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Sunday 29 March 2009

How To Write a Cover Letter

A cover letter is very useful for us if looking for apply a new job. Here are tips how to write a cover letter :

1. Keep to only one page


a. The cover letter should not be longer than one page, otherwise the interviewer will lose interest.

b. Maximum five paragraphs only.

c. Use simple words.

2. Address the letter to the Human Resource Manager by name, if possible, followed by company name and address

a. Do not write Dear Sir/Madam, Gentlemen, Sirs, Mr President, or To Whom It May Concern.

b. If you do not know, find out beforehand. Do not spell the person’s name wrongly.

3. Layout

a. The Opening
Include your full name, address, date, employer’s designation and company address, correct salutation and subject.

b. Introduction
Indicate position applied for, branch/state position available (if applicable), source and date of job information. Briefly mention your qualifications.

c. Sales Pitch
Highlight to what extent you match the job requirements. Summarize your education, experience, capabilities and skills. Mention your interest in the company and the reason you are applying for that particular position.

d. Request for further action
Write that you look forward to receive their call for an interview. State your availability to attend interviews. End by thanking the person for his/her time and consideration.

Thursday 26 March 2009

Tips To Learn English

Do you have any plan to pursue your further education abroad? Will you need English for your career or your education? If so, you may wish to investigate your options for learning, or improving, your English skills.

The TOEFL Test: TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) is a test used by many colleges, universities, government agencies and exchange and scholarship programs in the US, UK and Canada as a means of evaluating the language skills of a person whose first language is not English.

You can find TOEFL study guides easily online with other recommended resources listed. You may be able to access some of the sample tests and prepare with personal study. Or you may look for a class with an instructor to help you prepare for the test.

ESL Classes: ESL classes are a common means for students to learn English with group of classmates. These can be in the form of an evening class with various individuals attending or may be part of a college program during the day.

The course length and the topics covered will differ from country to country and school to school. Some summer programs are geared for international students to gain a basic grasp of the language before starting studies in English taught classes of the college or university.

Since the standards of passing a course, or the course material itself, will vary drastically, some students may feel that the language skills gained upon completing the course does not equip them to handle school work or social interactions adequately.

Some schools offer students and alternative of home-stay programs for students. Home-stay programs benefit the student by placing them for several weeks or months with a host family that speaks English. The student is then able to immerse him or herself in the culture and social speaking of the English country they are living in. There are also online ESL programs that may be suitable for distance education, especially if programs are not readily available in your area.

Private Tutors: Another popular method of learning English is with private tutors. The materials and methods used by ESL tutors will vary greatly and it is important to establish what material will be used and to feel comfortable with the tutor. Asking friends or other students for references can be helpful in finding a good tutor.

A combination of these English learning methods will be effective as well. You can take a summer course while staying with a home-stay host family and then arranging for private tutoring during the school year. Making an effort to use your new language skills regularly in social situations will improve your progress regardless of the program or course you are using.



About the Author:

George Williams maintains many translator websites, including Free Translator, French Translator ,and Japanese Translator.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/tips-to-learn-english-13462.html



Sunday 22 March 2009

Direct and Reported Speech

You can answer the question "What did he/she say?" in two ways:

* by repeating the words spoken (direct speech)
* by reporting the words spoken (indirect or reported speech).

A. Direct Speech

Direct speech repeats, or quotes, the exact words spoken. When we use direct speech in writing, we place the words spoken between inverted commas ("....") and there is no change in these words. We may be reporting something that's being said NOW (for example a telephone conversation), or telling someone later about a previous conversation

Examples:

She says "What time will you be office?"
She said "What time will you be office?"
and I said "I don't know! "
"There's a fly in my soup!" screamed Simone.
John said, "There's a buffalo outside the window."

B. Reported Speech

Reported speech is usually used to talk about the past, so we normally change the tense of the words spoken. We use reporting verbs like 'say', 'tell', 'ask', and we may use the word 'that' to introduce the reported words. Inverted commas are not used.

She said, "I saw him." She said that she had seen him.

1. 'That' may be omitted:
She told him that she was sad.
She told him she was sad.

2. 'Say' and 'tell':
Use 'say' when there is no indirect object:
He said that he was tired.

Always use 'tell' when you say who was being spoken to (i.e. with an indirect object):
He told me that he was tired.
'Talk' and 'speak' are used:
- to describe the action of communicating:
He talked to us.
She was speaking on the telephone.
- with 'about' to refer to what was said:
He talked (to us) about his parents.



source : www.edufind.com

Sunday 15 March 2009

To Get

TO GET + direct object = to obtain, to receive, to buy:

To obtain

* She got her driving license last week.
* They got permission to live in Switzerland.

To receive

* I got a letter from my friend in Nigeria.
* He gets £1,000 a year from his father.

To buy

* She got a new coat from Zappaloni in Rome.
* We got a new television for the sitting room.



TO GET + place expression = reach, arrive at a place:

* We got to London around 6 p.m.
* What time will we get there?
* When did you get back from New York?



TO GET + adjective = to become, show a change of state:

* It's getting hotter.
* By the time they reached the house they were getting hungry.
* I'm getting tired of all this nonsense.
* My mother's getting old and needs looking after.
* It gets dark very early in the winter.
* Don't touch the stove until is gets cool.



TO GET + preposition / adverb is used in many phrasal verbs. Here are some of the most common ones:

Phrasal Verb ===> Meaning

1. get at ===> try to express

2. get away with ===> escape punishment for a crime or bad action

3. get by ===> manage (financially)

4. get down ===> descend; depress

5. get off ===> leave a form of transport (train, bus, bicycle, plane)

6. get on ===> enter/sit on a form of transport (train, bus, bicycle, plane); have a relationship with someone;manage

7. get out of ===> avoid doing something, especially a duty

8. get over ===> recover (from an illness, a surprise)

9. get through ===> use or finish the supply of something

10.get up ===> leave your bed

11.get up to ===> do - usually something bad


Examples:
a. He got on his bicycle and rode down the street.
b. He gets up at 6.00 a.m. every morning.
c. She got out of the washing-up every day, even when it was her turn.
d. We got off the train just before the bomb exploded.
e. We've got through all the sugar - can you buy some more?
f. The children are very quiet - I wonder what they're getting up to.



Source : http://www.edufind.com



Tuesday 10 March 2009

8 Resume Writing Tips

1. Know Your Objective
a. What job do you want? What are the skills and requirements necessary for this job?
b. Keep them in your mind as you write your resume so that the interviewer reading it will see that you are the person they are looking for.

2. Compile all your information
a. List down your personal particulars, education history, extra-curricular activities including positions held, employment history, seminars attended, achievements, etc.
b. Ensure the dates are correct. Leave out hobbies/interests, parent’s occupation etc.
c. Sort information under specific headings – Education, Work Experience, Achievements, Skills, Activities.

3. Start with your Name and Contact details
a. Write your full name, postal address, house and mobile numbers, email address.
b. Leave out your marital status, sex, race, parent’s name and occupation, birth details, etc.

4. Write your Employment details
a. Starting with your most recent work, list down all the jobs you have had, company names, dates of employment, position titles.
b. Using bullet points, write the job description, nature of work and responsibilities held for each position
c. Use key words: responsible for, coordinating, prepared, managed, monitored, presented, accomplished, achieved, analyzed, delegated, etc .
d. Highlight your achievements/job responsibilities.

5. List Education details
a. Lead with your highest education level to the lowest, include grades like CGPA.
b. State courses or papers studied, e.g. Psychology, Contract Law, Multimedia.
c. List activities like societies/clubs, position held and accomplishments if they are relevant to the job you are applying to. Otherwise, leave them out.

6. Include your Skills
List down your computer skills, language skills (and different dialects) including proficiency in reading and writing, and soft skills (public speaking, presentation, etc).

7. Reference
a. Not totally essential but if you need to mention references, choose people who know you personally and can give a good impression of you to the potential employer.
b. Remember to give your reference’s contact details.
c. Make sure you inform your referees that they may receive calls from your interviewers so that they can prepare. Send them copies of your resume so that they know who you are and what you did.

8. Miscellaneous
a. Be short and concise
- Resumes are usually read in only 30 seconds or less, so you have to be brief and go straight to the point.
- Resumes should be a maximum of two pages long. Use Size 12 fonts (Times New Roman or Garamond font) for easy read. Use three pages only if you have extensive professional experience.
- Use italic or bold fonts only to indicate important information or section breaks.
- Use a good printer, no stray marks, splotches, uneven or blurred letters.
- Use high quality A4 paper, white only. Do not use flashy colours like pink or red.

b. Be honest
Do not inflate your resume. Make sure you can back up what you claim. Do not cheat/lie.

c. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes
- Make sure your resume is free from spelling or grammar mistakes.
- Ask someone reliable to check it for you.
- Do not depend on your word processor’s Spell Check function.
- Most importantly, proof read until your resume is perfect.

d. Use Power Verbs
Action words add “oomph” to your writing and enables you to describe clearly.





Tuesday 3 March 2009

Drafting a Killer Resume

A good job hunter knows that a good resume is the key to an interview invite and ultimately, to employment. Aside from a summary of your abilities, work experience and education, a resume should reveal your unique selling points to entice a potential employer to BUY you.

The secret to an irresistible resume is to address the specific need of a specific job. A tailored resume has infinitely more impact than a one-size-fits-all. To write such a resume, first organize information under specific headings such as education, work experience, achievements, skills and activities. When everything is on paper, decide on the proper format to play up your outstanding qualities that fit the job’s requirements.

Here are several types of resume for your reference.

1. Chronological resume

- Recommended for candidates with solid working experience and a progressive job history in a specific field or history, and who would want to continue along this similar career path.

- Most employers prefer this style as it is based on facts, and easily digestible.

- Very conventional, emphasizing on itemized employment history.

- Important to present career milestones in reverse chronological order, starting with current position and moving backwards. Each position contains a description of relevant responsibilities and accomplishments.

2. Functional Resume
- Suitable for fresh graduates and job hoppers hoping for a career change.

- Helps to cover seemingly disconnected experiences by displaying transferable skills and related achievements.

- Organize work history into sections that highlight skills and accomplishments deemed most appropriate for the position applied for. Always include the company name in bulleted description of your accomplishments. Do not miss out at least a brief chronological listing of your work experience.

3. Combination Resume
- This format tries to merge the best features of the chronological and functional type resumes by incorporating both a chronological work history and a skills and achievements section. Top focus is on skills and accomplishments, followed by work experience.

- Though some employers will find this format long, repetitious and confusing, this type of resume can be good to someone with good editing skills.

4. Electronic Resume
- Adopted by many people to send resumes to electronic resume banks and make on-line job applications through JobStreet.com.

- The resume is sent by email or can be viewed on the Internet. Specially formatted for scanning and searching by optical scanning systems.

- Fast becoming an increasingly popular and acceptable form of job application as it is fast, effective and convenient.

- Comes in different file formats but most common are plain text, rich text and hypertext.





Source : www. JobStreet.com


Sunday 1 March 2009

7 Jobs Interview Guidelines

These 7 tips have been carefully summarized based on feedback that we receive from employers.

1. Read the job description and company profile carefully so that you are aware of the job details when an employer calls you about your application. If the job advertisement does not contain enough information, ask the employer for more details.

2. Remember to write down the name & contact number of the recruiter in case you need to call back later.

3. Prepare for the interview by finding out more about the company, the job and the industry.

4. Be punctual for your interview. Bring your resume, transcripts, certificates and relevant documents to the interview.

5. IMPORTANT: If you cannot attend the confirmed interview for whatever reason, you must contact the employer at least one day beforehand to let them know.

Keeping a good interview attendance record will help to ensure opportunities for interview in the future, as employers have the right to share their "No show" and late cancellation records.

6. Send the employer a Thank You email after the interview.

7. Follow up with the employer on the status of the interview after two or three days. This shows your interest for the job and may increase your chances of success.




Source : JobStreet.com