Unit 4: Employment Communication (Application Based)

4.1 Resume Writing / CV writing and Cover letter

What is a Job Application Letter?
A letter of application, also known as a cover letter, is a document sent with your resume to
provide additional information about your skills and experience to an employer. The letter of
application is intended to provide detailed information on why you are a qualified candidate
for the job.

Your application letter should let the employer know what position you are applying for,
what makes you a strong candidate, why they should select you for an interview, and how
you will follow up.

What to Include in Your Letter?

As with all cover letters, a job application letter is divided into sections:

 The heading, which includes your name and contact information.

 A greeting addressed to a specific person, if possible.
 The introduction, which should include why the applicant is writing.
 The body, which discusses your relevant qualifications.
 The close, which thanks the reader and provides contact information and follow-up
details.
 Your signature to end the letter.
 Sample Cover Letter / Job Application Letter
Mr. Rakesh Sharma
B/102, Sun Residency
M.G. Road, Powai
Mumbai – 400076
Email : rakesh654@gmail.com

January 20, 2021

H.R. Manager
Prism Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Platina Building, J Block BKC
Bandra (East)
Mumbai 400051

Subject : An application for the post of Software Programmer

Dear Sir / Ma’am

I am writing to apply for the position of a programmer with reference to your advertisement
published in Times of India dated 18-01-2021. As requested, I have enclosed my CV/
Resume herewith. I believe I possess the necessary skills and experience you are seeking and
would make a valuable addition to your company.

The role is very appealing to me, and I believe that my strong technical experience and
education make me a highly competitive candidate for this position. My key strengths
that would support my success in this position include:

 I have successfully designed, developed, and supported live-use applications.

 I strive continually for excellence.
 I provide exceptional contributions to customer service for all customers.

With a Bachelor degree in Computer Programming, I have a comprehensive understanding of

the full lifecycle for software development projects. I also have experience in learning and
applying new technologies as appropriate. Please see my resume / CV for additional
information on my experience.

I can be reached anytime via email at rakesh654@gmail.com or by cell phone, 9988776622

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to speaking with you about this
employment opportunity.

Sincerely

Rakesh Sharma (signature)

Rakesh Sharma
CV
A CV (Curriculum Vitæ, which means ‘course of life’ in Latin) is an in-depth document that
can be laid out over two or more pages and it contains a high level of detail about your
achievements, a great deal more than just a career biography. The CV covers your education
as well as any other accomplishments like publications, awards, honours, etc.
The document tends to be organized chronologically and should make it easy to get an
overview of an individual’s full working career. A CV is static and doesn’t change for different
positions, the difference would be in the cover letter.

Curriculum vitae
Resume
Resume
A resume, or résumé, is a concise document typically not longer than one page as the intended
reader will not dwell on your document for very long. The goal of a resume is to make an
individual stand out from the competition.

The job seeker should adapt the resume to every position they apply for. It is in the applicant’s
interest to change the resume from one job application to another and to tailor it to the needs
of the specific post. A resume doesn’t have to be ordered chronologically, doesn’t have to cover
your whole career like, and is a highly customizable document.

CV – long, covers your entire career, static.

Resume – short, no particular format rule, highly customizable.

Curriculum Vitae vs. Resume

A resume is a one-page summary of your work experience and background relevant to the job
you are applying to.

A CV is a longer academic diary that includes all your experience, certificates, and
publications.

The differences are: (1) A resume is one page (max. two) whereas the CV can be longer, (2) A
resume is used for job hunting in all industries, the CV is used for jobs and admissions in
Academia, (3) The resume is tailored to the specific job you are applying to, whereas the CV
is a comprehensive overview.

Resume

 Emphasize skills.
 Used when applying for a position in industry, non-profit, and public sector.
 Is no longer than 2 pages, with an additional page for publications and/or poster
presentations if highly relevant to the job.
 After 1 year of industry experience, lead with work experience and place education
section at the or near the end, depending upon qualifications.


CV

 Emphasizes academic accomplishments.

 used when applying for positions in academia, fellowships and grants.
 Length depends upon experience and includes a complete list of publications, posters,
and presentations.
  Always begins with education and can include name of advisor and dissertation title or
summary (see examples).

Unit 4.2 Recruitment related correspondence

4.2.1 How to write a job advertisement?

Structuring your job advertisement (Only for Understanding purpose)

While it might be tempting to get creative when advertising your jobs, you should always
follow a basic format.

In fact, getting the structure right is an important first step towards writing a strong job advert.
This will ensure that you have a clear layout and only include the most relevant information.
We will discuss each section in more detail below, but for now, here is the basic checklist to
follow when writing your job advert:
 Job title
 Salary
 Location
 Introduction to your business
 Role and responsibilities
 Key requirements (qualifications and skills)

What to include in each section?

We will now breakdown the job advertisement one section at a time to help you gain a better
understanding of what to include. We’ll also illustrate this with examples.

1. Job title

Arguably, the most important part of writing an advert is getting the job title right. This is the
best way to attract the most relevant candidates.
It can be tempting to come up with creative or unique titles to try to attract candidates. But the
truth is, these could actually damage your chances. Be specific and use recognisable keywords.
Remember, when conducting their search, job hunters will use these keywords and if your job
title doesn’t conform, it could be harder for them to find your vacancies.
So don’t beat around the bush. If it’s a ‘Marketing Executive’ that you want, make sure that’s
what you’re asking for. You could also include the seniority in your titles e.g junior or assistant.

2. Salary and location

Below the job title it is common practise to include the salary (or salary bracket) and the
location. While it’s not mandatory to include this information, it is an effective way to ensure
you attract the right candidates.
Without this information you risk a host of job hunters applying, despite not living locally. Not
only this, but you might find a great candidate, only to lose them further down the line because
the salary wasn’t what they were expecting. It’s better to be clear right from the start.
Using the right job title, salary and location is particularly important as it also gives your
vacancies a better chance of appearing in Google’s job search index.

3. The introduction

Next you need a small introduction – just a few sentences – which outlines your business and
the role you’re advertising for. This really doesn’t need to be long as you’ll go into more detail
later on.
This section should contain keywords that help candidates know right from the start if this role
is something they’d be interested in. Try to include the job title, industry and some relevant
skills or experience that would be advantageous.
This is also your chance to let the candidate know a little bit more about your business and why
you’re a great company to work for. Think of this as a sales pitch; why should talented
candidates want to come and work for you?
Example

{Your company name} specialises in {your industry or niche} and has an exciting
opportunity for an enthusiastic Marketing Executive to join our dynamic team. This
permanent position is well suited to an individual that is looking to advance their
career in marketing and gain hands-on experience in a thriving and supportive
workplace.

3. The objectives

After introducing the position, it’s a good idea to set out the goals or objectives for the
candidate. Again, this doesn’t need to be long, just a few sentences will do.
This is a nice opportunity to help the candidate understand the role they’ll play, and the
contribution they will make within the business.
Example
Based within the marketing department, you will work closely with all areas of marketing, to
assist with the design and production of exciting campaigns and helping the team to achieve
agreed targets. This exciting position offers opportunity to progress into a higher role.

4. Responsibilities

Next it’s important to outline what the role will entail and list a few of the main responsibilities.
It’s a good idea to break these up into smaller paragraphs, or better still, bullet points. This
makes it clearer and easier for candidates to digest.
The responsibilities of the role are important to candidates. No one wants boring daily tasks,
or to end up disliking their job. As such, it’s vital to always be honest about what will be
expected of candidates.
Example

 Writing a range of B2B and B2C marketing materials

 Managing day-to-day running of company blogs, ensuring posts are SEO-focused
  Generating content for company social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter
and LinkedIn
 Creating exciting content for both internal and external communications and
promotional materials
 Liaising with external agencies
5. Requirements
Now you need to outline the key requirements of the position; there are a number of parts to
this. The requirements themselves will depend on the level of the role. It can be helpful to use
bullet points in this section as well.
State whether your candidate needs qualifications, for example specific A-Levels, certificates
or a degree. Make sure you clarify whether these qualifications are vital in order to be
considered for the role, or whether they’re just advantageous.
You also need to outline any personality traits or soft skills you wish your candidate to possess.
For example, maybe you want them to be enthusiastic, with good communication skills and
have an interest in the industry.
If you would like someone with a certain amount of experience, this is your chance to highlight
this. You may also require your candidate to have a background in your industry.
Example
 Degree in marketing, business or another relevant subject (minimum of 2:1
qualification)
 2-3 years marketing experience in a similar role
 Knowledge of {industry} is advantageous but not essential
 Proficient in all Microsoft programmes
 Excellent project management skills and attention to detail
 Good communication skills

6. Your company
You should also take this opportunity to outline any great benefits or perks that the candidate
would receive in your employment. Today’s employees want to feel valued at work. Workplace
perks are important to today’s professionals, so don’t forget to include these in your job advert.

Sample1#
Unit 4.2.1. Job Application Letter (Refer Unit 4.1 – Cover
Letter/ Application Letter)

Unit 4.2.3. Job Offer letters

A job offer letter is a formal document sent to candidates selected for employment. It's a good
idea to have written confirmation of an offer so that both the employee and the employer are
clear on the conditions of a job.

Written Job Offers

If a job offer is made over the phone or email, it will most likely be followed by a formal
letter that confirms employment details such as job description, salary, benefits, paid leave,
and management structure. The job offer may be contingent upon the new employee
completing additional steps, such as passing a background or reference check or undergoing
a pre-employment drug test.
A candidate may choose to accept the job offer by signing and returning the letter as a formal
acceptance of the position.

What's Included in a Job Offer Letter

An offer letter confirms employment details such as:

 Job description
 Job title
 Reporting structure
 Starting date of employment
 Salary
 Benefits information and eligibility
 Acknowledgment of offer and confirmation of acceptance

Job Offer Letter Templates

Job Offer Letter Sample #1

Mr. Anand Sharma

Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
B/12, Industrial Estate
Chennai - 254321
555-555-5555
anand.sharma@greensolutions.com

May 20, 2020

Mr. Rakesh Shah

102 – B tower, Sun Residency
Chennai - 256687

Dear Mr. Shah,

Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is pleased to offer you the position of Assistant Director, Customer
Relations. Your skills and experience will be an ideal fit for our customer service department.

As we discussed, your starting date will be June 1, 2020. The starting salary is Rs. 48,000/- per
month.

Full family medical coverage will be provided through our company's employee benefit plan
and will be effective on March 1. Dental and optical insurance are also available. Green
Solutions Pvt. Ltd. offers a flexible paid time-off plan which includes vacation, personal, and
sick leave. Time off accrues at the rate of one day per month for your first year, then increases
based on your tenure with the company. Eligibility for the company retirement plan begins 90
days after your start date.

If you choose to accept this job offer, please sign the second copy of this letter and return it to
me at your earliest convenience.

When your acknowledgment is received, we will send you employee benefit enrolment forms
and an employee handbook which details our benefit plans and retirement plan. We look
forward to welcoming you to the Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd. team.

Please let me know if you have any questions or I can provide any additional information.

Sincerely,

Signature

Mr. Anand Sharma

Director, Human Resources
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Job Offer Letter Sample #2

Mr. Anand Sharma

Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
B/12, Industrial Estate
Chennai - 254321
555-555-5555
anand.sharma@greensolutions.com

May 20, 2020

Mr. Rakesh Shah

102 – B tower, Sun Residency
Chennai - 256687

Dear Mr. Shah,

It is with great pleasure that I am writing to you to offer you the position of Senior Software
Engineer with Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Your experience and enthusiasm will be an asset to
our company.

Please review the attached document outlining your salary and benefits, and sign where
indicated. Return in the enclosed envelope within five business days. We will contact you once
we have received the paperwork as to your start date.

We look forward to welcoming you as part of the Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Team!

Regards,

Mr. Anand Sharma

Director, Human Resources
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
 Unit 4.2.4 Appointment Letter

When Appointment Letter is Provided?

This appointment letter format can be used by a HR Manager of the Company or Manager of
a Company offering a job to a prospective hire. This appointment letter puts formally and in
writing all else that was still left unsaid at the time of employment, fills in the blanks and
connects the dots about any questions or details the employee may still have had and gives him
a feel about the daily work and day to day responsibilities expected of him.

Appointment letters are provided on the day of joining of the employee, printed on the letter
head of the business. One copy of the mutually signed appointment letter is retained by the
Employer, while another signed document is retained by the Employee.

Sample Job Appointment Letter

An official appointment letter should include the day of commencement, employee’s duties,
workstation, working hours, cash compensation and working hours among other important
details an employee should know before taking the job. Below is a sample of an appointment
letter.
 Employment Letter / Appointment Letter
Mr. Anand Sharma
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
B/12, Industrial Estate
Chennai - 254321
555-555-5555
anand.sharma@greensolutions.com

May 20, 2020

Mr. Rakesh Shah

102 – B tower, Sun Residency
Chennai - 256687

Dear Mr. Shah

We are pleased to inform you that you passed your interview and we are hereby offering you
employment on contract basis for the position of a safety officer at Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
The terms and conditions of your employment are as follows:

1. Day of Commencement

You are expected to report to your duties as from 1 June 2020. Your contract is based on a
period of two years after which we may renew it based on your performance and mutual
agreement.

2. Reporting

You will report to your immediate supervisor on the said date. You are required to comply
with the company’s rules and regulations at all given times and should always act in a manner
that protects the company’s interest.

3. Allocated Place of Work

You will be based at the company’s Headquarters in Chennai.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

Your roles and responsibilities are outlined in the job description which is an extension of
this contract. Your signature will imply that you fully agree with all the terms and conditions
laid out in this contract.

5. Monthly Salary

You are entitled to a monthly compensation amounting to Rs. 48,000/- which will be subject
to all statutory and company deductions with regards to the law.

6. Working Hours

Your working hours shall be from 9 a.m to 6 p.m (Monday-Friday). However, you may also
be required to avail yourself outside these stipulated hours if the need arises.
 7. Leave

7.1 Vacation

You will be entitled to 21 working days of leave at full pay. However, the leave days should
only be taken at a time most suitable for both you and your employer.

7.2 Sick Leave

You are entitled to up to (29) working days of sick leave at full pay.

7.3 Paternity Leave

You are entitled to a paternity leave of up to (two) calendar weeks of which you should apply
seven days beforehand.

8. Termination

This contract can be terminated:

By either party given a prior 30 working days written notice failure to which a compensation
equivalent to a month’s salary will be awarded.
Or,
By the Employer on grounds of indiscipline or under-performance.
Or,
By the Employer on account of redundancy/retrenchment as per the law.

9. Copyrights and Ownership

You shall not work with any other company either full time or part-time in a capacity that
would create a conflict of interest with the company.

10. Amendment and Enforcement

Any alterations or amendment to this contract shall be duly communicated in writing taking
into consideration both the employer’s and employee’s views.

Mr. Anand Sharma

Director, Human Resources
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
 4.2.5. Resignation Letter

How to Write a Resignation Letter?

1. Identify yourself.

This may seem superfluous but your resignation letter is an official document that should
include your full name and position at the company.

2. State your intention to resign.

The first paragraph of the letter should include your resignation statement and should specify
your last working day. This should be short and simple. Do not include a reason for your
decision.

3. Give thanks.

In the second paragraph, thank your employer for the opportunities you have been given at
your time with the company. Describe some of the things you enjoyed most about working
there.

4. Offer to assist with the handover.

In the third paragraph, mention your willingness to make the transition easier for the
company. Offer to complete all your current projects, train coworkers, or perform other duties
if required.

5. Sign your letter.

If you are handing in a hardcopy of your resignation letter, remember to sign at the bottom.

Two Weeks' Notice Letter vs. Resignation Letter:

Essentially, a two week's notice letter and a resignation letter are the same thing. The
purpose of the document is to inform your employer that you will be leaving your job on a
specific date.

With a two weeks' notice letter, your date of departure is two weeks from the date you hand
in your letter. A resignation letter is different in that you can indicate your intention to leave
on whatever date you like. This is usually between five days and four weeks.

The Purpose of a Resignation letter:

While it is not a legal requirement, providing your employer with a resignation letter allows
the company to facilitate a smooth transition. Depending on when you hand in your letter, the
company will have enough time to find a suitable replacement or train a coworker to perform
your duties.

A resignation letter also serves as an official document for HR and your employee file. Even
if you give verbal confirmation of your intention to quit, many companies require a written
and signed document to process your exit benefits.
What to Avoid:
 Don't provide a reason for your resignation.
 Don't brag about your new job.
 Don't be negative about your managers or co-workers.
 Don't disrespect the company.

#Sample 3

Date: 02/02/2021
To
Mr. Anand Sharma
Director, Human Resources
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Subject: Resignation Letter

Dear Mr. Sharma

I (Rakesh Shah) would like to inform you that I am resigning from my position
as safety officer, effective 01/02/2021.

Thank you for all the support and opportunities you have provided me over the
years. I have truly enjoyed my time working at Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and
am grateful for the encouragement you have given me to pursue my personal
and professional goals.

I will do everything I can to complete my current projects and train other team
members to take over my duties. Please let me know if there is anything else I
can do to help during this transition period.

I wish the company continued success for the future and hope to stay in touch.

Sincerely,

*Sign*
Mr. Rakesh Shah
Safety Officer
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Sample 2
Date: 02/02/2021
To
Mr. Anand Sharma
Director, Human Resources
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Subject: Resignation Letter

Dear Mr. Sharma,

I’m writing to give my formal notice that I’ll be leaving my role as Office
Manager for Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd. on January 2021.I’ve recently received an
offer to serve as an executive assistant at a small start-up, and after careful
consideration I’m excited to explore this new path in my career journey.

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve been provided working on the
Operations team for the past four years. It’s been a wonderful experience to work
for such a great company and help in solving Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to provide
better financial support for older employees.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance during this transition. Thank you
for all your guidance. I wish you all the best, and look forward to keeping in
touch.

Sincerely

Mr. Rakesh Shah

Safety Officer
Green Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
 Unit 4.2.6 Effective Email Management

What is Email Management?

Email is the de facto standard for business communication across organizations at this time.
Just as any other type of business information and record, email must be included as part of,
and adhered to, the organizational standards addressing information and records.

Email is pervasive across all aspects of all businesses and has become highly business-critical.
For information workers, the email client was their primary business application spending
many hours a day reading, responding, and collaborating via emails.

For many, email management devolves into simply removing emails from a server and saving
them to a repository. But this is not enough because to do it right, each one must be classified,
stored, and perhaps destroyed in a manner consistent with established business policies and
standards – just as should be done for all other kinds of documents and records. Email
management involves the systematic control of the quality and quantity of electronic messages
that are sent from within, and received by, an organization.

1. Checking Email
Checking your email regularly during the day can be an effective way to keep your inbox at
manageable levels.

However, the constant interruption and distraction that comes from multitasking in this way
can dramatically lower your productivity, and disrupt your ability to enter a state of flow when
working on high value projects.
One strategy you can use is to check email only at set points during the day. For instance, you
may decide that you'll only check your email first thing in the morning, before lunch, and at
the end of the day.

2. Reading Email
When you read email, you can waste hours if you don't use this time intelligently.
First, try using the "Two-Minute Rule" (a concept from David Allen, the author of Getting
Things Done ) when you read your mail – if the email will take less than two minutes to read
and reply to, then take care of it right now, even if it's not a high priority. The idea behind this
is that if it takes less than two minutes to action, it takes longer to read and then store the task
away "to do later" than it would to just take care of the task now.
For emails that will take longer than two minutes to read or respond to, schedule time on your
calendar, or add this as an action on your To-Do List , to do later. Most email programs allow
you to highlight, flag, or star messages that need a response, so utilize this handy feature
whenever you can.
3. Organizing Email
Although a completely empty inbox (also called "inbox zero") might be unrealistic for many
of us, keeping our main inbox cleared can make us more organized, and help eliminate stress.
First, set up a simple filing system to help manage your mail.

You could use broad categories titled "Action Items," "Waiting," "Reference," and "Archives."
If you're able to stay on top of your folders – particularly "Action" and "Waiting" folders – you
could use them as an informal To-Do List for the day.

If four categories sound too simplistic for your needs, you can set up a more detailed system.
For instance, you could create a folder for every project that you're working on, or have a set
folder for each of your clients or sales reps.

The advantage when you create specific folders for processing email is that it makes it easier
to search for past mail: instead of scouring your entire email system, you can simply search in
that particular folder.

4. Non-Essential Email
If you regularly receive email such as newsletters, blogs and article feeds, you could re-route
these to another email address, or use rules, so that they're instantly delivered to a particular
folder.
This will help keep your primary inbox clear, and they'll be in one place, ready to read at a
convenient time.

5. Protect your personal time

This email inbox management best practice comes as a surprise. This may be the most difficult
thing to do, but switch off work emails outside of work hours. Your friends and family, even
your favourite game or TV show, deserve your undivided attention.
Protected personal time is essential for your physical and mental health and actually improves
performance during work time.

6. Write short emails

When writing emails, use clear and concise language. Use as few words as possible. Answer
emails as soon as you receive them.

If you didn’t respond immediately, I would suggest that you inform the sender that you have
received the message and you would be in touch shortly. Don’t forget to set a deadline and
follow up as soon as you can.
7. Unsubscribe from unwanted emails
Clean out the clutter by unsubscribing from unwanted newsletters and promotions. If you
haven’t read a particular two weeks in a row, then you don’t need it.

Conclusion
In today’s working world, you are responsible for managing your own work time and
output. Build personal, social, and technological systems that support your productivity,
and reduce time and attention spent on distractions and unnecessary communication.

Following these email management tips can save time, preserve the quality of your
work, increase the quality of your communication, ease follow-up and reduce forgotten
tasks, and make you a happier person.