Unit 11 Application letter

Blog It Out

Am I qualified ？ Please read Yanli’s blog and Listen to Doctor

English and discuss the following questions:

1. What is an application letter?

2. What is the function of an application letter?

3. How is a application letter different from a

resume?

Let's know more!

What is an application letter?

Back

The process of applying for jobs,

internships, and graduate/professional

programs.

It is a letter that accompanies a resume or

CV, which together with a the resume is often

called the application package. In many

sutuations, as attach an application letter to

your resume/ CV.

Actually, the letter comes before the resume

Application letter = Letter of Application = Cover Letter

Sent with your resume or application form

Purpose of Application Letter: persuade people

Based on the resume Further interprets the resume in terms of

employer benefits

What is the function of an application letter?

Application Letters & Résumés

The application for a professional position generally consists of

two documents: an application letter (also known as ‘cover letter’)

and a résumé (or CV). 

While the résumé is a somewhat generic advertisement for

yourself, the cover letter allows you to tailor your application to

each specific job. 

Show how your qualifications meet

the job, how you differ from other

applicants and your knowledge of

the organization;

Use complete, descriptive sentences.

Summarize all your

qualifications, lists of dates,

names of schools, job and

employers;

Use short, parallel phrases and

sentences with no description.

Application Letters Résumés

An application letter is to advertise your strengths and assets in a way that would interest employers in interviewing you.

Writing Job Application Letters

Listen to Doctor English

What are the problems of Liu Yanli’s application letter?

How to improve it?

Explain how you come to know the vacancy

Tell briefly why you are interested in the position, and why you believe you are qualified for it

Ask for an interview

Let the company know the way of corresponding with you

A good job application letter should:

heading

Date

Salutation

Inside address

Beginning

Body

Typed Name

Complimentary Close

Signature

Structure of English Application Letters p206

Heading 信头

Inside Address 信内地址

Salutation 称呼

Body 正文

Complementary Close结束语

Signature 签名

Enclosure 附件

No. 11, 4F, Lane 200

Tung Hwa Street

Taipei, TaiwanR.O.C.

January 2, 1985

Mr.Michael Johnson

116 Seventh Avenue

New York, N.Y. 11216

U.S.A.

Dear Mr. Johnson,

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yours sincerely,

George Lee

P.S. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1. 信 头（ The Heading ）

2. 收信人姓名和地址(Inside Address)

3. 称 呼(The Salutation)

4. 信 文(The Body)

5. 结尾谦称( The Complimentary

Close)

6. 签 名（ The Signature ）

7. 附言The Postscript

Heading

Inside Address

Body of Letter

Salutation

Complementary Close

Enclosure

Signature

Heading 信头

writer’s address upper right corner

postal code

date of writing

(telephone number in some cases)

E.g.E.g.

86 Zhujiang Road Hexin District,

Tianjin, China , 300221September 4th, 2011

中国天津市河西区珠江道 86 号

邮编： 300221

86 Zhujiang Road Hexin District, 300221

Tianjin, ChinaSeptember 4th, 2011

Receiver’s address(inside address)

86 Zhujiang Road Hexin District, 300221

Tianjin, ChinaSeptember 4th, 2011

信内地址Inside Address

Salutation 称呼

One or two lines below the inside address. Followed by comma.( 逗号 )

Sender’s address

Receiver’s address

Dear Sir,

Salutation 称呼

Dear Sirs

Dear Madam

Gentlemen

Dear Mr. … Dear Mrs. …

Dear Miss …

To Whom It May Concern 敬启者

Body 正文

Usually consists of several paragraphs.

Begins with an opening sentence

Ends with a closing sentence.

Should avoid using slang ( 俚语 )and abbreviation ( 缩写 ).

purpose of the letter

personal information (gender, age,

educational background, work experience, skills, etc.)

referee ( 见证人 ) or recommender ( 推荐人）request for a job interview.

How to write the body partHow to write the body part

假设你叫李平，从报上得知某公司欲招聘一名英语翻译。个人资料如下：简况：姓名，李平；年龄， 30 岁；身高， 1.80 米；健康状况，良好；业余爱好，游泳、唱歌、跳舞。简历： 1994 年北京大学毕业后分配到南通中学工作， 1996 年调至苏州中学工作至今。

工作：工作认真负责，与人相处融洽。特长：精通英语，尤其口语，已将多本中文书籍译成英语，懂一些日语、能用日语与外宾对话。联系电话： 3654731

联系地址：苏州市人民路一号

Try it yourself

1. Compared with a resume, the cover letter will be more______.

Prepare

A. Tailored

B. Particular

C. General

D. complete

2. How do you know what to write in your cover letter?

A. Try calling the prospective employer.

B. Study the job advertisement for clues.

C. Use personal contacts if you know someone who works for the company.

D. Use reference materials in the library

Prepare

3. Which of the following information should be mentioned in your cover letter?

A. You intention of writing the letter.

B. Your marriage status.

C. Your qualification for the position.

D. Your contact number.

Prepare

Step 1: 介绍消息来源

介绍消息来源实际上是求职信的开篇交待句，它可使求职信显得自然、顺畅；而不介绍消息来源，会使收信人感到意外、突然，文章也缺乏过渡、照应，

Drafting: Seven stepsDrafting: Seven steps

从报上得知某公司欲招聘一名英语翻译。

本文消息来源可作如下介绍：

Dear manager ， I learned from the newspaper that your

company wanted to hire an English translator.

Step 2 ：表明求职心愿

介绍完消息来源后，应向收信人表明自己的求职心愿，即写信的目的。

本文求职心愿可作如下介绍：

I’m interested in this job very much. I’d like to get this job.

Seven stepsSeven steps

Step 3 ：介绍个人简历

即使公司需要招入新人，你也有求职意愿，但也不能保证你就是合适的人选。如果你没有干好这项工作的经历、实力，也是难以适应的。因此，介绍个人简历是必不可少的。

Seven stepsSeven steps

个人资料如下：

简况：姓名，李平；年龄， 30 岁；身高， 1.80 米；健康状况，良好；业余爱好，游泳、唱歌、跳舞。

简历： 1994 年北京大学毕业后分配到南通中学工作， 1996 年调至苏州中学工作至今。

Now I’d like to introduce myself to you. My name is Li Ping. I’m 30 years old. I’m 180 cm

tall. I’m healthy. I like swimming, singing and dancing in my spare time. I graduated from

Beijing University in 1994.Then, I went to work in Nantong Middle School. In 1996, I

began to work in Suzhou Middle School and I have worked there until now.

Step 4: 摆出求职优势

求职时应表明自己除了具有一定的工作经历之外，还具有一定的优势和特长

Seven stepsSeven steps

工作：工作认真负责，与人相处融洽。

特长：精通英语，尤其口语，已将多本中文书籍译成英语，懂一些日语、能用日语与外宾对话。

本文可通过如下方法摆出自己的优势： I work hard and I can get along well with others. I’m good at English and especially

my spoken English is very good. I’ve translated many Chinese books into English. I

can understand Japanese and I can talk to foreigners in Japanese freely.

Seven stepsSeven steps

step 5: 提出获职打算

工作经验 , 优势和特长，只能代表过去和现在，获职打算代表了将来。显然表明获职后努力工作的决心顺利谋得此项工作的重要一环。

本文获职打算可作如下介绍：

If you agree with me ， I’ll work hard and try to be a good translator.

Seven stepsSeven steps

Seven stepsSeven steps

Step 6 ：请求答复联系

如果公司同意了你的求职要求，必然要和你联系，以便你去应聘或报到。

请求答复联系时，你还应当提供：

通讯地址、

邮政编码、

电话号码、

电子信箱等。

Seven stepsSeven steps

联系电话： 3654731

联系地址：苏州市人民路一号

本文答复联系的内容可作如下介绍：

If you agree with me ， please write a letter to me or phone me. I live at No.1

Renmin Road ， Suzhou city. My telephone number is 3654371.

Seven stepsSeven steps

Step 7: 表明感激之情

并表达希望得到面试的机会。

本文可这样来表明感激之情：

Thank you very much. I am looking forward to hearing from you as soon

as possible.

Be brief, with perhaps two or three sentences, stating: what job you are applying for and how you learned about it 

any personal contacts you have in or with the company 

information to show your specific interest in the company

The Opening Paragraph

Body 正文

The Body

Write one to three longer paragraphs in which you expand upon

your qualifications for the position.

Pick out the most relevant qualifications listed in your résumé and

discuss them in detail, demonstrating how your background and

experience qualify you for the job.

Be as specific as possible, and refer the reader to your resume for

additional details.

Body 正文

The Concluding Paragraph

Requests an interview (or some other response, as appropriate).

State where and when you can be reached, and express your willingness to come to an interview or supply further information.

Close by thanking your reader for his or her time and consideration.  

Body 正文

Useful Expressions

As you can see, my course work and experience would be appropriate in your

environment.

My experience and education have provided me with excellent knowledge of…

and other relevant skills required for this job.

My outgoing personality, my sales experience, and my recently completed

education match your requirements quite nicely.

Useful Expressions

My resume is enclosed for your review and consideration.

Enclosed for your review is my resume and a copy of my previous

job evaluation.

I have enclosed my resume, which provides further details on my

skills and experience.

Useful Expressions

I hope you will give an opportunity to talk with you in person. Please call me to arrange a convenient time for us to discuss my

qualifications. I would appreciate the opportunity to an interview with you and

can be reached at (214) 999-5555. please contact me directly at the phone number or e-mail address

below if you have questions.

Complementary Close 结束语

Equivalent to “ 敬上” , “谨启” in Chinese. Two or three lines

below the body of the letter. The beginning letter of the first

word should be capitalized (第一个词首字母大写 ). Followed

by a comma.

Heading

Inside Address

Body of Letter

Salutation

Yours sincerely,

To a company or someone you don’t know

Yours truly / Truly yours

Yours faithfully / Faithfully yours

Complementary Close 结束语

Yours sincerely / Sincerely yours

To a supervisor or an elder

Yours respectfully / Respectfully yours

If there is a printed name, add another handwritten signature

above the printed one.

HeadingInside Address

Body of Letter

Salutation

Yours sincerely,

Signature

签名

(Handwritten Signature)Zhang San

Enclosure 附件

Under the signature. Indicates materials attached to the letter.

Abbreviated as “Encl.” or “Enc.” Should state the content and

amount of enclosed files.

E.g.E.g.

Enclosure: A resume 附上简历一份

Enc. A photocopy of academic degree certificate

附学位证书复印件一份

Encls. 2 photographs 附照片两张

Layout of English Application Letters and Superscription ( 信封格式 )

Block Style 平头式Sender’s address

Receiver’s address

Dear Sir,

Please consider me for the position of market investigator you advised in Market Information of June 17th.

I am 28 years old, …Yours sincerely,(Signature)Wang Jun

Enclosed a resume

Layout of English Application Letters and Superscription ( 信封格式 )

Indented Style 缩进式Sender’s address

Receiver’s address

Dear Sir,

Please consider me for the position of market investigator you advised in Market Information of June 17th. I am 28 years old, …

Yours sincerely, Wang Jun Encl. A resume

(Your address)

(Date)

The addressee

(His or her address)

Dear Sir,

Re: APPLICATION FOR (THE POST)

..................................................................................................................(Beginning of the letter)

.................................................................................................................... .(Introducing

yourself)

............................................................................................................(About your personal

ability)

.......................................................................................................(About the enclosure and

other)

..............................................................................................................................................

(Ending)

Yours faithfully,

_______________(Signature)

format

Assignment

Task5 P211

Write a cover letter according to the following situation.

Thank you!