English Business Writing

Cover Letter Your response to the invitation Your chance to charm the reader Make the letter personal Show why you want THIS job Show why they should hire you Be polite; thank the reader

Letter format Your street address City, State zip code Date Ms. Helen Jones, President Jones, Jones, & Jones 123 International Lane Boston, MA Dear Ms. Jones Subject: How to Write a Block Letter When you use the block form to write a business letter, all the information is typed flush left, with one-inch margins all around. First provide your own address and the date, then skip four lines and provide the inside address of the party to whom the letter is addressed. Skip another 2 lines before the salutation, and do not punctuate after it. Then write the body of your letter as illustrated here, with no indentation at the beginning of paragraphs. Skip lines between paragraphs. If you are using letterhead that already provides your address, begin with the date. After writing the body of the letter, type the closing without punctuation, leave 4 blank lines, then type your name and title (if applicable), all flush left. Sign the letter in the blank space above your typed name. Now doesn't that look professional? Sincerely Your Name Administrative Assistant

Resumes English format is different! (see samples) There is flexibility in layout Think about the order of information Use reverse chronological order Make it your own Use a summary of skills/overview Eliminate irrelevant information

The interview Do your research! Dress appropriately Be on time Be polite Have the right accessories

Questions to consider... Look at the following 'difficult' questions that you might hear during a job interview: How would you describe yourself? What influenced you to choose a career in...? How has your university education prepared you for a job in...? Tell me about your current job. What have you been doing? How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team? Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it? How do you handle pressure? Why do you want to work for this company? What do you feel you have to offer this company? What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty on the job? What would you say has been your most rewarding accomplishment? What are your goals for the future? What do you think you'll be doing in five years' time?