Wednesday 9 December 2009

Cover Letter

This is just a sample cover letter. This is not my address or telephone number. You can copy parts of the letter and make your own.


Ibrahim Mohamed
3/22 Howard Street,
Box Hill, 3128
Tel: 9876 5432
Mob: 04123 567 890

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing in regards to your advertisment for a kitchen hand on the Age newspaper on Saturday 12th May, 2009. I believe my experience and work ethics make me suitable for this job.

I am interested in working in the health and aged care industry. I have recently completed Certificate I in Hospitality at AMES in Box Hill. The course included two weeks of work placement at ....................

I wish to apply for any full-time, part-time or casual position in the food preparation and delivery area.

My skills and experience relevant to this position are as follows:
  • Three years experience working at Stars Hotel in Hong Kong.
  • Dealing effectively, pleasantly and professionally with customers.
  • Excellent time management skills.
  • Good leadership skills.
I have indcluded my resume for your consideration.

I would welcome the opportunity to further dicuss my experience and resume details at any time you see suitable.

Looking forward to hearing from you at your convenience.

Yours sincerely,




Ibrahim Mohamed

Wednesday 2 December 2009

Employment Vocabulary

work / job / career / profession
They all mean the same. I need to find work = I need to find a job = I need to find a career = I need to find a profession.
We don't say "I need to find a work." We say "I need to find work."
What do you do? = What is your job?
what do you do for a living? What is your profession?
Job ad = job advertisment
In Australia most job ads are found online. There is a big number of job ads in newspapers too like The Age on Saturday.
Employment web sites
There are many employment web sites in Australia including My Career, Career One, Job Search, Seek and many more. You have to use a computer connected to the internet to see the information provided on these sites.
Apply for work
After finishing my course I intend to apply for work at the kitchen at Box Hill hospital.
When I came to Australia years ago it was very hard to apply for work because I didn't have any Australian qualification.
Apply for a job
My sister wants to apply for a job at Telstra.
The job market
The job market in Australia keeps changing. There is somtimes a high demand for hairdressers and after a few months they need to employ a big number of nurses and not hairdressers. The job market in Australia keeps changing.
Submit a job application
I read a job ad in the newspaper, typed a resume and then submitted my job application to the manager of the company. He will have a look at my application and get back to me next week if I am lucky.
Process a job application
The manager will have a look at my resume and cover letter. He will process my job application and get back to me soon.
Reject a job offer
The company wanted to give me a job but I decided to reject their job offer. They wanted to pay me little money. I would be crazy if I accepted their job offer. I can work anywhere I like. If they want to hire me, they must pay me a fair salary.
Turn down a job offer
The company wanted me to work for them but I decided to turn their job offer down. I don't want to work for them. I live far away and I don't want to travel a lot.
Job description
A detailed document of what you have to do at your work.
Update your resume
Before you send a resume that you typed a few months ago, have a look at it and see if you need to add any new information. This is how you update your resume.
Bad resume = Bad CV
A bad resume is one that is full of grammar and spelling mistakes. It can also be a very short one and does not have enough information about your work.
Impressive resume
An impressive resume is a very good one that you spend a lot of time preparing it.
Educational background
Information that you provide in your resume about the education you had in your country and in Australia. The first item you provide is always the most recent one.
Rework your resume
When you have a look at your resume and you are not %100 happy, you decide to change certain things on it. This is how you rework your resume to make it look better.
Give details about your work experience
In your resume you give details about your previous work in your country and in Australia. You also give the names of the companies you worked at.
Work experience
You mention where and how long you worked for. Mention any work you did that is related to the job you are applying for.
Body language
The way you use your hands and body to give a meaning when you talk.
Job interview
A meeting you have with a manager or a business owner before you get a job. This person wants to know if you are the best one for the job. Your aim is to answer the questions the person asks correctly and prove that you will work hard for them if they give you the job. There are many job interview sample questions on the internet.
References / Referees
Those are the people who know you and know about your work. You put their names and phone numbers on your resume but you have to ask them first before you do that.
get fired from a job = get sacked = get tha sack
If a person gets fired from his/her job, he or she must have made a big mistake or are very lazy and are no good for the company. They are sometimes trouble makers or cause problems at work.
hire someone
When a manager decides to hire someone, he or she decides to give this person a job. If he or she sees that person no good for the company, the manager does not offer a job to that person. they decide not to hire the person.
job candidate / job applicant
Any person applying for a job is called a job candidate. If you apply for a job, you have to know that you are not the only one who wants to get it. There are other candidates who want to get it too.
Polish your shoes
Before you go to have a job interview or before you go and ask a girl to marry you, remember to polish your shoes well.
Check references
After you submit your job application, the manager at the company will have to contact your references to ask them about you and your work. This is how managers check references in Australia. Make sure you choose people who will speak well about you and your work. They can't be your husband/wife or family members. They have to be in Australia and know that someone will be calling them to ask about your work.
To be shortlisted
If there is a big number of people trying to apply for one job, the manager always chooses a small number of the candidates. The small group is called a shor list. If you get shortlisted, this means that your name is on the new list. After studying their resumes again, the manager decides to give the job to one of them.
Keep things on record
When a company says they will keep your details on record this means that they will keep your job application and your details in case they need to employ someone in the future. They can keep your records for one year. Any thing can happen in this year and they can call and ask you to start in a week's time. This can make you very close to getting a job.
Cover letter
Another document that you provide in additon to your resume. This is prepared in a special way. It is not required if you want to work in a factory or a kitchen. It is normally required when you apply for a highly-paid position.

Employment Vocabulary

Here is a good web site to teach you about vocabulary that you can use in your job hunting. Click here to go to the web site. If you come from Thailand, it will be easy for you to know the meaning of the words.