are an employer who has advertised the post of a
stenographer in your office. You are going to get hundreds of applications, many of
the candidates may be quite unsuitable yet you have to go through all the applications
to discover which are the suitable candidates so that you can invite them for an
interview. You do not have much time to q a d everything so you wish to look at the
most relevant information first. So what would you wish to know about a candidate?
HisfHer age? Permanent address? Marital status? Or academic qualifications or
work experience?

If you have advertised for a high executive post, perhaps, you wish to know the work
experience of a candidate but if it is a clerical or a stenographer's position then,
perhaps the academic qualification is more important especially if it is the first job of
the candidate. Thus, there are two good ways of starting your C.V.: begin with your
work experience or with your academic qualifications.

Suppose, you begin with your academic qualifications. What does your employer
want to know first? Your school? The name of the institution where you obtained
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the degree needed for the job you are applying for? Naturally, the last one. So, if you
jobs
are applying for the post of a stenographer, you employer is more interested in the
institution where you learnt shorthand and typing rather than in the name of your
primary school. Consequently, your information should begin with the last thing first
and then move backwards. Let us see an example. Of course, you have to give your
name on top so that it is obvious as to whose C.V. is been read. You must also give
your complete address and telephone number so that you can be easily reached. Let
us see the sequence of information and how it should be arranged:-

1. Name and Address

/ 2. Education: Your education is central to your qualifications for almost any

job. The more recent your education, the more important it will be. If you
I are a recent college graduate you should probably list your education at the
very top of your C.V. If you have worked for several years, your work
experience will become more important and may deserve to be listed first. It
is better to divide your education into three categories.

(i) Formal education: Your college and school education. Do mention

if you have outstanding marks in your college education.
(ii) Special Qualifications: These would include extra qualification such
as if you have done some computer courses along with regular
college.
(iii) Other Education: You may have qualifications not directly related
to your job, such as if you have learnt any language.

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I. Work experience: Employers want to know where you have worked and
what you have done. Your past experience is a basis for predicting what you
can do now and what you will be able to do in the future.
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Company name(s), complete addresses and phone numbers.

The dates of your employment
Your titles and job descriptions
Your salqry hi story^
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If you are just entering your career you must list part time and temporary jobs
ds well. A steady work record, shows that you have ambition (or need) and
that you are diligent enough to find and keep a job.

4. Any Special achievement or interest you wish to highlight: You may have
represented your state in hockey, for instance.

5. Reference: References are like witnesses. They are a testimony about you
and your abilities. Most employers prefer that you provide the names of
referees.

Select these people carefully. Show your wisdom by choosing people who
can speak favourably about you and your work. Be sure they have business,
professional, or academic status to command your reader's attention and
respect.

6. OptionalInformation: So far we have considered the four categories of

information that employers will expect to find on your C.V. There are other
categories you can include if they make important statements about your
qualifications.

(a) Scholarships and awards: Have you received academic scholarships

or honours, or awards of any kind? Write a complete list of these
and what you did to earn them. Awards and honours show that other
Business Communication: people think you have done something special. Employers will
Writing Skills-1 definitely pay attention to them.

(b) Are you willing to relocate? Employers may have offices in several
places in India, and they may want you to be flexible in this matter.
If you are willing to move say so in your C.V. If you are not, it is
better to stay silent. Why eliminate yourself early in the process?
You may change your mind after you have looked at the company
closely.

28.3 PRESENTATION: PUTTING YOURSELF ON PAPER

Now that you have gathered all the information you will need for your C.V., it is time
to begin putting it on paper. As you do this, one of your primary considerations will
be what your C.V. will look like when you finish it. So you need to make a positive
first impression, and first impression are often visual ones. If you want to be taken
seriously as a candidate, your C.V. should look like it comes from someone who
should be taken seriously. Creating a positive first impression depends on producing
neat, error - free copy and visually well-organised page that looks "clear" and easy to
read.

Say what you need to -provide explanations and interpretations in the covering
letter.
Organize your C.V. into visual blocks. Each block will represent all the
information related to one of the categories discussed earlier (e.g. employment,
education and so on)
Organize carefully. Initially, for the first job, you are likely to follow the
traditional sequence -personal information, education, experience (if any) and
references. Optional information fits nicely just before your reference.

However, once you've held a number of jobs you should list them in such a way
that the most recent or the most important is the first entry. This is known as
reverse chronology, and it helps to focus your reader's attention on your most
recent accomplishment.

Use action phrases. Write entries in phrases rather than in complete sentences or
paragraphs. Use phrases as "Worked as", "Supervised", "Attended". These
suggest action, and helps your entries be short and concise.

We give you a particular way of writing a C.V. Please note, as suggested earlier,
there are other ways of putting together your C.V.

Given below is the C.V. of Pooja Mitra, study it carefully and then write your own
C.V.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Pooja Mitra

Education

Academic

1987 M.A. History, Delhi Universtiy.

1985 B.A. Pass. Miranda House, Delhi University.
1982 Higher Secondary School Certificate, Modem School, Delhi.
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' Professional
jobs
Diploma in computer Application, NUT, Delhi.
Diploma in Secretarial course, Y.M.C.A. Delhi.

Specialised Course

6 months advanced course fiom Computer Maintenance

Corporation, Delhi.

One year's Spoken English Course fiom British School of

Languages, Delhi.

Summary of ProfessionaI Experience.

Personal Assistant to the General Manager, Oberoi Hotel.

Secretary cum receptionist in Ancon Hospitalities, Defence

Colony.

Professional Experience.

As the Personal Assistant, my duties include the following:

Drafting and sorting out mail

Making and canceling appointments for the G.M.
Filing and maintaining Office Records.
Preparing agenda for weekly meetings of the
Executives.

As the secretary, my duties included:

Receiving and sorting out mail

a Attending to the incoming and outgoing calls
a Attending to the visitors.
a Taking down and preparing minutes of the meetings
held by the M.D.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Was a keen sports person and represented Delhi State in

various athletics around the country.

Was a member of the National Cadet Core and was part of

the contingent at the Republic day Parade in 1984 and 1985.

Personal Information.

Date of Birth: 20" Dec. 1964

Address D 32, Andrews Ganj,
DDA Flats
Delhi - 110 024
Phone No. 4691032.

28.4 THE COVERING LETTER

Do you now feel ready to write applications for a job? You already have your C.V.
There is one other kind of letter you need to learn before you start applying for a job
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Business Communication: and that is a covering letter. While applying for a job it would not be adequate to just
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post your C.V., you need to include a covering letter too. The advantage of a C.V. is
that once you have prepared it, you can make copies of it and can use it as and when
required. You cannot do that with a covering letter because the persons you are
applying to and the job description will be different in every case. The most common
and simple sort of covering letter should have the following points:

What will your letter say

Where didyou learn about theposition? Citing the source of your information
can be an effective way of orienting your mind to your subject. You must
mention the advertisement you saw, or that you were referred to by a placement
service. "I an writing to apply for the position of Head clerk that you advertised
in India Times on 7" July' 99.
Whichjob are you applyingfor? Identify it by title -remember that a company
may have several jobs available at the same time.
Mention those aspects which you wish to highlight in your covering letter to
show that you are suitable for the job.

"With a diploma in marketing and two years of experience as a mechanist, I know I

shall be an effective sales representatives for Balsara Precision Tools."

Ask for an Interview "I will appreciate the opportunity to talk to you in person. I
can be available for an interview at your convenience. Example,

Dear Sir,

With reference to your advertisement in Hindustan Times dated 5" July '96,
for the post of Computer Analyst in the Commerce Department, I would like to be
considered for the post. I am enclosing my Curriculum Vitae and will be happy to
provide any other details that you may require.

I like forward to a favourable response.

Yours faithfully,

Since your C.V. gives all your particulars, this letter should be quite adequate. But,
suppose you are a Commerce graduate and you have secured a Diploma in Business
Management and have also done a course in computers. All these details are already
included in your C.V., but the post you are applying for is concerned more with
Business Management and you wish to highlight that part in your C.V. The covering
letter gives you the opportunity to draw the attention of the addressee to your
achievements in that area and any other qualification which you feel would be
relevant for the job. For example, the job May require you to interact with many
people so you may like to tell your employers that you were a keen debater in your
college and school days. You can take the opportunity to make a special mention of
these facts in your covering letter like this:

Dear Sir,

With reference to your advertisement in Hindustan times dated 5' July796for

the post of Personnel Manager, I would like to be considered for it.

I would like to take the opportunity to mention that I had the distinction of
gettinfthe highest marks in Personnel relations. I was a keen debater in school and
College and won many individual prizes in inter-college debating competitions.
Besides English, I am able to communicate in Hindi and Bengali with equal ease. I Letters about
job
shall be glad to furnish any other details that you may require.

I am enclosing my C.V. along with photocopies of my certificates. I look

forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

To Remember

1. Bio-data, Curriculum vitae (C.V.) and Resume' or Structured Resume' all

mean the same thing.
2. We would like to draw your attention to some of the things that you should
not do. Some years back, it was thought that you should adopt a very humble
tone while applying for a job. Sentences like. "If given an opportunity to
work in your esteemed organisation", "if selected, I assure you that 1 will do
my utmost", " I look forward to being part of your very reputable firm and
assure you that ....." etc were considered to be apt because they were
flattering. B e trend has changed these days. It is more fashionable to sell
oneself - that means you should adopt a confident tone and try to SUGGEST
that you are the best candidate for the job. Therefore, AVOID using
sentences like the ones mentioned. In other words, do not give the impression
that you are desperate and are begging for the job. YO& tone should not give
the impression that you are proud but it should show that you are very
confident.
3. Try and get your C.V. done on a computer by a professional. Get your
covering letter also typed.

Check Your Progress 1

1. Given below is an advertisement for a job. Read it carellly and decide which
post you are eligible for. Select two posts and write covering letters to
accompany your resumes.

Our client is a Multinational with diversified interest in

TELECOMMUNICATION, SOTWARE &
AUTOMOBILES, To spread their aggressive growth plans
in the business they are looking for

PROJECT MANAGER: B.E.

(Computer/Electronics/Electronics/)or M.C.A
Experience-Two to four years in Project Management
COMPUTER ENGINEERS: R.E.
(Computer/Electronics/Electrkal)or M.C.A with knowledge
of R.D.B.M.S
ORACLE - 7, UNIX, FORMS 4.5 Experience two to four
years.
ENGINEERS: From all Engineering Disciplines.
Note: Diploma holders with more experience can also
apply.
I'ECHNICIALS: I.T.T. (FreshExperienced)
MARKETING EXECUTIVES: With Dynamic
Personalities Fluent in English. (MaletFernale)
PROFESSIONALS IN FINANCE: CS/ C N ICWN MBA.
COMPUTER/D.T.P. OPERATOR: MaleFernale.
STENOGRAPHERS: MaleEemale.
P.R.O.: MaleFernale.
RECEPTIONIST: Female.
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Please Send your Structured Resume Within 7 Days

Enclosing a Recent Passport Size Photograph By Courier or
By Post To:

Human Resource Development Cell

P.O. Box 1358
NEW DELHI

28.5 OTHER LETTERS ABOUT EMPLOYMENT

You may need to write several letters in your search for employment, until you have
accepted the job you want and rejected others. This section will survey these letter
briefly.

Follow-up Letters

You may have two occasions when yoii need to write follow-up letters: once before
an interview and once after.

In the first instance, you are writing because apparently your C.V. is being ignored.
After a decent interval (generally a month), you might write a tactful reminder to
inquire whether your C.V. reached its destination. In your letter try not to suggest
that someone is actually ignoring your letter, even though you suspect that be the
case. The simplest way is a direct request to ask whether your original letter arrived.
Common courtesy demands that your reader answer this and explain the status of
your application.

I wrote to you sometime ago regarding the post of Sales Representative. I am

a bit concerned that the letter may not have reached you.

A much happier and more productive follow-up letter is the one you write after you
have had an interview. It can serve several purposes. First, it is a way of saying
thank you. This letter also gives you an opportunity to reinforce the good impression
that you made in the interview.

Accepting an offer

Once you apply for a job, there are three main ways in which you could be offered
the job:-

1. . The most common way is that your particulars are found suitable, and you
are sent a letter to appear for an interview. Sometime you may have to face
more than one interview. During these interviews, matters pertaining to
salary, allowances and the date of joining, etc. are discussed and negotiated.
You may then be asked to wait till all the interviews are over and then the
result of the interview may be announced and if you are selected, you are
informed right away.

2. Very often, you are sent back after the interview and are told that the result
will be intimated to you within a stipulated time. If you are selected, you get
a letter informing you and giving you the details of salary, allowances and
date when you are expected to join. In both these cases, you may be required
to write a letter accepting the offer.

3. The third and a rare case is that you may be offered the job solely on the
basis of your application and C.V. Here-too,you would be expected to
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intimate to your employers that you have accepted the offer. The question job
then is - how do you write a letter accepting the job?

Of course, the first thing you have to do is to acknowledge the receipt of the letter
and express your thanks. The next thing is to intimate your acceptance. There are
many ways in which you can do this. You are shown some of the opening sentences
below.

With reference to your letter dated 12" Aug., offering me the job of Assistant lecturer
department, I thank you for it and am pleased to accept the offer.
in the ~is'tory

Thank you for your letter dated 12" Aug., offering me the post of Assistant Lecturer
in the History department. I am very pleased to accept the offer.

It is with pleasure that I accept the offer of the post of Assistant Lecturer in the
History Department made in your letter dated 12" Aug. Thank you for giving me the
opportunity of being part of the organisation.

Remember, that even in your acceptance letter it is always advisable.to give details of
the post.

AAer expressing thanks and informing the organisation of your acceptance, you can
then intimate or confirm the date of your joining and express your keenness to work
in the organisation. Example:

The terms and conditions are acceptable to me and as requested, I shall be able to join
on 1" September. I look. forward to being part of the team. OR I look forward to
being part of the organisation.

You can, of course, mix and match the sentences. Do not make your letter long.

Check Your Progress 2

1. Write a letter of acceptance for one of the posts that you applied for on the
basis ofthe advertisements given above.

Rejecting a job offer

In your job search you may have applied to more than one organisation and you may
have received more than one job offe. You may, therefore, need to write a letter of
refusal. Be especially tactly and courteous because the employer you are refusing has
spent time and effort interviewing you, and may be counting on your accepting the
job.

If you have accepted another offer, say so, and explain why. Do everything you can
to ensure that you and your readers part company as friends.

Example

Dear Mr. Joseph,

I enjoyed talking to you about your opening for a junior design engineer, and I was
gratified to receive your offer.

Although I have given the offer serious thought, I have decided to accept a position
with a consultancy firm. The job I have chosen will provide me with a greater variety
of duties, which I feel will develop my skills more fully in the long run.
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Business Communica*ion; I appreciate your consideration and I am sure I would have enjoyed working for your ,

Writing Skills-1 company.

28.6 LET US SUM UP

The search for a job consists of the following steps 1) locating the job you want 2)
preparing an effective CV. 3) writing an effective letter of application 4) conducting a
successful interview, 5) sending follow up letters 6) accepting or refusing jobs.

We have discussed in detail each of the steps, and given you examples which you
may use in your quest for a job.

28.7 KEY WORD

Curriculum Vitae What is commonly referred to in India English as bio-data.