Preparing for

a Job UNIT 2 WRITING A CV, COVER LETTER,

ACCEPTANCE & REFUSALS
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Warm up
2.2 Reading & writing
2.3 Language Focus
2.4 Writing
2.5 Grammar
2.6 Answers

2.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit you will learn about:

- The importance of a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Job Applications

- the format and structure of a CV
- how to write a Curriculum Vitae
- how to write job applications
- how to write a brief profile of yourself
- how to write:
- requests for reference letters
- acceptance letters for jobs
- resignation letters
- useful vocabulary for CVs and employment related letters
- words describing work and responsibilities
- Grammar : action verbs

 2.1 WARM UP
Here is a statement followed by a question that can make you reflect on the
topic of this Unit.

‘—”‹•›‘—”–‹…‡––‘ƒ‹–‡”˜‹‡™™Š‡”‡›‘—…ƒ•‡ŽŽ›‘—”•‡ŽˆǨ

What is it that you sell to the selection panel or interviewer when you present
yourself at a job interview?
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 2.2 READING & WRITING Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
Refusals
2.2.1

Curriculum Vitae
The term Curriculum Vitae is a Latin term that
means ‘the way your life has run’ and a CV is a
personal statement that tells the employer what you
have done so far in your life in terms of
qualifications and experience. A CV usually
consists of contact information, education,
experience, skills and personal interests. It should
present a well-rounded picture of you.

A CV serves an extremely important purpose

of highlighting your value to the employer.
When you prepare your CV, keep in mind that at the time of your job
interview your prospective employers will have a copy of the CV with them.
This will provide them with the framework to guide your job interview.
Hence ensure that you prepare the CV in such a way that you are able to
defend it before the interview panel.

Now that you understand the importance of the CV, you would also realize
that it is essential to spend time and effort in drafting it. Although standard
formats are recommended for CVs, it always helps to be a little creative.
Remember to be concise and to the point, but at the same time make sure that
you include all the facts that are relevant and important.
To begin with, consider the layout of your CV. Visual presentation is an
important aspect of your document, so do not ignore it. You would obviously
use a computer and it is advisable that you use all the features of Word to
your advantage. Do not overuse capitals. They should be limited to the
heading. Also use the bold typeface as well as point sizes effectively. The
subheadings of your CV should be smaller than your main heading. If you
have further divisions under subheadings you could use a still smaller point
size or features like underline. Another important thing is justification. It is
helpful to use justify which means aligning text to left and right margins.
This gives a neat block like look to the CV and your lines don’t hang on one
side. Also use good quality paper and ensure that the quality of printer is
satisfactory, which means the printout must not be smudged, blurred or too
light as that would look untidy and cause undue strain to the reader of your
CV.

Before you begin to write your CV it would be useful for you to spend some
time thinking about yourself and making notes. Take a look at the given
structure of a CV and note the subheadings under which information is
generally presented. This will help you to organize your materials.

119
Preparing for
a Job

Name

Address
Telephone
Cell Phone
Email

Personal Information
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Citizenship
Visa Status
Gender

Marital Status

Employment History
>ŝƐƚŝŶĐŚƌŽŶŽůŽŐŝĐĂůŽƌĚĞƌ͕ŝŶĐůƵĚĞƉŽƐŝƚŝŽŶĚĞƚĂŝůƐĂŶĚĚĂƚĞƐ
Work History
Positions
Research and Training

Education

If you wish to make an impact with your CV it can be achieved by thinking

very carefully about yourself and what you have done in the past and believe
you could do in the future, given the right
opportunity.

You can begin by thinking and making notes about

these four areas:
x experience
x interests
x skills
x personal qualities

120
There are various ways in which you can do this. What’s given here is only Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
one possible way to do it. Whichever approach you choose, however, make Refusals
sure that you make detailed notes of your ideas – even if you think they may
not be relevant. Also, keep all your lists and sheets of notes ‘open’; go back
to them from time to time and make sure that you haven’t missed anything
out. This preparation stage is essentially one of brainstorming. Selection and
organization of information come later.

Experience: Many people find it easier to start with this, because it is the
most concrete and fact based. Your notes on your experience should certainly
include:
x education
x any professional training
x periods of employment – include part-time jobs and those which didn’t
last very long, as well as ‘proper’ jobs
x any voluntary work you have done

Interests: You might wonder why you should consider your personal
interests when preparing a job application. After all, these are the things you
do in your spare time when you are not working. Interests are relevant for a
number of reasons:
x your interests are a reflection of your personality, and your personality is
very relevant for your employer.
x They frequently indicate skills you have which are not currently used at
work.
x They often have a bearing on why you are interested in particular types
of employment.
Skills: Your notes on your experience
should provide you with useful clues when
it comes to listing your skills. Look at each
of the different phases of your life so far
and ask yourself:
x Which skills did I use here that I
already had?
x Which skills did I improve on or
consolidate?
x What new skills did I learn?

In addition, think about your leisure time

interests: perhaps these also involve useful
skills which may be relevant to a job
application.

Here are examples of some of the skills you can indicate:

121
Preparing for x Communication skills : written & verbal
a Job
x Interpersonal skills
x Teamwork skills
x Analytical skills
x Computer skills
x Public speaking
x You could also include skills like:
x Organizing events
x Making presentations
x Trouble-shooting
x Giving advice

Don't be too concerned at this stage about whether the skills you list are
relevant. That can come later. For now write them all down.

Personal qualities: This is the area that many people find most difficult; they
are unhappy talking about themselves and their qualities because they feel it
is boastful to do so. They may also find it quite difficult to step back and look
at themselves objectively. On the other hand, if you don’t tell a potential
employer about your personal qualities, who will?

It is sometimes difficult to begin such a list, so here are some qualities to start
you off. Write down any which you think apply to you, and then add others
of your own. For each one you choose, make sure that you can think of
incidents in your own life and work experience that give evidence of them.
x Adaptable x Dependable
x Accurate x Energetic
x Creative x Enterprising
x Conscientious x Resourceful
x Competent x Dedicated
x Decisive x Mature
x Self-motivated x Methodical
x Self-confident x Objective
x Imaginative x Positive
x Thorough x Persevering
x Receptive x Self disciplined
x practical x Sense of humour
x Can work under pressure

122
Turning your notes into the final CV Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
Refusals
Now that you have detailed personal notes, you are all set to write out your
CV. The next step is to organize your information in a systematic way.
Remember that your CV must include a summary of your educational and
academic backgrounds, research experience, work experience, awards,
honors, affiliations, skills, interests and other details.
These days many applicants include a brief profile (three or four lines
maximum) to state their career focus and/or aims and perhaps evidence of
two or three main strengths, in their CVs. The profile should state who you
are, what your goal is and what you wish to achieve.

Take a look at this profile of a fresh applicant given as an example:

Highly motivated Commerce Graduate with a consistent first

division and experience in co-organising successful campus events as
part of the Commerce Club; participated in projects in Accounting
and gained useful experience during Internship with Unilever.
Looking for a challenging job in accounting.

Check Your Progress 1

You are now ready to take a look at what the finished CV actually looks
like. To do this, you must first fill up suitable subtitles in the given
Curriculum Vitae. They are given in jumbled order in the box below:

Interests Work experience Personal

Education References
Skills Co-curricular activities Profile
Extra curricular activities Projects

Curriculum Vitae
1_____________________

Name: Deepika Sharma

Date of Birth: 8 September
1988

Nationality: Indian
Address: 45 A Sector, Shakti
Nagar, Bhopal, 462022

E mail: dhara.taneja@hotmail.com
Telephone: 0755 2586456 123
Preparing for
a Job
2_________________________
An enthusiastic and responsible Under Graduate in Commerce, with good
oral and written communication skills with part time experience in the
Insurance Sector. A hardworking and motivated team worker, with good
social competence and ability to persuade and convince people. Looking for a
challenging position in the Insurance sector.
3__________________________

2008 -2011 B Com with Economics Excel Institute Ist

Bhopal Division
1991 – 2008 Primary to Higher St Teresa’s Ist
Secondary School Institute Bhopal Division
2009 – 2010 Certificate Course in RGI Evening
Computer Accounting Batch

4___________________________

Projects: Won special appreciation for project on Educating

Rural Sector on Benefits of Insurance
5____________________________

Sports: Basketball – District level

Member of Organizing Committees for several cultural
events
6___________________________
Summers of ICICI Lombard Insurance as Trainee in Health
Insurance 2010 & 2011

7____________________________

Strong customer relations

Interpersonal skills

Computer proficiency

8____________________________

Sports: Basketball, swimming

Cultural: Member of Spic Macay – an organization that promotes traditional
art and culture

9___________________________

1. Ms Anila Lal, HOD Commerce, Excel Institute, Bhopal 462012; Tel :

0755 2457903
124
2. Mr R Andrews, Senior Manager, ICICI Lombard, T T Nagar, Bhopal Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
462005; Tel : 0755 2488345 Refusals

Now match your answers with the Key.

Writing Task 1

Now write out your own CV by substituting the information given under
different heads with information about yourself.

2.2.3

Letter of Application
The CV must be accompanied by a Job
Application or what is also known as the
Covering Letter. The CV is a document that
you would write and keep ready for all
companies or institutions where you apply,
whereas a job application is a document that
you would write individually for each
company or institution. The emphasis of the
CV is ‘you’, on the other hand the emphasis of
the job application is the company where you are applying. You need to let
the company know how you can meet their requirements. Instead of copying
from samples of application letters given in books or on websites, it is a good
idea to write out your own customized application letter. You may use the
samples for guidelines and clues on how to go about writing these letters, but
the final product must be your own. Make sure that you keep a copy of your
letter for your own record and reference.
A job applicant generally writes job application in one of these situations:

1. in response to an advertisement

2. posting your CVs online or sending them to Job Boards or recruitment
Agencies

3. an unsolicited application in a situation where he / she wants to be

considered for a job if and when there is a vacancy

4. a situation where he / she learns from someone about a vacancy which
has not yet been advertised

The most common situation is the first one, where you apply in response to a
job advertisement. The role of the application letter is to draw a clear
connection between the job you are seeking and your qualifications listed in
your CV. Through the letter you should match the requirements of the job
with your qualifications, emphasizing how you are suitable for that job.
A job application is as important as Curriculum Vitae and must be carefully
drafted and neatly written out. In this letter you should:
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Preparing for ƒ Confirm that you wish to apply and mention the post and advertisement
a Job
/state that it is an unsolicited application / mention that you have learnt
there is a vacancy - whichever of these is applicable to the situation

ƒ State why you are interested in the position or the organization and relate
your interests with that of the company.

ƒ Present your work experience, education, training and skills briefly, to

enable the reader to see the connection between your qualifications and
the requirements for the job. Highlight your relevant skills and
experience which make you a suitable candidate. Refer to the CV that
has more detailed information

ƒ End positively offering to provide any further information and

expressing the hope for an interview. In the last paragraph of the
application letter, you can indicate how the prospective employer can get
in touch with you.

These four points should be the four paragraphs of your job application.
Remember that paragraphing is extremely important for a clear organization
and structure of your application.

Check Your Progress 2

Job Application

Complete this application letter using the correct form of the following
words:

interest employ complete match learn deal

ability appreciate enclose

246 Mahavir Apartments

Malviya Nagar
Bhopal 462014

8 August 2018

Mr Saurabh Khanna
Manager HRD
Bajaj Allianz Insurance Pvt Ltd
256 Nehru Nagar
New Delhi

126
Dear Sir Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
Refusals
I am an under graduate in Commerce, ______________ in the post of Junior
Executive advertised in The Times of India, dated 1/08/18
At present I am ___________ part time as a trainee with ICICI Lombard,
Bhopal where I have _____________ one year. Having worked in the
insurance industry for a year, I believe I have ___________ the basics and I
now wish to take up a full time job in Insurance. Bajaj Allianz is a known
name in this field and I am sure I will find the work at Bajaj both challenging
and satisfying. You are looking for junior executives, who can help promote
life insurance in the rural sector of MP and that is my specific area of interest.
The job you are offering __________ my personal and professional interests.
As you will notice in my ____________ C V, I have a good knowledge of
English and Hindi, which gives me an advantage in _________ with rural
customers. I am a highly motivated, hard working and responsible worker.
My colleagues and friends often __________ my _________ to get along
with all kinds of people. I am sure my socializing skills along with my ability
to communicate effectively in English and Hindi would be extremely relevant
and suitable to the needs of your organization.

I look forward to the opportunity of an interview.

Yours faithfully

Mr Neelabh Trivedi

Writing Task 2

Using the above sample as a guide, write out a job application in

response to a vacancy that you can locate in the area of your interest and
qualification. Compare your application with the given sample. Use the
language input given in section 2.2.3 to write the application.

2.2.4

Speculative Job Applications

An effective way of gaining entry to work is by sending in your application
even when no vacancies have been advertised. This is done on the
presumption that when the prospective employers need someone they will
consider your application. You may also do this when you learn from
somebody that a company is looking to employ people. So do not always
wait for a job advertisement. You have nothing to lose from such a job
application.

127
Preparing for What you can do is:
a Job
x Identify employers who recruit people with your degree; who might be
interested in your qualifications and / or your skills.
x For this you must be tuned in to such employers. The internet is a good
place to start. Learn about the company, their organizational structure,
trends in your field etc,
x Find out the name of the person you need to send your CV to and address
your application accordingly.
Ensure that your letter states clearly what you are looking for - a job, work
experience, project work - along with what skills and experience you have to
offer. If you are primarily looking for a summer job or an internship during a
gap between your studies, or just an opportunity to gain experience, it must
be mentioned clearly in your application. Joining a company as an intern, part
timer or for work experience can be a useful way to open doors, network and
gain references.
x Follow up your letter with a telephone call to show that you are sincerely
interested and see if you can arrange a meeting to discuss job
possibilities, review your application, or make contacts.
x It always helps to make contact with people from the area where you
wish to work. Ask people, including lecturers or past students, for
contacts who may know of opportunities in a particular sector.

2.3 LANGUAGE FOCUS

2.3.1

Beginnings of covering letters:

I am writing to apply for………

I am applying for……………………….
I am interested in the coordinator position advertised in
…………………………..

I am very much interested in the entry-level position

advertised………………………

I read with interest your advertisement for …………….. positions at

……………Company.

Speculative / unsolicited job applications

I have recently learnt that you are looking
for……………………
I have learnt that you have a vacancy
in……………………….
128
I believe that you are looking for………………………… Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
Refusals
Other useful Language
I would appreciate your consideration for this job opening.
Enclosed is a copy of my CV………
…..
I am enclosing a copy of my CV……
…………
Additional information about my eexperience and suitability can be found in
my enclosed CV.
Closing statements
Thank you for taking time to review
w my CV.
I will be thankful for the opportunitty of an interview…………..
Thanks for your consideration. I loook forward to hearing from you soon.
I look forward to the opportunity off an interview.

2.4 WRITING
Besides a CV and Job applicationn, one is required to write a whole lot of
other letters at different stages in the process of looking for a job. In the
earlier section of this Unit you havve learnt about CV Writing, including how
to draft a brief profile of yourself,
f, as well as Job Applications or covering
letters.

2.4.1
Reference letters
Reference letters play a very impoortant role in the process of recruitment.
Before you mention someone as a referee in your
CV you m might need to write to the person asking if
you can mmention him / her as a referee in your CV.
The first leetter in this section will make you familiar
with this pprocess. This is a guided task where the
clues provided will help you along.

Write a leetter to a professor asking him / her if

you can mention him / her as a rreferee in your CV and whether he / she
will be willing to provide a referen
nce for you when needed.
Include the following points:

- a reminder of who you are (pprofessors teach hundreds of students and

should be able to remember whho you are)
- request for permission to name him / her as a referee
- inform them about where you are applying – it could be an Institute of
Higher Education or a businesss organization

Now compare your letter with thee sample given in the key.
129
Preparing for
a Job
2.4.2

Follow up letter to a Job Application

If you have not had a response to your job
application, you can consider writing a follow
up letter to find out about the status of your
application. Take a look at the given example.

The date and address of the applicant and

Mr Gehlot have not been included in the
sample. They must be included in your
letter.

Dear Mr. Gehlot

I submitted a letter of application and a CV earlier this month for the position of Junior
Insurance Executive advertised by your company in the dŝŵĞƐŽĨ/ŶĚŝĂ. I have not yet
had any response from your office.

I am very interested in working in your Company and I believe I have suitable skills and
experience for the kind of work you expect from junior executives.

If necessary, I would be glad to resend my application or to provide any further

information you might need. I can be reached anytime at 0986256435 or
khalid.hussain@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your consideration.

Read the above letter carefully. Now imagine that you have not received
any response from a company where you sent in your job application
and CV. Write a follow up letter to the Employer and then compare your
letter with the above sample.

2.4.3
Responses to an Appointment Letter
You have already been informed in Unit 1 of this
block about the need to write a Thank you letter for

130
any interview that you face whether at a Job Fair or in a Company Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
office. Refusals

When you receive an offer for appointment, commonly there could be

two possible responses to such an offer. You either accept the offer or
refuse it.

Here is an offer of appointment from a company where you appeared for

a job interview.

GIS Insurance

258 Nehru Nagar

New Delhi 110019
Tel: 91 011 26018563
E mail: gisinsurance.del@sancharnet.in

8 August 2019

Dear Ms Satinder Kaur

Offer of Appointment

Thank you for attending the interview on 20 July 2019. I am pleased to offer you the
post of Junior Executive in our Sales Division at a starting salary of Rs 15,000 per month.
You will be required to join duty on 1 December 2019.

As discussed, office hours are from 9.30 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday. You will be
entitled to 2 weeks of annual paid holiday. The terms of employment have already been
explained to you. We will be glad to give you any other information you may need with
regards to your appointment.

Please confirm acceptance of this appointment in writing and that you can take up this
duty from 1 December.

Yours Truly

Malcolm Lobo
G M, HRD

A. Imagine that you are Ms. Satinder Kaur. Write a letter of
acceptance to Mr. Malcolm Lobo. Now compare your response with
the sample answer in the key.
On the other hand you could be in a position where you have had a better
offer from some other company. Or perhaps, you do not live in Delhi but in a
small town in MP, and because of your mother’s illness it is not possible for
you to take up work out of town at this moment of time. In such a situation
131
Preparing for you would need to write a letter of refusal. Be brief, polite and to the point.
a Job
At the same time, it is a practice to state the reason for refusal, though
sometimes you may not find it convenient to do so.

B. Draft a letter of refusal to the same offer

letter given above and then compare your
answer with the one given in the sample.
The following points will help you to
structure your letter:

x Thank Mr. Lobo for the offer

x Use a buffer statement
x Give reason for refusal
x Close positively

Now compare your letter with the sample given in the Key.

2.5 GRAMMAR
Action verbs can help you to describe your participation in college activities
or work experience. Out of the given choices identify the suitable action word
to complete the given sentences.

1. While at work I _______________ new

challenges .
a. encourage b. maintain c. enjoy
d. do

2. As a student I _______________ several

important college functions and events.

a. created b. controlled c. developed d. organized

3. In the general office the secretaries ___________ all word processing
and typing.

a. handle b. expedite c. assist d. organize

4. I can _____________ with difficult customers without losing my
patience.

a. talk b. handle c. look after d. deal

5. During my internship I ______________ the skill of working as part of a
team.

a. gained b. learnt c. made d. achieved

6. In my final year of college I ________________ actively in extra-

curricular activities.
a. implemented b. created c. participated d. started
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7. I ______________ the role of team leader in a group project in my final Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
year of B Com. Refusals
a. acquired b. acted c. played d. managed
8. I was successful in ___________ the interest of many villagers in the life
insurance scheme of our company.

a. generating b. producing c. devising d. creating

9. My work in the insurance sector ____________ interaction with many

illiterate people in the villages.

a. consisted b. managed c. involved d. had

10. Sales persons should be able to ______________ customers politely.

a. convince b. satisfy c. speak d. talk

2.6 ANSWERS
Check Your Progress 1
1. Personal 2. Profile 3 Education 4. Projects

5. Extracurricular activities 6. Work experience 7. Skills 8. Interests

9. References

Check Your Progress 2

Initiated executed directed re designed launched
Assumed Formulated Earned

Check Your Progress 2

Dear Sir

I am an under graduate in Commerce, interested in the post of Junior

Executive advertised in The Times of India.

At present I am employed part time as a trainee with ICICI Lombard, Bhopal

where I have completed one year. Having worked in the insurance industry
for a year, I believe I have learnt the basics and I now wish to take up a full
time job in Insurance. Bajaj Allianz is a known name in this field and I am
sure I will find the work at Bajaj both challenging and satisfying. You are
looking for junior executives who can help promote life insurance in the rural
sector of MP and that is my specific area of interest. The job you are offering
matches my personal and professional interests.
As you will notice in my enclosed C V, I have a good knowledge of English
and Hindi, which gives me an advantage in dealing with rural customers. I
am a highly motivated, hard working and responsible worker. My colleagues
and friends often appreciate my ability to get along with all kinds of people. I
am sure my socializing skills along with my ability to communicate
133
Preparing for effectively in English and Hindi would be extremely relevant and suitable to
a Job
the needs of your organization.
I look forward to the opportunity of an interview.

Yours faithfully

Mr Neelabh Trivedi

Check Your Progress

2.4.1 Write a letter to a professor asking him / her if you can mention
him / her as a referee in your CV and whether he / she will be willing to
provide a reference for you when needed.

Dear Madam

I am a former student of your faculty of Commerce. I was an Under Graduate

student at the RNT College from 2008 to 2011. You may recall that I was in
constant touch with you during my studies and also did my project under
your guidance in my Final Year of B. Com.
I wish to name you as a referee in my Curriculum Vitae and would like to
request for your permission to do so.
I am applying for jobs in Insurance in the private sector.
I look forward to your positive response to my request.
Yours Sincerely

Amita Sen

2.4.2

A. Letter of Acceptance

Dear Mr. Lobo,

Thank you for your letter of 8 August 2019 offering me the job of a Sales
Executive at GIS Insurance.
I will be glad to report for duty on 1st September at 9.30 am.
I eagerly look forward to working in your company.
Yours Truly

134 Ms Satinder Kaur

B. Letter of Refusal Writing a CV, Cover
Letter, Acceptance &
Refusals
Dear Mr. Lobo

Thank you for your letter of 8 August 2019 offering me the job of a Sales
Executive at GIS Insurance. It was a difficult decision to make, but I have
already accepted a position with another company.
Thank you for taking the time to interview me and share information on the
opportunity and the company
Once again, I'd like to express my gratitude for the offer.
Thank you for your consideration.

Yours Truly

Ms Satinder Kaur

Check Your Progress

Grammar 2.5
1. c 2d 3a 4d 5b
6c 7c 8a 9c 10 a

135