READING AND WRITING SKILLS

STEM 11 | Janna Mariz Layno

Lesson 8: Unique Features and Requirements Writing Professional Correspondent

1. Application for College Admission

Application for College Admission

- letter that helps determine whether or not you will be accepted into the college of your choice
- no specific letter - writing approach can promise that you will get admission

Tips for a Better Chance of Obtaining Acceptance

a. Research the College

→ Your goal is to let the admission counselor know all about you and give them enough
that they think you might be a good fit for what they have to offer.

b. Convey Why You Want to Attend

→ Try to lay honestly out all the reasons why you think this college is perfect for you.

c. Market Yourself

→ Clearly, you must mention your academic qualifications, especially if you are on the
honor roll. If you are involved in different things around the community, mention that.
Reading all documentation on the school can give you an advantage.

d. Clarify That You Have Something Unique to Offer

→ Keep in mind that there are thousands of other individuals who are intelligent and applying
as well. It is important to showcase why you will be a great addition to the college.

e. Double-Check the Letter

→ The worst thing that you can do is submit a letter with grammatical or spelling errors. While
it may be a pain, one of the first reasons that and choose one application over another is a
badly spelled letter.
 2. Application Letter

- a typical example of sales letter since you are selling your services or your qualification to the
employer
- purpose of writing an application letter is to obtain an interview
- letter should be persuasive
- should qualify that he will want to talk with you and find out more about you before he makes a
choice among applicants for the job

Classes of Application Letter

a. Solicited written - in response to an advertisement

b. Unsolicited written - at the suggestion of someone who knows the existence of a vacancy or
the applicant himself believes that there is a vacancy in the office

Suggested Outline for an Application Letter

First Paragraph Mention the sources of information that there're a vacancy and position applied for

Second Paragraph Cite the qualification: personal and educational

Third Paragraph Mention the experience

Fourth Paragraph Mention the references which serve as the applicant's guarantor

Fifth Paragraph Express the applicant's willingness to be hired

Tips for Writing a Good Application Letter

a. Do not be too modest. When applying for a job, it is not enough to put one's best foot
foremost. The other has to he kept safely out of sight. Never begin with an expression like you
have never had any experience in your type of work

b. Do not be boastful. However, it is likely to antagonize. Such information should leave for other
to supply when they write recommendations letters for the applicant

c. Do not sound superior to the work you are applying for. "I am willing to work for you until I
can find a place that suits me better." No employer was ever won by a remark like this so never
include it in an application letter.

d. State honestly the achievement that may fit you for the job. Irrelevant items from the
applicant's past should never be included.

e. Think first of the viewpoint of your prospective employer. Employers are more interested in
what applicants can do for them, not in what they can do for the applicants

f. Try to make your letter stand out favorably from others. A dozen or even hundreds of letters
from qualified persons may be received by prospective employers. The applicants must try to
make their letter noticeable. (Rorabacher, 1992)
 5. Resume

- a structured, written summary of a person's education, employment background. job

qualifications, and other data.
- a form of advertisement, designed to help get an interview.
- a highly valuable tool to accompany a letter of application.
- Since resume’s are sales letters, they must be carefully prepared to show the best possible
impression of the applicant.

Resume Content

There is no one right way to write a résumé. Below are the typical sections in a resume!

a. Contact Information or Heading (required): Include your full name, permanent or temporary
address, phone number with are code, as well as your email address, at the top of one's résumé',
so that it STANDS OUT.

b. Objective Statement (optional): A job objective should state what the applicant wants to do,
the position he/she is interested in and should be employer focused. Modify the objective to fit
each employer and position targeted. Not all authorities agree on the inclusion of the objective
statement because it labels the applicant as being interested in only one thing.

a.) Position in sales or marketing with opportunity for traveling and advancement
b.) A computer programming position with an opportunity for eventual managerial status

c. Summary or Profile (optional): A summary includes three or four bulleted statements

highlighting one's skills, enticing the reader to look at the rest of the résumé. It supports the
objective. Quantify the statements whenever possible.

d. Education (required): The next section is the educational background if it is more note- worthy
than one's work experience. Include the name and location of the school, dates of attendance,
major field of study, and degrees received. Include the grades if it is above average or only show
the general average grades from the major subjects (usually, these are high grades), can be
highlighted. Indicate any scholarships, awards or academic achievements received. Include also
off - campus training, relevant seminars or workshop attended, certificates or other documents
received. As much as possible do not include the secondary and elementary education in the
résumé', especially if he/she has already worked in the chosen field

e. Work Experience: If one's work experience is significant and relevant to the position sought,
this information should appear before education. Begin listing all of the paid and unpaid work
experiences in reverse chronological order even the jobs have no relation to one's present career
objective.

f. Relevant Skills. Include computer skills, communication skills, and language skills. Be specific
here. If you can read, but not speak a language, do not claim proficiency.

g. Interests (optional): Mention hobbies and athletic participation that show a balance of interest.
Be specific, instead of just writing "reading" write reading foreign affairs." Such information is quite
useful to some employers when personal qualities are related to the job.

h. References: Indicate that this is available upon request. References should be on a separate
piece of paper. Include three references and provide the following information: the person's name,
job title, phone number, name and address of the organization. DO NOT PUT YOUR
REFERENCES ON YOUR RÉSUME'!
 Resume Overall Tips

a. Résumé' should only be one page

b. DO NOT use full sentences
c. Quantify your experiences
d. If early in academic career, include high school information
e. Check and recheck spelling and grammar
f. Use high quality 8½ X 11 white or ivory paper
g. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms
h. Do not include salary information.

Resume Style

a. Chronological Résumé
→ It starts by listing one's work history, with the most recent position listed first. His/her jobs
are listed in reverse chronological order with his/her current, or most recent job, first.
→ Employers typically prefer their type because it is easy to see what previous jobs the
applicant held.
→ This type works well for job seekers with strong, solid work history and for those who show
steady career growth.

b. Functional Résumé
→ It focuses on one's skills and work experiences, rather than the chronological work history.
→ The functional resume' begins with the applicant's contact information, job objective, and
education. Instead of listing jobs, the functional resume' presents skills and
accomplishments in special categories like Management skills, Communication skills or
Marketing skills.
→ It is used most often by people who are changing career or having gaps in their
employment history.

6. Cover Letter

- A resume' is never used by itself. It is organized to accompany a cover letter.

- a cover letter must be short since its only functions are to introduce a resume' and to make an
inference to additional supporting papers which will be sent separately from the resume and
application letter.

Objectives of a Well-Written Cover Letter

a. It gives the applicant an opportunity for personalization and for directing the resume' to a
specific person.
b. It permits the writer to focus his attention on particular skills considered by the reader as
important.
c. It makes the applicant convey his reasons clearly for the interest he has in the company.
d. It paves the way for continuous communication and follow through.