Letter and CV Writing

25 min

Let's begin

In a few months you will leave secondary school. Whether you apply for a university place, a scholarship, a holiday job or an internship, someone you have never met will judge you from two documents: a letter of application and a curriculum vitae (CV). Both are short pieces of persuasive prose, and the skills of this unit apply to them directly. A good CV, like a good story, selects, orders and shows; a good letter, like a good essay, makes one clear argument and supports it with evidence.

Definition

curriculum vitae (CV): Latin for "course of life": a brief, structured summary of a person's education, experience, skills and achievements, used in applications.
letter of application (cover letter): a formal letter, sent with a CV, that explains which position you want, why you want it and why you are suitable.
referee: a person, such as a teacher or former employer, who agrees to confirm your character and abilities if contacted.
personal profile: two or three sentences at the top of a CV that summarise who you are and what you offer.

A model CV

The applicant, school and all details are invented for this lesson.

ALINE MUTESI
Kimironko, Gasabo District, Kigali · Tel. 078 000 0000 · aline.mutesi@example.com

Profile
A Senior 6 student whose subjects include Literature in English, with a strong record in English and three years' experience running a school reading club. Organised, patient with younger learners and confident in public speaking. Seeking a holiday post where I can help children discover books.

Education
2021–2026 Groupe Scolaire Ijuru (invented), Kigali: Senior 1 to Senior 6. Best results in Literature in English, English and History.

Experience
2024–2026 Leader, school reading club: recruited 40 members; ran weekly reading sessions for Senior 1 and 2 learners; organised a book swap that collected 150 books.
August 2025 Volunteer, community library holiday programme: read stories aloud to children aged six to ten, three mornings a week.

Skills
Languages: Kinyarwanda (first language), English (fluent), French (good), Kiswahili (basic). Computer: word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. Public speaking: school debate team, 2025.

Achievements
Second place, district secondary schools' short-story competition, 2025.

Referees
Available on request.

What makes it work

Choice	Why it works
Reverse chronological order	The most recent and relevant facts come first.
Action verbs: recruited, ran, organised, read	They show what she did, not just what she was.
Numbers: 40 members, 150 books	Evidence instead of adjectives; the reader can picture the work.
A profile aimed at the job	It tells the employer at once why she fits this post.
One page, clear headings	An employer may give a CV less than a minute.

A model letter of application

Kimironko, Gasabo District
Kigali

20 October 2026

The Programme Coordinator
Ishami Children's Reading Centre (invented)
Kigali

Dear Sir or Madam,

Application for the post of Holiday Reading Assistant

I wish to apply for the post of Holiday Reading Assistant advertised on your notice board on 15 October. I am completing Senior 6, with Literature in English among my main subjects, and I will be free from the end of the national examinations until the new academic year.

For the past three years I have led my school's reading club. I recruited forty members, ran weekly sessions for younger learners and organised a book swap that collected 150 books. Last August I volunteered in a community library holiday programme, reading aloud to children aged six to ten. I learned that a child who is bored by a book is usually a child who has not yet found the right one, and that patience and a lively voice can change that.

I believe I could help your centre in three ways: by reading to and with children in Kinyarwanda and English, by helping to organise your collection, and by running simple writing games of the kind that won my club members two places in a district competition.

I enclose my CV. I would be glad to attend an interview at any time convenient to you, and I can be reached on 078 000 0000.

Yours faithfully,

(signature)
Aline Mutesi

Paragraph	Job
1	Which post, where it was advertised, who you are, when you are available
2	Evidence: experience that matches the post, with numbers and one thing you learned
3	What you offer the employer (look forward, not back)
4	Enclosure, availability for interview, contact, polite close

Worked example: from telling to showing

Weak: "I am a hard-working, responsible and creative person who loves reading."

Ask "What did I do that proves it?" Led the reading club; organised the book swap.
Add a number or a result. 40 members; 150 books.
Use an action verb. Organised, not was responsible for.

Strong: "As leader of my school reading club, I organised a book swap that collected 150 books for younger learners." The reader now concludes for themselves that you are hard-working and creative: the same technique a novelist uses when showing a character through action.

Tip

Tailor every application. Read the advertisement, underline what the employer wants, and make sure your letter answers each point with evidence. One general letter sent to twenty employers is usually worth less than one letter written for one.

Warning

Never invent qualifications or experience. A false CV can cost you the post, or a university place, when it is checked.
Keep private data private: do not put your national ID number on a CV you post online.
Use a sensible email address based on your name, and check every spelling, above all the employer's name.
Dear Sir or Madam goes with Yours faithfully; Dear Mr Habimana goes with Yours sincerely.

"How To Write A CV", from the Kenyan careers adviser Perminus Wainaina. Compare his advice with the model CV above, and note anything he recommends that the model does not include.

✦

Practice

What does "curriculum vitae" mean, and why is a CV usually in reverse chronological order?
Rewrite with an action verb and a number: "I was in charge of the school's environment club."
Write a three-sentence personal profile for yourself, aimed at a university application in literature.
Put these CV sections in a sensible order: Skills; Referees; Education; Contact details; Profile; Experience.
Find two places in the model letter where the writer shows rather than tells.
Writing task. Write a CV and a letter of application (250–300 words) for ONE of: (a) a holiday post as a tour guide's assistant in Musanze; (b) a volunteer post at a district library; (c) a place on a summer writing workshop.

Show answersHide answers

"Course of life". The most recent experience is usually the most relevant to an employer, so it comes first.
For example: "Led the school's environment club of 25 members and organised the planting of 300 trees on the school compound."
Answers will vary. It should say who you are, your strongest evidence, and what you are seeking.
Contact details; Profile; Education; Experience; Skills; Referees. (Experience may come before Education if it is more relevant.)
Any two: "I recruited forty members"; "organised a book swap that collected 150 books"; "reading aloud to children aged six to ten"; the lesson she learned about bored children.
Check: correct layout; a clear first paragraph naming the post; evidence with numbers; an offer to the employer; a correct close.

1A model CV

2What makes it work

3A model letter of application

A model CV

What makes it work

A model letter of application