TEMA 4 ING- SESSION 1

1.- What to say: The Dos and Don'ts of CV writing.

The Dos and Don'ts of CV writing:

Dos:

 Proofread it: no grammar or spelling mistakes.

 Ensure the cv looks professional.
 Use relevant keywords.
 Nclude all the relevant points.
 Use positive language.

Don'ts

 Use jargon or slang.

 Start each sentence in the first person.
 Make it too long.
 Get creative.
 Include a photo.

1.1.- Writing a CV.

Let's learn how to write a good Curriculum Vitae.

A CV (or résumé in the USA) is a one or two page summary of your personal details, education, skills, achievements,
work experience and interests. The purpose of your CV is to get an interview where you can sell yourself. A
successful CV should be simple, concise and easy to read. It should be written with the prospective job in mind:

A CV should include:

 PERSONAL DETAILS: name, address, telephone, email, date of birth, nationality...

 EDUCATION/PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: including dates and places.
 WORK EXPERIENCE: including detailed data relevant to the job you are applying for.
 LANGUAGES: specify your command of languages: level, certification, etc.
 INTERESTS AND HOBBIES.
 OTHER INFORMATION: any other information that has not been included before and can be relevant for the
job i.e.: driving licence, own car, computer skills...
 REFERENCES/REFEREES: two people that know you professionally so that they can give reference about
your work when asked; you should provide as much information as possible about them (email, telephone,
work address, etc.), so that your future employer can contact them easily.

Remember: A CV is generally one side of A4, maximum 2 A4 pages.

Un currículum es un resumen de una o dos páginas de tus datos personales, educación, destrezas, logros, experiencia
profesional e intereses. Su finalidad es conseguirte una entrevista en la que te puedas vender. Para tener éxito debe ser
sencillo, conciso y fácil de leer. Hay que escribirlo con el puesto de trabajo que se solicita en mente.

Debe incluir:

 DATOS PERSONALES: nombre, dirección, teléfono, correo electrónico, fecha de nacimiento, nacionalidad...
 EDUCACIÓN/TÍTULOS OBTENIDOS: Incluyendo fechas y lugares.
 EXPERIENCIA PROFESIONAL: Incluyendo datos de interés para el trabajo que se solicita.
 IDIOMAS: Especificando niveles y títulos.
 INTERESES Y HOBBIES.
 OTRA INFORMACIÓN: Lo que no se ha incluido y puede ser de interés para el trabajo (permiso de conducir,
vehículo propio, manejo de ordenadores...).
  REFERENCIAS: Dos personas que te conocen profesionalmente y si se le pregunta pueden dar referencias
sobre tu trabajo; hay que dar la mayor información posible sobre ellos (correo electrónico, teléfono, dirección
de trabajo...) para que puedan ser contactados sin dificultad.

2.- How to say it: Verb + ing or infinitive.

Think about it

Read the following sentences carefully. What is the difference between them?

 The students don't mind going to class early.

 The students want to go to class early today.

Some verbs are followed by an -ing form and others are followed by TO + infinitive. In some cases, a verb can be
followed either by -ing or TO + infinitive

VERB + -ING

 Some verbs are sometimes followed by -ing.

I avoided talking to him.

 These include: admit, deny, dislike, feel like, give up, mind, avoid, discuss, enjoy, finish, mention, practise,
suggest, take up, miss, understand, recommend.

Helpful tips

 After a preposition, we usually use -ing: I'm afraid of flying.

 We can also use the -ing form as the subject of a sentence: Gardening is great fun!

VERB + TO + INFINITIVE

 Some verbs are sometimes followed by TO + infinitive.

James agreed to help me.

 These include: advise, choose, help, afford, decide, hope, agree, expect, invite, learn, manage, offer, plan,
pretend, promise, refuse, seem, teach, tell, want, would like.

VERB + INFINITIVE (WITHOUT TO)

 Some verbs are usually followed by an object + bare infinitive (without to).

I let him take my book home for one night.

 These include: let, make, help.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER -ING OR TO + INFINITIVE

 Some verbs can be followed by either -ing or the full infinitive.

I started liking / to like Sarah after she helped me with my problem.

 With some verbs, the meaning is the same or nearly the same.
 These include: begin, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, start.
 With some verbs, the meaning changes.
  These verbs include:

remember

o have a memory in your mind: Do you remember seeing that film?

o do something you are/were planning to: You must remember to lock the door.

forget

o not be able to remember a past event: I'll never forget meeting the President.
o not do something you are/were planning to do: Don't forget to invite Mary to the party!

stop

o stop an action: I stopped working for them because I started my own business.
o interrupt an action to do something else: It's difficult to concentrate if you have to stop to answer the
phone every five minutes.

try

o do something to try and solve a problem: If you have problems sleeping, you should try doing yoga.
o make an effort to do something: I tried to say I'm sorry, but she wouldn't listen.

Algunos verbos van seguidos de la forma -ING

 Detrás de una preposición también utilizamos -ing.

 También utilizamos la forma -ing como el sujeto de una oración.

Otros verbos van seguidos de TO + infinitivo.

Otros verbos van seguidos del infinitivo sin TO.

Hay verbos que pueden ir seguidos tanto de la forma -ING como de TO + infinitivo.

 En algunos casos el significado del verbo no cambia o lo hace muy poco.

 En otros casos, el significado del verbo cambia según utilicemos una u otra forma.

Now it's your turn

Choose the correct answer to complete the sentence.

She denied ___________ the mobile phone, but no one believed her.

Take.
To take.
Taking.
Excellent!

She hopes ___________ for an international accounting firm in the future.

Wok.
To work.
Working.
Fantastic!
My parents have decided ___________ a party to celebrate their anniversary.
Have.
To have.
Having.
Brilliant!

Do you remember ___________ to school when you were about six?

Go.
To go.
Going.
Awesome!

You can make the dog ___________ to you by shouting 'sit'.

Sit.
To sit.
Sitting.
Incredible!

There's no answer at home. Let's try ___________ the office.

Call.
To call.
Calling.
Great!

Now it's your turn

Complete the sentences with -ING or TO + infinitive.

1. My uncle finally gave up smoking at the age of fifty.

2. I really enjoyed listening to those CD you sent me.
3. How did you learn to speak Chinese?
4. I enjoy writing postcards.
5. The song made me smile.
6. Do you mind opening the door?
7. This is intolerable! I refuse to wait a moment longer!
8. We managed to arrive in time.
9. She'd like to fly an aeroplane.
10. You should avoid making silly mistakes.

2.2.- Difficult vowel sounds (for speakers of English as a foreign language).

 /ɜː/ (girl): When pronouncing this sound, your lips, tongue and jaw should be in a  relaxed position. These are
some examples of words where you can find this sound: shirt, were, burn, heard, bird.
o Now try to pronounce the following sentences: The girl heard the bird. The nurse works on
Thursdays.
 Common spellings: IR (bird), ER (her), UR (hurt), OR (work), EAR (heard).
 /əʊ/ (phone): To pronounce this sound, you mouth has to be relaxed and then you have to move your lips to a
round shape. You have to move your tongue up. These are some examples of words where you can find this
sound: boat, coat, rose, throw, no, ago, sold, though, own, coast, both, most, owe.
 o Now try to pronounce the following sentences: I sold the boat not so long ago. Most roses grow well
along the coast.
 Common spellings: O (most), O-E (rose), OE (toe), OA (coat), OW (own).
 /eə/ (chair): To pronounce this sound, you need to open you mouth at firs and then relax your lips. You need
you put the back of your tongue down a little and then relax it. Examples where you can find this sound:
share, wear, stairs, where, bear, care, fair.
o Now try to pronounce the following sentences: She always wears fairly expensive hair accessories.
 Common spellings: ARE (square), AIR (stairs), EAR (bear), ERE (where).
 Schwa /ə/ (computer): This vowel is used in unstressed syllables. You need to relax your tongue and lips if
you want to pronounce this sound correctly. These are some examples of words where you can find this
sound:
o Weak A: away, above, animal.
o Weak E: waiter, paper, burden.
o Weak O: actor, police, condition.
o Weak U: until, support, future.
 Now try to pronounce the following sentence: The actor had a cappuccino with sugar and an
apple.
 In words like paper, actor, waiter, the final R is not pronounced in many accents.

3.- Words you need: Work vocabulary.

What do you do? This is the question we ask when we want to find out about someone's job.

There are different ways in which you can answer this question:

Work vocabulary.
English
I work for a large European company.
I work on design projects.
I run the design department.
I manage a team of designers.
5 people work under me.
I deal with a lot of different people.
I'm responsible for co-ordination of the team's
activities.
I am unemployed.
I am looking for a job.
I applied for a job.
I had an interview.
I got the job.
Full-time job.
Part-time job.
I work full-time / part-time.
Permanent job.
Temporary job.
Do overtime.
Get promoted.
Spanish
Trabajo para una gran empresa europea.
Trabajo en proyectos de diseño.
Dirijo el departamento de diseño.
Dirijo a un equipo de diseñadores.
Estoy a cargo de 5 personas.
Trato con muchas personas.
Soy responsable de la coordinación de las actividades del
equipo.
Estoy desempleado / desempleada.
Estoy buscando trabajo.
Solicité un trabajo.
Tengo una entrevista.
Conseguí el trabajo.
Trabajo a tiempo completo.
Trabajo a tiempo parcial.
Trabajo a tiempo completo / parcial.
Trabajo fijo.
Trabajo temporal
Hacer horas extra.
Conseguir un ascenso.

 One of my responsibilities is to make sure that projects are finished on time. I'm also in charge of budgets.
o In charge of / responsible for + NOUN or VERB + ING
o Responsibility + TO + INFINITIVE or VERB + ING
 One of my responsibilities is to make sure...
 One of my responsibilities is making sure...
 There are many expressions with the word "work". Let's see some examples:
o Johanna works or has work.
 o Johanna goes to work (by train, by car).
o Johanna leaves for work (at 7 every morning).
o Johanna gets to / arrives at work (at about 8).
o Johanna is at work (until six).
o Luckily, she doesn't get ill very much so she's not often off work.

Now it's your turn

Complete the text with prepositions.
FOR

Alicia lives in London and works in advertising. She leaves home work at 7.30. She drives
TO TO

work. The traffic is often bad and she's worried about getting work late, but she usually
AT

arrives work at around nine. She finishes work quite late. "Luckily, I'm never ill", she says, "I could
OFF

never take time work."

3.1.- More work vocabulary.

Let's hear from different workers. They are going to tell us about their jobs:

Kevin: I'm an office worker in an insurance company. It's a nine-to-five job with regular working hours. We all have
to clock in /clock on and clock out / clock off every day.

Thomas: I'm in computer programming. There is a system of flexitime in my company, which means we can work
when we want, within certain limits. It's ideal for me as I have one young child.

Tania: I work in a factory. I work in shifts. I may be on the day shift one week and the night shift the next week.

Martha: I work in an advertising agency. I commute to work every day, like thousands of other commuters. I like
going to the office and working with other people, but working from home using a computer and the Internet is
becoming more popular: it's called teleworking or telecommuting.

My work involves...

 + NOUN: human contact, long hours, team work...

 + ING: solving problems, travelling, dealing with customers...

JOB INTERVIEW.- Session 2.- Job ads.

1.- What to say. Looking for a job.

Think about it

Can you help Lourdes and Susana? What do you think the abbreviations in the ad mean?

F.t.: full time.

avail: available.
wpm: words per minute.

req'd: required.

1.1.- Job ads.

Abbreviations
Abbreviations Meaning
Exp / Exp'd Experience / Experienced.
P.a. Per annum (the whole year).
P.w. Per Week.
P.h. Per hour.
CV Curriculum vitae, also called Résumé.
Emp Agy Employment advertised by an agency.
Ref. Reference.
Ccdl Clear current driving licence.
Req'd Required.
F.t. Full time.
P.t. Part time.
Avail Available.
Pd. Train Paid training.
Sal. Salary.
Info. Information.
Immed. Immediate / Inmediately.
a.m. / p.m. Day / night.
Mgr Manager.
Wk Week.
Mo Month.
Yr Year.

Esta es un lista de las abreviaturas más comunes que aparecen en los anuncios de trabajo. Su uso hace más difícil la
comprensión de dichos anuncios.

 Exp= experiencia / Exp'd= con experiencia.

 P.a.= al año.
 P.w.= a la semana.
 P.h.= a la hora.
 CV= Curriculum vitae.
 Emp Agy= trabajo anunciado por una agencia.
 Ref.= referencias.
 Ccdl= permiso de conducir válido.
 Req'd= se requiere.
 F.t.= a tiempo completo.
 P.t.= a tiempo parcial.
 Avail= disponible.
 Pd. Train= formación pagada.
 Sal.= sueldo.
 Info.= información.
 Immed.= inmediato / inmediata / inmediatamente.
 a.m. / p.m.= por la mañana / por la tarde.
 Mgr= director o directora / gerente.
 Wk= semana.
 Mo= mes.
 Yr= año.
1.2.- Now put it into practice (I).

OPPORTUNITIES TO START NOW!

TOURISM INFORMATION OFFICER

Working with a young team of highly motivated people. The role involves general administration, invoicing, liaising
with clients. Candidates must have a strong copy typing speed and be IT literate. Immed. start. 1 yr exp. req'd. Call
Oxford Street now on 030 9384 6723.

SECRETARY

Excellent opportunities in temporary work. Mature, exp'd secretary req'd for holiday cover. $8.50 p.h. Flexible work
schedule. Word, Excel, Copy Typing and Shorthand preferred. CV required. For an application form and further info,
please write quoting ref. ES/50/34 to Human Resources, Civic Centre, Rainbow Road, Florida SW3 5TN.

RECEPTIONIST

Receptionist is required for Blue Chip firm in Maryland. Applicants should have strong communication and
interpersonal skills. F.t.- 38 hrs p.w. Exp. no essential. Training is provided. Competitive salary. Call Peter. Target
Employment, 15A Hill Street, Richmond, Surrey, TW5 2TF. Phone: 020 6735 0100 Fax: 020 6735 8765.

What do the abbreviated phrases stand for?

 TOURISM INFORMATION OFFICER:

o Immed. Immediate.
o Yr. Year.
o Exp. req'd. Experience required.
 SECRETARY:
o Exp'd. Experienced.
o Req'd. Required.
o CV. Curriculum vitae.
o Info. Information.
o Ref. Reference.
 RECEPTIONIST:
o F.t. Full time.
o Hrs. Hours.
o P.w. Per week.
o Exp. Experience.

Matching exercise
Sentences Match Words
Must have excellent communication _______. 6 1. Able.
Must be available to work _______, holidays, and overtime. 8 2. Dependable.
Must be flexible, _______, trustworthy. 2 3. Experience.
Must have a positive attitude, and work well _______. 7 4. Motivate.
Must be _______ to speak English and German. 1 5. Prepared.
Must be able to _______ young people. 4 6. Skills.
Must be _______ to travel. 5 7. Unsupervised.
Must be enthusiastic and have work _______. 3 8. Weekends.

1.3.- Writing a covering letter.

Once you find a job you're interested in, you need to submit your CV to the company in question. The letter of
application you send with your CV is sometimes called a covering letter. It is usually the first direct contact between a
candidate and an employer, so make sure it is well-written and presented. It should normally contain 3-4 paragraphs.

Here is a list of points you should include:

 Say that you would like to apply.

 Say where you found out about the job.
 Say why you would like the job.
 Say why you are qualified to do the job. Include both objective (education, work experience) and subjective
(what you think about yourself) information.
 Say you can provide more information if necessary.
 Say when you would be available for interview.

Remember to:

 Address your covering letter to a specific person.

 Customize your covering letter to the position you are applying to.
 State the elements of your background that are relevant to the position.
 Provide any information specifically requested
 Market yourself.
 Keep the tone and content professional.
 Be clear, concise, and focused.
 Proofread your letter.

Useful language:

 If you do not know the person's name start with Dear Sir/ Madam and finish with Yours faithfully.
 If you know the person's surname Dear Mr/Ms/ Mrs López and finish with Yours sincerely.

Layout/style:

 Put your address in the top right-hand corner with the date underneath.
 Put the name and address of the person you are writing to on the left.
 Don't use contractions.
 Write your full name under your signature.
 Put I look forward to hearing from you if you would like a reply.

La carta de solicitud que envías con el currículum es normalmente el primer contacto directo entre un candidato y un
contratador, así que tiene que estar bien escrita y presentada. Debería contener entre tres y cuatro párrafos.

Debes incluir los siguientes puntos:

 Que escribes para solicitar el trabajo.

 Dónde supiste de la oferta.
 Por qué te gustaría obtener el trabajo.
 Tus méritos para dicho trabajo, tanto los objetivos (educación, experiencia profesional), como los subjetivos
(lo que tu piensas sobre ti mismo).
 Que puedes añadir cualquier información necesaria.
 Cuándo puedes acudir a una entrevista.

Recuerda:

 Dirigir la carta a una persona específica

 Adaptarla al trabajo que se solicita.
 Incluir los elementos de tu biografía relacionados con el puesto.
 Dar cualquier información que se haya pedido específicamente.
  Venderte a ti mismo.
 Mantener profesionales el tono y el contenido.
 Escribir de manera clara, concisa. Ve al grano.
 Revisar tu carta.

Expresiones útiles:

 Si no conoces el nombre de la persona a la que estás escribiendo, comienza con Dear Sir/ Madam y termina
con Yours faithfully.
 Si conoces el apellido de la persona, comienza con Dear Mr/Ms/ Mrs López y termina con Yours sincerely.

Formato/estilo:

 Pon tu dirección en la esquina superior derecha, con la fecha debajo.

 Coloca el nombre y dirección de la persona a la que escribes a la izquierda.
 No utilices contracciones.
 Escribe tu nombre completo bajo la firma.

Si quieres recibir respuesta, utiliza la expresión I look forward to hearing from you.

2.- How to say it. Phrasal verbs.

Think about it

Read the following sentences carefully. What type of verbs are they? Can you guess their meaning?

 Mr. Parker checked in at the hotel before the meeting.

 He checked out at the hotel around noon, and then he took a taxi to the airport.

Great! As you may have observed “checked in” and “checked out” are phrasal verbs. “Check in” is used when you
register in a hotel for example, whereas “check out” is used when you pay your bill to leave the hotel.

Phrasal Verbs.

Phrasal Verbs in English are expressions in which a verb is followed by one or more particles (adverbs or
prepositions). The meaning of a phrasal verb is different from the meaning of the verb alone and it may have hundreds
of combinations.

Example:

 He put the books on the table.

 Paul put on his coat and went to the street.
 Mr. Parker has put off the meeting till tomorrow.
 Oh quickly! Put out the fire!

Try not to memorize many phrasal verbs at once, but rather, try to learn them as you come across them. Notice that
most phrasal verbs may have different meanings depending on the context.

Phrasal verbs, like any other type of verbs, can be transitive or intransitive. That is, they can be followed by a direct or
indirect object. Example:

How did you get to the party?

I set off at 9 o'clock.

 Most transitive verbs allow you to separate the particle from the verb by placing the direct object in the
middle. If the direct object is a noun it can be placed either in the middle or at the end, however if the particle
is a pronoun it can only be placed between the verb and the particle.
 Example:

I'm going to pick up my boss at 3 o'clock.

I'm going to pick my boss up at 3 o'clock.
I'm going to pick him up at 3 o'clock.

 However, some transitive verbs, all intransitive verbs and two-particle phrasal verbs cannot be separated.
Example:

John is looking for his keys.

John is looking for them.
She came up with the problem.

 Los verbos frasales en Inglés son expresiones formadas por un verbo seguido de una o varias partículas
(normalmente adverbios o preposiciones). El significado de un verbo frasal es diferente del significado del
verbo tal cual y existen cientos de combinaciones.
 Intenta no memorizarlos en grandes listas y estúdialos dentro del contexto en el que te los encuentres. Te en
cuenta que dependiendo del contexto, un verbo frasal puede tener distintos significados.
 Los verbos frasales, al igual que los verbos normales, pueden ser transitivos o intransitivos, es decir, pueden ir
seguidos o no de un complemento directo.
 La mayoría de verbos transitivos permiten intercalar el complemento directo entre el verbo y la partícula: si es
nombre puede ir en medio o no, pero si es pronombre debe colocarse entre ambos.
 Sin embargo, algunos transitivos, todos los intransitivos y los formados por dos partículas son inseparables.

2.1.- Phrasal verbs related to Finance and Banking.

DEAL WITH.

Study these sentences:

1. Deal with meaning “handle.”

o The management failed to deal with all the problems within the company.
o I told him I deal with all foreign sales.
2. Deal with meaning “do business with.”
o I’d rather deal with you guys.
o We’ll continue to deal with the Russian government.
3. Deal with meaning “cover, be concerned with.”
o The guidelines deal with topics such as sales and marketing.
o Her newspaper articles often dealt with problems at work.

SET UP.

Study these sentences:

1. Set up meaning “build /put up a structure.”

o The Company set up a temporary office in the city .
2. Set up meaning “make plans/establish something.”
o He set up a meeting with his boss to discuss his ideas.
o British Corporation set up a website linked to a database of consumer products.
3. Set up as an idiom meaning “build /put up a structure.”
o The company wanted to set up shop in London and New York
WORK ON.

Study these sentences:

1. Work on meaning “spend time on something.”

o British Corporation is working on a new project.
o The company will work on reducing debt.
2. Work on meaning “try to persuade someone to do something.”
o She has been working on me to join her team.

COME IN.

Study these sentences:

1. Come in meaning “enter a place.”

o I come in every week for my paycheck.
2. Come in meaning “join an organization/situation.”
o He came in as the new head of the department.
3. .Come in meaning “finish a race in first/last... position.”
o He was disappointed to come in second in the competition.

2.2.- Now you put it into practice (II).

Now it's your turn

Correct the errors in these sentences. There is one error in each sentence:

The Internet Connection Wizard setted up my Internet connection.

Please setting up a meeting with Larry for Thursday at 9 a.m.

Using the loans from the SBA, they managed to set up shopping in Northern California.

The trick is to sets up an excellent marketing and distribution system.

Rockwell is in the process of set up a trade center.

1. The Internet Connection Wizard set up my Internet connection.

2. Please set up a meeting with Larry for Thursday at 9 a.m.
3. Using the loans from the SBA, they managed to set up shop in Northern California.
4. The trick is to set up an excellent marketing and distribution system.
5. Rockwell is in the process of setting up a trade center.

Now it's your turn

Fill in the gaps using a phrasal verb from the list below. Pay attention to verbal tenses.

come into → work on → deal with → set up → come in

The translators have to deal with thousands of pages of documents.

Some of the CV we receive come in from Northern Europe.

The manager is working on a new campaign at the moment.

He has already made enough money to set up his own business.

On Saint Valentine's Day, my colleague came into the office holding a bunch of flowers.

Matching exercise
A Match B
US consumer data came in 5 1. as the new director two years ago.
The manager has been 3 2. to deal with the most important issues in the meeting.
We just had time 2 3. working on the project for over a month.
Paul came in 1 4. a low-cost airline called BI.
IBM is setting up 4 5. by email this morning.
Although her colleagues worked on 6 6. her changing her mind, she finally resigned.

3.- Words you need. Formal letters.

As we saw in Unit 3, there are different types of formal letters. In this section we are going to concentrate on covering
letters.

Covering letters, cover letters or letters of application are formal letters. Some of the most frequently used expressions
you may need when writing a formal letter are:

Opening sentences:

 I saw your advertisement in ....

 I have seen / read your advertisement in ....
 I am writing about the advert in ....
 I would like to apply for the vacancy advertised in ...
 Please consider my application for the post of ... advertised in ...

Body sentences:

 As you can see from my curriculum, ...

 I studied...
 I have been working as a ... for ....
 I like ... (travelling, working with people, using computers, ...)
 Please find enclosed CV and recent photograph.

Closing sentences:

 I hope you will grant me an interview.

 I hope you consider me for an interview.
 I look forward to an interview.
 I would be available for an interview at any time.
 I can supply you with the name of 3 references.
 Please contact me if you need any further details.
 I look forward to hearing from you soon.

In a formal letter, you should include:

Addresses:

1. Your address: it should be written in the top right-hand corner of the letter.
2. The address of the person you are writing to: it should be written on the left, starting below your address.

Date:

You can write the date on the right below the address you are writing to.
Formal emails and letters have the same basic structure. However, there are some differences that you have to be
aware of:

 In a letter, you enclose documents. In an email, you attach documents.

 An email already includes the sending date and your contact details, so you do not need to write any
addresses or the date.

For less formal emails, you can begin with ‘Dear Fred’, or even ‘Hi Fred’ for a colleague.

3.1.- Tips for writing a covering letter.

Let's take a look at the following tips to write a good covering letter.

1. Be brief and to the point. Most of the time a cover letter for a job application only has to state that you are
applying for a position and that the application and supporting materials are enclosed. That's it.
2. Make no mistake about it. Absolutely no errors. Your cover letter must be perfection itself. A typo, a poor
printing job, a misspelling - mistakes will make a poor impression because they imply that you don't care.
3. Avoid fancy fonts and colors. You are not creating a flyer or a poster. So use a business font such as Arial.
No colors. Black on white reproduces easily. Use a plain white paper.
4. Keep it short.. Your cover letter should be one page in length and perfectly centered. The cover letter and
resume are never folded. They are placed in an envelope large enough to accommodate them unfolded.

Now it's your turn

Find words or expressions in the text above which are similar in meaning to:

brief

1. Using very few words. .

typo

2. A mistake in a printed document. .

fancy

3. With decorations, complicated. .

flyer

4. An announcement printed on a piece of paper that is given to people. .

unfolded

5. Open, extended. .

3.2.- Titles and abbreviations.

A title is a word or phrase that refers to a person's place in society or in a profession. We normally use the
abbreviations instead of the full word.

 Mr is the abbreviation for Mister. It is used before a man's name. The plural form is Messrs. Mr is used
sometimes before the position a person holds.
o Yes, Mr President / Chairman.
 Mrs is the abbreviation for Mistress. It is used before a married woman's name and it is pronounced /misiz/.
o Mrs Blanco is receiving visitors.
 Ms is written before a woman's name, but we do not specify if she is married or not. It is pronounced as /miz/.
o I sent an e-mail to Ms Swam yesterday.
 Miss is used before the name of a woman who is not married or who is not using her husband's surname. It is
also used for girls. It is pronounced /mis/. In some schools, students call "Miss" their women teachers.
o Good evening, Miss Haynes.
o I love Miss White´s lessons.
  You use all the above titles in spoken or written form to refer to people in a polite way or when you do not
know them well.
 Sir is the title used when we don't know the name of a man. Note that it is used alone. It is used in commercial
and official letters. The plural form is "Sirs or Gentlemen". Sir is also used in schools by students to refer to
their male teacher, by shop assistants and waiters.
o Dear Sir: (American style) Dear Sir, (British) - salutation in letters.
o What would you like to drink, sir?
 Madam is used to refer to a woman when we don't know her name. It is used as a salutation in official and
business letters. In speech, it is used by shop assistants and waiters.
o Dear Madam,...
o Can I help you, madam?
 Dr. is the title for Doctor and Prof. is the title for Professor.

Now it's your turn

Insert the correct title before people's names in the following text.

Mr Mr Mrs

My boss, Freeman, has two partners: Peter Stimpson and his wife Jackie
Miss

Stimpson. My boss's daughter, Linda Freeman, is 19 and sometimes works as a temp in our company.
Dr

His son works in the local hospital as a doctor; everybody calls him Freeman. My boss's wife,
Mrs

Freeman, is also an important businesswoman in town, she owns a huge insurance company. Her
Ms

employees call her Billings, because nobody knows her marital status and she wants to keep her father's
surname.

3.3.- Dates.

When we write a formal letter, we have to write the date on the right, under the address of the person we are writing
to. How do we write it, though?

 BRITISH STYLE: Day + Month + Year.

o 9 August 1976 / 9th August 1976

The British write the day followed by the month and then the year. They use both the cardinal and the ordinal number
for the day.

 AMERICAN STYLE: Month + Day + Year.

o August 9th, 1976

The Americans write the month first and then the day. They put a comma between the day (using the ordinal number)
and the year. This can be more confusing when filling forms because dates are written as series of numbers.

 British style: 9.8.1976 9/8/1976 9 Aug, 1976 (Day + Month + Year.)

 American style: 8.9.1976 8/9/1976 Aug. 9th, 1976 (Month + Day + Year.)

PRONUNCIATION

Dates can be written in different ways, but they share the same pronunciation. We always say "the" before the day.
Americans sometimes pronounce it "August nine".
  August the ninth / the ninth of August.

The day of the week is usually mentioned before the date itself.

 What date is today? It's Friday the ninth of August / It's Friday August the ninth.

The year is usually mentioned after the day and month.

 I was born on the ninth of August, nineteen seventy six.

ON

In British English you say that something happens on a particular day.

 I got married on Sunday 4th September.

Americans sometimes leave out "on".

 I got married Sunday September 4th.

The 19...'s

When you refer to the 1960's -sixties- , you are referring to the years between 1960 and 1969. You can also specify by
saying the early 80's (eighties: 1980-85) or the late 70's (seventies: 1975-79)

JOB INTERVIEW.- Session 3.- Recruitment process.

1.- What to say: At the job interview.

What do you think is the key to a successful job interview? Can you think of any interesting pieces of advice tu
succeed at job interviews? Let's read a text about this interesting topic and then do the exercise.

Breaking the ice.

During the first few minutes of the interview, job interviewers will 'break the ice' to help you feel comfortable. They
will ask you about the weather or how you arrived to the job interview. 'Breaking the ice' is an important way to begin
the job interview, but it shouldn't take too long. Make sure to give positive, but not too detailed answers to these 'ice
breakers'.

 Give short, positive answers to questions.

 Don't go into too much detail.
 It's a good idea to make a pleasant comment yourself to break the ice. Keep it short, positive and simple.

Third person.

Sometimes, you may have found about a job opportunity through a third person. If this is the case, make sure to use
the name of this person to your best advantage by mentioning it at the beginning of the interview.

 Mention the name of the third person at the beginning of the interview. Ideally, this should be done when
asked about how you found the job opening.
 Provide the name of the third person. Don't go into too much detail about the relationship, unless asked.
 Give the name of the third person only once. Don't continue to repeat the name during the interview.
 Don't assume the job interviewer knows the person you are mentioning.

Language.
Talking about your job experience and how it relates to the specific job for which you are applying are the two most
important tasks during any job interview. Make sure to use lots of descriptive verbs and adjectives to describe your
responsibilities. For example, instead of the following job description: I talked to customers about their problems.

A more descriptive phrase with better vocabulary might be: I counseled customers documenting their concerns, and
coordinating our response to their individual needs.

 Take some time to prepare descriptive sentences concerning your responsibilities.

 Make sure to connect your past experience to the position.

Now it's your turn

Match the statements below to the paragraph where they are mentioned.
Matching exercise.
Statements Match Paragraph
Prepare descriptive sentences. 3
1. Breaking the ice.
Mention it at the beginning of the interview. 2

Keep it short. 1
2. Third person.
Mention it only once. 2

Prepare to talk about your experience. 3

3. Language.
Make a nice comment yourself. 1

  

2.- How to say it: Articles.

Think about it

Read the following sentences carefully. Are they correct? Is there a difference between them?

 I like grapes.
 I like the grapes.

In this case it is possible to either use an article or leave it out, but the meaning will be different in each case:

 I like grapes: a general statement concerning grapes.

 I like the grapes: a statement about some specific grapes that I've actually tasted.

 A (indefinite article): we use it with singular countable nouns (not specific)

I have a new car.

 AN: we use it instead of a when the next word begins with a vowel sound.

They want to have lunch at an expensive restaurant.

Whether we use a or an with a word depends on the sound, not the spelling.

an honest person, an hour BUT a university, a uniform.

 THE (definite article): we use it with

 countable nouns (specific): Let's go to the new theatre.
plural countable nouns (specific): I found the keys you lost.
uncountable nouns (specific): He gave them the money and then left.

 NO ARTICLE (zero article): we use it with

plural countable nouns (general): Do newspapers have a future?

uncountable nouns (general): You should eat fresh fruit every day.

 SPECIAL RULES:

Special rules.
Cases Articles Examples
Some countries (the UK, the USA).
Rivers, oceans, seas, groups of mountains and islands (the Nile, the Atlantic).
The
Public buildings (the post office).
Places
The Earth, the world, the sky, the moon, the sun.
Cities and streets (I live in Seattle).
No article
Most countries (Spain), planets (Mars).
A/AN Jobs: They have a job. She's a doctor. He works as a teacher.
The The media, listen to the radio, play the guitar.
Activities
No Go to work, go to school, watch TV, go shopping, play football, listen to music, Be at
articles school, be at university, school subjects (history).
The third page is missing.
Numbers and The
In the morning/afternoon/evening, on the second of June, in the 1920s.
time
No article Days (on Monday), months (in November), years (2011), at night.
A title without a name (the President of the company, the King, the Prime Minister).
The Groups of people (the army, the navy, the police, the Germans, the English)
People Part of a larger group (One of the students was absent).
A title with a name (President Obama).
No article
Become king, he's French, speak French.

2.1.- Verb or adjective + preposition.

Here are some examples of verbs and adjectives which are usually followed by a specific preposition. You will
probably be familiar with most of them, but do you always get the preposition right? Pay special attention to the
prepositions that are different in your language.

VERB + PREPOSITION

 She often listens to the radio in the morning.

 I never agree with my friends about politics.
 He got married to a German girl.
 We may go to the park today. It depends on the weather.
 Don't worry about your exam. I'm sure you'll pass.
 She applied for a job last week.
 I never write emails to my friends. I always phone them.
 This book belongs to Mark.
 I never think about the future.
 He spends a lot of money on clothes.
 I never borrow money from friends.
 If you don't know how to do the exercise, ask for help.
 I am waiting for the bus.
 When was the last time you talked to a friend about your problems?
 She told me she works as a secretary. I think she works for a multinational company.
 I can't concentrate on anything at the moment.

ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION
  He was never very good at sport.
 She's afraid of spiders.
 I'm very interested in architecture.
 She's similar to her sister, but very different from her brother.
 My sister is very worried about her exams right now.
 The park is full of rubbish.
 My boyfriend is very bad at remembering anniversaries.
 There is something wrong with this DVD.

Now it's your turn

Complete using a, an or the.

a

1. We had really good time at school today.

the

2. Do you listen to radio every day?

a

3. Some friends are going to have party. Would you like to come?
an

4. It took me over hour to fill in this form.

an

5. Do you have unusual ability?

a

6. Did you use to wear uniform when you went to school?

a the

7. I went to hairdresser's yesterday and I will have to go again tomorrow. My hair is

complete disaster!
the

8. We wanted to see Queen, but there were too many people.

  Now it's your turn

Write an article in each gap where necessary. If an article is not necessary, put a dash (-).
a - a -

I had really bad day on Monday. I went to shop on Oxford street to buy
a - the

new  TV. When I got home, I tried to turn on TV, but it didn't work properly. I took
the the a the

it back to shop, but shop assistant pointed to scratch on TV and said it

a the

was my fault. I asked for refund, but he said it was not his problem and blamed manufacturer.

Now it's your turn

Complete with the correct preposition
of

1. Are you really afraid clowns?

 for

2. I've been waiting the bus for 40 minutes. I'm going to call a taxi.
in

3. He seems to be very interested fashion.

for

4. Don't forget to pay the milk.

from

5. She borrowed £50 his father.

to

6. Who does this jacket belong ?

on

7. Stop talking and concentrate your exams.

on

8. We want to go hiking, but it depends the weather.

about

9. Stop worrying your exam - everything will be fine.

at

10. I'm afraid I'm not very good reading maps.

3.- Words you need: Interview questions.

Interview questions.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS SPANISH
1. Tell me about yourself. Cuénteme algo sobre usted.
2. How would you describe yourself?
¿Cómo se describiría? (carácter / personalidad)
(character/personality)
3. What are your strengths/weaknesses? ¿Cuáles son sus puntos fuertes / débiles?
4. What do you do in your free time? ¿Qué hace en su tiempo libre?
¿Por qué está interesado / interesada en trabajar en
5. Why are you interested in working for our company?
nuestra empresa?
6. What type of position do you think you are suited ¿Para qué tipo de trabajo cree que está mejor cualificado /
for/would suit you? cualificada?
7. What aspects of the position are you most/least
¿Qué aspectos del trabajo le interesan más / menos?
interested in?
8. What have you got to offer us? ¿Qué puede ofrecernos?
9. How could you contribute to our company? ¿Cómo podría contribuir a nuestra empresa?
10. Why do you want to leave your present job? ¿Por qué quiere dejar su trabajo actual?
11. What did your job involve? ¿En qué consistía su trabajo?
12. What do you think you gained by working in your
En su opinión, ¿qué aprendió en su anterior trabajo?
last job?
13. What are your salary requirements? ¿Cuáles son sus expectativas salariales?
14. How do you feel about your future in the profession? ¿Cuáles son sus perspectivas de futuro en la profesión?
15. Have you had any negative experiences? ¿Ha tenido algunas experiencias negativas?
16. Would you be willing to relocate / to move to ¿Estaría dispuesto / dispuesta a trasladarse / mudarse a
another part of the country / to work abroad? otro lugar dentro del país / a trabajar en el extranjero?
17. Do you prefer working alone or with other people as
¿Prefiere trabajar sólo/a o con otras personas en equipo?
part of a team?
18. Do you think you have the ability to be a team
¿Cree que tiene la capacidad de liderar un equipo?
leader?
 Interview questions.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS SPANISH
19. Why should I recruit you? ¿Por qué debería contratarle?
20. How could you persuade me to recruit you? ¿Cómo me convencería para contratarle?

3.1.- Useful adjectives for job interviews.

In order to answer all the questions that you would be asked in a job interview, you need to know a few words that
might be useful to describe yourself and your skills. By using precise vocabulary and being confident you can make
the best impression possible.

Interview adjectives
Interview vocabulary Spanish
Adjetives Adjetivos
Competent. Competente.
Conscientious. Concienzudo / concienzuda.
Creative. Creativo / creativa.
Dependable. Digno / digna de confianza.
Determined. Decidido / decidida, resuelto / resuelta.
Dynamic. Dinámico / dinámica.
Energetic. Lleno / llena de energía.
Enterprising. Emprendedor / emprendedora.
Enthusiastic. Entusiasta.
Experienced. Experimentado / experimentada.
Flexible. Flexible.
Honest. Sincero / sincera.
Innovative. Innovador / innovadora.
Loyal. Leal.
Motivated. Motivado / motivada.
Tactful. Diplomático / diplomática, discreto / discreta.
Trustworthy. Digno / digna de confianza.

Women's Interview Attire

In general, interview fashion for women in corporate jobs is more complicated and varied than it is for men. The
increased options make assembling an interview outfit a bit more challenging for women than for men. For instance, if
you're wearing a dress or skirt, you need to decide if you should wear pantyhose or if bare legs are acceptable.

Women also need to consider interview accessories and choose an appropriate purse. The best interview bags are ones
that are professional and large enough to fit a resume but aren't flashy.

Here are the fundamental building blocks of what women should wear to a professional interview:

 Suit in navy, black, or dark gray

 Suit skirt just below or above the knee
 Coordinated blouse
 Conservative shoes
 Limited jewelry
 No very large dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets
 No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry
 Professional hairstyle
 Neutral-colored pantyhose
 Light makeup and a limited amount of perfume
 Clean, neatly manicured nails
 Portfolio or briefcase
3.2.- Useful verbs for job interviews.

Interview verbs
Interview vocabulary Spanish
Verbs Verbos
Accomplish. Lograr, conseguir.
Arrange. Organizar.
Assist (sb) with / in sth. Ayudar (a alguien) con algo.
Carry out. Llevar a cabo.
Collaborate. Colaborar.
Coordinate. Coordinar.
Counsel. Asesorar.
Create. Crear.
Deal with. Tratar con.
Develop. Desarrollar.
Encourage. Animar, fomentar.
Implement. Implementar, poner en práctica.
Improve. Mejorar.
Manage. Dirigir.
Motivate. Motivar.
Organize. Organizar.
Prepare. Preparar.
Programme. Programar.
Review. Revisar.
Sort out. Organizar.
Supervise. Supervisar.

3.3.- Now you put it into practice.

Matching exercise.
Sentences Match Words
People must be more _______ and be able to adapt to different conditions and 2 1. Dynamic.
circumstances.
Some positions in a firm require a strong _______. 5 2. Flexible.
If you get a _______, you are given a more important job and are usually paid more 4 3. Interviewer.
money.
When somebody is _______, they are full of energy and full of new and exciting ideas. 1 4. Promotion.
The _______ asked the applicants lots of irrelevant questions. 3 5. Personality.

JOB INTERVIEW.- Communicative activities.

1.- Reading Exercise.

Now it's your turn

Complete the text with the words below.

candidate, clarification, contact, expectations, handshake, mentioning, polite, replies, thank, unexpected, whole.

Tips for a Successful Job Interview

 polite

Tip No. 1: Be cheerful and when you greet your interviewer. You should be on your feet, smiling and
contact

making eye . In many Western cultures, a short handshake is appropriate at this time.

replies

Tip No. 2: Be open to making small talk. Give standard to standard questions. For example:

 "How are you today?" -- "Fine, thank you. And you?"

 "Did you have any trouble find us?" -- "No, not really."

w hole

This is one case where not telling the truth is completely acceptable. If you planned well and you arrived
mentioning

on time, then any difficulties getting there are not worth . Don't talk about getting lost or missing your bus.
If you want to add a few words, you can say: "I enjoy coming to this part of the city" or "your receptionist gave very
good directions."

Tip No. 3: There will always be typical questions about your work experience, strengths, weaknesses, goals and
expectations unexpected

salary . But the interviewer may also throw in some questions to get a better feel for who you
are and how you'd fit in at the given company. Even if the interview is in your own native language, it's possible for
these more creative questions to be unclear. Instead of guessing what the interviewer really wants to know, you can
clarification

ask for :

 "So if I understand correctly, you're asking me…"

 "Let me start by answering… But perhaps I'm not headed in the right direction. Did I understand your
question?"

Tip No. 4: Even if you possess many qualifications, you may begin to feel that you're not giving the right answers or
making the best impression, so one acceptable strategy is to get the interviewer to talk a little. You should listen and
candidate

try to get an idea about what the interviewer is looking for in the ideal . Ask something like this:

 "Can I ask how long you've been here? Have you enjoyed the experience?"
 "I got a good impression as soon as I entered the office, but I have yet to really observe everyone in action.
How would you describe the work environment here?"

Tip No. 5: Wait for the interviewer to end the meeting. When the interview is drawing to a close, smile and
thank

the interviewer for his or her time. You can also express your pleasure over the entire experience.

 "Thank you for meeting with me today. I really enjoyed our conversation. Have a nice day."

handshake

A final is appropriate as you part ways. Please remember that your chance to make a good impression
doesn't end with "good-bye." You should send a thank-you note later that day or on the very next morning.

4.- Writing Exercise.

Write ten Dos or Dont's to help people who are writing letters of application. The first ones have been done for you.
  Check for spelling and grammar mistakes.
 Don't use initials for company names or qualifications

JOB INTERVIEW.- Culture and People.

Spaniards on the whole have long working hours - so why aren't they more productive?

Tired of longer and longer days, two years ago the all-female workforce at the Spanish division of luxury goods
retailer Louis Vuitton decided to stand up to their bosses by dictating new working hours. The day would begin at 7
am, and finish at 3 pm; there would be one hour for lunch, and no meetings in the afternoons. The head of human
resources thought about it, and agreed to give the idea a try. As a result, two years later, the 500 women have
increased their productivity by 20 percent, while absenteeism has fallen by a third. Most importantly, they have
achieved a balance between their work and family commitments that is very uncommon in Spain.

The achievement of the Louis Vuitton workforce was cited repeatedly at a symposium held in Madrid last week to
address the widespread problem in Spain of overlong working days. Around 100 experts took part in the event, many
through video. And all agreed, from ministers and priests, to academics, bank employees, footballers, cooks,
executives, soldiers, and architects, that Spaniards are poor time managers, and that the country's working day is, on
average, two hours longer than the rest of the European Union.

A few speakers mentioned the relationship between low productivity levels and what is often seen abroad as the
"Spanish siesta work ethic": people arrive late to work, are constantly nipping out for a coffee, take long lunches, have
a couple of beers and a snack after work with colleagues, and too many business lunches and dinners.

Is such an approach acceptable any more? Or should Spaniards finish work at 5 pm, like they do in so many other
countries?

Many speakers criticized what they called "chair-warmers" - employees who work late but who do very little. Spain,
along with Greece and Portugal, has the longest working hours, but is among the EU's least productive nations.

Now it's your turn

Decide if the following are true or false.

The people who work at Louis Vuitton increased their productivity thanks to their new working hours.

True.
False.
Excellent!

The level of absenteeism at Louis Vuitton is still unacceptable.

True.
False.
That's right!

Spaniards work many hours and are therefore more productive than workers in other countries.
True.
False.
Fantastic!

Spanish workers like spending time out of the office.

True.
 False.
That's correct.

1.- Stress at work.

Work like a charm - if something works like a charm, then it has exactly the effect that you wanted it to.
Work your fingers to the bone - if you work your fingers to the bone, you do an extremely difficult job
Work yourself up - if you work yourself up, you become very upset about something.
Work up a sweat - if you work up a sweat, you put a lot of effort into something.
A nasty piece of work - if someone is a nasty piece of work, they are not very nice.
Things will work out - if things work out, a problem becomes resolved.
Put a spanner in the works - if you put a spanner in the works, you do something that stops another thing from
succeeding.

2.- 9 to 5.

9 to 5" is a song written and originally performed by Dolly Parton for the 1980 comedy film of the same title, starring
Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Parton in her film debut. The song and film owe their titles to an organization founded
in 1973 with the aim of eliminating discrimination in the workplace and improving working conditions for women.