VWO 5 Application letter

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

VWO 5 - Writing an application letter

Today

Class work 

Explanation of an application letter

On your own

Practise application letter

Leerdoelen

• Ik weet hoe ik een sollicitatiebrief in het Engels moet opstellen. 

Application letter/email outline

• Nowadays, you will probably either write an email or type a letter and attach it to your online application rather than handing it in person. 
• When attaching an application letter to your email - always briefly state the content you've included in the email. Never send a blank email!  
  
• Subject line: application for English teacher

Dear English Department Search Committee, 

Please find enclosed my application for the position of your 9th grade English teacher.  Thank you for your consideration.   

Sincerely, 

Maria Smith

Application letter/email outline

1. Your own address with or without your name, but with the country (you don't need to do this if you are only writing an application email)

Chandler Bing 

Titus Brandsmalaan 1

 5262 BS Vught

 Netherlands

*This is also always in your cv so can sometimes be left out nowadays 

Application letter/email outline

2. Date of writing: this should be at the top left of your letter

 

 15 December 2020

 December 15, 2020

 December 15th, 2020

All options are correct; the first one is the easiest. Remember to write months with capital letters in English!

Application letter/email outline

[Your name]

[Your address]

[Your email address/phone number]

[Date written]

[Recipient's name]

[Company name]

[Company physical address]

Dear Mr ....., 

Application letter/email outline

3. Salutation 

• Use capital letters + only use someone's last name


• NEVER write ‘Mister/Missus’
  
• Always end with a comma after a name or department (except for TWIMC) 

If you know who you are writing to then you use their last name:
 Dear Mr Jones,                                       Dear Ms Shelton,     (Mr, Ms, Mrs, Mx,)

If you don't know who you are writing to the best thing is to find out or use a job title or department name to make it more personal:

Dear Head of Marketing,                         Dear Hiring Manager,                     
If you can't find any of these things out it's also possible to use these:

Dear Sir/Madam,                                      To Whom It May Concern:   (least personal option)

Application letter/email outline

In US English, abbreviation is indicated with a period at the end: 

Mrs.      Ms.        Mx.

In UK English, no period is used with such abbreviations:

(e.g., “Dr Philips,” “Ms Jamison”)

If you’re writing in UK English, write Mrs, Ms, and Mx with no period after them.

Mrs          Ms          Mx

Application letter/email outline

4.  Introduction paragraph  

     3 Body paragraphs 

     Closing paragraph

• so 5 paragraphs in total!
  

   

content information in a later slide

Application letter/email outline

5. Closing sentence

You are writing a cover letter because you want to be invited for a job interview. 

• always keep in mind that your closing sentence should exude self-assurance
  
• mention being happy to discuss your letter in person

Commonly used sentences:
Naturally, I would be delighted to discuss my cover letter in a personal interview.

I look forward to your response.

In light of my work experience, I believe that I am the right person for your position. I would be pleased to be invited for a personal interview.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

***This sentence is always on its own line at the end. 

Application letter/email outline

6. Closure: This should be on its own line with your name under it.

   Yours sincerely, 

   Yours faithfully, 

   Sincerely, 

   Respectfully, 

Never end a formal letter with: 

Love, 

Bye, 

Cheers, 

Application letter/email outline

7. Your signature (if writing a letter) and full name 

 Sincerely, 

 [signature]

 Renske van Dijk

Basic Rules

Between each new part of your letter you leave a blank line

It is okay to start a letter with “I” in English

Always continue writing until the end of the line. A new sentences does not mean you should start on a new line. You only start on a new line when you start a new paragraph / part of the letter. 

Basic Rules

This is a formal letter, so you have to use formal language!

• Don't start a sentence with informal linking words, such as and, but, because, or, so, also. 
• Do not use contractions, such as don't, isn't, I'm, etc.
• Do not use slang, such as wanna, gonna, ain't, u, etc. 
• Be polite 

Paragraph Content 

Introduction: outlines your cover letter for the reader

• If the employer reads only your introduction and nothing else, they should still have a good sense of your main points!
  

Body Paragraphs: should be distinct & well-organised, main points should tie back to the position you are applying for, provide specific examples & support for why you are a good candidate

Conclusion: restate position you're applying to (shows it's not a generic letter), restate important/main points, thank the employer for considering you for the position and state that you would like to have an interview

Introduction

1. State the job you are applying to

• ensures if the organisation is hiring for multiple positions, they will know which position you are applying for
• also serves to reiterate your interest in the position

2. Tell the employer how you heard about this position

• name drop! (if someone from inside the company recommended that you apply)
• emphasise any personal connection you have to the company 
• don't need to tell which specific website you found the position on 

3. Briefly explain why you are interested in/qualified for this specific opportunity

•  refer to the position description when writing this part - specific skills and experiences that match what they are looking for 
• mention something about this organisation or opportunity that specifically excites you
• do this in one or two sentences - you can go into more depth in your body paragraphs
  

4. Briefly outline the main points that you are going to address in your body paragraphs

• last sentence should serve as a thesis statement, or a mini outline for the rest of your letter.

Body Paragraphs

1. Topic Sentence

• tells what your paragraph will be about  

Through my internship at Cosmo hair salon, I ..... 

2. Make sure everything is relevant to the position 

•  tie it back to the position you are applying for - how the skills you learned from the internship will benefit you in this position
  
• don't repeat yourself from one paragraph to the next - new skills/qualifications

3. Organised paragraphs

• you can decide how you'd like to organise your paragraphs but a common layout is: 

Paragraph 1: relevant experience and qualifications

Paragraph 2: mention specific abilities and highlight skills that you have

Paragraph 3: company-specific details and why you are particularly interested in this job

• paragraphs don't need to be long - clear and concise is best 
  

Useful sentences and phrases

See handout

Conclusion

1. Restate the position you are applying to

• affirms your interest in the specific position and shows that it is not a generic cover letter you are sending to multiple jobs

2. Briefly restate your main points

• 1 or 2 sentences: summarise the main points in your body paragraph (key skills that make you a great candidate)

3. Any extra contact information (if necessary)

• availability to start working, best times to reach you, etc. (not a must)

4. Closing sentence

• this is the sentence about looking forward to an in-person interview - don't forget it's on it's own line with a space between your conclusion and this sentence (also a space in between this sentence and the closure)

Tips

• Always write your age in full; i.e. sixteen-year-old girl / seventeen-year-old boy 
• Write numbers up to twenty in full, except when you are talking about dates (i.e. I attend school five days a week / I read your vacancy on 3 February 2021). 
• vwo = pre-university education / grammar school 
• Translate everything into English, so the names of papers and your education should be written in English, not in Dutch. 
• If you must say something in Dutch, make sure to write the Dutch in between quotation marks. 
• Don't ever start off the cover letter by saying "My name is ____." The person already knows your name from the application and you'll sound inexperienced.

What to do? 

Write a practise application letter with a partner (or own your own)

We will do a peer review in class on Tuesday. 

Situatie

Over een jaar hoop jij jouw vwo-5 cijferlijst op zak te hebben. Je bent bezig met onderzoeken wat je daarna wilt gaan doen. Het lijkt je fijn om tijdens de zomervakantie in het buitenland te werken. Tijdens het zoeken naar opties, kwam je een advertentie tegen van Camp America. Een organisatie die baantjes regelt voor zomerkampen in de Verenigde Staten. (zie volgende dia)

Camp counselor wanted

summer 2021

You will...

• ... be overseeing a group of 8 - 12 years old during their daily activities. 
• ... plan activities and supervise the campers. 
• ... guide the campers, and make sure they have a safe environment while at camp.

You have to be...

• 16 - 19 years old
• creative
• good at organising activities 
• responsible
• good with children

You need...

 good English skills

pre-university education grade list (V5)

 

Opdracht

Volg de formele brief outline en schrijf een complete solliciatiebrief naar Camp America. 

• Noem in de brief tenminste 3 kwaliteiten die aansluiten bij de advertentie.
• Geef aan wat voor werkervaring jij hebt.