[Advanced English Vocab] 3B. APPLYING FOR A JOB: A COVER LETTER

You want your application to stand out, so you should include a clear, well-written cover letter (1) which highlights key points from your CV. Here is a letter sent with the application for the job in A above.

[Be sure to specify the job you are applying for at the beginning of the letter.]

Dear Sir or Madam (2)
Please find attached my CV in support of my application for the position of Customer Service Assistant. I have just completed my degree in Business Studies and am keen to gain hands-on (3) experience in this area.

[Mention any studies or training courses you have done which are relevant to the role.]

During my course I chose to study several modules on banking and finance, as I have always been interested in working in this field (4). In addition, I have worked as a part-time sales assistant in a large department store for the last two years. This has given me valuable customer-facing (5) experience, as well as developing good communication skills both with customers and the rest of the team. I am a team player (6) and I am keen to develop my career and gain managerial experience (7) in the future.

[It is important to mention any relevant experience you have, to show your suitability /ˌsuːtəˈbɪləti/ for the role. If you can, provide examples of specific projects you have carried out.]

[If you have previous managerial experience, you can say ‘In my previous role as (Sales Manager), I led a team of (four people).]

Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully (8)
Rebecca White

• (1) cover letter (n) → a letter sent with a job application (also called a covering letter)
• (2) Sir or Madam → how you start a letter when you do not know the name of the person you are writing to
• (3) hands-on (adj) → practical, direct (not theoretical)
• (4) field (n) → area of business or activity
• (5) customer-facing (adj) → dealing directly with customers
• (6) team player (n) → a person who is good at working with others
• (7) managerial /ˌmænəˈdʒɪriəl/ experience (n) → connected with the work of a manager
• (8) Yours faithfully → how you finish a letter when you do not know the name of the person you are writing to