Access the following audio clip to explore this content:
Welcome back! In this learning activity, you’ll be continuing your exploration of non-fiction. There will be a particular focus on writing, and how to use it effectively for workplace-related communication.
To begin, explore the following situation.
Imagine
Imagine you are an employer. You have an opening for an entry-level position in retail sales in an electronic equipment store.
You are searching for someone reliable, and who will work hard. You have a stack of emails in your inbox, all applications for the job. You open the first three. Each one has a resume attached. You read over the emails before deciding which resumes to read. Which resume of the first three are you most likely to open?
For the purpose of this activity, imagine that the hiring manager is named “Ms Employer.”
Dear Sir,
I read your “Help Wanted” ad with interest. I would like to obtain a job at your electronic equipment store. As you will see from my resume, I have worked for two years at a small clothing store, and I enjoy working
with customers. At this point, I am looking for an opportunity to work in a larger organization, with opportunities to advance my career. As a volunteer, for several years I have offered my service in soliciting donations seasonally
in a grocery store. I am not shy about approaching people and always have a smile ready. In my spare time, I like to hang out with my friends, and they all say they like to have me around because I always keep things lively.
Yours truly,
Candidate One
Ms Employer’s thoughts:
“Hm, I don’t like someone assuming I’m a man. Retail experience and enjoys customers, good. Wants to advance career – good. Volunteer work and smiling are good. Not too interested in this candidate’s social life – sounds like maybe a bit of a partier? Sign-off is a bit personal.”
Email from Candidate 2
Dear Ms. Employer,
Enclosed you will find my resume in answer to your job posting on your website. I would like to work at Big Box in your entertainment department. As the manager and lead guitarist for the band, The Deceivers
(a Pretenders tribute band), I have experience in organization, scheduling, and, of course, sound equipment. I was excited to see in your notification that you offer training, which would be a great start for my career. I am reliable,
hard-working and results-oriented. I look forward to meeting you in an interview.
Sincerely, Candidate Two
Ms Employer’s thoughts:
“Oh, got my name – that shows resourcefulness. Managing a band seems like developing some good skills. Wanting training is good. They sound strong, but don’t mention any work experience. Wants an interview. Professional signature.
Email from Candidate 3
To Whom it May Concern,
This is my resume to apply for your opening at Big Box. I would like to work there because I love everything electronic. Speakers! Televisions! I love to hole up in my basement and tinker with things,
I love to fix things. My stereo system. I hope you will hire me, because I’d really like that job.
Ms Employer’s thoughts:
“Professional enough opening. A couple of not-so-professional moments with exclamation points and poor sentences. No sign of enjoying retail or working with customers. The only real reason is the love of electronics, but that might be good enough – or maybe they should apply to our Repair Team. No signature.”
Try it!
What do you think?
- Which of the three candidates is likely to be the best for the job? Why do you think so? What do your classmates think?
- Did any of you notice anything else that Ms. Employer didn’t mention?
Brainstorm with a classmate some practical tips on writing great cover emails.
Throughout the course, you will have more opportunities to reflect on your speaking and listening skills. Use this Listening and speaking strategies checklistOpens in a new window (and the checklists you created in 1.1 for discussion tips) to guide your oral communication skill development.
Notebook
Think about your discussion.
- How did you do on listening to others’ ideas?
- How did you respond when you and other classmates did not agree?
- If your discussion was online, did you encounter any extra challenges because of the online nature of the discussion? If so, record any ideas to have a better experience next time.
Ms Employer decided that each Candidate had enough going for them that it was worth looking at their resumes, even though all the cover emails contained flaws. How could you write a cover email that’s flawless and beat out the other candidates?
Transferable skills
These are great practical tips to improve your Communication skills.
Keys to writing better cover letter emails
The following are the eight “keys” to writing a better cover letter!
1. Short
Potential employers’ time is tight. You want to make a good first impression quickly. Your resume is there to tell your full story. Just hit the highlights and include no more than three short paragraphs.
Which candidates got it right?
All three candidates kept their covering letters to a good length.
2. Personal
If you can, find out the name and correct spelling of the person you are applying to. Many large companies post their openings on their websites and have electronic applications that will have the hiring individual’s information. If you are searching for a person in a smaller organization, you may be able to phone the main switchboard and obtain the information.
How did our candidates do?
Candidate 2 was able to discover and include Ms Employer’s name. It’s not always possible to get a name, especially if you are applying to a large organization.
3. Focused
Read the details of the job posting carefully. What skills and experience do you bring to the requirements of the specific job? Read between the lines – what kind of personality might be best for this job?
How did our candidates show focus?
Candidate 1 emphasized their outgoing personality – perfect for a sales position, although maybe focus wavered when they talked about their social life. Candidate 2 emphasized initiative – also a good quality for customer service. Candidate 3 highlighted an interest in electronics, another asset for working at an electronics retailer.
4. Specific
Search around the company website, not just on the job listings. There is often other information about careers in the company, the aims and history of the company. Think like the company and create a cover letter that brings out the qualities you have that the company might be interested in.
Which candidates were able to be specific?
Candidate 2 noticed that the company emphasizes on-going training and showed enthusiasm for the training.
5. Enthusiastic
Enthusiasm will come through in the way you word your cover letter.
How did our candidates show their enthusiasm?
Candidate 1 used words like “interest”, “enjoy”, “opportunity” and “smile”. Candidate 2 mentioned being “excited”. And candidate 3 mentioned that they “love anything electronic”.
6. Request for action
Add the request for the interview. Even though it seems obvious that that is why you are applying, it makes that next step seem more real. This is especially important if you are not applying for a posted job, but letting a potential employer you are qualified, available and interested.
How did our candidates do?
Candidate 2 was the only one to specifically ask for an interview.
7. Flawless
Poor spelling, grammar and style hint that you might be a sloppy worker, but face it, some people just have more difficulty than others in this area. Be sure to run the spelling and grammar check in your word processing programme for hints (those wavy or double lines are trying to tell you something!) If you know someone who is good at this, ask them to check it for you. And finally, proofread out loud to catch errors – if you stumble, it could indicate something is not quite right.
How did our candidates do?
No one had any spelling errors. Candidate 3 did have some incomplete sentences, however. More on this soon.
8. Professional formatting
It may seem like how your cover letter looks should be less important than your job skills, but you are creating a first impression, so make it a good one. Use a professional-looking font in size 10 or 11. Your computer will do some formatting automatically, so let it help you. Choose the same font and size for your letter as your resume.
You may wish to touch up your resume or prepare to write a cover letter. If so, examine the following resources.
The following is a “Cover Letter Template”Opens in a new window you can access if you need some help with format.
You probably know how to create a resume from the Careers class you took in Grade 10. However, that was at least two years ago! If you need a refresher, here are an “Annotated Resume Template”Opens in a new window and “Resume Template”Opens in a new window to help.
Take a break!
Excellent work! You have just finished exploring the keys to writing better cover letters. Now is a good time to take a break before moving on to the grammar portion of this learning activity.
Access the following audio clip to explore this content:
Avoiding common sentence errors
Sentences
Every correct sentence is made up of two parts. Grammar types call these “subjects” and “predicates”, but you can call them “salt” and “pepper” if it makes it easier. You need both to make a set.
Somewhere in every subject, you will find a noun. A noun is a word representing a person, place, thing or idea.
Somewhere in every predicate, you will find a verb. A verb is a word representing an action.
So:
The cat | sat.
On the left of the line is the subject. The noun is “cat”. On the right side is the predicate. The verb is “sat”.
Another sentence:
The cute little orange and white cat | sat on the grass in our back yard, licking her paws.
It’s just the same! All the words to the left of the line are the subject and “cat” is still the noun. And all the words on the right side of the line are the predicate and “sat” is still the verb.
By taking away all the extra words, you can always find the noun and the verb. If they’re both there, the set is complete. Not all sentences conveniently place the subject on the left and the predicate on the right. But if this is something you have difficulty with, then keep your writing simple and you will keep it correct.
Exception:
Of course, there’s an exception! When you tell someone to do something, there may be no noticeable subject.
Here’s how it works:
All you people who are wearing glasses | do a cartwheel across the floor!
The set is complete – take away all the extra words and:
Do a cartwheel!
The noun seems to have disappeared. But since the person you are speaking to knows who they are, it can be left out. The “you” is “understood” so it is not necessary.
Try it!
For each of the following sentences, identify the subject and noun and the predicate and verb: (note that in the Suggested Answers, the noun has a wavy underline and the verb has a straight underline):
The sapphire necklace brought out the blue in the bride’s eyes.
Correct answer: The sapphire necklace | brought out the blue in the bride’s eyes.
The plan seemed like a good one, but it wasn’t going to work.
Correct answer: The plan | seemed like a good one, but it wasn’t going to work.
My printer is always running out of ink!
Correct answer: My printer | is always running out of ink!
Jogging is a good way for many people to keep fit.
Correct answer: Jogging | is a good way for many people to keep fit.
Hurry up!
Correct answer: It’s the exception! “You” is the subject and silent noun; “Hurry” is the verb and “Hurry up” is the predicate.
How did you do? If this is an area you feel you need more help with, there are many sources of grammar information available free online. Ask your teacher for direction.
Check back over the eight keys to writing a better cover letter. Now take some time to write and reflect on your thoughts.
Notebook
In your Notebook, jot down the ones you would most like to re-access.
Also, in your Notebook, make a note of any tips that were new to you.
Who do you think got the job at the electronic equipment store?
Ms Employer brought in Candidate 1 for an interview. She was impressed with the candidate’s work history in retail and desire for new opportunities and hired them as a sales associate.
Ms Employer also interviewed Candidate 2. She was interested by their initiative and willingness to learn and also hired them as a sales associate.
Ms Employer knew of an opening in the service department and directed Candidate 3 to that post.
All three began their training on the same day and have now become work friends. (Okay, we made that part up – but it could be true!)
Excellent work! In this unit, you explored non-fiction texts and developed a variety of writing skills. In the next unit, you'll learn about lenses and read short stories. Before progressing, be sure to explore the following portfolio section and take the transferable skills survey. Then, on to Unit 2!
Portfolio
Task #3: The job search process
In this portfolio task, you will be searching for a job posting that interests you. Then, you will prepare for an interview for that job. You will be saving two items to your portfolio:
- a copy of the job posting you found
- the audio of your interview response
Navigate to the following steps to work through this task.
Press each tap to access the steps.
Search the internet for a job posting that you would be interested in applying for. Be sure to consider the following factors that will be important:
- Does the position interest you?
- Do your skills and/or experiences match the job duties? Or, is the position an experience that you believe will be helpful to your growth?
- Does the job’s location and hours work for you?
Job postings can be found on several websites, but consider searching the following:
- Government job boards like the Canada Job Bank.
- Employment websites like Indeed, Monster and Workopolis.
- The website of a company/organization you are interested in—often, they will have a “Careers” or “Job Postings” section.
Once you have found a position you are ready to apply for, save a copy of the job posting to your portfolio as “Portfolio Task 3: Job search”
Assume that you have been invited in to interview for the position.
- How will you prepare?
- What research might you need to do beforehand?
- How will you demonstrate that you are right for the position by verbally communicating your answers?
The interviewer asks you the following four questions. Examine them in the following audio clips.
Question 1:
Access the following audio clip to explore question 1.
I like to start off each interview by getting to know the candidate. Tell me about yourself.
Question 2:
Access the following audio clip to explore question 2.
Why are you interested in working for us in this role?
Question 3:
Access the following audio clip to explore question 3.
What skills and experiences will you be able to bring to this role?
Question 4:
Access the following audio clip to explore question 4.
Tell me about how you see yourself at work. What would you say are some of your greatest strengths? What are some areas that you would like to improve upon?
Record a response to each of these interview questions. Save your audio files as “Portfolio Task 3: Interview questions”
Transferable skills survey
Having completed the unit, take the opportunity to review your demonstration of Ontario's Transferable Skills, introduced in 1.1. Complete the Unit 1 Transferable Skills Survey to share your assessment and specific evidence for that rating.