English Vocabulary in Use Advanced » Unit 3: Applying for a job

Word List
  • benefits package
  • career prospects
  • carry out
  • communication skills
  • competitive salary
  • cover/covering letter
  • fast-paced
  • field
  • full training
  • hands-on
  • healthcare plan
  • in support of
  • job ad
  • lead a team
  • leadership qualities
  • managerial experience
  • online application
  • passion (for)
  • position
  • post
  • previous experience
  • previous role
  • report (to)
  • salary expectations
  • Sir or Madam
  • stand out
  • subsidised
  • suitability (for)
  • team player
  • Yours faithfully
  • challenging
  • relevant (to)
Exercises

3.1 ‣ Match the two parts of these business collocations from A and B.

  1. healthcare _____
  2. team _____
  3. Yours _____
  4. competitive _____
  5. challenging _____
  6. communication _____
  7. online _____
  8. lead _____
  9. career _____
  10. cover _____
  1. a) faithfully
  2. b) prospects
  3. c) plan
  4. d) a team
  5. e) application
  6. f) role
  7. g) letter
  8. h) player
  9. i) skills
  10. j) salary

3.2 ‣ Replace the underlined words with a word or phrase from A or B with a similar meaning.

  1. You don’t need to have done this job before. _____
  2. As part of my new job, I get meals partly paid for by the company. _____
  3. It’s really important to make your application look different from all the others. _____
  4. Working in the factory over the summer gave me some direct experience of manufacturing. _____
  5. I’m hoping to work in the area of automotive manufacturing. _____
  6. Prism Consulting has a number of positions available for graduates. _____
  7. The ad said the company will provide all the training you need. _____
  8. You should only apply for the job if you have led a team before. _____
  9. The salary isn’t great, but they offer an attractive set of other advantages. _____

3.3 ‣ Look at A and B. Fill the gaps in these sentences, using a word from the box and a suitable preposition.

  1. carried
  2. passion
  3. relevant
  4. reported
  5. role
  6. suitable
  7. support
  1. I am sending my CV in _____ my application for the position of sales team leader.
  2. I have a _____ sales.
  3. Jakob’s experience is more _____ the job than Sylvana’s.
  4. In my previous _____ Sales Representative, I _____ the Sales Manager.
  5. While working as a Customer Service Assistant, I also _____ some research projects for the marketing department.
  6. He only has 6 months’ experience as a trainee. I don’t think that makes him _____ the job of quality manager.

3.4 ‣ Answer these questions.

  1. What do we call a job which deals directly with the customers?
    _____
  2. How can we describe someone who works well with other people?
    _____
  3. How should you start a letter to someone whose name you don’t know?
    _____
  4. What four other words can be used instead of ‘job’ in an advertisement?
    _____
  5. How can we describe a working environment which is busy and rapidly changing?
    _____

3.5 ‣

Over to you

Find a job ad that you are interested in and write an example cover letter in English.
Answer Key
A ‣ A job ad

  1. FDR BANK
  2. Careers
  3. Branches
  4. About Us
  5. Contact

Customer Service Assistant

Do you have excellent communication skills and a genuine passion for1 customer service? Are you looking for a challenging2 role within a fast-paced3 working environment?

FDR Bank has several new openings4 for Customer Service Assistants. Reporting to5 the Customer Service Manager, you will be responsible for dealing with customer enquiries on the phone and via email. No previous experience6 is necessary as full training7 will be given. The post8 offers excellent career prospects9 to candidates who demonstrate leadership qualities10 as we are keen to promote and develop talent within the company.

We offer a competitive salary11 and an attractive benefits package12 including pension, healthcare plan and subsidised13 meals.

If this sounds like the job for you, then click here to fill in the online application form, including details of your salary expectations.

1 if you have a passion for something, you like it very much
2 a positive word for something which is exciting and difficult
3 if an environment is fast-paced, things happen quickly there
4 available jobs
5 if you report to someone, he/she is your boss
6 experience of this type of job from before
7 all the training you need
8 job
9 opportunities for promotion and career development
10 the ability to lead a group
11 as good as, or better than, other salaries for similar jobs
12 all the extra benefits that a company offers (as well as a salary)
13 partly paid for by the company

B ‣ A cover letter

You want your application to stand out [be better than others], so you should include a clear, well-written cover letter1 which highlights key points from your CV. Here is a letter sent with the application for the job in A above.

Dear Sir or Madam2

Please find attached my CV in support of my application for the position of Customer Service Assistant. I have just completed my degree in Business Studies and am keen to gain hands-on3 experience in this area.

During my course I chose to study several modules on banking and finance, as I have always been interested in working in this field4. In addition, I have worked as a part time sales assistant in a large department store for the last two years. This has given me valuable customer-facing5 experience, as well as developing good communication skills both with customers and the rest of the team. I am a team player6 and I am keen to develop my career and gain managerial experience7 in the future.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully8

Rebecca White

1 a letter sent with a job application (also called a covering letter)
2 how you start a letter when you do not know the name of the person you are writing to
3 practical, direct (not theoretical)
4 area of business or activity
5 dealing directly with customers
6 a person who is good at working with others
7 experience of managing other people
8 how you finish a letter when you do not know the name of the person you are writing to

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