Paper: 07, Business Communication

Module: 31, Employment Applications and Resume Writing

Prof. S P Bansal
Principal Investigator Vice Chancellor
Maharaja Agrasen University, Baddi

Prof YogenderVerma
Co-Principal Investigator Pro–Vice Chancellor
Central University of Himachal Pradesh. Kangra. H.P.

Prof. IpshitaBansal
Paper Coordinator Department of Management Studies
BPSMV, KhanpurKalan, Sonipat

Dr. Mani Shreshtha

Content Writer Haryana School of Business
GJ University of Science & Technology, Hisar

Items Description of Module

Subject Name Management
Paper Name Business Communication
Module Title Employment Applications and Resume Writing
Module Id Module No. – 31
Pre- Requisites Basic letter writing skills, A job to apply for
Objectives To acquaint job applicants with drafting an employment application and
designing a Resume
Keywords Job Application, Resume, Covering Letter
 QUADRANT-I

1. Module 31: Employment Applications and Resume Writing

2. Learning Outcomes
3. Introduction
4. Self Analysis
5. An Employment Application / Cover Letter / Application Letter
6. Resume / Curriculum Vitae / Bio- Data
7. Summary

1. Module 31: Employment Applications and Resume Writing

2. Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this module, students will be able to
 write a persuasive employment application letter
 create a professional Resume

3. Introduction:
Writing an employment application is probably a graduate students’ first interaction with formal
business writing. An employment application is also referred as cover letter. An employment
application provides an opportunity to the applicant to impress a prospective employer. An
employment letter or cover letter is generally an accompanying letter to a Resume. It helps in
creating a distinct position of applicant in the mind of an employer. A well written employment
application can lead an employer to go through your Resume and increase the chances of you
getting an offer. With the advent of email as a popular mode of communication in corporate
sector, the employment application also adopted the paperless form. While communicating
through email, an employment application becomes the main body of the email and Resume is
send as an attachment. In all, a cover letter is an opportunity through which you can differentiate
yourself from rest of the applicants.

4. Self Analysis:
Before starting any activity to write an employment application or creating a Resume, it is very
important for you to do a self analysis. A self analysis is am exercise for answering the question:
who are you? Generally, we are having a feeling that we always know everything about us. But
many a times we are only having a surface awareness about us. While writing a cover letter, we
must get deeper information on the areas like skills, interests, and personal values held by us. A
good self analysis can help you in better projecting yourself in front of an employer and hence
getting closer to the job offer.

5. An Employment Application / Cover Letter / Application Letter

A letter of application has a special relevance which differentiates it from other forms of letter
writing. It possesses a quality of a persuasive sales letter where the applicant is trying to convince
the prospective employer to buy a product. In this case, the product is ‘You’. Just like in sales
letter, you should present the features of the product that might appeal the reader. You should also
mention about the benefit the prospective employer will get after selecting you. Generally, two
types of cover letters written. One doesn’t include Resume while other includes it. The first type
of covering letter mentions everything about you such as qualifications, skill, experience, personal
information etc. As it is a detailed letter, it is relatively lengthy. Employers sometimes get irritated
to see such lengthy letters. In the second type of covering letter, the application is divided into
two parts: a brief application and a detailed Resume. In the brief application, reference of the job
advertisement along with your most significant attributes related to the job is mentioned. On the
other hand, a Resume provides detailed information about your personal profile, skill set,
experience, achievement, references etc. Second type of covering letters is more popular among
the employers for their specificity of purpose.

5.1. Application Letter Structure: Before drafting an application letter, it is important to

understand various parts of its structure.
5.1.1. Address of the applicant and date: It includes the address of the person who is writing
the employment application. It is important to mention the complete address for better
correspondence. The applicant’s address should be mention at the top of the letter and
aligned left. It must be in line with the left margin. The date of writing the application
must be mentioned below the applicant’s address. Format of date should be correct.
Write month first then date followed by comma and the year. For example:

July 24, 2002 and September 2, 2002

5.1.2. Employer’s name and address: In this part, name and address of the employer is
mentioned. Provide atleast spaces below the date and the employer’s name. Again, left
align the matter. It is important to correctly spell the name and designation of the
employer. A mistake of misspelt names can be fatal for your chances of getting a job.

5.1.3. Salutation: It means greeting the receiver of the mail. It indicates the courtesy extended
by the applicant to the prospective employer. It also specifies the receiver of the
message. While addressing the receiver of the application, it is preferable to write Dear
Sir rather than writing Dear Mr Sehgal.

Applicant's Employer's
Address and Name and Salutation
Date Address

Closing and
Main Content Enclosures
Signature

Structure of Application Letter

5.1.4. Main content of the letter: Main content in the letter should be written as per the
guidelines of writing effective letters. Broadly, matter need to be organized, sequenced,
checked grammatically, include vital information, and properly formatted. While
writing this part, it is important to check whether we are using a detailed or brief format.

5.1.5. Closing: An application letter must drive for action in the end. Also a complement
should be added in the end. The complementary close must go with the salutation. For
example: Yours faithfully, yours respectfully, your truly are the more popular
complementary closes. But the usage of ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Sincerely yours’ is preferred
during formal communication.

5.1.6. Signature: A signature is distinctively marking the name of the applicant in ink on a
paper. Below a signature, name of the applicant is mentioned. Nowadays, digital
signatures can be created and used.
 5.1.7. Enclosures: Enclosures are mentioned below the signature and name of the applicant. It
indicates the list of documents that are attached with the application letter. Enclosures
can be mention as ‘Encl:’ and list of documents attached is mentioned in front of it.

Format of an Application Letter

Address of the Applicant:

Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Place- Pincode
Date: Month Date, Year

Employer’s Name and Address:

Name of the Employer
Designation
Name of Organization
Address Line
Place- Pincode

Salutation

Main Body Main Body Main Body Main Body Main Body Main Body Main Body Main
Body Main Body Main Body Main Body Main Body

Complementary Close

Signature
(Name of the applicant)

Encl: List of documents attached

5.2. Developing the message for application letter: The content developed for the message must
be properly organized and presented in the application letter. For that a logical approach is
followed. The total content is divided into three parts: opening, middle and end. Every part is
having its own relevance. Purpose of opening part is to gain attention of the reader. Middle
part of the letter mentions about the data and details of the applicant. The end part of the
letter puts a request by you asking for an action.

5.2.1. Attention gainer opening: This is the introductory paragraph of the letter. It must bear
all the qualities of a sales letter. It is worthy to remember that receiver of the letter
might be of senior position and very busy. So, your writing must gain desirable
attention, right from the beginning. Examples of some of the distinctive openings are as
follows:

 Stan Consulting and RR Capitals. Both these companies provided me a chance

to prove my ability in the field portfolio management. For last one year, I am
working for JJ Finance, where I am heading a financial restructuring team
responsible for optimisation of investments in South-East Asia.
  Please refer to your advertisement No. AAJ/456 in The Times of India dated
September 6, 2002 for the post of Copy Writer. I wish to be considered for this
post.
 Dr JK Singh, Professor in Marketing Management and my mentor has
forwarded to me a possible opening in your organization as a Marketing
Manager. I am associated with professor Singh for last four years and got
sufficient qualification and knowledge to justify my candidature as Marketing
Manager. Here is what I have to offer.
 Are you in need of a Marketing Manager? Handling a marketing team of 50,
instrumental in designing marketing plans, sound market understanding, and an
achiever. These attributes and experience lead me to approach you for the
position of a Marketing Manager.

5.2.2. Informative middle paragraph: This part of the application letter is used to provide a
justification and proof of what you have claimed in the attractive opening paragraph. It
acts like a persuasive paragraph. While mentioning any information in this paragraph,
an applicant must take care about connecting the information with the requirements of
the advertised job. The reason being, the employer would be interested in knowing those
specific qualities in the applicant which are essential and desirable for the completion of
a job. In this paragraph, do not forget to highlight your achievements and performances.
Such information might lead the prospective employer to your Resume for details of
contributions. You can also present the information related to your education, work
experience, interest areas, and personal qualities. Examples of some of the information
for the middle paragraphs are as follows:

 My internship at KCL Bank honed my skills to handle day to day queries

through understanding the perspective of customers. The training also allowed
me to apply my theoretical understanding of customer relationship management
in solving real time issues at the bank.
 In my major, I studied marketing with a specialization in consumer behaviour.
My CGPA indicates effort put in by me especially during the research project
on ‘Perceptual Mapping of Mobile Service Providers in the National Capital
Region’.
 I got a black belt certification for training program on six-sigma, proving my
proficiency in handling quality related issues.
 In addition to the above achievements, I am a team player and gel very well in
diverse environments.
 I lead a State level team at National Basketball Championship held at New
Delhi on November 8, 2005.
 Six years of work experience at the country’s top most retail store have given
me insights regarding changing preference of customers in the retail sector.

5.2.3. Action oriented end paragraph: The end part of the application letter must lead to the
action proposed in the close. Decision about the action sought is totally at the discretion
of the applicant. Depending upon the purpose, a desired action can be driven. An action
could be a request for a meeting, an invitation to discuss further, asking for a reference
check. It is not advisable to request for offering an employment in the first
communication. The action words should be clear and specific. You should not sound
too aggressive or pushy while closing the letter. Also, end paragraph presents
information related to your contact detail such as email address and phone number. An
Examples of some of the information for the end paragraph are as follows:
  These brief facts and the detailed information in my Resume justify my
suitability to the job of Operations Manager. Please let me know a suitable time
and place for further discussions on the issue. You can contact me at 0 78 78 45
12 56 during weekdays to arrange for a meeting.
 My educational qualification and experience have equipped me to work as a
Operations Manager in your organization. May I meet with you to further
discuss about how I can contribute more to your organization as a Operations
Manager. You can email me at rsingh@gmail.com or call me at +91 77 90 97
93 87 to arrange an interview.

Example of an Employment Application Letter

 29, Stone Lane
26th Street, Model Town
Madurai- 531008
Date: May 7, 2008

Mr. Ravi K Chowdhary

General Manager- Human Resources
TKC Pvt. Ltd.
Park Street
Kolkata- 471013

Dear Sir

Five years of experience at J&R Limited, a leading name in FMCG sector, as Assistant
Marketing Manager makes me qualified enough to apply for the post of Marketing Manager you
advertised in The Times of India of April 30, 2008.

After my Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management from IMI, Delhi, I did two short
term courses in Sales Management and Retail Management. It enhanced my skills in analysing a
marketing situation with a broader perspective. A CGPA of more than 8.0 speaks about my
efforts.

Additional experience of working with Tuber Pvt. Limited for 2 years provided me the insights
about FMCG sector, market analysis, and consumer research. My job involved campaign
planning, territory management, and key client handling. As you will see in my enclosed
Resume, I got Best Performer Award for two years indicating my work performance.

In short, Sir, both my educational qualification and my experience have equipped me to work as
a Marketing Manager in your organization. May I meet with you to further discuss about how I
can contribute more to your organization as a Marketing Manager. You can email me at
gksham@gmail.com or call me at +91 98 90 97 93 94 to arrange an interview.

Sincerely yours

Gagan Kumar
(Gagan Kumar)

Encl: Latest Resume

6. Resume / Curriculum Vitae / Bio- Data

A Resume is a summary document that provides information regarding your education, work
experience, skill set etc. It is generally used to highlight specific competencies for a given job
opportunity. Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Bio- Data are the other popular terms associated with
Resume. Although these terms are used interchangeably but there exists a slight difference among
them. A curriculum vitae is a more comprehensive and detailed document when compared with
Resume. Length of a CV is longer than that of a Resume. On the other hand, a Bio- Data is
defined as one’s life and work experiences. In a bio-data, focus is given on providing personal
details such as date of birth, height, weight, colour of skin, photograph, and nationality. It is more
traditional in comparison to its counterparts. For the matter of simplicity, we will only discuss
about Resume as a tool for applying to an employment opportunity.

Preparation of a Resume involves collecting the relevant information pertaining to the applicant
and arranging it in a logical and aesthetic manner. The information is related to applicants’ career
objective, work experience, education, personal qualities, personal information, skill set, and
references. Each of the information should be arranged in a reverse chronological order. It
facilitates the reader to know your work experience or education from present to past.

Example of a Resume
 Raj Shekhar
29 Stone Lane •26th Street • Model Town • Madurai- 531008
Phone: (169) 274-5678 • Mobile: +91 97 85 58 43 46 • Email: rshekhar@gmail.com

OBJECTIVE
A senior position in quality assurance that will lead to independently heading
operations in e-business.

WORK EXPERIENCE – 9+ YEARS

Quality Assurance, Inspection, Global Sourcing Operation Management, Strategic
Planning, Supply Chain Management, Diverse product knowledge with experience
of handling Client inquiry and Customer complaints .

Worked with Liaison office, Production house, Buying company, Retail, Third
party Inspection & Ecommerce company.

EXPERIENCE
Jul’10 – Till Date RSD Pvt Ltd Mumbai
Head – General Manager - Quality Assurance
 Managing the Private label Quality Assurance department with 08 QA
Executives to ensure desired Quality product from different factories across
India & B’desh.
 Review, evaluate and give approval of Pre Production and Sealer samples for
Private label styles.
 Published Vendor Handbook and work procedures documents.
 Work closely with TUV Lab for product physical and safety testing. Advice
Failed report update to category and supplier with corrective actions.
 Sorting out the warehouse Quality issues and Barcode LM cases and provide
solutions.
 Actively involved in Vendor upgradation process, Customer return data
analysis & corrective action implementation, Customer return issues and
Factory Assessment.
 Key Highlights -
 Awarded Gem of the Year Award – Best Manager in January’15.

Apr’06 – Jul’10 Kay Cee Wholesale Pvt Ltd New Delhi

Sr. Manager - Quality Assurance
 Managing the lifecycle of product from Pre Production till warehouse delivery
with the team of 20 Quality Inspectors across four offices to ensure desired
Quality product from different factories across India.
 Review, evaluate and give approval of Size set, Pre Production and Sealer
samples for both Private and regular label styles.
 Regular upgradation of Quality Guidelines and revision of SOP’s and work
procedures documents.
 Works in hand with Internal Audit and Compliance team to drive the best
practices and continuous improvement plans.
 EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

2004 - 2006 National Institute of Fashion Technology Bangaluru

 Post Graduate diploma in Garment Manufacturing Technology ( GMT ).

Grade – 1st
2000 – 2004 Madurai Kamaraj University Madurai
 Graduated in Textile Management with specialization in Manufacturing

Technology.
1999 – 2000 NIIT Gurgaon
 Application development course on e – commerce.

PROFESSIONAL TRAININ GS

May’ 2008 Textile Business Model Workshop Madrid, Spain

Jun’ 2008 Retail Stores Study of Thailand Bangkok, Thailand

Jan’ 2010 Train the Trainer (TTT) Noida, India

Apr’ 2012 APGM Workshop Shenzhen, China

COMPUTER PROFICIENCY
MS Office, Lotus Notes, HTML, Java, Java Script, Front Page

PERSONAL PROFILE
Date of birth June 30, 1983

Languages English and Hindi

Marital Status Married
Interests Swimming, Parallel Cinema, Guitar & Horse Riding
Country’s visited Spain, Thailand, Germany, China, Hongkong

REFERENCES
Personal and professional references will be gladly furnished on request

7. Summary:
An effective employment application or cover letter can bring an applicant closer to a job. A
cover letter serves two purposes; firstly it helps in creative first impression on the prospective
employer. Secondly, it leads the reader of the letter to the Resume. Before deciding what to write
in a cover letter, it is important to do a self assessment exercise. This exercise will help you in
knowing more about ‘you’.
A covering letter is having several structural elements such as address of the applicant, date, name
and address of the employer, salutation, main body, closing, and signature. Main content can
further be divided into three subparts namely opening, middle and end. Opening paragraph must
gain attention of the reader. In the middle paragraph of a covering letter, applicant should mention
data based details justifying the candidature. Finally, the end part should indicate an action
request closing.
A Resume is summary of applicants’ education, skill set, work experience, personal qualities and
personal details. The total information about the applicant should be logically and aesthetically
presented to the prospective employer. An attractive Resume can bring an applicant closer to the
final placement.