Read the following message.
Dear Mrs. Johnson,
Please accept my application for the position of sales clerk in your department store, as advertised on your website. I have had the pleasure of reviewing your company’s website and am very enthusiastic about the position advertised. I believe that my skills and abilities make me the perfect candidate for this position, and I would be an asset to your sales team.
With four years of experience selling footwear, and having worked for two years in a women’s clothing store at a local mall, I have developed effective customer service techniques. I enjoy working with the public, assisting shoppers by inquiring about their needs, and suggesting suitable products to meet their tastes and budget. The management team in the clothing store where I worked recognized my strong customer service skills by choosing me as ‘Employee of the Month’ on more than one occasion. I completed a customer service course at a local college, and attended additional training offered by my employer.
As a sales associate, not only did I assist customers, but I also handled cash, credit card, and debit transactions. I processed returns, as well as performed opening and closing procedures in the store. These responsibilities show the level of trust that my employers put in me and my abilities. Finally, the store environment required that the staff work as part of a team, which is one of my strengths. I am also comfortable working on my own. Other important skills I gained in that role include completing sales reports, meeting sales targets, and ordering stock.
Please find attached a resume outlining my retail experience, skills, and training. I feel that these qualifications equip me to make a valuable contribution to your retail establishment. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the position with you. I will contact you in ten days’ time to answer any questions you may have and to see if you need any other information from me. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Brenda Ashburn
Using the drop-down menu (▾), choose the best option according to the information given in the message.
2.The relationship between Mrs. Johnson and Brenda is that of
3.Brenda is responding to
4.Brenda has shown she is good at
5.Brenda describes herself as someone who can
6.Brenda plans to follow up
Here is a response to the message. Complete the response by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down menu (▾).
Thank you for your application and interest in our company. I am glad to hear that you are 7. working at our store.
You mentioned that you spent four years 8. and also worked in a women's clothing store. However, 9. in the housewares department. Do you have any experience in this area? We do offer some training, but it's limited.
Your experience helping customers by 10. and staying within their price range is exactly what we are looking for. The fact that you have experience 11. makes you a suitable candidate for the position, as this job requires a large volume of sales.
I would like to meet with you to discuss your resume and your skills. My assistant will be in touch in the next couple of days to schedule a meeting.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Johnson
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct Answer: her interest in a sales job
Why this is correct: Brenda applies for the advertised sales clerk position, describes her experience and skills, and asks to discuss the job. So her letter mainly expresses her interest in a sales job.
Passage Reference: Please accept my application for the position of sales clerk
Tips: Read the sentence right after Brenda greets Mrs. Johnson. Then check each option against it.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a complaint about poor service: Brenda praises the company and writes about her own customer service skills. She does not describe a problem she had.
- support for a colleague's application: Brenda describes her own experience and attaches her own resume. She is not writing for someone else.
- her decision to leave her job: Her decision to leave her job is never mentioned. Brenda writes to be hired, not to resign.
Correct Answer: employer and job seeker
Passage Reference: application for the position of sales clerk in your department store
Why this is correct: Mrs. Johnson represents the store that is hiring. Brenda is applying for the job.
Tips: Map each person to hiring side or applicant side.
Why the other options are wrong:
- current manager and employee: Brenda does not already work for Mrs. Johnson.
- trainer and course participant: A college course is background, not their relationship here.
- customer and store assistant: Brenda is seeking employment, not shopping.
Correct Answer: a job advertisement
Passage Reference: as advertised on your website
Why this is correct: She saw the sales clerk post advertised on the company website.
Tips: Find where she first learned about the opening.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a former employer's reference: She mentions past recognition but is not answering a reference letter.
- an offer of promotion: No promotion has been offered yet.
- an interview invitation: She hopes for a discussion. She has not been invited yet.
Correct Answer: customer service
Passage Reference: recognized my strong customer service skills by choosing me as ‘Employee of the Month’
Why this is correct: Managers chose her as Employee of the Month for strong customer service skills.
Tips: Link the award to the skill it recognized.
Why the other options are wrong:
- managing the store's entire budget: She does not claim full budget control.
- supervising a housewares department: Housewares is Mrs. Johnson's opening, not Brenda's past role.
- designing staff training programs: She took training. She did not design it.
Correct Answer: work as part of a team
Passage Reference: the staff work as part of a team, which is one of my strengths
Why this is correct: Brenda says her store job required the staff to work as part of a team. She calls this one of her strengths.
Tips: Find the workplace habit she names as a strength.
Why the other options are wrong:
- design the store's clothing range: She sold products. She did not design the range.
- lead the college training course: She completed a course. She did not lead it.
- recruit and dismiss sales staff: Hiring and firing are not among the duties she lists.
Correct Answer: after a short stated wait
Passage Reference: I will contact you in ten days’ time
Why this is correct: She says she will contact Mrs. Johnson again after the short wait she names in the letter.
Tips: Use her closing plan without treating the exact count as the skill.
Why the other options are wrong:
- the following day: She does not promise a next-day call.
- only if an interview is refused: The follow-up is planned either way to answer questions.
- after a month: Her stated wait is much shorter than a month.
Correct Answer: enthusiastic about
Passage Reference: am very enthusiastic about the position advertised
Why this is correct: Brenda says she is very enthusiastic about the advertised position.
Tips: Borrow Brenda's own attitude word.
Why the other options are wrong:
- uncertain whether to consider: She presents herself as keen, not unsure.
- already responsible for: She does not yet work at this store.
- preparing to stop: She is applying to start, not to leave.
Correct Answer: selling footwear
Passage Reference: With four years of experience selling footwear
Why this is correct: She reports four years of footwear sales before the clothing-store work.
Tips: Match the four-year span to the product area she names.
Why the other options are wrong:
- supervising housewares staff: Housewares is the new opening, not her past four years.
- selling women's clothing: Clothing work lasted two years, not the four-year span.
- teaching customer service: She took a course. She did not teach it for four years.
Correct Answer: the opening we have is
Passage Reference: sales clerk in your department store
Why this is correct: Mrs. Johnson notes the vacancy is in housewares, which Brenda has not covered.
Tips: Complete the contrast that leads into the housewares question.
Why the other options are wrong:
- your current store specializes: Brenda is not told her old store specializes in housewares.
- your previous job was: Her previous jobs were footwear and clothing, not housewares.
- your college course was based: The course was customer service, not housewares stock.
Correct Answer: targeting their needs
Passage Reference: assisting shoppers by inquiring about their needs, and suggesting suitable products
Why this is correct: Brenda helps shoppers by asking about needs and suggesting suitable products.
Tips: Paraphrase how she learns what shoppers want.
Why the other options are wrong:
- choosing the most expensive products: She considers budget, not only high prices.
- referring every sale to her manager: She handled sales herself, including payments.
- offering the same item to everyone: She matches products to tastes and budget.
Correct Answer: processing purchases
Passage Reference: handled cash, credit card, and debit transactions
Why this is correct: She handled cash, card, and debit sales, which shows she can process purchases.
Tips: Link high sales volume needs to the payment tasks she already did.
Why the other options are wrong:
- recruiting sales assistants: Recruiting staff is not listed among her duties.
- managing a housewares warehouse: She has not claimed housewares warehouse work.
- designing product advertisements: Advertising design is not in her experience list.
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