Work in Bermuda

ACME Atlantic are a well-known and respected trading company. We handle imports directly from manufacturers in 35 different countries, often to our own specifications, and currently export to 46 different countries worldwide.

We are looking for enthusiastic people to work in our office in Bermuda on temporary 3-, 6- and 9-month contracts. Applicants must be able to speak and write at least one foreign language fluently and can be nationals of any country.

Experience in import/export will be an advantage, but as special training will be available this is not essential. The main requirements are a willingness to work as a member of a team, to cope with pressure, to use the telephone in a foreign language and in English and to be prepared occasionally to work long hours when necessary.

There are several posts available and long-term prospects are good, though initially all successful applicants will be contracted for a maximum of 9 months.

The salary we will offer is excellent. We will pay for your return air fare and provide adequate accommodation at a nominal rent.

Please apply in your own handwriting, enclosing your resume, to Charles Fox, European Sales Office, ACME Atlantic Ltd, 45 Pentonville Road, London EC2 4AC.

8 Look at this application letter from an applicant for the job. In

what ways does Arthur Dent seem suitable (or unsuitable) for

the job? Pay attention to the phrases which may be helpful

when writing your letter of application.

Dear Mr Fox,

RE: Work in Bermuda

I noted with interest your advertisement in today’s Daily Planet.

You will see from the enclosed CV that I have three years’ experience in marketing. My responsibilities have included all types of administrative work, product development, arranging and attending presentations, working with clients and solving problems that arise.

Although I have an excellent relationship with my present employers, I feel that my prospects with them are limited and that there would be more scope for my talents with a larger, more dynamic company.

If you consider that my qualifications and experience are suitable, I should be available for interviewat any time.

Yours sincerely,

Arthur Dent

NB: The use of RE meaning “with reference to” is largely restricted to the language of business, but it is also used informally as a convenient short form standing for “regarding, concerning”: Re your invitation, I’ll be pleased to come.

a Read the letter of application for a job and then discuss the

questions that follow.

Dear Mrs Blake,

I am writing to apply for the position of Sales Manager in your Boston office, as advertised in the Herald newspaper on 6th May.

As outlined in my curriculum vitae, I graduated from the University of Brighton with a BSc in Business Studies and Economics in 1996.

Following my graduation from university, I moved to New York. where I trained as a Sales Consultant for the Seabrook Company for three years. On my return to England. I continued to work as a sales consultant until 2001, when I obtained my current position.

At present I am employed as Assistant Sales Manager at Deerfield Enterprises, where I am responsible for the organisation of staff and stock, as well as the allocation of the budget within the sales department. My duties also include planning new sales strategies, and I am generally noted for my organisational and business skills, as well as my initiative.

I believe that I would be an ideal candidate for the position you have outlined, as I have had extensive training with a well-known American firm. The time which I spent living in New York also ensured that I obtained a valuable insight into American culture and business practices. I also have several professional contacts in America, which could prove to be extremely useful in my future career. Finally. I am willing and able to relocate at short notice, which I understand to be a requirement of the position.

Please find enclosed my curriculum vitae and two references from previous employers, as requested. I would be happy to supply you with further information should it be required. I thank you for considering my application and am willing to attend an interview at any time.

Yours sincerely,

David Huntley

In which paragraph(s) has the writer:

· given details of the job he is applying for?

· mentioned academic qualifications?

· written about work experience?

· described personal qualities / suitability?

b Read the letter again and replace the underlined information

with details – real or imaginary – about yourself (the job you

would like to do, your work experience, personal qualities, etc).

9 Read the information below which may prove to be useful.

In different countries, different conventions apply to the process of job application and interviews. In most parts of the world, it’s common to submit a typed or laser-printed CV (curriculum vitae – British English) or resume (American English). This contains all the unchanging information about you: your education, background and work experience. This usually accompanies a letter of application, which in some countries is expected to be handwritten, not word-processed. A supplementary information sheet containing information relevant to this particular job may also be required, though this is not used in some countries.

Many companies expect all your personal information to be entered on a standard application form. Unfortunately, no two application forms are alike, and filling in each one may present unexpected difficulties. Some personnel departments believe that the CV and application letter give a better impression of a candidate than a form.

10 Study the CV of Mary B. Scott and draft your own.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: MARY BRENDA SCOTT

Address: 44 London Road, Winchester S016 7HJ

Telephone: 01962 888990 (home)

01703 778777(work)

e-mail: 44maryscott@ao1.com

Date of birth: 30 August 1979

Marital status: single

EDUCATION

Churchill Comprehensive School, Basingstoke 1990–1995

Winchester Technical College 1995–1997

QUALIFICATIONS

GCSE Maths, English, French, Geography, History,

Spanish, Chemistry 1995

BTEC National Secretarial practice, Office Practice 1997

EXPERIENCE

Office assistant Totton Engineering, Totton 1997—1998

Secretary to Sales Director Totton Engineering,

Totton 1998—1999

Personal Assistant to Export Manager Millbank Foods, Southampton 1999 to date

My work with Millbank Foods has involved responsibility for giving instructions to junior staff and dealing with clients and suppliers in person and on the telephone. I have accompanied the Export Manager to Food Trade fairs in Germany, France and the USA.

OTHER INFORMATION

I speak and write French and Spanish quite well (intermediate level). I am now taking an evening course in German conversation.

OTHER ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS

I play club basketball regularly and I sing and play the guitar with a local country and western band.

REFERENCES

Mr S.J. Grant, Personnel Manager, Millbank Foods, 34 – 42 South Dock Drive, Southampton S08 9QT

Mr John Robinson, Sales Director, Totton Engineering, Cadnam Street, Totton S023 4GT

Miss P.L. MacPherson, Head Teacher, Churchill Comprehensive School, Independence Way, Basingstoke RG20 9UJ

11 When a firm takes on a new employee it is usual to ask for a

reference, i.e. the name of someone or some firm who will be

ready to answer questions about his character and work.

References are normally written by a person who knows the

subject well: a teacher, an employer or a personal friend.

a Read the reference below and pay attention to the underlined

phrases.

Packard Brown Ltd,

Digby Industrial Estate,

Silton, Bristol BS12 2PE

Reference for Timothy Harding

Timothy Harding has worked for this company for ten years. Throughout this time he has shown himself to be a hard-working and enthusiastic employee. He first joined the company as a junior sales representative but was soon promoted and is now at the head of a successful team of sales representatives. He manages the team with skill and energy and a significant increase in sales achieved by the team is a measure of his success. He has considerable initiative and this has been particularly evident in the area of training, where he has had a notable success. The training programme he devised for his team has now been adopted throughout the company with very positive results.

On a personal level, I have found Timothy to be a very honest and considerate person and he is well-liked in the company. I have no hesitation in recommending him for the job for which he has applied, though I would of course be sorry to lose him.

Ms Claire Alexander

Director of Personnel

b If you have agreed to write a reference, the prospective

employer should contact you giving enough information

for you to be able to say something relevant. Consider

the following points:

· How well do you know the candidate?

· Do you have experience of the candidate’s work or personal life?

· Is the candidate trustworthy?

· Is the candidate hard-working?

· Is the candidate enthusiastic? Dedicated? Sunny? Serious?

· How well does the candidate work with a team? Is the candidate a loner?

· Is the candidate ambitious? Loyal?

NB: Always be careful when writing a reference not to rely too much on the superlative, or your words will be taken as effusive bluster.

c Read the reference below and complete the gaps with the words

and phrases from the box.

Dear Mrs Biggins,

James Long

Thank you for your letter of 19th March, requesting a reference for James Long.

I have known James for about ten years, since he joined the Buckby Local History Society. We have both been …………. for a number of years, and James …………….. as the society’s secretary and chairman.

James is ……….…… and organizer. He ……..…..………….. even among the most lethargic of our members, and never lets ………… stand in his way. He ………….. the opinions and desires of others and ……………. when necessary.

He has shown himself to be loyal and ……………., both as a personal friend and as ………. It is a pleasure to work …..… him.

I believe he would be an …………………. to your team.

Yours sincerely,