FACULTATEA DE AUTOMATICĂ ȘI CALCULATOARE
SEMESTRUL II – SEMINAR 10
TYPES OF LETTERS
In your future professional life you will have to write a lot of letters and many reply to
received letters. Here are some types of letters
COVER LETTER – JOB APPLICA TION
Behind every CV is a good cover letter
Definition
A cover letter is a document you send with your CV.
It is called Cover Letter because traditionally it is send as a front cover of your file
It is also called Application Letter, because you apply for a job
When it comes to finding a new job, cover letters are possibly the most underrated part of
the whole application process. Mainly, because most of us are not even 100% sure, what they
are actually for, or we consider that they are redundant if we have a good CV
Actually, a well-written cover letter is the perfect way to set yourself apart and help sell your
application, not to mention convince a recruiter you are the right person for the role.
A Cover Letter is different from a CV. Instead of being a written overview of your skills and
experience (as CVS), it’s specifically written with the job you’re applying for in mind –
allowing you to highlight certain areas you think would make you right for the role. It is also
less rigid than a CV
Before teaching you how to write a cover letter, we should ansewer to
several questions.
1. Do I have to have a cover letter?

You should always submit a cover letter with your CV. No exceptions.*

Not only does it show you’re serious about the job you’re applying for, it also gives
you a chance to tailor your application to the role.2.
2. Why is a cover letter important?
a. Your cover letter is the easiest and most effective way to stand out from the crowd.
b. It offers a something extra to the table when you apply for a job –
c. the employer will learn more about you (fresh information), what you actually want
from that particular job
d. gain insight as to why you’re applying.
e. Cover letter is the perfect way to underline your achievements.
3. How should a cover letter be formatted?
a. Like for the CV, there is no one-size-fits-all format when it comes to writing a cover
letter.
b. You should not underestimate the layout.A beutiful/clear layout will say a lot about
your approach, and your overall attention to detail.
To make sure what you write is logical, to the point and easy to read, here are some key
rules to follow for your cover letter:

Be clear and concise

Keep paragraphs short and direct

Back up any statements you make with facts & figures

Choose a professional font

Check spelling and grammar

Use a template. There are a lot on the internet.
4. How long should a cover letter be?

Around half a page of A4 (one page maximum).Keep it punchy and to the point.
Recruiters are not interested in your life story.
5. Do I need to include research in my cover letter?

Researching the company is very useful. It helps you to organize information.

They’ll be impressed when they see that you’ve tried to learn about the company
that you could potentially be working for.
What should a cover letter include?
A shot list of things you should always aim to include. Always use it as a check list when you
write a cover letter.

personal details (e.g. name, address, phone number)

The hiring manager’s name (if you have it)

Where you found the vacancy (internet/ specialised sites such as e-jobs , other media
advertisement)

Why you’re suitable for the job – (best education, large experience in the aria;
personal skills, personal achievements)

What you can do for the company – (improve marketing policy, increase productivity)

Closing statements (including thanking the recruiter for their time).
Cover Letter Structure - Templates
a. First Paragraph -0pening the letter 
writing basics (address, hiring manager’s name if you have it),

the opening paragraph should be short and to the point.
 Name and qualification
 Explain what job you’re applying for
 Where you found the vacancy.
Feel free to mention the website by name (e.g. ‘as advertised on reed.co.uk’) or, if someone
referred you to the contact, mention his or her name in this section.
Example:
My name is Charles Smith and I am a web designer. I wish to apply for the role of Web Design
Manager, currently being advertised on reed.co.uk.
b. Second Paragraph – Why are you suitable for the job?

Briefly describe your professional and academic qualifications that are relevant to the
role and ensure you refer to some of the skills listed in the job description. You may
add – for details – my CV)

What can you do if you are lacking in practical work experience? Use personal skills or
attributes to show what makes you the perfect fit for the role.
Example:
As you can see from my attached CV, I have over five years’ experience in the IT Industry, from
which three as a web designer and I believe the knowledge and skills built up during this time
make me the perfect candidate for the role
c. Third Paragraph – what can you do for the company
 Use practical examples to emphasise what you can do for the company. (These might
be performance-based)

Include examples from previous positions, your current job or even from your
academic career.

Make sure examples are as quantifiable and as pertinent as possible. ‘for instance,
sounds a lot more impressive than simply stating you ‘Increased revenue’.
Example:
In my current role as Senior Marketing Executive at Software Company X Ltd, I have been
responsible for increasing incoming client enquiries for our B2B product lines by 156% in
under 12 months, which helped the business increase its revenue by 55% year-on-year.
d. Fourth paragraph – Reiterate
Reiterate your interest in the role and company, underline why you would be the right fit for
the company.
Example:
I am confident that I can bring this level of success with me to your company and help it build
upon their reputation as one the UK’s fastest-growing software houses. With my previous
experience and expertise, I believe I can hit the ground running and start actively contributing
to the business as soon as possible.
e. Closing the letter
Thank the employer for their time. It is also a good opportunity to indicate that you’d like to
meet with the employer for an interview.
Sign off your cover letter with ‘Yours sincerely’ (if you know the name of the hiring
manager)/’Yours faithfully’ (if you do not), and your name.
Example:
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss my
application further.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
RECOMANDATION LETTER
Definition
A recommendation letter is typically written by an employer, professional business
connection, client, teacher, coach or by someone else who can recommend an individual's
work or academic performance.
Recommendations can also be provided by personal references who can attest to an
applicant's character and abilities.
Recommendations may be provided during a phone call or by filling out a form online or by
email.
CLASIFICATION - Types of letters of recommendation,
1. letters for employment,
2. academic letters of recommendation - When you're applying for college or graduate
school, you'll need strong recommendations from educators.
3. reference letters -usually requested by an employee who is job searching or who must
leave your organization for a reason such as a relocating spouse, returning full time to
school, or experiencing serious and time-consuming family issues. The employee asks
you for a reference letter so that his or her eventual job search is assisted by a positive
recommendation from an employer.
How to Request a Recommendation
 Ask a person who knows your activity. In a letter of recommendation, someone who
knows you personally or professionally speaks to your positive attributes.

The supposed reference peson should have a comon background/fit the job requirments

Internal references have a high impact - If you have any connections within the company
you're applying to who you think would be able to speak to your abilities, then you should
certainly ask if they would be willing to stand as one of your references.

If you have any involvement in continuing education, volunteering or community work,
supervisors or peers in those roles will be able to provide references, too.

Faculty can provide an excellent bridge to former students who will often have fond
memories of the professor and great respect for their judgment.

Often, recommendation letters are requested in sealed envelopes with the signature of
the letter’s author over the seal. This is done to ensure the reference is authentic and
speaks the truth about the job candidate. That means you may not have an opportunity
to read what your recommender wrote about you. The letter is more likely to be positive
and support your application if you have a good relationship with the recommender.
In this course, we are offering you templates or samples of various types of letters.
The below a letter is an example of a request letter in which a student asks for a
recommendation and of a recommendation letter.
Pay attention to the structure of the letter and to the content of each paragraph
TASK
1. After reading the letter carefully write a letter in which you request a recommandation
for an Erasmus scholarship.
2. You are a member of students’ organasation and you have to write a recommendation for
one of your colleague.
Sue Wright
123 Main Street, Anytown, CA 12345 · 555-555-5555 · sue.wright@ccc.com
September 1, 2018
Lisa Lee
Professor Childhood Education
Acme University
123 Business Street
Business City, NY 54321
Dear Professor Lee,
As I prepare for my journey into the workforce after graduation, I am hoping to gather a general
letter of recommendation from you that I can use for future teaching position applications.
As my elementary education advisor, mentor, and professor. I feel a reference from you would
provide a potential employer with the insight into my character and teaching abilities ensuring
them I would be an ideal candidate for the early childhood education position they are looking
to fill.
If you need any additional information, please contact me via email or phone. If you would
kindly provide me with four signed copies of you letter in sealed envelopes with your signature
across the seal, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Sue Wright
LETTER OF COMPLAIN
Definition
A complain /request letter is a letter in which complain about something and you request a
compensation for the damage.
We have to write a complain letter when we do not like a product or a service. The letter is
addressed to a person or to a company.
Complaint letters are official letters so they are usually written in a formal style. Use passives
to be less direct and more formal, e.g. I was served quickly. Use yours faithfully to sign off if
you do not know the name of the person you are writing to.
When writing complaint letters, it is often advised that you address the letter to a particular
person to receive a quick response. And in this case, it would be wise if you wrote
the letter to someone of a higher rank than the manager you are complaining about.
Steps to follow when writing your complaint letter
1. Find the right person/ department
Address your letter to the customer service department. When writing
a letter of complaint, your best chance of success will come from directing
the letter to the customer service ...
2. Make it short and clear

Quickly get to the point of your letter. The very first line of your letter should
clearly address why you are writing the letter and what your exact complaint ...
3. State specifically what outcome or remedy will satisfy you.
If you want a replacement, a refund, a repair, or some other form of compensation,
state this clearly in your letter.
Task
You ordered a new laptop. A currier delivered it. When you open the box, you realised that i
the colour is not the requested one. You write an e-mail to the company to complain about
the unrequested change. Follow the steps listed above.
LETTER OF ORDER
Definition
Otherwise known as an order letter, a letter of order is a document that:


confirms the details of a purchase of goods or services from one party to
another.
when you are ordering products from a company or manufacturer
When you write a letter of order you should pay attention to:
1. The letter should be drafted carefully Usually order letter is an official document
2. Make it brief and specific about what to write.
 You have to be sure what order you are placing;
mention the details of the orders properly and
clearly.
3. The quantity of the product should be written in
both number and words. In an order letter, it is
necessary that you be very explicit about what you
are ordering ...
4. Give .details about the product, name, model number, quality or in some cases quality
of the product.
5. Mention clearly, when you want this order to be delivered.
6. You should sound polite and professional
7. Use a simple business format. Write your letter using basic fonts and a business
format ..
THANK YOU LETTER
A thank you letter is one of the most important letters you write, although that may
be surprising.
Why should you write a THANK YOU LETTER?
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
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The first reason to send it is just plain, good manners.
A thank you note or email message, in addition to showing your appreciation, can
boost your career, help you get a job offer, and cement a relationship with a client,
vendor, or networking contact.
It is a relationship builder. When writing other business and work-related thank you
messages and letters, keep in mind that every time you say thank you, you are not just
showing your appreciation - you are also reminding the person you are writing to of
who you are.


It is important to say thank you to an employer after a job interview. This is a great
oportuity to emphasize your interest in a job, remind the employer why you are an
ideal candidate.
Always write a thank you for people who write you letters of recommendation or
provide references. This is a great way to show your appreciation for help with your
job search.
When to send it?



Send thank-you letters as soon as possible.
If it is possible in 24h.
After an event , an interview, a conference, a proffesional visit, if somebody
does something for you (a research, answer to a survey etc)

TASK
Look at the sample letter below and decide which the content of each paragraph is.
Paragraph 1_________________________________________________
Paragraph 2_________________________________________________
Paragraph 3_________________________________________________
TIPS FOR IMPRESSIVE LETTERS

Even if it looks old fashion it is stylish to hand write your letter.
It is true that it takes some time to write and mail a handwritten thank you note. However,
many executives surveyed prefer handwritten notes to email messages. If time permits,
mailing handwritten thank you cards can make a great impression.


Nearly 1 in 5 interviewers said they’d dismissed a candidate for not sending a thankyou
Once again a golden rule is - Keep it short and simple, (but do use the letter to
reiterate your interest in the job, your enthusiasm for the company and to sell yourself
as the ideal candidat).
HOMEWORK
1. A delivery arrived. You write a confirmation to the sender. Use some of the
verbs:
Confirm, book, recommand, despach, order, deliver, forward
2. A company wrote to offer you a new type of webcam. Write a replay using
one of the phrases below:



Further to your letter of September 2nd........
With reference to our recent telephone conversation, I...........
Following our meeting in London, march 1st..........
GRAMMAR SUPPORT
SHOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
We use SHOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE to talk about:
1. a past action or situation which did not happen.
2. Often when we want to be critical.
Example : They should have listen to their customers’ complains (It was wrong that they
did not listen)
3. We can also use OUGHT TO + PAST PARTICIPLE, in a positive statement, but should
is more usual. It is not used in questions and negative statements
Example: I ought to returened his phone call, yesterday. It was rude not to. Should I
have written to them?
REFERENCES
1. Alexe, Maria; Mihaela Ionescu – WRITING Student’s Book – Universitatea din București,
Editura Credis, București, 2008
2. Grellet, Francoise – Writing for Advanced Lerners of English – Cambridge University Press,
cambridge UK, 2005
3. Hopkins, Andy; Potter, Jocelyn, with Madeleine du Vivier, More Work in Progress (course
book), Logman, Edinburgh, 2005
4. Ionescu, Mihaela – WRITING Theory and Practice – Editura Conspress, București, 2008
5. Polytechnic University of Bucharest; Department of Modern Languages, Editura Printech,
București, 2009
6. Stephens, Mary – Practice Writing(revised edition) – Longman, Edinburgh , 2005