Материал: Business Communication and Correspondence Деловая коммуникация и коммерческая корреспонденция. Меркулова Н.В

ignore. Be specific and use numbers when describing your duties and achievements. Don't talk about 'managing a major turnover'. Talk about 'managing a $27,000,000 turnover'.

Tip 6: Put important information first: List important information at the beginning of your job description. Put statements in your CV in order of importance, impressiveness and relevance to the job you want. A powerful statement with numbers and power words influences every statement that follows.

Tip 7: Find key words from the job description: Let an employer do your work for you! Employers spend much time and money writing job advertisements and descriptions that contain key words for the position offered. Read these descriptions carefully to find the key words. Then use the same key words in your CV and cover letter.

Tip 8: Sell benefits, not skills: Holiday companies do not sell holidays. They sell relaxation, adventure, sun, sea and sand (the benefits of a holiday)! You should not sell your skills (many other people have the same skills). You should sell the benefits of your skills. When you write your skills and past duties, be careful to explain their benefits to the employer.

Tip 9: Create the right image for the salary: Use language that creates the right image for the level of job and salary you want. Position yourself at the appropriate level. The language you use will immediately influence an employer's perception of you.

Tip 10: Target the job: You will have more success if you adjust your CV and cover letter for the specific skills an employer is seeking. This means that you would write one CV for one particular job and a different, modified, CV for another job. You 're-package' yourself. In that way, an employer will see immediately that you correspond to the job description. It is not dishonest to 're-package' yourself. You are simply presenting yourself and your skills in the best light for a particular employer. This will help you to get more interviews. It will also allow you to apply for a wider range of jobs.

Bonus tip: Solve your employer's hidden needs!

Employers want people who can solve problems, not create them! Your CV and cover letter should show how you can solve the employer's problems and needs. And in addition to the skills or needs shown in a job advertisement, an employer may have other needs. You should identify these additional needs and show how you can satisfy them too.

But concentrate first on the needs listed in the job description. Your additional solutions should come later, and low-key, after you already have the employer's attention.

These samples are intended purely as a guide to what is possible. Please do not simply try to copy them for your own resume, because your resume should be unique (like you!). The resume template is deliberately basic so that you can easily modify it as need be:

Languages

Language 1 (fluent/excellent/good/some knowledge)

Language 2 (fluent/excellent/good/some knowledge)

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Interests

My Interest 1, My Interest 2, My Interest 3, My Interest 4

Referees

Name (telephone number)

Address

Name (telephone number)

Address

QUESTIONS:

1.What are the particular features of business correspondence for the XXI-st century.

2.Why business email writing plays an important role in communication?

3.What can you say about CVs/resumes for the XXI-st century?

4.How to create a Webpage?

5.Why do peple use “snail-mail” in business correspondence if they have better modern opportunities?

Business Letter Self-Assessment Test

Are the following statements True or False?

8. Contact information generally appears in the closing paragraph of the letter.

Your CV and Covering Letter Self-Assessment Test

Choose the most appropriate answer for each question :

1.On your letter of application, your name should appear:

A) at the top, on the right B) at the bottom C) at the top and at the bottom 2.If you start your covering letter 'Dear Mr Lincoln', you could end it:

4.What date is represented by '04/11/58'?

A) 4 November 1958 B) 11 April 1958 C) don't know

5.In your covering letter and CV/resume it is best to use: A) active verbs B) passive verbs C) doesn't matter

6.How many pages should a CV/resume usually be? A) 1 or 2 B) at least 3 C) as many as necessary

7.What is the standard paper size in the USA?

A)Letter B) A4 C) Executive

8.The principal objective of your CV/resume is to:

10. In the English-speaking world, a CV/resume and its accompanying letter should usually be:

A) typed or word-processed B) hand-written C) doesn't matter

Business Correspondence Assignments

Assignment 1: Letter: Compose a letter to a client, employee, or member of the community, with copies to your immediate supervisor and your instructor, explaining a company decision, policy, or procedure. Your letter will be evaluated on the basis of

correct letter format, including paragraph content, salutations, and signatures as well as document formatting.

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use of writing style and language choice to convey a clear, concise, direct and appropriately businesslike tone.

correct grammar, spelling, syntax and vocabulary use.

Follow the format carefully, structure the letter content carefully, and proofread carefully. You may select any topic for the letter, and students are encouraged to locate a letter topic that is typically used in their own discipline. An accounting major might write a letter explaining an audit decision to a client, while a marketing major might provide advertising costs to a prospective client.

Assignment 2: Proposal: Prepare a persuasive message to propose some company activity (purchase, employee social event, advertising campaign, etc.), policy change (benefits administration, office procedures, etc.), or business process (an accounting method, order fulfillment or other operating procedure, etc.). The communication will be scored on the basis of

o clarity of the message with respect to the action being proposed (clear introduction of context and proposal);

o personal credibility demonstrated in the communication of the message (professionalism of delivery (confident, conversational), group cohesiveness);

o logic of case made in support of the proposal (and adherence to the form of logic required in the assignment): narrative: plausibility, relevance, value; argument: problem, cause, solution, workability;

o validty and appropriateness of evidence presented in support of the case being made: narrative: image, self-disclosure, coherence; argument: claim, evidence, refutation.

Assignment 3: Thank you Letter: Prepare a letter to thank someone for taking the time to conduct an interview, providing assistance or advice, or performing some other activity that you found to be helpful in your job search, work performance, or career advancement. The letter should reflect the business style and professional tone and reflect an appreciation for the career building steps. Email the letter as an attachment to the instructor. It will be scored on the basis of

•Correct letter format and language use.

•Clear description of the action performed.

•Clear description of the positive effect that has resulted (or will result) from the action.

•Positive, relationship-building content element.

Pay attention to the proper form of a letter, of course, and proofread carefully. Your positive, relationship-building content might reflect an effort to give positive recognition. If the thank you letter follows a job interview, an excellent technnique is to include some reference to the interview conversation. It's important that the interviewer remember you as a unique, individual rather than just one of many nameless interviewees.

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