In the last module, we learned how to produce a CV. The CV is actually part of what is often a two-part document. The other part is the covering letter, where you put the CV in context. In this module we will look at several aspects of the covering letter. These include:
identifying and learning to describe your strengths and weaknesses
some of the basic adjectives in French for describing personality traits
the general format of a covering letter
the structure of the salutation and the closing
some important expressions used to covering letters
As you read these materials, keep trying to tie them back to your own case.
Connais-toi toi-même
The expression Connais-toi toi-même at the head of this module comes from ancient Greek wisdom and expresses one of the goals of personal development. It is applicable to this module because knowing your own strengths and weaknesses is crucial to finding a good fit with a job, and even earlier, to writing a good covering letter.
There are many different frameworks for describing personality traits. In this module, we will use one known as the Big 5. These five dimensions include:
openness to experience - including intellectual curiosity and willingness to try new things
conscientiousness - including self-discipline and the ability to meet goals set by someone else
extraversion - including pleasure in meeting new people, joy in talking and being active
agreeableness - including kindness, generosity, concern for harmony with others
emotional stability - including a tendency not to experience negative emotions like anger, anxiety or depression
We can represent them in French with words like this:
l'ouverture à l'expérience
la diligence et la rigueur
l'extraversion
l'amabilité
la stabilité émotionnelle
We can picture these five dimensions as a series of scales, where each trait can have a higher or lower value.
Exploring your personality
i
There exist a number of tests designed to help an individual to situate themselves with respect to the Big 5. In this part of the module, you will have the opportunity to take one of these. It is based on a translation of a test found at https://ipip.ori.org/New_IPIP-50-item-scale.htm. It is presented in French here to give you the opportunity to see a number of expressions used in French to describe behaviours. If some expression isn't clear, mouse over it to see its English equivalent.
To take the test, read each expression on the left and then click on the button on the right that best describes your personal case. When you have finished all the rows, click on the button at the end to show your results. Remember: the goal of this exercise is not to provide a definitive analysis of your personality. Rather, it is designed to give you a chance to take a test in French, something you might have to do in the future, and to see some expressions used to describe personality traits. That being said, if by taking the test you gain some personal insights, so much the better.
When you are ready, you can begin the test. There are fifty questions in all, there are no marks or grades, and there is no time limit.
J'anime toutes les fêtes auxquelles je participe.
Je me soucie peu des autres.
Je suis toujours prêt à faire face aux situations imprévues.
Je me stresse facilement.
J'ai un vocabulaire riche et nuancé.
Je ne parle pas beaucoup.
Je trouve les autres intéressants.
Je ne range pas mes affaires.
Je suis à l'aise le plus souvent.
J'ai de la difficulté à comprendre les idées abstraites.
Je me sens à l'aise dans les groupes.
J'ai tendance à insulter les autres.
Je suis soucieux du détail.
J'ai tendance à m'inquiéter.
J'ai une bonne imagination.
J'ai tendance à éviter l'attention des autres.
J'ai de la compassion pour les autres.
J'ai tendance à faire des dégâts.
Il est rare que je me sens triste.
Les idées abstraites ne m'intéressent pas.
J'ai tendance à déclencher des conversations.
Les problèmes des autres ne m'intéressent pas.
Je m'occupe tout de suite de ce que j'ai à faire.
Je suis facile à déranger.
J'ai d'excellentes idées.
J'ai peu de choses à dire.
J'ai le coeur tendre.
J'oublie souvent de remettre les objets à leur place.
Je me fache facilement.
Je n'ai pas une bonne imagination.
Lors des fêtes et réunions, je parle avec beaucoup de personnes différentes.
Les autres ne m'intéressent pas beaucoup.
J'aime l'ordre.
Je suis d'humeur plutôt changeante.
Je saisis les concepts nouveaux rapidement.
Je n'aime pas attirer l'attention sur moi.
Je ménage du temps pour les autres.
Je suis peu responsable.
Je change souvent d'humeur.
Je me sers souvent de mots complexes.
Cela ne me gêne pas d'attirer l'attention sur moi.
Je suis capable de ressentir les émotions des autres.
J'ai un emploi du temps que je suis.
Je m'irrite facilement.
Je passe du temps à réfléchir.
Je suis plutôt silencieux devant ceux et celles que je ne connais pas.
Je mets les autres à l'aise.
Je suis minutieux dans mon travail.
Je me sens souvent triste.
J'ai beaucoup d'idées.
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Emotional stability
Imagination
Personality adjectives
The different personality dimensions we have just seen may be described by various adjectives in French. Mastering these is important if you are to describe yourself accurately and to best effect. Let us begin by looking at a series of adjectives used to describe personality types and traits. The adjectives are shown in three lists, with negative adjectives first, then neutral ones, then positive ones. Many of these have similarities between French and English, so start by trying to guess what each word means.
The positive and negative adjectives are in random order. You should click on one of the radio buttons to indicate that you want to search for positive or negative adjectives. If you click on a member of the class you have selected, it will turn green. If you are mistaken, it will turn red. If you are stuck, mouse over the word and the English equivalent will appear. Use this technique to memorize as many of these as possible. If you are really stuck, click on a button at the end of the list to show or hide all the positive or negative forms, or click on the Start Over button to test yourself again.
Note also that since these words are applied to people, it is important to distinguish the masculine and the feminine form. Both are shown here, divided by a slash. When only one form appears, it means that it is used for both masculine and feminine.
Some adjectives are either neutral, or positive or negative depending on the context. Here are some of those, with their meanings:
ambitieux
One is expected to be somewhat ambitious, but not too ambitious
compétitif
One is expected to be somewhat competitive, but not too competitive
exigeant
One is expected to be demanding of oneself, but not too demanding of others.
extraverti
Being extroverted is often seen as a positive trait, but not for some tasks.
fier
One is expected to be proud of others, but not too proud of oneself.
idéaliste
One is expected to be idealistic, but still keep contact with reality (réaliste)
introverti
Being introverted is not seen as positive if one deals with the public.
perfectionniste
One is expected to set high standards, but not too high. Perfectionism assumes that standards have been set too high.
réservé
Being reserved is often seen as a flaw if one deals with the public.
sensible
One is expected to be somewhat sensitive, but not too sensitive.
sérieux
One is expected to be serious, but to have a sense of humour.
tenace
Being tenacious is a good thing, within limits. Being too tenacious is seen as a flaw.
Describing yourself
In this part of the module, you will apply what you have learned to create a self-portrait. The list of positive and negative adjectives we saw earlier is repeated here. Below the list, you will see two boxes, one for positive traits, the other for negative traits. Using the results of the test at the beginning of this module, and your own knowledge of yourself, drag the adjectives that best describe you into the appropriate box. There are no right or wrong answers here, except that you can't place a positive adjective in a negative box, or vice-versa.
What you see after you have filled the two boxes is what you should keep in mind when producing a covering letter.
Once you have created your CV and you have an idea of your strengths and weaknesses, it's time to produce a covering letter. The form and content of this letter will vary depending on a number of factors including:
whether you have already established contact with the potential employer
whether you are applying for a particular position
whether you already have experience in the area.
However, most covering letters have several elements in common, as the following example illustrates. It is adapted from a sample letter on the site L'Étudiant. It assumes that the person applying has already attended a job fair or information session.
The format shown here is often used in Europe, especially in France. Note that there is no comma after a street number in a French address.
Marie Martin
34 rue Montpetit
38000 GRENOBLE
FRANCE
Les Entreprises Techo
À l'attention de Madame Micheline Tremblay
Directrice du service de recrutement
Édifice Lévesque
1000, avenue Laurier
Montréal, Québec
A2B 3C4
Grenoble, 20 octobre 2015
Madame,
Récemment diplômée de l’école X, je souhaite poursuivre mon parcours dans le secteur des télécommunications. J’ai choisi, au cours de ma formation, d’acquérir des connaissances complémentaires sur les différentes couches réseaux.
À présent, je suis motivée pour m’orienter vers la validation et l’intégration des systèmes.
Par ailleurs, les quelques rencontres, organisées par l’intermédiaire de l’école m’ont donné envie de travailler pour votre société, une entreprise de taille mondiale à la pointe des nouvelles technologies.
Vous trouverez dans ce courrier un curriculum vitae pour vous préciser davantage mon parcours. Mais je serais heureuse de vous rencontrer très prochainement pour vous exposer plus en détail mes motivations et mes capacités.
Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
Marie Martin
A typical covering letter (format 2)
An alternative format often used in francophone North America, especially in Québec, is shown below. It includes the same elements as in the previous example, but their order and alignment are different. In particular:
all items are aligned on the left margin
the address of the sender appears below the signature
there is a comma after the street number.
le 20 octobre 2015
Les Entreprises Techo
À l'attention de Madame Micheline Tremblay
Directrice du service de recrutement
Édifice Lévesque
1000, avenue Laurier
Montréal, Québec
A2B 3C4
Madame,
Récemment diplômée de l’école X, je souhaite poursuivre mon parcours dans le secteur des télécommunications. J’ai choisi, au cours de ma formation, d’acquérir des connaissances complémentaires sur les différentes couches réseaux.
À présent, je suis motivée pour m’orienter vers la validation et l’intégration des systèmes.
Par ailleurs, les quelques rencontres, organisées par l’intermédiaire de l’école m’ont donné envie de travailler pour votre société, une entreprise de taille mondiale à la pointe des nouvelles technologies.
Vous trouverez dans ce courrier un curriculum vitae pour vous préciser davantage mon parcours. Mais je serais heureuse de vous rencontrer très prochainement pour vous exposer plus en détail mes motivations et mes capacités.
Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
Marie Martin
34, rue Saint-Jean
Montréal, Québec
X1X 1X1
Téléphone: 123 456 7890
Courriel: marie@xmail.com
In fact, one often also sees mixed models with some elements from both formats. Whatever model you choose, you should be consistent. Here are several sources which provide more detail:
and many more can be found with a search on the internet.
Writing dates in French
The date is an important part of a covering letter, and it is important to get it right. The standard format looks like this:
le + number + month + year (example: le 17 janvier 2015)
No punctuation is used, so the following are correct dates:
le 3 janvier 2015
le 14 février 2015
le 12 mars 2015
le 1er avril 2015
le 15 mai 2015
le 23 juin 2015
le 2 juillet 2015
le 3 août 2015
le 24 septembre 2015
le 30 octobre 2015
le 6 novembre 2015
le 8 décembre 2015
Note in particular the form 1er, used instead of just the digit 1, and the accents on some of the names of the months. Note also the use of the article le and the absence of any punctuation.
It is rare to include the day of the week in a date, but if it is done, the format will look like this:
le mardi 13 octobre 2015
Salutations
First, a question of terminology. In English, the formula used at the start of a letter is called the salutation, but in French, la salutation is the formula used at the end of a letter. The French word for the formula at the start is l'appel.
In French, the following are the most frequent forms used as salutations in an official letter:
Form
Usage
Monsieur,
Used to address a man
Madame,
Used to address a woman
Madame, Monsieur,
Used when one is not sure whether the addressee is a man or a woman
Messieurs,
Used to address more than one man
Mesdames,
Used to address more than one woman
Mesdames, Messieurs,
Used to address a group composed of men and women
A note on Mademoiselle (more or less the equivalent of Miss in English). This form has fallen out of favour, except in perhaps informal contexts. Whatever the age of a woman, one should use Madame instead. Note also that the examples in the table above are used in formal contexts. In the next module, we will explore some of the variant forms used to address people one knows well, or people in special positions.
Closing formulas
As we noted above, these are called des salutations in French. In business communication, there is a well-defined grammar covering these formulas. You can think of it as composed of three elements: an initial verbal expression, a designation of the person being addressed (usually copied from the letter's salutation), and a closing expression of good wishes, where the choice of words indicates the degree of respect one wants to show. The following table illustrates some of the most frequent combinations in business correspondence. To see a rough English equivalent of each form, mouse over it. Remember though that such equivalent forms would not be used in English, which usually contents itself with simple phrases like Sincerely,
Opening verb
Salutation
Expression of good wishes
Veuillez agréer,
Madame,
l'expression de mes sentiments respectueux.
Veuillez recevoir,
Monsieur,
l'assurance de mes meilleurs sentiments.
Recevez,
Madame, Monsieur,
l'expression de mes sentiments distingués.
Je vous prie de croire,
Monsieur,
à mes sentiments les meilleurs.
Veuillez recevoir,
Monsieur,
mes plus cordiales salutations.
Je vous prie de croire,
Madame,
à mes sentiments distingués.
All of these are found, along with many more, although the first two or three are probably the most frequent.
Exploring a covering letter
You now have a model for a covering letter. The example below, based on a model from the office of Human Resources and Skills Development of Canada will help you ensure that you have grasped the meaning of the various elements. Look at each section and answer the comprehension questions. When you have your answer, mouse over the bar entitled Answer to check your response.
Le 22 septembre 2000
Madame Gisèle LeBlanc
Coordonnatrice des ventes
Les Entreprises Publicomm
40, rue Santerre
Sainte-Foy, Québec
A1B 2C3
Madame,
J'ai le plaisir de vous faire parvenir ci-joint mon curriculum vitae. En effet, je serais très intéressé à occuper un poste en marketing au sein des Entreprises Publicomm. J'ai consulté sur l'Internet des renseignements sur votre entreprise et j'ai été très impressionné par votre approche novatrice sur le plan du marketing et du design.
J'ai obtenu récemment un baccalauréat en administration des affaires, spécialisation marketing, de l'Université de Sherbrooke. Je travaille en ce moment pour une petite entreprise d'informatique, où je m'occupe de tout ce qui touche à l'administration et à la comptabilité. Comme vous pourrez le constater à la lecture de mon curriculum vitae, j'ai suivi différents cours qui m'ont permis d'acquérir les compétences et les connaissances nécessaires pour réussir dans le domaine du marketing. Par ailleurs, je suis très motivé à apprendre de nouvelles choses.
Je connais à fond différents programmes informatiques, je traite régulièrement avec les clients et les responsables de la comptabilité des ventes, et j'ai beaucoup de facilité à communiquer avec les gens. J'accomplis chaque jour un grand nombre de tâches, et celles-ci m'ont permis de renforcer mes capacités d'organisation et d'apprendre à établir des priorités.
Mon diplôme en marketing, de même que mes compétences diversifiées, font de moi un excellent candidat à un poste au sein de votre entreprise. Une entrevue avec vous me permettrait de vous parler de façon plus personnelle de mes différents traits de caractère.
J'espère recevoir de vos nouvelles, et ce, au moment où vous le jugerez opportun.
Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, mes salutations distinguées.
Pierre Lenoir
1100, boulevard de l'Estrie
Sherbrooke, Québec
Téléphone: 123 456 7890
Courriel: plenoir@ymail.com
Comprehension questions
Where is the company located?
Answer
In Sainte-Foy, in the province of Québec (see address block).
What sort of position is the candidate interested in obtaining?
Answer
A position in marketing (see first paragraph).
Why is the person interested in this company?
Answer
Because of their innovative approach to marketing and design (votre approche novatrice sur le plan du marketing et du design.
What educational qualifications does the person have?
Answer
A degree in business administration with a specialization in marketing, from the Université de Sherbrooke.
What is the person doing now?
Answer
He is working for a small computing company, where he deals with administration and accounting. He also does many other things: Je connais à fond différents programmes informatiques, je traite régulièrement avec les clients et les responsables de la comptabilité des ventes, et j'ai beaucoup de facilité à communiquer avec les gens..
What is he requesting?
Answer
An interview.
Reading passages
One of the best ways of learning how to produce a good covering letters is to look at lots of models. The example below, drawn from the site L'Étudiant, shows how a candidate can talk about her strengths in particular areas. Read the letter, try to understand it and see the logic behind it, then check your understanding by looking at the translation provided at the end. Remember the strategies we have seen: look for cognates, use your background knowledge, look for verbs and nouns that describe actions and people. You won't get everything, but begin to build a mental library of phrases and structures that you can use yourself.
Among other things, notice that this letter includes a line to address it to a particular person, and another line giving the object of the letter. These often appear in business correspondence as well.
Paris, le 18 août 2006
Louise Girard
18, rue des Lilas
75019 PARIS
Tel : 06 33 33 33 33
louise.girard@fai.fr
Scape By
Route des Menhirs
56000 Vannes
À l’attention de Monsieur Louis Valentin
Objet : Candidature à un poste de chef de projet international
Monsieur,
Je termine actuellement mon projet de fin d’études qui va me permettre de devenir ingénieure des arts et métiers.
Mon cursus m’a permis de développer de nombreuses compétences techniques et plus particulièrement dans le domaine des nouvelles technologies grâce à ma spécialisation de dernière année en immersion virtuelle image. Ce bagage technique me paraît essentiel par rapport à votre activité.
Cependant je souhaite insister sur ma maîtrise, en plus du français, de deux langues supplémentaires que sont l’anglais et l’espagnol. Je pratique couramment trois langues acquises aussi bien au travers de cours, mais surtout en vivant à Dublin et à Séville. Mes capacités linguistiques seront des atouts essentiels afin d’accompagner les développements de vos produits à l’étranger.
Parallèlement, votre secteur d’activité me motive tout particulièrement. Je suis réellement convaincue en tant que consommatrice par l’utilisation, la simplicité et la qualité de vos produits.
C’est pourquoi, je souhaite pouvoir vous rencontrer afin de vous faire part de mes motivations lors d’un entretien où nous pourrons échanger en anglais ou en espagnol si vous le souhaitez.
Je vous prie de bien vouloir agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.
Louise GIRARD
Translation
Paris, August 18, 2006
Louise Girard
18, rue des Lilas
75019 PARIS
Tel : 06 33 33 33 33
louise.girard@fai.fr
Scape By
Route des Menhirs
56000 Vannes
To the attention of Mr. Louis Valentin
Re: Candidacy for a position as director of an international project
I am currently completing a final year project which will allow me to become an engineer specializing in arts and crafts. My studies have allowed me to develop numerous technical skills, especially in the area of new technologies based on my specialization last year in the area of immersive virtual imaging. This technical background seems to me essential to the activities of your organization.
However, I would also like to underline my mastery of two languages beyond French: English and Spanish. I have used these languages not just in courses but also by living in Dublin and Seville. My linguistic skills will be essential advantages in marketing your products overseas.
At the same time, your area of activities is especially motivating for me. As a consumer, I am really impressed by the use, simplicity and quality of your products.
It is for that reason that I hope to meet with you in person in order to explain my motivationC’est pourquoi, je souhaite pouvoir vous rencontrer afin de vous faire part de mes motivations. I would be happy to have that conversation in English or Spanish if you prefer.
Sincerely,
Louise GIRARD
Summing up
You should now feel comfortable with the following concepts:
some of the important words used in French to describe personality traits
how structure a covering letter in French
the different forms for a salutation and a closing
the correct format for dates and addresses.
You have also seen several examples of covering letters. In the next module, we will assume that you have had success in obtaining a job interview and we will look in more detail at what that involves.
