Types of Business Correspondence

If a company wants to buy any item for their use, they would definitely want that it should be
purchased at the cheapest price and its quality is reasonably good. So every company is concerned
with the price and quality of the product it purchases. Paying the right price for the right quality is
the main aim. By paying the cost price at the lower end, he/she makes more profit as the selling
price is more or less similar to the market price. In order to locate this, the buyer makes
correspondence with several producers. Throughout this process the buyer and the producers
exchange different letters. The letters include:

1. Sales Letters

Typical sales letters start off with a very strong statement to capture the interest of the reader. Since
the purpose is to get the reader to do something, these letters include strong calls to action, detail
the benefit to the reader of taking the action and include information to help the reader to act, such
as including a telephone number or website link.

Functions of Sales Letters

1. Attracting Attention: Attracting Attention of the reader through decent stationery, proper
layout, neat typing, paragraphing, etc. further, the opening sentences of the text must make
the reader think by means of a slogan or extra-ordinary idea.
2. Arousing Desire: It helps to arouse desire by appealing to reason (for necessities) and
appealing to emotion luxuries). The desire to buy the goods or services must be created in
the mind of the reader.
3. Implanting Conviction: Implanting Conviction about the good quality of goods / services
so that the reader does hesitate in making the decision desired. This can be achieved by
means of logical reasoning moderate claims, and evidence to support the claims.
4. Stimulating Action: It also helps to stimulate action by not allowing the prospective
customer to put off auction. This can be done by offering inducements for quick action,
like special discount, gifts, reply cards, etc.
Sample Sales Letter

__________ACME WINDOW WASHING__________

227 Gardner Avenue

Scranton, PA 18501

April 15, 2004 Serving the Greater

Scranton Area

Mr. Raymond Blink

Owner

Classic Gizmo’s

173 E. Drinker St.

Dunmore, PA 18512

How many times have you heard, “Oh...and by the way—I don’t do windows!” Well, you won’t hear
that from us. It’s what we do. We know that there are more important things for you to be doing than
washing windows. SO—do them. And call us to do your windows.

CME WINDOW WASHING

347- ACME (347-2263

Take advantage of our FREE onsite service consultation. Let us give you a FREE, on the spot,
CLEAN QUOTE. See for yourself why, for over twenty years, so many home and business owners
in the Greater Scranton Area have turned first to ACME WINDOW WASHING.
 From the ground floor to the top floor, we provide the highest quality interior and exterior window
cleaning service money can buy—at prices that are hard to beat.

Along with your FREE CLEAN QUOTE, we will provide you with a personally tailored monthly
window-cleaning program designed to fit your busy lifestyle. With certified ACME professionals on
the job you will be doing one less mundane chore. While you go about your business, we’ll go about
ours. We’ll make the world outside your window a brighter place.

SO—don’t delay. Schedule your FREE CONSULTATION today. Mention this letter and receive
a 25% DISCOUNT on the first regularly scheduled service call of your personally tailored monthly
window-cleaning program.

Let us do your windows,

Lance Glassman

ACME Account Executive

When the world outside looks dirty—Get Your Windows Washed

Call 347- ACM (347-2263)

Types of Sales Letters

i. Solicited Sales Letters: Solicited sales letter is a reply to sales related inquiry (trade
inquiry). Such letters deal with the questions about catalogue, prices, terms, discount,
deliveries, manufacturing methods, types of accounts, available sources of supply and
similar information. Solicited sales letters are also called invited sales messages. The
inquirer is often already customer or a potential buyer, who may become a steady
satisfied customer if the reply is sent with favorable impression. Following are the
principles of writing impressing solicited sales letter.
 ii. Unsolicited Sales Letters: Unsolicited sales letters are not direct answers to inquiries,
but they are initiated by the seller for various reason. These letters are also known as
“Prospective” and “Cold Turkey” letters. The success in unsolicited sales letters will
depend upon three factors; the mailing list, the right appeals, and the presentation. The
first two of these factors are prewriting steps and the last one relates to writing the sales
letter.
2. Quotations, Tenders, and Orders
I. Quotations
Quotation is a letter which is written by the buyer to a potential producer in order to provide the
necessary details about the intended goods. As the final order is placed on the basis of the quotation
received, it is necessary that all the vital parts concerning the deal are mentioned in the quotation.
There should be no misunderstanding or ambiguity, otherwise, it may result in disputes. The
quotation should include the following points:

 Specify the item and its specification clearly

 Request the seller to quote price
 Mention the time period
 Ask for installation charges
 Independently ask for the tax components
 Ask for the validity of the quotation
 Sample of material
Sample letter of quotation

S.V.N. College
T.T. Nagar
Bhopal-4
Tele No. 2771833
www.sun.com
Dear Sirs
We intend to buy the following items for our new college building located in T-T Nagar Bhopal. The quantity
and description of the items are given below. The quantity can deviate by 5% to 10%. Please quote your lowest
rates giving full technical details. The rates shall remain valid for a period of two months from the date of receipt.
The items should be supplied with in a maximum period of twenty-five days from the placement of the order.
Description of the item Quantity
Arm chairs for students 500 Nos
Desks with shelves for students 500 Nos
Tables for teachers 15 Nos
Easy chairs for staff 45 Nos
Central tables 15 Nos
Sofa-Sets 5 Nos
Black-Board to be fixed 6’x3’ 10 Nos
Call-Bells (electronic) 3 Nos
Water-Coolers (200 lts) 3 Nos
Asian Carpet 25 mm thick 50 sq. meter

Conditions:
(1) Only 75% of the payment shall be made on receipt and remaining 25% after a maintenance period of
three months.
(2) Buyer reserves the right to accept or reject any item in full or part.
(3) Please indicate the tax component separately.
(4) Samples of some of the items can be seen from the office of the principal.
We look forward to a reply from you.
Thanking you
Yours truly

S.N. SHARMA
(Principal, SVN College)
 II. Tenders

Tender is a very important way of procuring goods and services for company, especially a public
sector company. In fact, tender is a document that lays down the terms and conditions of the
offer; the work required to be done that in an acceptable quality is also spelt out in the document.
The company is the bury in this case and suppliers and contractors are the sellers as they provide
their bids in sealed envelopes describing their offer price and the manner in which they propose
to complete the work. Tendering is the interest shown by the bidders as they make bids or offers
in response to invitations set out by companies in the form of advertisements in newspapers.

Sample Tender Invitation Letter

By Fax & By Post (Fax No.: )

[Name and Address of Supplier / Service Provider]

[Date]
Our ref.:
Dear Sirs / Madams,

Re: Invitation for Tender for the Provision of

---------------------------------------------[Type of Goods / Services] at
--------------------------------------------[Name and Address of Building]
We write on behalf of ------------------------------------------------------------- [Name of the Owners’
Corporation] (hereafter referred to as the Corporation) to invite you to submit a tender in relation
to provision of --------------------------------- [Type of Goods / Services] for the subject building.
Goods / Services to be Provided
The vendor is required to provide the following goods / services1. Please refer to Appendix 12
for the detailed specifications / schedule of services1 of the goods / services1
Item Description
1.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Validity of Tender
The tender shall be valid for at least 6 months from the date of the tender.
Eligibility Requirements1 (for Services only)
To be eligible for consideration of its tender, a renderer should meet and submit proof of the
requirements and documents as detailed at Appendix 23:
Anti-Bribery and Anti-Collusion
The tenderer shall abide by the probity requirements at Appendix 34.

Submission of Tender
Please submit the duly completed and signed Form of Tender (Appendix 4) and Declaration
Form4 (attachment of Appendix 3) in a sealed envelope marked conspicuously “Confidential
– Tender Document for Provision of------------------------- [Type of goods / services] at-------------
------------------ [Name of Building]” and send to the tender box at------------------------------------
[Address of the Corporation for Return of Tender] on or before [Time and Date for Return of
Tender]. LATE SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Please note that it is the responsibility of the tenderer to study the specification and requirements
before submitting the tender.
Site Visit1 (for Services only)
Should you require a site visit, please contact [Name]
at [Telephone Number]. For any queries, please contact------------------------- [Name] --------------
---------------- at [Telephone Number].

Yours faithfully,
For and on behalf of ---------------------------[Name of the Corporation]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman
Owners’ Corporation of XXX Building
 III. Orders

On receipt of the quotations, next step is to place an order. This is done after all the quotations
have been received. The lowest rates are worked out and the decision is taken to place an order. A
letter of order is designed by a potential customer with a view to placing an order for a certain
commodity from a prospective supplier. While designing a letter of order that has to do with
foreign trade, i.e. import and export business, practicing writers are required to do, including
essentials such as quantity and type specification, mode of transport, insurance, type of payment,
and delivery date. While writing a well organized order letter the writer should keep the following
points in mind:

 The order should be firm and clear

 Mention the quantity and rates
 Mention the quality, specifications, make sample and other details accurately
 Mention the period of executing the order and mode of payment
 Give the full address of the place where the goods are to be received
 In case you want the goods in phases, spell that out in the orders you place
 Goods may sometimes get destroyed during transportation. Hence proper packing and safe
transportation should be made the responsibility of the seller
 If required introduce compensation clause. In case the supply is not received on time,
suitable compensation shall be levied
 Sample letter of order

Dear Sir

This is with reference to your quotations bearing no. BD/1041/Arc dated 15/01/09. We are pleased to
place an order for the following items on the terms and conditions already specified in the quotations.
Please ensure that the goods are received by us with in one moth of the receipt of this letter.

Name of item Quantity Rat e

Duru Soap 100 gm 1000 Nos Rs. 8.50 each
Duru Soap 150 gm 1000 Nos Rs. 11.20
Toothpaste 150 gm (colgate) 500 Nos Rs. 37 each
Toothpaste 150 gm (close up) 500 Nos Rs. 43 each
Palmolive Powder 100 gm 500 Nos Rs. 55 each
Vim Bar 200 gm 1000 Nos Rs. 25 each
Tooth Brush (colgate) 2000 Nos Rs. 23 each
Sales tax @ 4% shall be paid extra over and above the rates mentioned. Entire payment
shall be released through Commercial Bank of Ethiopia within ten days of the receipt
of the goods.

Thanking you

Yours truly

(DESTA G.)

General Manager

3. Claim (Complaint) and Adjustment Letters

This section covers two closely related types of business letters: complaint letters, which request
compensation for problems with purchases or services, and adjustment letters, which are the responses to
complaint letters.
 I. Complaint Letters
A complaint letter is written by customers when they have causes for a complaint. It requests some
sort of compensation for defective or damaged merchandise or for inadequate or delayed services. While
many complaints can be made in person, some circumstances require formal business letters. The complaint
may be so complex that a phone call may not effectively resolve the problem; or the writer may prefer the
permanence, formality, and seriousness of a business letter. The essential rule in writing a complaint letter
is to maintain your poise and diplomacy, no matter how justified your gripe is. Avoid making the recipient
an adversary. The main purpose is to indicate some faults or problems/mistakes made by suppliers.

Problems include:

 Wrong destination
 Problem in quality/quantity
 Damage because of poor package

When writing complaint letters, we have to consider the following:

1. The reaction should not be anger

2. Begin with thanks refer to previous letter
3. Indicate the problem in a diplomatic manner
4. In the letter, identify early the reason you are writing — to register a complaint and to ask for some
kind of compensation. Avoid leaping into the details of the problem in the first sentence.
5. State exactly what compensation you desire, either before or after the discussion of the problem or
the reasons for granting the compensation. (It may be more tactful and less antagonizing to delay
this statement in some cases).
6. Provide a fully detailed narrative or description of the problem. This is the "evidence."
7. Explain why your request should be granted. Presenting the evidence is not enough: state the
reasons why this evidence indicates your requested should be granted.
8. Suggest why it is in the recipient's best interest to grant your request: appeal to the recipient's sense
of fairness, desire for continued business, but don't threaten. Find some way to view the problem
as an honest mistake. Don't imply that the recipient deliberately committed the error or that the
company has no concern for the customer. Toward the end of the letter, express confidence that the
recipient will grant your request.
Sample complaint letter

Nancy Aletho
P.O. Box 2572
Austin, TX 78720
November 19, 19XX

Ms. Suzanna Maywine

Marcella Brindisi Manager, Frailey's
1001 Airport Blvd.
Buda, TX 78700

Dear Ms. Maywine:

I am writing you concerning a problem that has arisen from the purchase of one of you
cosmetic products on August 16, 1994 at the Frailey's Mainland Mall Store. The item is
your Brindisi Ultra Sable Mascara priced at $64.95. The sales girl sold me this mascara,
two shades of blush and a jar of Fango masque on this date.

The problem developed shortly after applying this mascara for the first time. Within one
hour, my eyelids became puffy and red and began to itch. After two hours, my entire eye
area was swollen and remained so for two days. No other cosmetic product had been applied
to my eye area, and I feel sure that this mascara caused an allergic reaction for my skin. I
have used various brands of mascara including Estee Lauder, Channel and Maybeline and
have never experienced this sort of reaction before. My dermatologist advised not to use
your Brindisi product again. I had purchased this new tube of mascara in preparation for a
head shot which was scheduled for the day on which I first used your product. I was unable
to keep this appointment for which I had paid a nonrefundable deposit of $150.00. I also
incurred a dermatologist fee of $95.00. Copies of receipts for these services and the mascara
purchase are included in this letter.

I would appreciate being compensated in the amount of $319.95 immediately for the
discomfort and trouble the use of your product has caused me. This sum is to reimburse me
for the doctor's visit, for the $150.00 photographer's fee, and for the purchase price of the
mascara.

I have used many of your products in the past without any problems and hope to continue
a positive relationship with your company and its products in the future.

Sincerely,

Nancy Natho

Encl: Receipts: Foley's, $64.95

Dr. Gary Zelazney, $95.00,
Rick Patrick, photography, $150.00
(Photograph of swollen eyes)
 II. Adjustment Letters

Adjustment letter (also called letter of apology) is written by manufacturers to correct faults. It is
written in response to complaint letter. It must be handled carefully when the requested compensation
cannot be granted. Refusal of compensation tests your diplomacy and tact as a writer.

Points to be considered while writing adjustment letters:

 Prompt reply
 Be thankful to customers
 Don’t payback in the same coin
 Insure to restore the fault
 Don’t use sarcastic words although your customers are impolite and show them that your
regret is genuine

 Begin with a reference to the date of the original letter of complaint and to the purpose of
your letter. If you deny the request, don't state the refusal right away unless you can do so
tactfully.
 Express your concern over the writer's troubles and your appreciation that she/he has
written you.
 If you deny the request, explain the reasons why the request cannot be granted in as cordial
and non-combative manner as possible. If you grant the request, don't sound as if you are
doing so in a begrudging way.
 If you deny the request, try to offer some partial or substitute compensation or offer some
friendly advice (to take the sting out of the denial).
 Conclude the letter cordially, perhaps expressing confidence that you and the writer will
continue doing business.
Sample adjustment letter

Green Tree Freight Co., Inc.

Columbus, Ohio 45453
(315) 565-6789
March 26, 19XX

Mrs. Phoebe F. Hughes

Complete Table, Inc.
P.O. Box 3132
Austin, TX 78703

Subj.: March 24 letter about damaged freight

Dear Mrs. Hughes:

I have just received your March 24 letter about the damaged shipment you received
through Green Tree Freight and regret the inconvenience that it has caused you.

From your account of the problem, I am quite sure that your request for the $240
adjustment on the damage to the 2 crates of Valjean Cristal stemware will be granted. A
certain amount of breakage of this sort does unavoidably occur in cross-country shipping;
I am sorry that it was your company that had to be the one to suffer the delay.

I must remind you to keep the damaged crates in the same condition in which you received
them until one of our representatives can inspect them. That inspection should take place
within 2 weeks.

If all is in order, as it sounds to be in your letter, you can expect the full reimbursement
within 2 weeks after our representative's inspection. I hope this unfortunate accident will
not keep you from having merchandise shipped by Green Tree Freight in the future.

Sincerely,

David F. Morgan, Customer Relations

Green Tree Freight Co., Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 45453
(315) 565-6789
Organizing the Adjustment Letter

The ideas in an adjustment letter are ordinarily arranged as follows:

1. Conciliatory Statement: Expression of regret even if the customer is at fault or

appreciation for having been informed is an effective start of an adjustment letter.
2. Explanation of Facts: Explaining the facts relating to complaint, clarifying the position
in case of misunderstanding or indicating the customer’s fault (if any) should be the next
step.
3. Statement of Adjustment: Grant of the adjustment (if any), suggesting a substitute for
requested adjustment (when it cannot be granted) or a mere acceptance of fault with
assurance of taking care in future, should be stated as the third step.
4. Statement of Goodwill: A last paragraph may be added (if appropriate) for rebuilding of
goodwill and renewal of business relations.

4. Circular letters

A circular letter is usually written by a company or an organization to deliver messages, notice,

new policy, new rules, etc. so that the recipients are aware of the matters being delivered.

This is also intended to convey information to large number of people. Circular letters resemble
advertisement; which aims at:

1. Informing change in price/tariff

2. Promoting sales of product/service (sales letters)
3. Communicating information to the staff within the organization when we think that a memo
is impersonal (no specified person)
-no inside address because there is no specified receiver.

The Job Search

This section focuses on the application letter (sometimes called a "cover letter"), which together
with the resume is often called the "job package or curriculum vitae (CV)." You may already have
written one or both of these employment-seeking documents. That's okay. Read and study this
section, and then apply the guidelines here to the resumes and application letters you have created
in the past.

Vacancy Announcements

Job vacancy announcements provide information on unmet labor demand. Information on job
vacancies is used for business cycle analyzing and assessing mismatches on labor markets.

Job vacancy is defined as a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied, or about to become vacant
for which the employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable
candidate from outside the enterprise concerned. It is also when the employer intends to fill either
immediately or within a specific period of time.

Application letters

This section presents many different ways to design and write application letters. Nothing here is
trying to force you into one design. You design your own letter using whatever you find here that
is useful and any other sources you know of.

In many job applications, you attach an application letter to your resume. Actually, the letter comes
before the resume.

The role of the application letter is to draw a clear connection between the job you are seeking and
your qualifications listed in the resume. To put it another way, the letter matches the requirements
of the job with your qualifications, emphasizing how you are right for that job. The application
letter is not a lengthy summary of the resume — not at all. It selectively mentions information in
the resume, as appropriate.

Common Types of Application Letters

To begin planning your letter, decide which type of application letter you need. This decision is in
part based on requirements that employers may have, and in part based on what your background
and employment needs are. In many ways, types of application letters are like the types of resumes.
The types of application letters can be defined according to amount and kind of information:
  Objective letters — One type of letter says very little: it identifies the position being sought,
indicates an interest in having an interview, and calls attention to the fact that the resume
is attached. It also mentions any other special matters that are not included on the resume,
such as dates and times when you are available to come in for an interview. This letter does
no salesmanship and is very brief. (It may represent the true meaning of "cover" letter.)
 Highlight letters — Another type of application letter, the type you do for most technical
writing courses, tries to summarize the key information from the resume, the key
information that will emphasize that you are a good candidate for the job. In other words,
it selects the best information from the resume and summarizes it in the letter — this type
of letter is especially designed to make the connection with the specific job.

How do you know which to write? For most technical-writing courses, write the highlight letter.
However, in "real-life" situations, it's anybody's guess. Try calling the prospective employer; study
the job advertisement for clues.

Common Sections in Application Letters

As for the actual content and organization of the paragraphs within the application letter
(specifically the highlight type of application letter), consider the following common approaches.

Introductory paragraph. That first paragraph of the application letter is the most important; it
sets everything up — the tone, focus, as well as your most important qualification. A typical
problem in the introductory paragraph involves diving directly into work and educational
experience. Bad idea! A better idea is to do something like the following:

 State the purpose of the letter — to inquire about an employment opportunity.

 Indicate the source of your information about the job — newspaper advertisement, a personal
contact, or other.
 State one eye-catching, attention-getting thing about yourself in relation to the job or to the
employer that will cause the reader to want to continue.
And you try to do all things like these in the space of very short paragraph — no more than 4 to 5
lines of the standard business letter. (And certainly, please don't think of these as the "right" or the
"only" things to put in the introduction to an application letter.)

Main body paragraphs. In the main parts of the application letter, you present your work
experience, education, training — whatever makes that connection between you and the job you
are seeking. Remember that this is the most important job you have to do in this letter — to enable
the reader see the match between your qualifications and the requirements for the job.

There are two common ways to present this information:

 Functional approach — This one presents education in one section, and work experience in the
other. If there were military experience, that might go in another section. Whichever of these section
contains your "best stuff" should come first, after the introduction.
 Thematic approach — This one divides experience and education into groups such as
"management," "technical," "financial," and so on and then discusses your work and education
related to them in separate paragraphs.

If you read the section on functional and thematic organization of resumes, just about everything
said there applies here. Of course, the letter is not exhaustive or complete about your background
— it highlights just those aspects of your background that make the connection with the job you
are seeking.
Common sections of application letters. You can organize the letter thematically or functionally the same
way that you can the resume.

Another section worth considering for the main body of the application letter is one in which you
discuss your goals, objectives — the focus of your career — what you are doing, or want to do
professionally. A paragraph like this is particularly good for people just starting their careers, when
there is not much to put in the letter. Of course, be careful about loading a paragraph like this with
"sweet nothings." For example, "I am seeking a challenging, rewarding career with andynamic
upscale company where I will have ample room for professional and personal growth" — come
on! give us a break! Might as well say, "I want to be happy, well-paid, and well-fed."

Closing paragraph. In the last paragraph of the application letter, you can indicate how the
prospective employer can get in touch with you and when are the best times for an interview. This
is the place to urge that prospective employer to contact you to arrange an interview.

Background Details in the Application Letter

One of the best ways to make an application letter great is to work in details, examples, specifics
about related aspects of your educational and employment background. Yes, if the resume is
attached, readers can see all that details there. However, a letter that is overly general and vague
might generate so little interest that the reader might not even care to turn to the resume.

In the application letter, you work in selective detail that makes your letter stand out, makes it
memorable, and substantiates the claims you make about your skills and experience. Take a look
at this example, which is rather lacking in specifics:

As for my experience working with persons with developmental disabilities,

I have worked and volunteered at various rehabilitation hospitals and
agencies in Austin and Houston [say which ones to inject more detail into
this letter]. I have received training [where? certificates?] in supervising
patients and assisting with physical and social therapy. Currently, I am
volunteering at St. David's Hospital [doing what?] to continue my education
in aiding persons with developmental disabilities.

Now take a look at the revision:

As for my experience working with persons with developmental disabilities,
I have worked and volunteered at Cypress Creek Hospital in Houston and
Capital Area Easter Seals/ Rehabilitation Center and Health South
Rehabilitation Hospital in Austin. I have received CPR, First Aid, and
Crisis Intervention certificates from Cypress Creek Hospital. Currently, I
 am volunteering at St. David's Hospital assisting with physical therapy to
persons with developmental disabilities in the aquatics department.

Checklist of Common Problems in Application Letters

 Readability and white space — Are there any dense paragraphs over 8 lines? Are there comfortable
1-inch to 1.5-inch margins all the way around the letter? Is there adequate spacing between
paragraph and between the components of the letter?
 Page fill — Is the letter placed on the page nicely: not crammed at the top one-half of the page; not
spilling over to a second page by only three or four lines?
 General neatness, professional-looking quality — Is the letter on good quality paper, and is the
copy clean and free of smudges and erasures?
 Proper use of the business-letter format — Have you set up the letter in one of the standard
business-letter formats? (See the references earlier in this chapter.)
 Overt, direct indication of the connection between your background and the requirements of the
job — Do you emphasize this connection?
 A good upbeat, positive tone — Is the tone of your letter bright and positive? Does it avoid sounding
overly aggressive, brash, over-confident (unless that is really the tone you want)? Does your letter
avoid the opposite problem of sounding stiff, overly reserved, stand-offish, blase, indifferent?
 A good introduction — Does your introduction establish the purpose of the letter? Does it avoid
diving directly into the details of your work and educational experience? Do you present one little
compelling detail about yourself that will cause the reader to want to keep reading?
 A good balance between brevity and details — Does your letter avoid becoming too detailed
(making readers less inclined to read thoroughly)? Does your letter avoid the opposite extreme of
being so general that it could refer to practically anybody?
 Lots of specifics (dates, numbers, names, etc.) — Does your letter present plenty of specific detail
but without making the letter too densely detailed? Do you present hard factual detail (numbers,
dates, proper names) that make you stand out as an individual?
 A minimum of information that is simply your opinion of yourself — Do you avoid over-reliance
on information that is simply your opinions about yourself. For example, instead of saying that you
"work well with others," do you cite work experience that proves that fact but without actually
stating it?
  Grammar, spelling, usage — And of course, does your letter use correct grammar, usage, and
spelling?

Sample application letter – 1

7600 Ed Bluestein
Austin, TX 78723

19 November 19XX

Director of Personnel
TriDiv Aerospace, Inc.
7600 TriDiv Ln.
Austin, TX 78775

Dear Mr. Carraway:

Please consider me as an applicant for the position of Quality Assurance Manager in the
Military Division there at TriDiv Aerospace. I have extensive knowledge of military
contracting and substantial Quality Assurance background.

I have spent the last 12 years with the Department of Defense administering contractual
quality requirements at Defense contractor facilities such as TriDiv Aerospace. In this
position, I have had the opportunity to function in all areas of Quality Assurance.

In December 1995, I will receive an Associates degree in Applied Science from Austin
Community College with a major in Quality Assurance Technology. I passed the
American Society for Quality Control certification exam for Quality Engineering and am
certified as a Quality Engineer as December 1995. In the Department of Defense, I am
certified in the Quality Assurance area including Electronic Commodity, Mechanical
Commodity, Nuclear Commodity, and NASA. Additionally, I am certified in all of the
nondestructive test disciplines.

Enclosed is a resume that provides a more detailed listing of my background and

qualifications. I am confident that I possess all the necessary qualifications for the position
and am ready to meet with you at your convenience. You can reach me at (512) 292-0220
between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Sincerely yours,

Juan Morales
Encl.: resume
 Sample application letter – 2

Carol N. Brand
501 Silvermead Lane
Austin, Texas 78722

January 21, 1997

Susan Lesser
AndroCode
901 East 16th Street
Austin, TX 78703

Dear Mrs. Lesser:

I am writing in response to your ad in the Austin American-Statesman for a Technical

Writer/Intern. I have attached a copy of my resume for your review.

During the past five years, I have gained valuable experience in various types of technical
writing, documentation, and graphic design. I have written technical specifications,
government contracts, and white papers for International Software Systems, Inc., in
conjunction with several branches of the United States Army and Navy. I have also edited
several ads that were published in major magazines for Object International (such as PC
World, PC Weekly, and ORACLE). In my current position at Dell Computer Corporation, I
have written and illustrated an employee handbook and documented and flowcharted several
corporate processes (such as hiring processes, EMI procedures and flowchart maps for
engineering reviews and checkpoints).

I am currently in the process of completing my Associate Degree in Communication at

Austin Community College. Once I achieve this degree, I plan to transfer to The University
of Texas (at Austin) to complete a Bachelors Degree in Journalism. While my studies at UT
have been invaluable to my career goals, your intern program provides an important
element. I have been searching for an employment opportunity like this one that combines
my continuing education with practical experience in technical writing.

In the past, several team members from your organization have assisted me in completing
projects on a contract basis. They were instrumental in enhancing documents and the work
reflected a strong sense of pride and professionalism. Since these are the same business
ethics I strive for personally, I can think of no better learning environment than joining an
organization such as yours.

I look forward to having the opportunity to further discuss my qualifications with you.

Sincerely yours,
Sample application letter – 3

Carol N. Brand
(000) 000-0000
Enclosure: resume
Resume/curriculum vitae (CV)

A resume is a selective record of your background — your educational, military, and work
experience, your certifications, abilities, and so on. You send it, sometimes accompanied by an
application letter, to potential employers when you are seeking job interviews.

The focus of the resume assignment is readability, effective design, and adaptation to audience
expectations. If you make up a few details in your resume, that's okay. However, if you're just
starting your college education and have little work experience, try using the techniques and
suggestions here to create a resume that represents your current skills, abilities, and background.
Developing a decent-looking resume based on what you are now is a challenge that you have to
deal with at some point — so why not now?

Resume Design — An Overview

Before personal computers, people used one resume for varied kinds of employment searches.
However, with less expensive desktop publishing and high-quality printing, people sometimes
rewrite their resumes for every new job they go after. For example, a person who seeks
employment both with a community college and with a software-development company would use
two different resumes. The contents of the two might be roughly the same, but the organization,
format, and emphases would be quite different.

You are probably aware of resume-writing software: you feed your data into them and they churn
out a prefab resume. You probably also know about resume-writing services that will create your
resume for you for a hundred dollars or so. If you are in a time bind or if you are extremely insecure
about your writing or resume-designing skills, these services might help. But often they take your
information and put it into a computer database that then force it into a prefab structure. They often
use the same resume-writing software just mentioned; they charge you about what the software
costs. The problem is that these agencies simply cannot be that sensitive or perceptive about your
background or your employment search. Nor are you likely to want to pay for their services every
month or so when you are in the thick of a job search. Why not learn the skills and techniques of
writing your own resume here, save the money, and write better resumes anyway?
There is no one right way to write a resume. Every person's background, employment needs, and
career objectives are different, thus necessitating unique resume designs. Every detail, every aspect
of your resume must start with who you are, what your background is, what the potential employer
is looking for, and what your employment goals are — not with from some prefab design.
Therefore, use this chapter to design your own resume; browse through the various formats; play
around with them until you find one that works for you.

Basic sections of a resume. Whichever format you use, the information generally divides up as
shown here.
Sections in Resumes

Resumes can be divided into three sections: the heading, the body, and the conclusion. Each of
these sections has fairly common contents.

Heading. The top third of the resume is the heading. It contains your name, phone numbers,
address, and other details such as your occupation, titles, and so on. Some resume writers include
the name of their profession, occupation, or field. In some examples, you'll see writers putting
things like "CERTIFIED PHYSICAL THERAPIST" very prominently in the heading. Headings
can also contain a goals and objectives subsection and a highlights subsection. These two special
subsections are described later in "Special Sections in Resumes."

Body. In a one-page resume, the body is the middle portion, taking up a half or more of the total
space of the resume. In this section, you present the details of your work, education, and military
experience. This information is arranged in reverse chronological order. In the body section, you
also include your accomplishments, for example, publications, certifications, equipment you are
familiar with, and so on. There are many ways to present this information:

 You can divide it functionally — into separate sections for work experience and education.
 You can divide it thematically — into separate sections for the different areas of your experience
and education.

Conclusion. In the final third or quarter of the resume, you can present other related information
on your background. For example, you can list activities, professional associations, memberships,
hobbies, and interests. At the bottom of the resume, people often put "REFERENCES
AVAILABLE ON REQUEST" and the date of preparation of the resume. At first, you might think
that listing nonwork and personal information would be totally irrelevant and inappropriate.
Actually, it can come in handy — it personalizes you to potential employers and gives you
something to chat while you're waiting for the coffee machine or the elevator. For example, if you
mention in your resume that you raise goats, that gives the interviewer something to chat with you
about during those moments of otherwise uncomfortable silence.
Resumes — Types and Design

To begin planning your resume, decide which type of resume you need. This decision is in part
based on requirements that prospective employers may have, and in part based on what your
background and employment needs are.

Type of organization. Resumes can be defined according to how information on work and
educational experience is handled. There are several basic, commonly used plans or designs you
can consider using.

 Functional design: Illustrated schematically below, the functional design starts with a heading; then
presents either education or work experience, whichever is stronger or more relevant; then presents
the other of these two sections; then ends with a section on skills and certifications and one on
personal information. Students who have not yet begun their careers often find this design the best
for their purposes. People with military experience either work the detail in to the education and
work-experience sections as appropriate; or they create separate section at the same level as
education and work experience.
 Two basic organizational approaches to resume design. Functional and thematic.
(The "hanging-head" format is used in the functional-design version.)

 Thematic design: Another approach to resumes is the thematic design, illustrated schematically in
the preceding. It divides your experience and education into categories such as project management,
budgetary planning, financial tracking, personnel management, customer sales, technical support,
publications — whichever areas describe your experience. Often, these categories are based
directly on typical or specific employment advertisements. If the job advertisement says that
Company ABC wants a person with experience in training, customer service, and sales, then it
 might be a smart move to design thematic headings around those three requirements. If you want
to use the thematic approach in your resume, take a look at your employment and educational
experience — what are the common threads? Project management, program development,
troubleshooting, supervision, maintenance, inventory control? Take a look at the job announcement
you're responding to — what are the three, four, or five key requirements it mentions? Use these
themes to design the body section of your resume. These themes become the headings in the body
of the resume. Under these headings you list the employment or educational experience that applies.
For example, under a heading like "FINANCIAL RECORDS," you might list the accounting and
bookkeeping courses you took in college, the seminars on Lotus 123 or EXCEL you took, and the
jobs where you actually used these skills.

Type of information. Types of resumes can be defined according to the amount and kind of
information they present:

 Objective resumes: This type just gives dates, names, titles, no qualitative salesmanship
information. These are very lean, terse resumes. In technical-writing courses, you are typically
asked not to write this type. The objective-resume style is useful in resumes that use the thematic
approach or that emphasize the summary/highlights section. By its very nature, you can see that
the thematic approach is unclear about the actual history of employment. It's harder to tell where
the person was, what she was doing, year by year.
 Detailed resumes: This type provides not only dates, titles, and names, but also details about your
responsibilities and statements about the quality and effectiveness of your work. This is the type
most people write, and the type that is the focus of most technical-writing courses. The rest of the
details in this section of this chapter focus on writing the detailed resume.

General Layout and Detail Formats in Resumes

At some point in your resume planning, you'll want to think schematically about the layout and
design of the thing. General layout has to do with the design and location of the heading, the
headings for the individual sections, and the orientation of the detailed text in relation to those
headings. Detail formats are the way you choose to arrange and present the details of your
education and work experience.

General layout. Look at resumes in this book and in other sources strictly in terms of the style
and placement of the headings, the shape of the text (the paragraphs) in the resumes, and the
orientation of these two elements with each other. Some resumes have the headings centered;
others are on the left margin. Notice that the actual text — the paragraphs — of resumes typically
does not extend to the far left and the far right margins. Full-length lines are not considered as
readable or scannable as the shorter ones you see illustrated in the examples in this book.

Notice that many resumes use a "hanging-head" format. In this case, the heading starts on the far
left margin while the text is indented another inch or so. This format makes the heading stand out
more and the text more scannable. Notice also that in some of the text paragraphs of resumes,
special typography is used to highlight the name of the organization or the job title.

Detail formats. You have to make a fundamental decision about how you present the details of
your work and education experience. Several examples of typical presentational techniques are
shown below. The elements you work with include:

 Occupation, position, job title

 Company or organization name
 Time period you were there
 Key details about your accomplishments and responsibilities while there.

Examples of detail formats. Use combinations of list or paragraph format, italics, bold, all caps
on the four main elements: date, organization name, job title, and details.
There are many different ways to format this information. It all depends on what you want to
emphasize and how much or how little information you have (whether you are struggling to fit it
all on one page or struggling to make it fill one page). Several different detail formats are shown
above.

Special Sections in Resumes

Here are some ideas for special resume sections, sections that emphasize your goals or
qualifications.

Highlights, summary section. In the illustration below, you'll notice the "Highlights" section that
occurs just below the heading (the section for name, address, phone number, etc.) and just above
the main experience and education sections. This is an increasingly popular section in resumes.
Resume specialists believe that the eye makes first contact with a page somewhere one-fourth to
one-third of the way down the page — not at the very top. If you believe that, then it makes sense
to put your very "best stuff" at that point. Therefore, some people list their most important
qualifications, their key skills, their key work experience in that space on the page. Actually, this
section is useful more for people who have been in their careers for a while. It's a good way to
create one common spot on the resume to list those key qualifications about yourself that may be
spread throughout the resume. Otherwise, these key details about yourself are scattered across your
various employment and educational experience — in fact, buried in them.

Objectives, goals. Also found on some resumes is a section just under the heading in which you
describe what your key goals or objectives are or what your key qualifications are. Some resume
writers shy away from including a section like this because they fear it may cause certain
employers to stop reading, in other words, that it limits their possibilities. A key-qualifications
section is similar to a highlights section, but shorter and in paragraph rather than list form.
special sections in resumes. Summary or highlights of qualifications, and goals and objectives
section.

Amplifications page. Some people have a lot of detail that they want to convey about their
qualifications but that does not fit well in any of the typical resume designs. For example, certain
computer specialists can list dozens of hardware and software products they have experience with
— and they feel they must list all this in the resume. To keep the main part of the resume from
becoming unbalanced and less readable, they shift all of this detail to an amplications page. There,
the computer specialist can categorize and list all that extensive experience in many different
operating systems, hardware configurations, and software applications. Similarly, some resume
writers want to show lots more detail about the responsibilities and duties they have managed in
past employment. The standard formats for resume design just do not accommodate this sort of
detail; and this is where the amplifications page can be useful.
 Amplifications page in a resume

If you have lots of detail about what you know, this approach on page 2 of the resume may work.
On the first page of this resume, the writer divides the presentation into experience and education
sections and takes a chronological approach to each. On the first page, he only provides company
names, job titles, dates, and discussion of duties.

Resume Design and Format

As you plan, write, or review your resume, keep these points in mind:
 Readability: are there any dense paragraphs over 6 lines? Imagine your prospective
employer sitting down to a two-inch stack of resumes. Do you think she's going to slow
down to read through big thick paragraphs. Probably not. Try to keep paragraphs under 6
lines long. The "hanging-head" design helps here.
 White space. Picture a resume crammed with detail, using only half-inch margins all the
way around, a small type size, and only a small amount of space between parts of the
resume. Our prospective employer might be less inclined to pore through that also. "Air it
out!" Find ways to incorporate more white space in the margins and between sections of
the resume. Again, the "hanging-head" design is also useful
 Special format. Make sure that you use special format consistently throughout the resume.
For example, if you use a hanging-head style for the work-experience section, use it in the
education section as well.
 Consistent margins. Most resumes have several margins: the outermost, left margin and
at least one internal left margin. Typically, paragraphs in a resume use an internal margin,
not the far-left margin. Make sure to align all appropriate text to these margins as well.
 Terse writing style. It's okay to use a rather clipped, terse writing style in resumes — up to
a point. The challenge in most resumes is to get it all on one page (or two if you have a lot
of information to present). Instead of writing "I supervised a team of five technicians..."
you write "Supervised a team of five technicians..." However, you don't leave out normal
words such as articles.
 Special typography. Use special typography, but keep it under control. Resumes are great
places to use all of your fancy word-processing features such as bold, italics, different fonts,
and different type sizes. Don't go crazy with it! Too much fancy typography can be
distracting (plus make people think you are hyperactive).
 Page fill. Do everything you can to make your resume fill out one full page and to keep it
from spilling over by 4 or 5 lines to a second page. At the beginning of your career, it's
tough filling up a full page of a resume. As you move into your career, it gets hard keeping
it to one page. If you need a two-page resume, see that the second page is full or nearly
full.
 Clarity of boundary lines between major sections. Design and format your resume so that
whatever the main sections are, they are very noticeable. Use well-defined headings and
 white space to achieve this. Similarly, design your resume so that the individual segments
of work experience or education are distinct and separate from each other.
 Reverse chronological order. Remember to list your education and work-experience items
starting with the current or most recent and working backwards in time.
 Consistency of bold, italics, different type size, caps, other typographical special effects.
Also, whatever special typography you use, be consistent with it throughout the resume. If
some job titles are italics, make them all italics. Avoid all-caps text — it's less readable.
 Consistency of phrasing. Use the same style of phrasing for similar information in a resume
— for example, past tense verbs for all work descriptions.
 Consistency of punctuation style. For similar sections of information use the same kind of
punctuation — for example, periods, commas, colons, or nothing.
 Translations for "inside" information. Don't assume readers will know what certain
abbreviations, acronyms, or symbols mean — yes, even to the extent of "GPA" or the
construction "3.2/4.00." Take time to describe special organizations you may be a member
of.
 Grammar, spelling, usage. Watch out for these problems on a resume — they stand out
like a sore thumb! Watch out particularly for the incorrect use of its and it's.

Producing the Final Draft of the Resume

When you've done everything you can think of to fine-tune your resume, it's time to produce the
final copy — the one that goes to the prospective employer. This is the time to use nice paper and
a good printer and generally take every step you know of to produce a professional-looking resume.
You'll notice that resumes often use a heavier stock of paper and often an off-white or non-white
color of paper. Some even go so far as to use drastically different colors such as red, blue, or green,
hoping to catch prospective employers' attention better. Proceed with caution in these areas!
Sample resume -1

Sharon Hutchinson
00000 Oakhurst
Austin, TX 78000
512/000-0000

WORK HISTORY

May 1988—Present TeleDynamics, L.L.P.

Job titles

 System Administrator (1993-Present)

 Data Processing Manager (1989-1993)
 Data Entry/Computer Operator (1988-1989)

Accomplishments

 Assisted controller with conversion of manual purchase order and accounts

payable systems to a software program and linked all modules to the
general ledger module.
 Linked all modules to the general ledger module.
 Instrumental in decision to interface Windows applications with Novell
network and accounting system.
 Assisted Controller and outside auditors with two bank audits.
 Upgraded shipping system to integrate with accounting system - project on-
line on schedule.

Responsibilities

 Administer the day-to-day operations of a Novell 3.12 LAN with 23 PCs

using MS-DOS and Windows applications.
 Close accounting system for month and year end processing.
 Assist employees with questions on customer service, company procedural
issues and computer operations.
 Coordinate hardware and software upgrades.
 Assist controller with month-end reconciliation of inventory, accounts
receivable, and accounts payable.
 Train users on Windows applications, new shipping system, and custom
enhancements to accounting software.

May 1986—Mar. 1988 Smith Produce—Computer Operator

  Assisted in conversion of manual order entry and inventory systems to
computerized system.
 Reconciled cash and made daily back deposits.
 Responsible for all system administration and monthly backups and
generating monthly reports to be sent to parent company in Houston.

1985—1986 Other Part-Time Employment

 Held part-time and temporary positions as sales clerk, clerical and

receptionist/courier to help finance my education.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

 Novell 3.12
 MS-DOS
 Microsoft Windows 3.1 & 3.11
 Excel 5.0
 Word 6.0
 Working knowledge of Foxpro for MS-DOS

EDUCATION
Jan. 1996—Present Austin Community College (ACC)
Area of study: Computer Information Systems—Local Area Network

Sept. 1985—Aug. 1987 University of Texas at Austin

Jun. 1988—May 1989 Area of study: Business Administration

REFERENCES
Furnished upon request

Sample resume -2

Kathyrn Boone
4078 Negramont Cove
Austin, TX 78700
512-000-0000

P R O F E S S I O N A LxxxE X P E R I E N C E
Drug Research Study Monitor and Coordinator

CLI NICOR, INC. Plan, organize, and implement ophthalmic drug studies. Monitor accuracy and
completeness of data, ensuring adherence to study protocols and submitting appropriate completed
documents to pharmaceutical companies. Perform miscellaneous tasks associated with successful
completion of studies. 1994 - present

BARTON RESEARCH, INC. Conducted pharmacological clinical research trials. Responsible for
adherence to protocols, recruitment and enrollment of qualified patients, data collection and
quality assurance of documentation.Assisted Director of Clinical Research in clinical operations,
specializing in ophthalmic procedures.1991 - 1993

Science Consultant and Technical Writer

EDUCATION SYSTEMS CORPORATION. Science writer and expert consultant, producing text
for Compton’s Children’s Encyclopedia on CD-ROM on various scientific subjects including
human anatomy, entomology, zoology, astronomy, paleontology, and chemistry. 1988 - 1989

Certified Ophthalmic Technician

AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC, TEXAN EYE CENTER, EYE CLINIC OF GALVESTON.Developed

diverse skill base in ophthalmic procedures, specializing in internal ocular photography and visual
field testing for ocular pathology. Organized inpatient surgical schedules, assisted in surgical
procedures, and maintained excellent patient relations. 1985 - 1991

Tutor and Lab Assistant

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH, AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.Tutored

medical and nursing students in lecture and lab material for human anatomy, microanatomy, and
histology classes, emphasizing identification of both gross and microscopic specimens.Developed
lab curriculum.1981 - 1984

EDUCATION

Medical School, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Cumulative GPA of 87.0, ranked in top sixth of 210 member class.Acquired excellent working
knowledge of pharmacology, biochemistry, cytology, human anatomy, histology, physiology,
microbiology, genetics, endocrinology, and neurology.1982 - 1984

University of Texas at Austin

B.S. Zoology with Honors. Beta BetaBeta Biology Honor Society, Dean’s Honor List Spring 1978
and Fall 1980, Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity. 1977 - 1980
 ORGANIZATIONS

Ophthalmic Medical Assistant Society

Joint Commission of Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology

INTERESTS

Mountain biking, camping, gardening, African violets, reading.

REFERENCES

Available upon request

Sample resume -3

Carol N. Brand

2201 Silvermine Lane

Austin, Texas 78700
(000) 000-0000

To utilize my writing and graphic illustration skills and experience to pursue a

Objective career in Graphic Design or Technical Writing.

 Over three years of diverse technical writing and graphic illustration

Summary experience
 Excellent business writing and communication skills
 Extremely detail-oriented and organized

Professional Experience
Oct 1994 to present Project Administrator—Austin, Texas
Dell Computer Corporation (Portables Industrial Design & Product
Development): Establish company processes through analysis, development
and implementation. Draft budgets and schedules for various programs and
projects (Excel and MS Project). Track and audit products as they move
through the phase review process. Maintain technology roadmaps for
Portables Department (drafted in Powerpoint).

Mar - Sept 1994 General Manager/Office Manager—Austin, Texas

Object International (object-oriented software company): Managed small
software company including product marketing, generating copy and artwork
for magazines (8 publications) in PageMaker software, human resources,
supervision of employees, coordination of all aspects of trade shows and
conferences.

Jan 1992 - Mar 1994 Office Manager/Technical Writer—Austin, Texas

International Software Systems Inc. (computer software company): Managed
facility of 65 people including human resources, benefits, facilities, security,
and produced white papers, government contracts and documentation. Also
served as a member of the technical writing team in creating software
manuals and "how to" guides in FrameMaker.

Sept 1989 - Dec 1991 Administrative Secretary—Austin, Texas

Fluid Conservation Systems (high-tech engineering firm): Drafted
documentation and presentations (in Word Perfect), coordinated training
schedules (for customers), supported 15 people, maintained databases and
elaborate utility files.

Education
Dec 1997 AA in Communications at Austin Community College

1997-1999 Pursuing Bachelor's Degree in Communications at the University of Texas

Seminars and Courses in Project Management

Project Management Institute Certification Courses (PMI) (includes budgets,
May - July 1996
contracts, risk assessment, schedules and communication)

Project Management Fundamentals (Dell University) (includes Dell-specific

Apr 1996
budget, schedule, and project information)
 Planning and Managing Projects (IPS/Dell University) (advanced version of
Feb 1996
previous seminar)

Memorandum (Memoranda- plural)

The memorandum is a kind of short/informal report, and is a means of communication widely
applied by management for internal communication purposes within the staff of the same
organization.

A memorandum is purposely designed on the one hand, to communicate policies to low level
authorities or rank and file workers, and to present factual information to top management and to
assist in decision making or problem solving on the other.

As internal means of communication, memoranda can thus move:

 Downward from top management to low level officials in an organization carrying policy
guidelines and procedural statements.
 Upward from low level officials to top management to assist in problem-solving and
decision-making processes.

Memorandum format

1. Fully blocked
2. Other styles- the reference, the date, and the signature are put at the right
margin. The subject is placed at the center.
 Name of the organization

Interoffice memorandum

To:_____________ Reference:__________

From:___________ Date:______________

Subject:______________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________.

Enc(s)

cc signature

Memo is used within the same organization. In memo:

 No salutation
 No inside address
 No complimentary closing
 Name and designation are omitted from the signature

Qualities of memoranda
Memoranda as short/informal reports are characterized by the following qualities:

1. Orderliness: The quality of orderliness in memoranda is the result of the use of traditional
headings, i.e. Date, To, From, and Subject headings. Theses headings permit easy filing
reference. They also assist in the immediate recognition of writers and subject matters.

2. Logical organization: The deductive (direct) and the inductive (indirect) plans could be
applied in preparing memoranda. However, as directness is required when producing
memoranda, practicing writers are advised to adhere to the deductive technique.
 3. Natural writing style: The natural writing style is maintained in the process of
memorandum report production. The application of this style in memoranda distinguishes
them from formal business reports.

4. Use of graphics: Graphs, tables, and charts can be incorporated in memoranda as

supporting materials whenever necessary in order to make the messages they communicate
understandable.

Sample informational memorandum report

Date: 1st October, 1997

To: All heads of academic departments

From: The academic vice-dean

Subject: Change of lecture rooms.

The following lecture rooms, i.e. room no. 310, 311, 312, 313, 31, 33, and the
auditorium will be used for conducting mid-semester examinations from 4th-10th
October, 1997.

Heads of departments are, thus, advised to inform the concerned instructors to use
room no. 41, 42, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11.

E-mail (electronic mail)

It is the transmission of messages over communications networks. It is also defined as a method

of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. As to other business
letters, e-mail is the main method of business communication worldwide.

Due to the flexibility and reliability, one of its features is that a message can be sent to several
users simultaneously (at the same time).

When we use e-mail, we should be aware of the qualities or principles that are essential for better
communication. Generally, we should use the word ‘smart’ which conveys many things that made
e-mail interesting.
 SMART:

S= Specific

M=Meaningful

A=Appropriate elements of e-mail

R=Relevant

T=Thoughtful

 A set of rules for e-mail ‘NETIQUETTE’ (sometimes ‘ETIQUETTE’)- ‘governing social

acceptance behavior’-dictionary meaning, taken from French, or Old French-‘estiquette’
which means ‘good or proper behavior’.

NETIQUETTE

N=Never think that you are talking to a computer

E=Ensure you follow the rules of good writing before you hit ‘send’

T=Take off the caps lock (don’t shouted)

I=Informality is ok in e-mails

Q=Question your subject line

U=Use smart sentences and paragraphs

E=Enumerate with numbers and bullets

T=Tidy and up long sentences

T=Take a pride in your finished message

Good and Bad Features of E-mail

Good Features:

a. It is informal
 b. Messages can be sent to many people at the same time
c. Instant messages are delivered instantly
d. Relatively cheap
e. It can be prioritized

Bad Features:

a. Not too informal

b. Although many messages are sent at the same time, they can’t be received at the same time
c. Instant messages are delivered instantly, but it is difficult to correct them after we sent
d. Spells the death of conversation (there should have talked to a person next to them but not
in e-mail