Getting down to business

Assignment 3

In this assignment, we are going to try a different style of writing. In your first two assignments, you were asked about yourself, and asked to share your personal reflections. In such writing it is good to use expressive language, to talk about emotions, and to use a poetic style. This is a difficult skill, and if you are good at it, you can write stories that readers will love. We will do more of this later, but this week, we are going to try some professional style writing. This style is much less poetic and more factual, and is used when you apply for a job, apply to university, or write any kind of communication in a professional workplace setting.

In assignment 3 I would like you to write a short cover letter. You are either applying for a job, or you are applying for entry to a university program. You are to address the letter: “Dear Mr Smith”. You should include three paragraphs in your letter:

In the first paragraph, which will only be one or two sentences long, explain why you are writing - what is the purpose of your letter.

In the second paragraph, describe your educational background and your experience and your skills. The objective here is to explain in a positive way why you are suited to the job/course. You can talk about the challenges you have faced, but you must make positive statements about what you did to overcome these challenges.

In the final paragraph, which will also be short, explain why you are interested in the job or course. What attracts you to this? Then, say thank you for reading my letter, and end the letter.

The letter should be one page long. Use formal English.

Make sure your write your name on your assignment, and also write the date.

When you have completed your assignment, send it to me. You can send in any format except screen shots. PDF, word document, or text in a WhatsApp message is fine.