Year 9AC9E9LY06

Letter of Application and CV

Plan, create, edit and publish written and multimodal texts, organising, expanding and developing ideas, and selecting text structures, language features, literary devices and multimodal features for purposes and audiences.

The one piece of writing in this course you will almost certainly use for real. The letter argues; the CV lists. Doing either job in the wrong document is the commonest mistake.

Builds onYr 7 · The Formal Letter

Method

The letter persuades, the CV informs

The letter says why you suit this job. The CV lists facts in reverse date order, with no sentences.

Name the job and where you saw it

An employer may be advertising four posts. Missing this reads as a form letter.

Evidence, never adjectives

‘I am hardworking and reliable’ proves nothing. Name something you did and what came of it.

One page each

A student CV that runs past one page is padded, and padding is visible.

Worked example

e.g. Apply for a weekend position as a junior assistant at a local bookshop.

Use the full formal letter layout — your address, date, their address, greeting.Dear Ms Okafor,
Subject line naming the exact post.APPLICATION FOR WEEKEND JUNIOR ASSISTANT
Sentence one — the job, and where you saw it advertised.I wish to apply for the weekend assistant position advertised in your window on 1 August.
Paragraph two — why you suit this job. One claim, with evidence.I have run the school book stall for two years, handling stock and takings each Friday.
Paragraph three — why this employer. Show you know something about them.Your shop is the only one in the area with a dedicated children's section, which is where my interest lies.
Close by pointing to the CV and offering availability.My CV is attached. I am available for interview on any weekday afternoon.
Match the sign-off to the greeting.Yours sincerely, then your printed name.
Now the CV. Headings only, no sentences, most recent first.Personal details · Education · Work experience · Skills · Interests · Referees
Under each heading, use dated entries.2025–2026 Book stall coordinator, Ashgrove High
Referees last. Two names, roles and contact details — with their permission.Mr E. Ellis, Head of English, Ashgrove High

Practice

Each of these is a real deduction. Fix it.

Rewrite so it proves rather than claims: I am a hardworking and very reliable person who is good with people.

AnswerI have run the school book stall every Friday for two years, managing stock and takings, and have not missed a session. Evidence carries the claim; the adjective on its own does not.

A learner writes their CV in full sentences. Why does that cost marks?

AnswerA CV is a scanned document, not a read one. Sentences slow the reader and show the learner has not understood the form. Use dated entries under headings.

The letter says I am applying for the job you advertised. What is missing?

AnswerWhich job, and where it was advertised. Employers often run several vacancies, and naming the source shows the application is not a template.

What belongs in the letter but never in the CV?

AnswerArgument. The CV states what you have done; the letter explains why that makes you right for this particular post.