A resume and cover letter make up a job application.

When you receive a job

application, first send a letter acknowledging that you received it. After you read the
job application, decide whether to interview or reject the applicant. Send all
applicants either an interview letter or a rejection letter.

Before you reply to job applicants, you must evaluate their skills. Compare the skills
they listed in their resume and cover letter with the req uirements you listed in your
job advertisement.

G ETTING STARTED
1. Read the e-mail from a human resource specialist to her assistant. She
discusses replying to job applicants. The assistant will send interview
letters to applicants who meet four or all five of the requirements.
2. Think about your skills. Do you meet the requirements?
3. Complete the Applicant Evaluation Chart. Write I for interview or R for
reject for each applicant and yourself in the bottom row.

.... X
From: Maria Sanchez <msanchez@netlives.com>
To: "Grace Chen" <gchen@netlives.com>
Subject: Applicants for Administrative Assistant
Date: Fri, Mar 3, 20- 8:45:03
Thanks for sending out the acknowledgment e-mails yesterday to the ten
applicants for the administrative assistant position. Please read their
resumes and decide whether to interview the applicants or reject them. Then
send them the appropriate e-mail.

- ,'
>"¥.' :''''''�",' "','>'i'" . �." .,'
:'i";;}'1i'.;'" '':;, '}, oo';t , "
" "
,
APPLICANT EVALUATION CHART
Applicants Requirement

(1)) 1,)\ l<:l\ 111\

Ie:. It>\
(7) i (8) (9) !(10) ; Your Skills

!
:
y y n y y
I
or

i
,
" n ? n I, Y Y ? n Y ? Has scheduling and
, V"",,,,,,\::! "'''1-'''''''''''''0.

Y y.: n n : y ? Y y!y y' Is familiar with word

I
1-" 1-" !

? ,Y n * n
Y ? n n Y Y Has at least two years of
i
y '" applicant has the skill
y'" applicant has the skill 0"1-''''''0''''''' as an admin. ass!. '
and is a very good
?
'*; y ? Y n y ? Is organized and
candidate : y
n applicant doesn't have detail-oriented.
I
the skill i
,
? i Interview (I) or Reject (R)
resume doesn't say if
,
applicant has the skill
. '" " ",,"',, ),
 Model E-Mails: Replying to Job Applicants
¥ ' ". ' 'R '' , � - ,, » . " .. �
- 1 , � ;

Look at the different elements of e-mails replying to job applicants.

Reply 1 : Acknowledging Receipt o f an Application

[From
i�
D '� ;� ' rtr: , i"X ., .;(�Vi' , � .,
,: <�;\; j,/ Lng <)
" :: .' .
re.
G race Chen <gchen @ netl ives.com>

Heading
I s suppli ed automatically by
To: ' M ichele Peters' <mpeters @ l o n d o n m a i l . co m>
NetLives Ad m i nistrative Assistant Position
I:;'
I1;\�
Subject:
T h u , M a r 2, 2 0 - 10:51 : 1 8
the e-ma iI p rogram.
Date:

Opening
Tel l you received the
[ We received y o u r a p p l ication fo r the position of a d m i n i strative assistant
on M a rch 1.
I�i

[
applicati on.
I'!
' .: '
-.
At this ti m e, we are reviewi n g the resumes. We wi l l co ntact a l l a p p l ica nts
that we wo u l d l i ke to i nterview by M a rch 10,
Action
Explain the process.

Closing [ We a p p reciate your i nterest i n NetLives.

-.
Than k th e applicant for her
interest. Useful Language
,
We received your
-

We received your application

application on march10.
____ .
We are reviewing ___ .
the resumes

We will contact
selected candidates
___ .

We appreciate your interest in position

___ ,

Reply 2: Requesting an InterView

08

- - -
- -
�e: ���l i ed aut- -- -- b--
om atica IIy y
the e-mail program.
-H
""' [ !:;�ct:
Date:
G race Chen <gchen @ netlives,com>
' M ichele Peters' <mpeters @ l o n d o n m a i l .com>
Netlives Ad m i n istrative Assistant Position
Tue, M a r 7, 20- 1 1 : 5 1 : 1 8

----------H.....
�------�

[ After review i n g you r resume, we a re pleased to i nvite you for a n

i nterview fo r the position of a d m i n istrative assistant,

[
Opening
I nvite the applicant for an
interview
You r interview is schedu led fo r Monday, M a rch 1 3th at 1 0:00 A. M. Pl ease
Action -------+-+-� come to the H u m a n Resou rce Depa rtment of o u r m a i n office, If that is
Explain what will happen. not conveni ent, p l ease contact me i m mediately to reschedule,

I [ We look foew.,d to meeting yo_u_

at_N
_ et_L_
iv_e_s_
, _________

I
Closing •

Be enthusiastic, r
-,

. Useful Language �
We are pleased to invite you for an
interview for the position
___ '

Your interview is scheduled for

Monday, March 1 3th at 1 0:00 A.M
___ '

Please come to
the Human Resource Department of our main
___
office,
We look forward to meeting you ___ .
at NetLives
'---------- ----- ----....-

!.J!..; Unit 2
H e d'
:
IS U �;
-
---- ------
lied auto mati ca lI y by
--H"""
[From'
To"
S�bject:
G race Chen <gchen @ netlives.com>
'Bob H o p k i ns' <bob,hopkins@ d o l .com>
NetLives Ad m i n istrative Assista nt Positio n
Tue, M a r 7, 20- 1 2:26:35
Date:
the e-mail program.

[
1;,:.•------------------------------1 ' 1

--------H...... Th � n k you for se n d i n g us y o u r resu m e for the position of a d m i n istrative

[
assistant.
Opening
Tell you received the
application.
U nfortu nately, yo u r q u a l ifications do not match our needs at this time.
Action -------+-+-... We w i l l keep your res u m e on file. If a position that m atches your
Explain why the applicant is q u a l ifications becomes ava i l a ble in the future, we will contact you.
rejected.

Closing We wish you every success in your ca reer.

Be pol ite and positive.
r-------�

Useful Language
Thank you for sending .
resume for the position
___

U nfortunately, your qualifications do not

match our needs.

We will keep your resume on file.

We wish you every success in your career.

iWelL SAID
When acknowledging receipt of a letter, the writer usuall y includes the date the letter
was received. If there is a lot of correspondence, it is acceptable to acknowledge the
receipt of the correspondence without the date.

That's
I Goo-ct" Business.,
A job applicant must always be treated with respect and kindness. People
will judge your com pany by your response.

Replying to a Job Applicant 10

Composing Yo�r Message ,

A letter replying to a j ob applicant is short and direct. Its tone is formal. The
body of a letter replying to a job applicant generally has three parts.

Acknowledgment Letter
Part Content Example
Opening Tell you received the application. We received your application for
the position on March 1 .
Action Explain the process. At this time, we are reviewing
the resumes. . . .
Closing Thank the applicant for her interest. We appreciate your interest
in NetLives.

Interview Letter
Part Content Example
Opening Invite the applicant for an interview. After reviewing your resume,
we. are pleasedto invite you for
an interview. . . .
Action Explain what will happen. Your interview is scheduled
for Monday, March 1 3th at
1 0:00 A.M . . . .
Closing Be enthusiastic. We look forward to meeting you
at NetLives.

Rejection Letter
Part Content Example
Opening Tell you received the application. Thank you for sending us your
resume for the position of
administrative assistant.
Action Explain why the applicant is rejected. Unfortunately, your qualifications
do not match our needs at
this time . . . .
Closing Be polite and positive. We wish you every success in
your career.

Practice 1 Write A if the sentence is for an acknowledgment letter, I for an i nterview letter, or
R for a rejection letter. Some sentences may be found in more than one type of
letter. Discuss your answers with your classmates.

1. Opening
a. A IR We have received your application materials for the executive
assistant position.
I
b. __ After reviewing your resume, we would like to schedule a time
to meet with you.
c.
I
We are interested in speaking further with you.
d. __
A Thank you for applying for the position of customer
service representative.

:tV Unit 2
 2. Action
A
a. __ Our human resource department is currently collecting resumes.
b. __
R We are looking for someone with more experience.
c. A
__ We will be reviewing applications over the next few weeks.
A
d. If the time is not convenient, please contact me immediately.
3. Closing
I
a. __ I look forward to meeting you.
A
b. __ We appreciate your interest in our company.
R
c. __ We wish you much success in your job pursuit.
A
d. Thank you for your interest in the position.

Writing You r Message

(Opening
In the opening of any business letter or e-mail, tell why you are writing.
Remember to use a formal tone.

Practice 2 In each question , two of the sentences are appropriate to use in the opening of a
letter replying to a job applicant. Circle the letters of the two sentences.

1. a. I received your resume last Friday.

b. We received your resume yesterday.
c. My assistant opened your application yesterday.

2. a. Thank you for applying for the executive assistant position.

b. Thank you for trying for that executive assistant job.
c. Thank you for your interest in the position listed in our advertisement.

3. a. Your resume is very impressive, and I would like to schedule

That's
I Good; Business .,
You may not
receive a reply
to your job
application.
Often,
businesses get
hundreds of applicants. They
only respond to applicants
they want to interview.
Applications sent to a Web
site may receive a simple,
automated response.
an interview.
b. I would like to meet you to discuss your resume.
c. I want to talk with you sometime.
4. a. Thank you for responding to the advertisement.
b. Thank you for sending your resume.
c. Hi! It's great that you sent your application.
S. a. I have checked out your resume and I'm really happy to invite you for
an interview.
b. After reviewing your resume, we would like to schedule a time
to meet.
c. Your qualifications seem to match our needs. We are pleased to
arrange an interview with you.

Replying to a Job Applicant J.!.;

 In the action part of the letter, explain the process or what will happen.

• In an acknowledgment letter, explain that someone is reviewing

the materials.
• In an interview letter, suggest a specific time and date for the interview.
• In a rejection letter, explain why the applicant was not considered.

Practice 3 Match the beginning of the sentence with the appropriate ending. Then, write A if
the sentence is for an acknowledgment letter, I for an interview letter, or R for a
rejection letter. Use each ending one time .

...JL 1. Your application has been a. is currently reviewing all files.

carefully examined;
however, --'-
2. Our human resource
A
b. invite you to talk with our
department A General Manager.
3. We are pleased to
I
-- __ B c. your experience does not match
the job description.

--
A 4. We are in the process B __ a. meet with you on April 1.
I 5. We would like to __
A b. of collecting resumes.
--
R 6. Your resume is excellent c. you don't have the experience
but necessary for the job.

7. We have scheduled
I C
__ a. we are reviewing application
materials.
R A
8. At this time __ b. we need someone with
advanced computer skills.
c. an interview with you at 4:00
R B
9. Unfortunately, __

ty
.......
P. M. next

R
__ 10. We reviewed your a. schedule an interview
application, but B __

I A
11. I would like to b. we need to hire someone with
more experience.
c. is reading all cover letters
A C
__ 12. The manager __

and resumes.

� U nit 2
(ClOSing
In the closing, be positive and polite.
• In an acknowledgment letter, thank the applicant.
• In an interview letter, show your enthusiasm for the upcoming interview.
• In a rejection letter, be polite.

Practice 4 Read the sentences from job applicants. Then write appropriate closing
sentences.

1. I am interested in the executive assistant position.

Acknowledgment T!ta11.K. got/, for lft2t/,r i11.¢e.re.ts iff, the.

2. On the NetLives Web site, I read about an opening for an

administrative assistant.

Acknowledgment Thank you for your interest in the administrative assistant position.
________________________________________

3. I have six months of experience as an administrative assistant.

Rejection _
Thank you for your interest in the administrative assistant position.
__________________________

4. I meet the job requirements.

We look forward to discussing your qualifications in the upcoming interview.
Interview ________________________

5. I have been an executive secretary for more than five years.

We are excited to learn more about your experience in the upcoming interview.
Interview __________________________

6. Although I do not have a college degree, I am a hard worker.

We appreciate your application and wish you success in your future endeavors.
Rejection ___________________
_ ___________

7. I am applying for the receptionist position announced on IronGate.com.

Acknowledgment Thank you for applying for the receptionist position announced on
_____________________

IronGate.com.

Replying to a Job Applicant ...:!!..;

Letter Practice 1

Paul Rook is responding to the letter that you completed on page 6 in U n it 1.

Complete the sentences i n this letter using the information in that letter and the
words below.

advertisement openings response search

applicant received resume wish

Island ,.g1!r"J.�j.Qg!l..'. Ai.rR.Qr.1. . . .�

.. ... . ...... .

Human Resource Office

Singapore 659589
�

July 28, 20-

______ (Write your name and address here.)

Dear : (Write your name here.)

received
Your resume was (1 ) and reviewed by our human

resource office. The (2)

response
______ to our (3) ______advertisement

was overwhelming. Unfortunately, we cannot interview every

(4) . We will keep your (5)

applicant resume
______ ______ on file for

future (6) _ openings.

____

wish
We (7) ______ you well in your job (8) search
______

Sincerely,

'Peud iIZ�
Paul Rook
Human Resource Director

1!.; Un it 2
 Maki Ishii sent an acknowledgment letter to a job applicant. The shaded boxes
show ten places where she made errors. Write the correct word or punctuation
above the errors.

BeL Globalcom GmbH

Goethestrasse 40113 10728 Berlin Germany

March 2 6, 20-

M r. Sandy H i l l
999 Pine Avenue
New H aven, CT 06540

(1 ) , (2 ) Dear Mr. Sandy H i l l ,

(3) We h ave received you r resume and appl ication to the position of executive
(4), (5), (6) asistant . We are collecti ng resumes l ater a nd w i l l notified those

candi dates we wish to i nterview.

(7) Th a n k your for you r i n terest i n Bel G l oba lcom.

(8) Sincerel y :

Maki Ishii

(9) H uman Res o u rce D i rector

(10) Maki I s h i i

Replying to a Job Applicant �

Letter Practice 3
.
,

The following log lists two applicants for Job Advertisement 2 on page 8 in
Unit 1 . The human resou rce department at Web Discount Corporation wants to
interview only those applicants who have all three of the l isted skills. Interviews
should be scheduled on July 7 for one hour, between 1 0 :00 A.M. and 2:00 P. M.
On a separate piece of paper, write an acknowledgment letter to one of the
applicants. Then write an interview letter or a rejection letter for the applicant.

Applicant Log
Skill Skill Skill
Job Title: Client High school or Two to four Word processing
Services Coordinator business college years of and database
Company Name: Web program experience experience
Discount Corporation
Akiko Yamamoto Y Y Y
1 2-A Liverpool Place
London BH1 4WP
United Kingdom
John Kim N N Y
55 Havana Drive
Long Beach, CA 90803

Words and Expressions to Know

Look at this list of words and expressions that were used in the unit. Their definitions are in the glossary
at the end of the book.

acknow ledge keep [something] on file rejection review

applicant meet the requirement reschedule search
equivalent

� Unit 2