LETTER WRITING

What’s in it for me? A Job! It’s the way of telling people that you are the one for the job

Why use a letter? A well written letter gives a good impression to a potential employer A letter needs to be clear and to the point Some employers ask potential staff to apply in writing – look carefully at the advertisement!!

What do you use a letter for? Write/ to ask for an application form. Send a covering letter when returning a completed application form back to a potential employer Send a covering letter with a CV to a potential employer Write to ask a potential employer if they have any vacancies (Speculate Letter)

Preparation Get as much information as possible about the position applying for, e.g. Job description Collect together all the relevant information about yourself, e.g. your skills/experience Select the right information to support your application Remember – you are writing to persuade somebody that you deserve to be interviewed!!

Use a letter of application to:- Introduce yourself Say what is special about you What you have to offer the job Why you want the job? Why you might be good at it?

Employers AddressYour Address DateReference Dear ……Opening Paragraph ContentClosing Paragraph Yours ………Signature NameEncs The Standard Layout

Your address Town County Postcode Tel No (including area code) E mail address Date Name of the person the letter is going to Job Title Company Name Address Town County Postcode Dear (Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss) Surname Any reference or title Letter in short paragraphs Yours sincerely Sign it here Your Name Encs – if enclosing a CV or application form

Date Personnel Manager Job Hunter Human Resources Department 12 Christmas Avenue Jobs R Us Hightown The Industrial Estate HF2 8BK Hightown HF4 9LL Tel/Fax: (Hightown) ; Dear Sir or Madam, Clerical Assistant (Ref.: CA123) I enclose my CV in response to your advert in the Advertiser for the job of clerical assistant. You will see from my CV that I have recently completed a business studies course at college. Office administration was part of the course. A six week work placement with Companies Ltd. and a part-time job with Find the Sun travel agents allowed me to put theory into practice. These experiences have been backed up by my use of a home computer to produce invoices and correspondence for the family business. I am an organised and self disciplined worker and keen to join an expanding company. I hope to build on my skills and undertake further training while contributing to the company’s success. I am available for interview on both days mentioned in the advert. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully Job Hunter (Signature) Job Hunter (Name) Encs

Letters: Points to remember Make a good impression Keep it brief Match yourself to the vacancy Check your spellings Make sure you give contact telephone numbers/

Letters: Points to remember Have a closing Paragraph “If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.” Sign off correctly – Dear Sir/Madam ends Yours faithfully. Dear Mr Bloggs ends Yours sincerely. Keep a copy and remember to post it!

ACTIVITIES Please write a letter for the following:- A speculative letter for your ‘dream’ job