TOPIC 9

RESUME & COVER LETTER

INTRODUCTION
This topic provides you with useful guidelines for writing a cover
letter. It introduces you to expressions that can be used for different
parts of a cover letter and gives you the format for writing different
types of resumes.
1. Cover letter
The letter of application is the cover letter for your job application.
Ideally, the letter should be one to two pages in length and should
be accompanied by a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). The cover
letter, which should be brief, serves to:
 Draw attention to relevant qualifications and work experiences
listed in the
resume;
 Make a match between what you have to offer and the potential
employerÊs
needs;
 Persuade your potential employer to consider your application
carefully; and
 Support your request for an interview.
I.1. Guidelines for writing a cover letter
I.1.1. First Paragraph
Use one of the following ways to get the reader’s attention to what
you want to offer and the job / possition you are applying for:
 Sumarise the job opening;
 Name the job opening; or
 Ask about the availability of a job opening.
I.1.2. Middle Paragraph (s)
Use one of following each of your middle paragraphs to persuade
the reader to invite you to an interview.
 Education (from my C.V, you will see that I graduated from …);
 Work experience (at present, I am working for…);
 Ability to work with others and/or alone;
 Interest in your field; ( mối quan tâm đến linh vực của bạn)
 Interest in the company; and
 Responsibilities in previous positions.
I.1.3. Closing Paragraph (s)
In the last paragraph, you can request an interview, stating that you
will be
happy to come to the employer’s office whenever convenient. Make
it easy
for the reader to follow up by providing your telephone number and
e-mail
address.
I.2. Useful Key Phrases
Below are some useful key pharases you can use in your cover
letter to apply for a possition that has been advertised:
 I am writing to you in response to your advertisement for…….
 I am pleased to find your advertisement for the …. position on…
 I wish to apply for the possition of ….
 I believe I possess the right combination of … skills
 I look forward to having an opportunity of discussing my
application…
 I look forward to an early reply
2. RESUME / CV (CURRICULUM VITAE)
A resume is a document that contains a record of your qualifications,
work experience and achievements. It is a summary of your
personal data, including your educational background, skills,
 qualifications, work experience, references, hobbies and interests. It
is also sometimes referred to as a curriculum vitae (CV).
Resumes help employers:
• A potential employee's work experience and
education prior to the interview;
• By serving as a reminder
• Screen out unqualified applicants
Your resume
• Stand out above the rest
• Provide your prospective employer with a good picture
of your abilities.

A well-designed resume presents information in sections with

headings. There are three types of resumes:
(a) Basic resume
Comprises all the normal parts of a resume but is simpler and
shorter.
Suitable for school-leavers or those who have little work experience.
(b) Functional resume
Uses a different order of presentation to highlight a wide range of
skills and
work experience. Starts with the most recent work experience that
matches
a potential employer’s needs, followed by subheadings to highlight
job
functions. This type of resume uses the advertisement as a guide for
specific
functions, e.g., supervisory, marketing, training.
(c) Specific resume
Prepared for a specific job with emphasis on qualifications, skills and
experience which are particularly relevant to the job. Presents
experience in
 terms of criteria advertised. Highlights strengths with action words
(verbs)
such as achieve, adapt, initiate, install, prepare, report, research,
supervise,
inspect and make.
NOTE:
In addition, in your cover letter, you should also pay attention to the
following factors:
Review the information of the company as well as the position
you are applying for.
 Use a professional font
 Create Heading to clearly see the layout
 You can open the letter by talking about your career goals
 Talk about your experience, qualifications and aspects of
yourself
 Show your appreciation for the job you are applying for

TOPIC 10
BUSINESS REPORT

Follow this task to write a good business report

1.Planning & Writing reports

Important to remember that there are several types of reports.

These can be long or short; formal or informal.
Reports can serve various purposes
some inform, some provide background information about something,
some make recommendations or suggest a course of action.
2.Layout of short reports
A good short report should contain the following characteristics:
A clear indication of your purpose;
Accurate and objective information;
A suitable ordering of information;
Approriate formatting
A formal report comprises:
A title page containing the title of the report, the recipient’s name, his/her
position and/or organisation, the writer’s name and position (and
organisation if appropriate) and the date;
An introduction;
Sections with headings in the body;
Conclusion;
Recommendations (if any); and
Attachments (if they contain useful information).

TYPES OF SHORT REPORTS

There are three widely used types of short reports:
(a) Justification report;
(b) Progress report (and completion report); and
(c) Periodic report.

(PAGE 171 & 172) Đọc kĩ để phân biệt

PREPOSITION –xem lại bài tập trang 173-178

WRITING SHORT REPORTS

Sequencing a Long Report
The following is the sequence to follow when writing a long report:
(a) Develop an outline with main headings and sub-headings;
(b) Begin with the purpose statement and introduction;
(c) Write the main body of the report;
(d) Draw conclusions from the information you have presented in the body of
the report and relate it to the purpose;
(e) Write the conclusions, then your recommendations;
(f) Optional :Prepare the preface, abstract, synopsis or executive summary
after presenting facts and findings;
(g) Add a list of references (bibliography) if you include researched material in
your report;
(h) Include a table of contents and a table of graphics (diagrams, charts,
graphs). Each item is to be placed in the order it appears;
(i) Write the letter of transmittal; and
(j) Prepare the title page to complete the report.

Presentation
Presentation is the arrangement of information on a page. It gives the reader
an
initial impression of your organization

The following are techniques to make the presentation of information

Headings
Underlining
Indentation
Shading
Numbered lists or sections, as in reports
Space between paragraphs, left and right margins
Headers and footers

Parts of a Long Report (REVIEW page 181)

(a) Introductory section

Title page
Letter of transmittal
Table of contents
(b) The body (main text)
Introduction
Discussion and analysis of findings
Development of ideas
Conclusions
Recommendations
(c) Final section
References
Appendices

Phần Grammer về ADJ và ADV xem lại bài tập trong 187-193