Tu cita con el inglés (vol. 3) – Haz tu cover letter y aprende inglés a la vez

Buscar trabajo no es nunca una tarea fácil, y ya no digamos en España… Si has tomado la decisión de venir a Reino Unido a buscar trabajo, debes saber que con un buen currículum no basta, pues, como ya sabrás si le has dado un vistazo a la sección Búsqueda de empleo de este blog, disponer de una cover letter adecuada y en inglés es algo esencial.

De esta manera, Ronan O’Donnell, nuestro profesor y colaborador en esta sección, ha querido dedicar su post de esta semana a darte unos buenos consejos y recomendaciones sobre cómo hacer tu  propia cover letter en inglés, incluyendo, además, un modelo que tú mismo puedes utilizar.

Sin más, esperando que sea de ayuda, te dejamos con el artículo. ¡No olvides dejarnos tus comentarios y sugerencias sobre qué apartados de la lengua inglesa te gustaría mejorar!

A good cover letter gives you the opportunity to sell yourself to your prospective employer. It is important to have a well worded and grammatically correct letter if you wish to make a good impression. Each job application deserves a unique cover letter and should be specific to the job that you are applying for. You can adapt a generic cover letter to suit your needs.

Things to consider when writing a cover letter 

–          Where did you see the position advertised?

–          How do your qualifications relate to the job description?

–          Do you have work experience relevant to the position?

–          Why are you interested in the job and why are you the most suitable person to fill the position?

Here is an example of a cover letter which can be adapted to suit your needs. It contains a lot of the key vocabulary and phrases that make up most cover letters. It is always a good idea to have your cover letter checked by a native speaker and preferably someone who also works in your field.

You will notice in the cover letter below that the address of the person you are writing to goes in the left margin and your address goes in the right.

When beginning a letter with Dear Sir/Madam you should end with Yours faithfully and when starting with Dear Mr. Jones you should sign off with Yours sincerely.

26 Brik Lane, Aldgate East, LondonEC1 3GB 21st March 2012 Mr. Steven Jones, Personnel Department London Software Ltd, 63 Park View Westminster,WC1 2DF Dear Mr. Jones or Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to apply for the Computer Programmer position as advertised on the ‘Working inLondon’ website. Please find attached(email)/enclosed(mail) my current CV for your consideration. I have recently graduated with an Honours Degree in Computer Science from theUniversityofMadrid. This course covered a range of topics with an emphasis on technical computing and project management skills. I feel that your company would be the ideal place for me to use the skills I have learned and to further develop and extend my abilities in this area. I am attracted to your company because of it’s reputation in this field and there are a number of reasons why I feel that I would be suitable for the post. Firstly, I speak excellent English having passed the Cambridge FCE with a B grade. Secondly, I believe I possess the relevant skills and experience for the post having completed two six month work placements in a large software company specialising in electronic payments for the hotel industry. I believe I would be an excellent addition to your team as I am a dedicated and motivated worker, able to work  both independently or as part of a team. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss my application or wish to arrange an interview. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully, Dr. Oscar F. Gallego.

 

Any suggestions or ideas for future entries to this blog are welcomed. What would you find most beneficial from this section?

In the meantime good luck with your job hunting.