Covering email for job application

Writing a covering email to accompany your CV

If your CV is attached to the email, then use the main body of the email as your covering letter. Tell the employer how you meet their key requirements so that you can immediately make a good impression and entice them to open the attachment and look at your CV in more detail.

• In the subject line of the email, list the vacancy title, reference number and where you saw or heard about the vacancy
• Use the body of the email to convince the recruiter (qualifications, experience, skills) that you are the right person for the job
• Send the CV as an attachment clearly labelled with your name
• Spell-check before sending the email

Here's an example:

Web Content Manager Cover E-mail

Subject Line of Email Message: Web Content Manager - Your Name

Email Message:

Dear contact person,

I am writing to express my interest in the Web Content Manager position listed on Monster.com on 23th October.

As you will see from my CV, I hold a degree in journalism and I am currently finishing a course in web related marketing and development at Oxford University. I have fairly good knowledge of HTML, Photoshop, Dreamweaver and MS-FrontPage.

At the moment I am working as a self-employed content developer for different companies. I am good at understanding the objectives of the different organizations and their target audience. My responsibilities range from developing unique ideas, editing and proofreading the articles before publishing them to managing social media. Much of my experience is in the business world and I am used to creating web content based on analytical reports, press releases or survey reports always presenting them in a lucid, simple and easy to understand language.

My experience has taught me how to build strong relationships with all departments at an organization. I can also work with web engineers to resolve technical issues and implement design and functional enhancements. I am a hard-working and responsible person with excellent communication skills and I would like the opportunity to develop those skills in more of a team environment. For these reasons I am very interested in working for your company.

I would be pleased to discuss this email and my enclosed CV. Thank you for your consideration.

  

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Name and surname

Email: firstlast@gmail.com
Mobile phone: 555-124-1245

Listening practice: a ghost hunter

You will hear a radio interview with a ghost hunter called Carlene Belfort. There are seven multiple-choice questions and you should listen to it twice.

Horror Stories

Do you like horror movies?


Listen to the story of Annabelle the doll, which is in the opening scenes of ‘The Conjuring’ and was released as a prequel to the film. It is based on a true story.

Click here to read the story. It includes a glossary at the bottom of the page.



'It Hurts a Bit'

You can listen to the story below and read it here.

Happy Halloween!

The History of Halloween

Instructions: Go to the bottom of the page!

Step 1: You will listen to an article about Halloween (don't read the script). The article is about four and a half minutes long. Listen only, and don't worry about understanding everything.
Step 2: Read and understand the questions, then listen again. As you are listening, try to answer the questions in your head. Don't write the answers yet. Next, listen again and write the answers this time. Check your answers with a partner.
Step 3: Read the article. Check in your dictionary any unknown words. Now listen again. Can you understand more?
Step 4: Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen to the article on the train or in your free time. Each time you listen, you will slowly improve!

Glaswegian accent

As you know, our conversation assistant this year (Louise) is from Glasgow. Although she doesn't have a strong accent, she sometimes pronounce things in a little bit different way. Here are some of the differences you can hear.

How I became an entrepeneur at 66

It's never too late to reinvent yourself. Take it from Paul Tasner. After working continuously for other people for 40 years, he founded his own start-up at age 66, pairing his idea for a business with his experience and passion. And he's not alone. As he shares in this short, funny and inspirational talk, seniors are increasingly indulging their entrepreneurial instincts -- and seeing great success. 

Watch the video and fill in the gaps in the sentences below. You'll find the answers as a comment to the post. You can also turn on the subtitles and watch it again after doing the task.

1. Paul used to work as a _______________________________ at a consumer products company.

2. Although he had been fired he was not so worried as he had a good _________________ and _________________ .

3. For the next couple of years he turned to ___________________ but without any passion.

4. Then, and idea began to take root, born from his ________________________.

5. He had a lot of issues to deal with: manufacturers, outsourcing, _____________, patents, partnerships, _______________, etc.

6. He had to compete for funding with very young people from _______________.

7. Five years later, they have won ___________________________.

8. He's now doing the most __________________ and ____________________ work in his life.

9. The Small Business Administration states that _________________ of new jobs created in the private sector in the USA are thanks to small businesses like his.

10. According to CMI, the older entrepreneurs in his country have a 70%  _______________  starting ventures and that number plummets to _____________ for younger entrepreneurs.

The toughest job in the world

This is the video we watched in class. You can see part of the script below.

The title that we have going right now is director of operations, but it's really kind of so much more than that. Responsibilities and requirements are- are really quite extensive. First category for the requirements would be mobility; this job requires that you must be able to work standing up most or really all of the time, constantly on your feet, constantly bending over, constantly exerting yourself--- a high level of stamina.

Okay

That's a lot.

For how many like for how many hours?

135 hours to unlimited hours a week. It's basically 24 hours a day,  seven days a week.

Sure you have a chance from time to time to maybe just sit down here and there.

You mean a break -- no there are no breaks available.

Is that even legal? Oh yeah of course -- -- --

no lunch?

you can have lunch but only when the associate is done eating their lunch.

I think that's a little intense

No! No! That's crazy! –

This position requires excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills. We're really looking for someone that might have a degree in medicine, in finance and in culinary arts. You must be able to wear several hats. The associate needs constant attention. Sometimes they have to stay up with an associate. throughout the night and be able to work in a chaotic environment. If you, if you had a life we'd ask you to sort of give that life up; no vacations- in fact Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and holidays, the workload is gonna go up and we demand that with- with a happy disposition.

That's almost cruel how -- it's almost a very very sick twisted joke.

When there's time for sleep or –

No time to sleep.

all encompassing almost

That's exactly right

360 days a year

yes --.

No! That's inhumane!

That's very insane.

The meaningful connections that you make. The feeling that you get from really helping your associate are immeasurable.

Also let’s cover the salary. The position is gonna pay absolutely nothing.

Excuse me?

No!