writing a cover letter exercises

How to write a job covering letter/email exercise

What you'll learn here.

Learn what makes a good job covering/cover letter (with an example of one) and 13 phrases that you can use in your own. There is also a quiz at the end to make sure you know why and when to use these 13 phrases.

A job covering/cover letter is important

It may surprise you to hear this, but the job covering/cover letter (or email) that you send when applying for a job is probably more important than your CV/resume in deciding whether you'll get a job interview or not.

Although you must make sure that your send a good CV/resume when applying for a job, whether your potential employer will ever look at it often depends on how good the job covering/cover letter you send with it is.

Why your job covering/cover letter is important

When companies advertise a vacancy, they'll receive lots of CVs/resumes (possibly hundreds). If they had to read each CV/resume they received, it would take them a very long time. So to help them choose the best candidates quicker, they often use the job cover/covering email to decide whose CV/resume to read and whose not to.

And they can use the job covering/cover letter to make this decision, because apart from it saying what job the person is applying for, it is basically a summary of the most important information from the CV/resume.

What makes a good one

So now you know why a job covering/cover letter is important, how do you write a good one? The answer is very simple, think from the perspective of the person/people you are sending it to. If you were in their position and you were going to be using it to decide whether to read your CV/resume or not, what would you be wanting to see when you read it?

In my opinion, for a job covering/cover letter to work (and get you an interview), it needs to:

• Contain all the information which an employer needs to know or is looking for.
• Only include information on your skills and experience which is relevant for the job you are applying for.
• Match what you've written on your CV/resume.
• Be structured so that it is both easy to read and the person can easily find the information they are looking for.
• Be modified for each job you use it for.

In addition to both what you write about and how you structure it, the vocabulary which you use in it is important. You are selling yourself as the right candidate to the person or people reading it, so you need to use vocabulary and phrases which makes you sound professional in it. And you do this by using both formal vocabulary (e.g. oversee, conduct etc...) and vocabulary which is polite.

Fortunately, there are a lot of set professional sounding phrases and expressions which you can use in your own job covering/cover letter (which you'll see below). But before you use them, you need to be 100% sure that you are using them correctly.

Now you know the theory of what makes a good covering letter/email, use this in the exercise below. This exercise contains an example of a good job covering/cover letter and a quiz which is designed to help you create your own one more easily and both understand and remember the vocabulary which you should use in them.

Exercise & Example:

Read the following covering/cover letter from Juan Cruz for a sales executive position/job with a large multinational engineering company.

From the context, try to guess what the meaning and purpose of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to the advertisement for the position of a sales executive in the Madrid office of your company. I am confident that I would be an excellent candidate for both this position and for working within a company such as your own which has a reputation for excellence and innovation.

Goal-Orientated - Surpassing my annual sales targets every year of my professional career.

Adaptable - Having the ability to quickly learn and use new techniques, methodologies, strategies when selling a variety of different products.

Able to speak fluently in English - I have the Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English and use English on a daily basis in my current position.

I have extensive experience of working as a sales executive for two large multinational companies, Almagro Construction SA and Telefonica SA. During my time in Telefonica I have been responsible for several multi-million euro project negotiations that were conducted entirely in English and led to Telefonica obtaining contracts that totalled a value of €61.3 million.

Please find attached a copy of my CV which expands on my experience and achievements.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further the possibility of working for you in this position. I am available to do an interview when it is convenient for yourselves .

If you have any questions, I can be reached on either my mobile (0034 71761231) or by email ([email protected]).

Thank you for your time and consideration .

Yours faithfully,

Our other exercises and articles to help you get the job you want

Below are 13 questions about the words/phrases in bold from the above text. Choose the word/phrase from the question's selection box which you believe answers each question. Only use each word/phrase once. Click on the "Check answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.

Although I recommend that you answer the below questions yourself, if you are busy, you can see all the correct answers to the questions by pressing the below button whenever you want.

See the correct answers

1. A professional way to say that you have worked in a type of job for a long time, is

2. A phrase where you say what your three main abilities are and is used to introduce the section about your skills, is

3. A phrase that is used to provide the candidate's contact details, is

4. A phrase which means 'I'm perfect for this job', is

5. A phrase that means that something was done only using English, is

6. A polite phrase that asks for an interview or a phone call to talk about the job, is

7. A verb that has the same meaning as 'show', is

8. Another way to say something happened 'for a part (or parts) of a period of time', is

9. A phrase that tells the person receiving the covering letter that they can decide when the interview happens, is

10. A polite phrase that shows your appreciation for the person reading the covering letter, is

11. Another way to say 'from the beginning to the end', is

12. A phrase which tells the person reading the letter that you have also sent them your CV/résumé, is

13. A phrase that says why you are sending the email or letter, is

Now that you understand the vocabulary and the structure, practise it by creating your own covering letter.

©2022, Blair English

This is me, Chris Clayton, the owner and main writer for Blair English. I'm also a part-time English teacher in sunny Spain. I have a love of history and the web. I hope you find the website useful.

Cover Letter Quiz

You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It tests what you learned on the Your Cover Letter page in our Business English section on Resumes and Cover Letters.

1. A cover letter or covering letter can also be called

2. Job applicants must send a cover letter _______ sending their resume.

3. A cover letter should be

4. If a cover letter is poorly-written, most employers will _______ the applicant.

5. Which date format is best for a cover letter?

6. Your name should be _______ of the letter.

7. Which topic isn't normally mentioned in a cover letter?

8. Your cover letter should explain how much you will _______ the company.

9. Cover letters often begin with the applicant explaining how they

10. Your cover letter can summarize a key selling point such as your

Your score is:

Correct answers:

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Cover Letters

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Introduction

These resources will help you understand and write successful cover letters. To use these pages, you may select links in the navigation bar on the left, you may select links from the list below, or you may advance through the pages using the links at the bottom of each page. Click here to download the PDF file containing sample résumés and employment letters. The cover letter pages are organized into the following sections:

• What is a cover letter?
• Why do I need to do a cover letter?
• What should I do if I'm a veteran transitioning into civilian life?
• What should I do if I'm a transitioning automotive industry worker?
• What should I do about any times I was not working?
• What should I do if I have been incarcerated?
• What should my cover letter look like?
• What should my cover letter accomplish?
• What should I do before I start writing?
• What are the sections I should include in my letter?
• Introductions
• Addressing your letter
• Body paragraphs
• How should I follow up on my cover letter and résumé?

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How to Write a Cover Letter: Your Full Guide (With Tips and Examples)

It’s a familiar cycle: You sit down to write a cover letter, open a blank document, check your email, browse cover letter examples , do some chores, watch that cursor blink a few more times, and finally Google something like “how to write a cover letter”—which hopefully brought you here. But you still might be thinking, does anyone really read cover letters? Why do they even exist?

First: Yes, we can assure you that cover letters do, in fact, get read. To some hiring managers, they’re the most important part of your job application. And regardless, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to tell prospective employers who you are, showcase why they should hire you, and stand out above all the other candidates.

To ensure your letter is in amazing shape (and crafting it is as painless as possible), we’ve got easy-to-follow steps plus examples, a few bonus tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Get that cover letter out there! Browse open jobs on The Muse and find your dream job »

What is a cover letter and why is it important?

A cover letter is a brief (one page or less) note that you write to a hiring manager or recruiter to go along with your resume and other application materials.

Done well, a cover letter gives you the chance to speak directly to how your skills and experience line up with the specific job you’re pursuing. It also affords you an opportunity to hint to the reviewer that you’re likable, original, and likely to be a great addition to the team.

Instead of using cover letters to their strategic advantage, most job applicants blabber on and on about what they want, toss out bland, cliché-filled paragraphs that essentially just regurgitate their resume, or go off on some strange tangent in an effort to be unique. Given this reality, imagine the leg up you’ll have once you learn how to do cover letters right.

How long should a cover letter be?

An ideal cover letter typically ranges from a half page to one full page. Aim to structure it into four paragraphs, totaling around 250 to 400 words, unless the job posting states otherwise. Some employers may have specific guidelines like word or character limits, writing prompt, or questions to address. In such cases, be sure to follow these instructions from the job posting.

How to write a cover letter hiring managers will love

Now that you’re sold on how important cover letters are, here are eight steps to writing one that screams, “I’m a great hire!”

Step 1: Write a fresh cover letter for each job (but yes, you can use a template)

Sure, it’s way faster and easier to take the cover letter you wrote for your last application, change the name of the company, and send it off. But most employers want to see that you’re truly excited about the specific position and organization—which means creating a custom letter for each position.

While it’s OK to recycle a few strong sentences and phrases from one cover letter to the next, don’t even think about sending out a 100% generic letter. “Dear Hiring Manager, I am excited to apply to the open position at your company” is an immediate signal to recruiters and hiring managers that you’re mass-applying to every job listing that pops up on LinkedIn.

At the same time, there’s nothing that says you can’t get a little help: Try out one of our free cover letter templates to make the process a bit easier.

Step 2: Add your contact info

At the top of your cover letter, you should list out your basic info. You can even copy the same heading from your resume if you’d like. Some contact info you might include (and the order to include it in):

• Your pronouns (optional)
• Your location (optional)
• Your email address
• Your phone number (optional)
• Your Linkedin, portfolio, or personal website URL (optional)

Note that only name and email are mandatory, and you don’t need to put a full address on a cover letter or resume anymore. A city and state (or metro area) are more than enough. So your header might look like this:

Inigo Montoya he/him Florin Metropolitan Area [email protected] 555-999-2222

If the job posting tells you to submit your cover letter in the body of an email, you can add your contact info at the end, after your name (and if you’d like to forgo the email address here, you can—they have it already). So your sign off could look like this:

Violet Baudelaire she/her [email protected] 123-123-1234

https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-baudelaire/

Step 3: Address your cover letter to the hiring manager—preferably by name

The most traditional way to address a cover letter is to use the person’s first and last name, including “Mr.” or “Ms.” (for example, “Dear Ms. Jane Smith” or just “Dear Ms. Smith”). But to avoid accidentally using the wrong title—or worse, inadvertently misgendering someone—first and last name also work just fine.

If “Dear” feels a bit too stiff, try “Hello.” But never use generic salutations like “ To Whom it May Concern ” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”

For more help, read these rules for addressing your cover letter and a few tips for how to find the hiring manager .

Step 4: Craft an opening paragraph that’ll hook your reader

Your opening sets the stage for the whole cover letter. So you want it to be memorable, friendly, conversational, and hyper-relevant to the job you’re pursuing.

No need to lead with your name—the hiring manager can see it already. But it’s good to mention the job you’re applying for (they may be combing through candidates for half a dozen different jobs).

You could go with something simple like, “I am excited to apply for [job] with [Company].” But consider introducing yourself with a snappy first paragraph that highlights your excitement about the company you’re applying to, your passion for the work you do, and/or your past accomplishments.

This is a prime spot to include the “why” for your application. Make it very clear why you want this job at this company. Are you a longtime user of their products? Do you have experience solving a problem they’re working on? Do you love their brand voice or approach to product development? Do your research on the company (and check out their Muse profile if they have one) to find out.

Read this next: 30 Genius Cover Letter Openers Recruiters Will LOVE

Step 5: Convey why you’d be a great hire for this job

A common cover letter mistake is only talking about how great the position would be for you. Frankly, hiring managers are aware of that—what they really want to know is what you’re going to bring to the position and company.

So once you’ve got the opening under wraps, you should pull out a few key ideas that will make up the backbone of your cover letter. They should show that you understand what the organization is looking for and spell out how your background lines up with the position.

Study the job description for hints . What problems is the company looking to solve with this hire? What skills or experiences are mentioned high up, or more than once? These will likely be the most important qualifications.

If you tend to have a hard time singing your own praises and can’t nail down your strengths , here’s a quick trick: What would your favorite boss, your best friend, or your mentor say about you? How would they sing your praises? Use the answers to inform how you write about yourself. You can even weave in feedback you’ve received to strengthen your case (occasionally, don’t overuse this!). For example:

“When I oversaw our last office move, my color-coded spreadsheets covering every minute detail of the logistics were legendary; my manager said I was so organized, she’d trust me to plan an expedition to Mars.”

Step 6: Back up your qualifications with examples and numbers

Look at your list of qualifications from the previous step, and think of examples from your past that prove you have them. Go beyond your resume. Don’t just regurgitate what the hiring manager can read elsewhere.

Simply put, you want to paint a fuller picture of what experiences and accomplishments make you a great hire and show off what you can sashay through their doors with and deliver once you land the job.

For example, what tells a hiring manager more about your ability to win back former clients? This: “I was in charge of identifying and re-engaging former clients.” Or this: “By analyzing past client surveys, NPS scores, and KPIs, as well as simply picking up the phone, I was able to bring both a data-driven approach and a human touch to the task of re-engaging former clients.”

If you're having trouble figuring out how to do this, try asking yourself these questions and finding answers that line up with the qualifications you’ve chosen to focus on:

• What approach did you take to tackling one of the responsibilities you’ve mentioned on your resume?
• What details would you include if you were telling someone a (very short!) story about how you accomplished one of your resume bullet points?
• What about your personality, passion, or work ethic made you especially good at getting the job done?

Come up with your examples, then throw in a few numbers. Hiring managers love to see stats—they show you’ve had a measurable impact on an organization you’ve worked for. Did you bring in more clients than any of your peers? Put together an impressive number of events? Make a process at work 30% more efficient? Work it into your cover letter!

This might help: How to Quantify Your Resume Bullets (When You Don't Work With Numbers)

Step 7: Finish with a strong conclusion

It’s tempting to treat the final lines of your cover letter as a throwaway: “I look forward to hearing from you.” But your closing paragraph is your last chance to emphasize your enthusiasm for the company or how you’d be a great fit for the position. You can also use the end of your letter to add important details—like, say, the fact that you’re willing to relocate for the job.

Try something like this:

“I believe my energy, desire to innovate, and experience as a sales leader will serve OrangePurple Co. very well. I would love to meet to discuss the value I could add as your next West Coast Sales Director. I appreciate your consideration and hope to meet with you soon.”

Then be sure to sign off professionally , with an appropriate closing and your first and last name. (Need help? Here are three cover letter closing lines that make hiring managers grimace, plus some better options .)

Step 8: Reread and revise

We shouldn’t have to tell you to run your cover letter through spell-check, but remember that having your computer scan for typos isn’t the same as editing . Set your letter aside for a day or even just a few hours, and then read through it again with fresh eyes—you’ll probably notice some changes you want to make.

You might even want to ask a friend or family member to give it a look. In addition to asking them if they spot any errors, you should ask them two questions:

• Does this sell me as the best person for the job?
• Does it get you excited?

If the answer to either is “no,” or even slight hesitation, go back for another pass.

Cover letter examples

Here are four example cover letters that follow the advice given above. Keep in mind that different situations may require adjustments in your approach. For instance, experienced job seekers can emphasize accomplishments from previous roles, while those with less experience might highlight volunteer work, personal projects, or skills gained through education.

Example #1: Cover letter for a job application

Alia Farhat San Francisco Bay Area [email protected] 444-000-1111

Hello Danny Tanaka,

If I’m being honest, I still haven’t fully gotten over the death of my first Tamagotchi pet when I was six years old. (His name was Tommy, and I’ve gotten far more creative since then, I promise.) When I was older, I discovered NeoPets and I was hooked for years—not just on the site, but on the community that surrounded it. So when I heard about FantasyPets last year, I immediately started following news about your development process, and that’s how I saw your post looking for a marketing strategist. Not only do I have eight years of experience in digital marketing, but as a lifelong gamer with a passion for pet-focused titles who’s spent years in online communities with like-minded people, I also know exactly what kind of messaging resonates with your target audience.

You’re looking for someone to help you craft a social media marketing campaign to go along with your game launch, and I’ve been a part of three launch-day marketing campaigns for mobile and web-based games. In my current role as social media manager at Phun Inc., I proposed a campaign across Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok based on competitor research and analysis of our social campaigns for similar games to go along with the launch of the mobile game FarmWorld. Using my strategy of featuring both kids and adults in ads, we ended up driving over one million impressions and 80k downloads in the first three months.

I’ve always believed that the best way to find the right messaging for a game is to understand the audience and immerse myself in it as much as possible. I spend some of my research time on gaming forums and watching Twitch streams and Let’s Plays to see what really matters to the audience and how they talk about it. Of course, I always back my strategies up with data—I’m even responsible for training new members of the marketing team at Phun Inc. in Google AdWords and data visualization.

I believe that my passion for games exactly like yours, my digital marketing and market research experience, and my flair for turning data into actionable insights will help put FantasyPets on the map. I see so much promise in this game, and as a future player, I want to see its user base grow as much as you do. I appreciate your consideration for the marketing strategist role and hope to speak with you soon.

Alia Farhat

Example #2: Cover letter for an internship

Mariah Johnson

New York, NY [email protected] 555-000-1234

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am excited to submit my application for the software development internship at Big Tech. As a student at New York University majoring in computer science with a keen interest in social studies, I believe I would be a good fit for the role. Big Tech's mission to promote equality and a more sustainable world is deeply inspiring, and I would be thrilled to contribute to this mission.

In a recent hackathon, I demonstrated my ability to lead a team in designing and developing an app that directs members of a small community to nearby electronics recycling centers. My team successfully developed a working prototype and presented it to a panel of industry experts who awarded us second place.

I’ve also been an active volunteer at my local library for over four years. During this time, I organized book donation drives, led book fairs, and conducted reading sessions with children. This experience strengthened my presentation and communication skills and confirmed my motivation stems from supporting a good cause. I would be more than happy to bring my passion and dedication to an organization whose mission resonates with me..

Through these experiences, along with my coursework in software engineering, I am confident I am able to navigate the challenges of the Big Tech internship program. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you about my qualifications. Thank you for your consideration.

Example #3: Cover letter with no experience

Sarah Bergman

Philadelphia, PA [email protected] 1234-555-6789

Dear Chloe West,

I’m excited to apply for the entry-level copywriting position at Idea Agency. As a recent graduate from State University with a major in mass communications, I’m eager to delve deeper into copywriting for brands, marketing strategies, and their roles in the business world.

Over the past two years, I’ve completed courses in creative writing, copywriting, and essentials of digital marketing. I’ve also been actively involved in extracurricular activities, creating content and promoting student events across multiple online platforms. These experiences expanded my creativity, enhanced my teamwork skills, and strengthened my communication abilities.

As an admirer of your visionary marketing campaigns and Idea Agency’s commitment to sustainability, I’m enthusiastic about the prospect of joining your team. I'm confident that I can contribute to your future projects with inventive thinking and creative energy.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further. Thank you for considering my application.

Best regards,

Example #4: Career change cover letter

Leslie Smith

Chicago, IL [email protected] 111-222-3344

Dear Paul Jones,

Over the past year, I’ve volunteered to represent my company at a local fair and there I discovered how much fun working face to face with clients would be. Everytime I sold a product for The Solar Company, I often wished it was my full-time job. Now, I'm excited to submit my application for the sales coordinator position with Bloom Sales.

After completing a degree in business administration, I decided to put my outgoing personality and strong communication skills to work as a sales specialist at The Solar Company. I’ve sharpened my presentation and critical thinking skills in client meetings and sourced more than $20,000 in new partnerships. This experience has given me an invaluable foundation, and now I’m confident it's the time to move business administration to sales coordination.

I’m comfortable seeking out new business opportunities, making cold calls, and selling potential clients on the advantages of Bloom Sales products. I attend an average of 10 in-person meetings a week, and interacting with a lot of different personalities is what excites me the most. As a detail-oriented, tech-savvy professional, I have advanced knowledge of Excel and data analysis.

I would love to learn more about your sales strategy for the second semester and discuss how my experience in business administration and client-facing sales exposure would help Bloom Sales achieve its goals. Thank you for your consideration.

Extra cover letter examples

• Pain point cover letter example
• Recent graduate cover letter example
• Stay-at-home parent returning to work cover letter example
• Sales cover letter example
• Email marketing manager cover letter example
• No job description or position cover letter example (a.k.a., a letter of intent or interest)
• Buzzfeed-style cover letter example
• Creative cover letter example (from the point-of-view of a dog)

Bonus cover letter tips to give you an edge over the competition

As you write your cover letter, here are a few more tips to consider to help you stand out from the stack of applicants:

• Keep it short and sweet: There are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, for resumes and cover letters alike, don’t go over a page. (Check out these tips for cutting down your cover letter .)
• Never apologize for your missing experience: When you don’t meet all of the job requirements, it’s tempting to use lines like, “Despite my limited experience as a manager…” or “While I may not have direct experience in marketing…” But why apologize ? Instead of drawing attention to your weaknesses, emphasize the strengths and transferable skills you do have.
• Strike the right tone: You want to find a balance between being excessively formal in your writing—which can make you come off as stiff or insincere—and being too conversational. Let your personality shine through, for sure, but also keep in mind that a cover letter shouldn’t sound like a text to an old friend.
• Consider writing in the company’s “voice:” Cover letters are a great way to show that you understand the environment and culture of the company and industry. Spending some time reading over the company website or stalking their social media before you get started can be a great way to get in the right mindset—you’ll get a sense for the company’s tone, language, and culture, which are all things you’ll want to mirror—especially if writing skills are a core part of the job.
• Go easy on the enthusiasm: We can’t tell you how many cover letters we’ve seen from people who are “absolutely thrilled for the opportunity” or “very excitedly applying!” Yes, you want to show personality, creativity, and excitement. But downplay the adverbs a bit, and keep the level of enthusiasm for the opportunity genuine and believable.

The bottom line with cover letters is this: They matter, much more than the naysayers will have you believe. If you nail yours, you could easily go from the “maybe” pile straight to “Oh, hell yes.”

Cover letter FAQs (a.k.a., everything else you need to know about cover letters)

• Are cover letters still necessary?
• Do I have to write a cover letter if it’s optional?
• Can I skip the cover letter for a tech job?
• What does it mean to write a cover letter for a resume?
• How can I write a simple cover letter in 30 minutes?
• How can I show personality in my cover letter?
• What should I name my cover letter file?
• Is a letter of intent different from a cover letter?
• Is a letter of interest different from a cover letter?

Regina Borsellino , Jenny Foss , and Amanda Cardoso contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

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Search form, writing a cover letter: activity 1 of 3.

A cover letter is a way to introduce yourself to a potential employer. A good cover letter describes your experience and abilities, gives some sense of your personality, and communicates what makes you the best person for the job.

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38 Writing a Cover Letter

Melissa Ashman

Activity Guidelines

Suggested Course Level

Lower level undergraduate

Activity Purpose

• Students will practice writing a cover letter using a real job advertisement and a fictional resume.

Materials Required

• Copies of a fictional resume
• Copies of a job advertisement (to match the provided fictional resume, it’s best to find a job advertisement relating to office management or administrative support)

Activity Instructions

• Review the parts of a cover letter with the class.
• Distribute sample job advertisements and resumes to students.
• Place students in small groups. (Steps 2 and 3 can be skipped if this activity is following the employment skills analysis activity.)
• Ask students to work with their group to write a cover letter for the person in the resume in application for the job in the advertisement. (NOTE: Try to pair students who have experience writing cover letters with those who do not.)
• Provide feedback as you circulate around the room.
• Debrief the parts of the cover letter, such as the salutation, introduction, skills/qualifications to highlight in the body of the letter, the conclusion, etc.

Debrief Questions / Activities

• How did you open your letter? Why?
• What did you say in your first paragraph? Why?
• What did you say in your middle paragraphs? Why?
• What qualifications did you highlight? Why?
• What did you say in your conclusion? Why?
• What are you taking away from this activity?

Activity Variations

• This activity can be done individually instead. If few students in the class have prior experience writing a cover letter, this activity can be done with the entire class (using the instructor as a scribe in a blank document).

Additional Resources / Supplementary Resources

• Fictional resume WORD
• Fictional resume PDF

Tags:  employment communications, writing mechanics, grammar, style, tone, concision, hands-on, small group, creating a product or document, writing practice, cover letter

Student Engagement Activities for Business Communications Copyright © 2020 by Melissa Ashman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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COVER LETTER

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Writing A CV / Cover Letter

Tags: advanced , business , describing people , intermediate , jobs

In the Writing A CV / Cover Letter ESL activity, students practise writing these important documents, using appropriate language and common expressions.

Students can invent a job to apply for, or use a position they want in real life. Or, you could do the Create A Company project and/or the Job Adverts activity beforehand, with students applying for a position that another student has created.

Students can write either the CV or the cover letter, or both.

• Show/elicit an example of a CV on the board or a handout. Highlight some common errors (e.g. inconsistent tenses) that students should avoid.
• Students write or refine their own CVs as necessary. They then swap and peer correct both language and formatting.
• Set out the correct format of a cover letter on the board. Dividing the letter into paragraphs depending on content will help students organise their ideas. For example: Information about them, Why they think they are a good match for the job, Their availability etc.
• The students plan out their content, then write up the letter. Once again, they swap letters to peer-correct language and formatting.
• As an extension, you could elicit and write on the board a list of questions about key information to include (e.g. When can they start? Why do they want the job? What’s their contact information?). The students then check another letter for that content.

Target Language

The Writing A CV / Cover Letter ESL activity practises a vital skill for adult learners, particularly those in an English-speaking country. It is most commonly used with the topics of jobs or business .

However, you could also use it to practise relevant personality adjectives (hardworking, diligent, punctual etc.). In this case, make sure you ask students to focus on this, and include at least five to ten examples in their work. Why not do the Personality Test activity beforehand to get students thinking about this topic, and give them ideas for vocabulary?

As mentioned above, students could write with a real-life position in mind, or use one invented by a classmate (from the Create A Company or Job Adverts activities). You could then use the finished CVs and cover letters in the Job Interviews activity.

Got a picture or video of this activity in action? How about snapping one next time you use it? We'd love to showcase your submissions- find out more here .

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Warmer of the day.

Tags: beginner , intermediate , kids , reported speech , warmer

The Family Feud ESL game is a version of the popular TV show of the same name (Family Fortunes in the UK), adapted for your English class.

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Normalising mass surveillance

Eu should exercise caution.

The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.

Sir, – The European Union is presently discussing legislation regarding mass digital surveillance (Karlin Lillington, “We’re tilting alarmingly towards normalising sneakier mass surveillance”, Business, Opinion & Analysis, July 4th ).

Legal frameworks exist within democracies to prevent the misuse and abuse of personal data that law enforcement authorities obtain from private communication service providers.

The fundamental rights to respect for private life and the protection of personal data underpin this framework within the European Union. Accordingly, the protection of the principles and safeguards required by these rights is key to ensuring that the oversight of state surveillance powers is robust and transparent. Furthermore, without the robust scrutiny of independent judicial review, the principles and safeguards guaranteed by these rights may become more illusory than real.

Following the Edward Snowden revelations, major concerns have been raised worldwide regarding the legality, necessity and proportionality standards governing these laws.

Van Morrison review: Van the man turns rainy night in Dublin into a celebration

Matt Williams: South Africa will win this test against Ireland, and the reasons are clear

Oliver Callan swaps the laughs for a harrowing tale with a powerful message

When inheritance can be more trouble than it is worth

In 2014, the highest court in the EU struck down the legal framework that imposed a mandatory duty on communication service providers to undertake the mass retention of metadata for secret intelligence and law enforcement authorities across the EU.

We should all be very concerned that the European Parliament is considering measures which could have unattended consequences, allowing mass surveillance of our social media apps. – Yours, etc,

PAUL DORAN,

IN THIS SECTION

Uk election – a time of political volatility, responding to the climate crisis, occupied territories bill, why are vegans seen as annoying, safety measures in new vehicles to become mandatory from this weekend, starmer in downing street presents uk with opportunities to rebuild old relationships, death of tipperary-based judge elizabeth macgrath ‘a huge loss’ to district court, how did northern ireland vote a full breakdown of how each constituency voted in the uk election, latest stories, josephine bartley obituary: a driving force in the elevation of nursing in ireland, poem of the week: moses and john-james, france send portugal home on penalties after dour goalless affair, liverpool’s new boss arne slot issues ‘top of the league’ rallying cry, whipping boy gareth southgate deserves kudos for just getting this far.

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• Health and social care
• Public health
• Health protection
• Immunisation
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programmes letter
• NHS England
• UK Health Security Agency

Introduction of new NHS vaccination programmes against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Published 24 June 2024

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccination-programmes-letter/introduction-of-new-nhs-vaccination-programmes-against-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv

24 June 2024

• chief executives
• chief operating officers
• medical directors
• chief pharmacist
• chief nurses
• head of midwifery

Integrated Care Boards ( ICB ):

• public health directors
• clinical leads
• accountable officers

For onward cascade to:

• general practices
• paediatricians
• NHSE regional directors
• NHSE regional chief midwives and heads of midwifery
• NHSE regional medical directors
• NHSE directors of nursing
• NHSE regional directors of commissioning
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• NHSE regional heads of public health commissioning
• NHSE regional heads of primary care
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• all directors of public health

Stakeholders:

• Nursing and Midwifery Council
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Dear Colleagues,

Introduction of new NHS vaccination programmes against respiratory syncytial virus ( RSV )

Following guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation ( JCVI ), we are writing to systems to set out next steps for delivery of 2 new respiratory syncytial virus ( RSV ) vaccination programmes from 1 September 2024, for older adults and during pregnancy for infant protection.

RSV  is a common respiratory virus that that can cause serious lung infections. While RSV infection can occur at any age, the risk and severity of RSV and its complications are increased in older adults and in neonates and small babies, and it has a considerable impact on individuals and NHS services during the winter months.

Following successful completion of a competitive tender and with funding approved from the Department of Health and Social Care ( DHSC ), we are pleased to be able to provide further information about the programme. We ask that you share this with all local partners involved in commissioning and delivering the programme.

Programme for older adults aged 75 to 79 years old

All adults turning 75 years old on or after 1 September 2024 will be eligible for the routine programme and should be offered a single dose of the RSV vaccine on or after their 75th birthday. A one-off catch-up campaign for those already aged 75 to 79 years old on 1 September 2024 should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity with the aim of completing the majority by 31 August 2025. To offer the best protection, we are asking systems and providers to vaccinate as many people as possible during September and October 2024 prior to the expected RSV season. In line with JCVI guidance, individuals will remain eligible until the day before their 80th birthday, with the exception of people who turn 80 in the first year who have until 31 August 2025 to get vaccinated.

This campaign will be commissioned from general practice as an essential service, starting from 1 September 2024. In addition, NHS England ( NHSE ) will be commissioning a number of community pharmacies to deliver the programme. Further details will be shared in due course.

Programme for pregnant women to protect infants

All women who are at least 28 weeks pregnant (the eligible cohort) on 1 September 2024, should be offered a single dose of the RSV vaccine, through commissioned services. After that, pregnant women will become eligible as they reach 28 weeks gestation and remain eligible up to birth. The ideal opportunity to offer vaccination would be at the 28-week antenatal contact ( ANC ), following prior discussion at the 20-week ANC . Providers should aim to vaccinate those already eligible on 1 September as soon as possible.

Information provided in the annexes of this letter:

Annexe A : detailed information and guidance for healthcare professionals about the RSV older adult offer.

Annexe B : detailed information and guidance for healthcare professionals about the RSV vaccination offer for pregnant women to protect infants and the high-risk infant offer.

Annexe C : detailed information and guidance for healthcare professionals – both programmes.

For any operational queries, please contact your NHS England Regional Public Health Commissioning Team. For clinical queries or queries about supporting programme resources, please email [email protected] .

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in commissioning and delivering the national immunisation programme in England.

Yours sincerely

Steve Russell, National Director of Vaccinations and Screening, NHS England

Dr Mary Ramsay CBE, Director of Public Health Programmes (including immunisation), UK Health Security Agency

Annexe A. Detailed information and guidance for healthcare professionals – Older adult programme

The joint committee on vaccination and immunisation ( jcvi ).

In June 2023, based on impact and cost effectiveness modelling, the JCVI advised that an RSV immunisation programme, that is cost effective, should be developed for older adults aged 75 years old and above. The JCVI further advised it favoured a one-off campaign as the strategy for this programme with the initial offer covering several age cohorts and then a routine programme for those turning 75 years old, with its delivery and implementation to be determined through further consultation between NHS England, DHSC , UKHSA and the devolved administrations.

Funding and service arrangements

Routine NHS-funded vaccinations and immunisations are delivered as essential services under the GP Contract from the 1 September 2024, the RSV vaccination programme will be included, as set out in this letter. Details of how the service will be commissioned will be shared via an NHS England deployment note and relevant contracting arrangements will be put in place accordingly.

Practices will be required to undertake call/recall for patients as they become eligible for the programme from 1 September. Accurate and timely recording of all vaccines given, and good management of all associated documentation, is essential as per the standards set out in the GMS Regulations and Statement of Financial Entitlement ( SFE ).

Funding will be part of the Public Health Allocation to regional commissioners annually to disseminate, as required locally.

Vaccine coverage data collection

Single dose coverage of the RSV vaccination will be collected. GP practice-level RSV vaccine coverage will be based on data automatically uploaded via participating GP IT suppliers to the ImmForm website (a website used by UKHSA and NHS to collect data on vaccine coverage and provide vaccine ordering facilities for the NHS). For the maternal programme, data will be collected monthly with an 8 week lag to allow for transfer of records and recording of live births and immunisations in women’s records. For older adults, data will be collected quarterly.

From September 2024 data will be collected on the following:

For older adults:

Denominator: the number of patients in the relevant age bands registered with a participating GP on the data extraction date.

Numerator: the number of patients in the denominator that have received the RSV vaccine between 1 September 2024 and the extraction date.

The data will be validated and analysed by UKHSA to check data completeness, identify and query any anomalous results and describe epidemiological trends. Reports will be available on GOV.UK.

Annexe B. Detailed information and guidance for healthcare professionals – pregnancy vaccination for infant protection programme

In June 2023, based on impact and cost effectiveness modelling, the JCVI advised that a RSV immunisation programme, that is cost effective, should be developed for infants. Further details can be found in the JCVI RSV statement .

Women should be offered RSV vaccination in each pregnancy from 28 weeks gestation. Infants at high risk of RSV disease should also receive passive immunisation against RSV in accordance with criteria in the Green Book, chapter 27a regardless of whether the mother was vaccinated during the pregnancy.

Where appropriate and in accordance with procurement legislation, the service may be provided under a variation to the NHS Standard Contract with current providers as determined by regional commissioners, based on population need and using the nationally provided template schedules. Where a new non-primary care provider is commissioned in accordance with procurement legislation, then the nationally provided standard contract templates must be used.

Opportunistic or on request GP delivery of immunisations will be commissioned as an essential service in the GP contract. Where commissioners may want general practice to routinely provide this service, this will need to be commissioned locally over and above the core opportunistic or on request offer and giving due regard to procurement legislation.

Funding will be provided as part of the Public Health Allocation to regional commissioners annually to disseminate, as required locally.

Vaccination event data recording

Vaccination events should be recorded using nationally agreed applications. Vaccinations provided in a GP setting will be recorded directly onto GPIT systems. Supporting information on vaccine event recording requirements will be provided to regional commissioners and commissioned providers.

Single dose coverage of the RSV vaccination will be collected.

For the maternal programme:

Denominator: the number of women registered with a participating GP on the data extraction date who delivered in the survey month regardless of gestational age at birth.

Numerator: the number of women in the denominator recorded as having received RSV vaccination between week 28 of pregnancy and delivery.

The data will be validated and analysed by UKHSA to check data completeness, identify and query any anomalous results and describe epidemiological trends.

Annexe C. Detailed information and guidance for healthcare professionals – both programmes

Vaccine supply.

The RSV vaccine Abrysvo® will be made available to order online via the ImmForm website . See the ImmForm helpsheet for information on registering for an ImmForm account. The vaccine is expected to be available to order from early August. The same Abrysvo® vaccine will be used for both the older adult and the infant programmes but will be separate items on ImmForm and the product should be managed independently where possible. Ordering controls may be in place to enable UKHSA to balance incoming supply with demand. Details on ordering will be available on ImmForm and in Vaccine Update in due course. Providers should plan to include Abrysvo® with their usual ImmForm vaccine orders rather than placing additional orders and ensure that local stocks of vaccine are rotated in fridges so that wastage is minimised. It is recommended that practices hold no more than 2 weeks’ worth of stock.

Patient Group Directions (PGDs)

A new RSV PGD template will be produced by UKHSA for NHS England areas to authorise for their commissioned services. This will be available from the PGD collection on GOV.UK.

Information and guidance for healthcare practitioners

Detailed clinical guidance on RSV and RSV vaccination is contained in chapter 27a of Immunisation Against Infectious Disease (the Green Book).

Healthcare practitioner information and guidance to support the RSV programme including an Information for Healthcare Practitioners document and a training slide set will be available from the RSV vaccination programme webpage .

Patient information materials

Patient information materials will be available on the RSV vaccination programme webpage .

All patient facing resources can be ordered free of charge from Health Publications . All users need to register to receive deliveries. If you register as a health professional, you can order 500 to 1,000 copies on the website. For larger quantities, please call 0300 123 1002.

Guidance on informed consent can be found in chapter 2 of the Green Book .

Black Triangle Scheme and reporting suspected adverse reactions

Abrysvo® is part of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s ( MHRA ) Black Triangle Scheme for new medicines and vaccines to allow rapid identification of new safety information. Health professionals and those vaccinated are asked to report suspected adverse reactions through the online Yellow Card scheme , by downloading the Yellow Card app or by calling the Yellow Card scheme on 0800 731 6789 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

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Happy Fourth: Treasure your 'unalienable rights' in time of great uncertainty for America

Celebrate our fight for independence.

Happy Birthday to our great country, the United States of America!

On July 4, we citizens celebrate this holiday in which our historic Declaration of Independence was written by brave patriotic men 248 years ago. This magnificent and inspirational document dissolved American ties to Britain’s monarchy and established a unique federal republic.

As we know, its most famous sentence is “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

During our July 4 celebration I urge you to take time to read this most important U.S. document , attend colorful parades and ceremonies and watch fireworks throughout the United States. 

By the way, along with millions of other people, you may see the original Declaration of Independence on display in a glass case at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C.

Fly our beautiful American flag and celebrate July 4, 2024!

God bless America.

Jean Maxwell Catsakis, Sara De Soto Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Sarasota

Fly America's flag, symbol of liberty

July Fourth is upon us.

Imagine our American flag. What comes to mind? Stars and Stripes? Red, white and blue? A waving flag high on a flagpole? Patriotism? Politics?

Our flag represents America. It’s a symbol of our independence and liberty that we should all fly proudly. Our flag is independent of politics, religion or race.

Let’s fly and honor that flag to remind all of us of our unique, yet fragile, democracy and who we are as Americans. 

Peggy Lichter and David DiDomenico, Venice

Early Americans fled religious repression

Independence Day! This seems like a good time to talk about American history.  

Before the American Revolution, lots of different groups came here from Europe.  The custom in Europe was that whoever controlled the government decided which religion was acceptable and which others were heretical.  

And so, many of the migrants were fleeing religious persecution by their government. Protestants, Catholics, Quakers, Huguenots, Calvinists, Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians were all victims of government persecution in the 17 th  and 18 th  centuries. 

The Pilgrims of the Mayflower were fleeing government repression in England. 

James Madison knew all about this when he drafted the Bill of Rights in 1789.  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”  

It was clear to the Founding Fathers, and should be clear to us today, in a nation of even greater diversity, that only bad things will come from putting the power of government behind a particular religion.

Jim Eachus, Sarasota

Supreme Court turns presidents into kings

How does it feel to be a “subject” and no longer a “citizen”?

Today, nearly 250 years after we declared our independence from the English crown, we are back to living in a kingdom. Our president, like King George III, now has “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for crimes committed as part of his official acts. 

Thank you, Supreme Court, for scrapping an idea that we always thought was crucial to our democracy: that no citizen, even our president, is above the law.

What a way to celebrate the Fourth of July!

Daniel Rein, Sarasota

Justices invent presidential immunity law

The judicial branch of our government, the Supreme Court, has the primary obligation to protect the precepts of the Constitution.

It appears the Supreme Court has now gone rogue. Its most recent ruling has not clarified a section of the Constitution. Instead, a six-justice majority has decided to invent a new law out of thin air, granting a president a degree of immunity for criminal acts.

Why? Our Founding Fathers put no such concept in our Constitution. 

No U.S. citizen, regardless of their day job, should be above the law.

Kent Thurber, Sarasota

Citizens must raise rates to cover risk

It does no good to bash the Citizens Insurance Board of Governors for business realities.

Certainly, the 20% or more run-up in both labor and materials costs are beyond Citizens' control, as is the increased frequency and severity of weather caused by global warming.

The actuaries reported, once again, that Citizens’ rates are below where they should be, given these realities.

If the “Big One” should strike Florida, Citizens Insurance will not have sufficient resources to pay all claims and the shortfall will be made up by assessing not only Citizens’ customers but every property and auto insurance policy in the state.

So keeping Citizens’ rates depressed by refusing to raise rates, or through our Legislature’s limits on rate increases, has the effect of sticking the excess risk on you − whether you agree or not.

Rolf H. Parta, Bradenton

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Here’s What the Court’s Chevron Ruling Could Mean in Everyday Terms

The decision is expected to prompt a rush of litigation challenging regulations across the entire federal government, from food safety to the environment.

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By Coral Davenport ,  Christina Jewett ,  Alan Rappeport ,  Margot Sanger-Katz ,  Noam Scheiber and Noah Weiland

• June 28, 2024

The Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to limit the broad regulatory authority of federal agencies could lead to the elimination or weakening of thousands of rules on the environment, health care, worker protection, food and drug safety, telecommunications, the financial sector and more.

The decision is a major victory in a decades-long campaign by conservative activists to shrink the power of the federal government, limiting the reach and authority of what those activists call “the administrative state.”

The court’s opinion could make it easier for opponents of federal regulations to challenge them in court, prompting a rush of new litigation, while also injecting uncertainty into businesses and industries.

“If Americans are worried about their drinking water, their health, their retirement account, discrimination on the job, if they fly on a plane, drive a car, if they go outside and breathe the air — all of these day-to-day activities are run through a massive universe of federal agency regulations,” said Lisa Heinzerling, an expert in administrative law at Georgetown University. “And this decision now means that more of those regulations could be struck down by the courts.”

The decision effectively ends a legal precedent known as “Chevron deference,” after a 1984 Supreme Court ruling. That decision held that when Congress passes a law that lacks specificity, courts must give wide leeway to decisions made by the federal agencies charged with implementing that law. The theory was that scientists, economists and other specialists at the agencies have more expertise than judges in determining regulations and that the executive branch is also more accountable to voters.

Since then, thousands of legal decisions have relied on the Chevron doctrine when challenges have been made to regulations stemming from laws like the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, the 1970 Clean Air Act , the 2010 Affordable Care Act and others.

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