THE RESUME/CURRICULUM VITAE AND ITS FUNCTIONS MAJOR SECTIONS OF A

COVER LETTER TO RESUME/CV

➢ The Resume / Curriculum Vitae Preparation
- Preparation for job applications is usually an essential component of the communication part of business
studies or secretarial courses including those courses that touch personnel or general management
subjects. Most candidates, even those already employed, will benefit from practice in writing a resume /
curriculum vitae and cover / application letter.
-

Curriculum Vitae (CV) is Latin for "course of life." In contrast, Resume is French for "summary." Both CVs &
Resumes:
• Are tailored for the specific job/company you are applying to
• Should represent you as the best qualified candidate
• Are used to get you an interview • Do not usually include personal interests

Curriculum Vitae vs. Resume: Format and Content

The CV presents a full history of your academic credentials, so the length of the document is variable. In contrast,
a resume presents a concise picture of your skills and qualifications for a specific position, so length tends to be
shorter and dictated by years of experience (generally 1-2 pages).
Functions of the Resume / CV
Introduction
• First step in the door
• Allows appraisal of potential candidates

Self-portrait
• Details of educational and work experience
• Highlight skills and abilities
• Reveals other personal qualities

Many job seekers are unaware of the real significance of the resume / CV and tend to treat it as a routine document
for administrative purposes.
To be effective the resume needs to be:
• Updated constantly • Grammatically accurate • Concise • Presentable
Major Sections of a Resume
1. Opening Section

a) Your name, address [school and / or home], telephone numbers, fax number, or email address
b) Your job or career objectives c) Your basic qualifications [optional]
2. Education

a) Schooling beyond high school: names and locations, dates attended, degrees and certificates
b) Major, significant pertinent courses; academic honors; grade-point average [if high]; special skills; significant
achievements
c) Positions, such as assistant to an instructor, grader, or research assistant
3. Work Experience

a) Employer names, dates, location; titles and

b) Position held; specific accomplishments preceded by a verb c) Volunteer work

4. Achievements, Awards, Service Activities

a) School and Community Achievements, honors, publications b) Travel, languages, self-support, other facts
5. Personal Data [optional]

a) Date of availability b) Health, military service, hobbies

6. References [optional]

The Cover Letter / Application Letter

Also called the “cold contact” letter, the job application letter or, the resume cover letter has one
purpose: to attract the interest of your prospective employer to give you a job interview. A resume could
 be called the shotgun approach covers much material; a resume cover letter could be called the rifle
approach focuses on precise points.
Things to remember in making a cover letter/application letter:
• Make it brief but concise
• Highlight your good qualities not reflected in the CV/resume
• Try to relate it to the requirements needed for the job
• Organize your paragraphs by making them sound appealing

Major Sections of a Cover Letter to Resume / CV

1. Obtain favorable attention
a. Summary – select two or three outstanding qualifications.
b. Name – choose a known individual with whom the reader is familiar or the publication in which
the reader’s notice appeared.
c. Question – state one or two questions that suggest you are familiar with the company.
d. News item – relate your opening comment to an item that appeared in the national press.

2. Give effort to data, and details in the middle paragraphs.

a. Education – be truthful as to degrees, majors, and minors.
b. Work experience – be precise about how previous experience trained you for the current
position.
c. Personal attitudes, interests, and activities, qualities: relate, show how your qualities can
improve your performance with the announced job.

3. Focus on easy action in the last paragraph.

a. State when you are available on the phone or in person.
b. Ask if a local representative is in the area whom you could contact if the home office is
extremely distant.

PREPARING RECOMMENDATION AND REFERENCE LETTERS

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
Letter of recommendation about employees or friends take two forms.

➢ One is the solicited recommendation requested by a business organization, and the

other is the unsolicited letter, which is requested by the individual to incorporate in an
employment dossier.
➢ Solicited recommendation letter will be addressed to a specific person or organization.
➢ Unsolicited recommendation letter may be headed by "To Whom It May Concern."
➢ Generally, the solicited letter will reply to specific concerns of a prospective employer as
outlined in a request.
➢ The unsolicited letter will be broader in nature and contain generalities about work
performance, attitude, and potential.

Samples of Recommendation Letters

9 May 1998
Honorable Mina Gabor
Secretary
Department of Tourism
Manila

Dear Secretary Gabor:

I have the honor to hereby strongly recommend the appointment of Mr. Efren F. Abulencia in your good
Department for any position commensurate to his qualifications.

Subject recommendee was formerly employed as Consultant by the undersigned during her tenure as
Congresswoman of Basilan Province. He has also worked for the University of Manila, College of the Holy
Spirit, and St. Scholastica's College.

Enclosed is his curriculum vitae for your consideration.

Your favorable and early action on this recommendation will be highly appreciated.

Thank you very much.

Very truly yours,

Elnorita P. Tugung
Board Director

519 Batangas East St.

Ayala Alabang Villag Muntinlupa, M.M

September 2, 1997

The Reverend Father Rector

San Beda College
Mendiola St., Manila

Dear Father Rector:

I have the honor of recommending Mr. Efren F. Abulencia for the post of professor of English in your
esteemed school. Mr. Abulencia is a student of mine for the M.A degree at the De La Salle University Graduate
School at Taft Avenue, Manila. He has already taken courses on English teaching methods and techniques and I
am sure that he will put all his knowledge to good use in his duties at San Beda.

I would also not hesitate to declare that Mr. Abulencia is a diligent and disciplined worker, who is
conscious of his obligations and strives to fulfill them religiously.

I do hope that you will give his application your favorable reply. Thank you in advance for your kindness
and consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Teodoro A. Llamzon, Ph.D

REFERENCE LETTERS
These are letters written by employers who would request some pertinent document for
background information about persons who are applying for job opportunities in their
companies or firms.

The contents or reference letters are:

➢ statement of the purpose of the letter, request for information about the applicant;
➢ words of appreciation for whatever favorable response that will be elicited by the reference
letter; and
➢ the assurance of confidentiality of whatever information that will be received from them.

PREPARING A MEMORANDUM

Designing a Memorandum
• Another form of letters is the memorandum or memo.

• A memorandum is generally used to communicate with people inside the organizations.

• It is a form of inter-office communication.
• It travels within a company between and among employees.
• According to Angell (2007), it is used to communicate changes in policy, notifications, belief,
reports, queries, among other things.
• The design of a memo's guide words includes the recipient's name, the sender, the data, and a
subject line. Guide words (TO, FROM, DATE, and SUBJECT / RE:) are all to be written in capital
letters and often bold.
• The order of the guide words, however, varies from company to company.
• Unlike the letter, the memo does not have an inside address, a salutation, and a complimentary
close.
Illustrative Samples of Memorandum

Sample A
MEMORANDUM

DATE : August 10, 2000

TO : Mr. Jesus Ventura

FROM : Ma. Joan Sison

SUBJECT : Printing Supplies

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ma. Joan Sison

JFM:eer

CC: Teddy Ramos, Marsha Teodoro

Note: If someone types / encodes message for you, then his / her initials should appear two lines
below yours at the left margin.
Sample B

MEMORANDUM

TO : Miss Rebecca Anonuevo

Professor, Language Area

FROM : Miss Marites Z. Pacia

Coordinator of Student Organizations

DATE : November 6, 1997

RE : MC- Academic Quiz Bee Meeting

As per arrangement with your Area Chairperson, you have been recommended coach

of the CHS contestants in the upcoming Mendiola Consortium Academic Quiz Bee-
Literature and Grammar Area on November 25, 1997 at the Librada Avelino Hall,
Centro Escolar University. The following students are the CHS representatives in the

above- mentioned subject:

1. Miss Mildred Ablanque

2. Miss Joyce Fudotan
3. Miss Sheryl Ramos

4. Miss Roan Tobias

In line with this, there will be an orientation/meeting of all the contestants, coaches, and
judges on Nov 11, 1997 (Tuesday) 1:00 PM at the Audio Visual Room of San Beda
Note: In some
cases, job title or position is not indicated on the "From" line. Either sign your name or put your
College.
initials; both are acceptable (See related discussion on page 95)
Your presence will be greatly appreciated. God bless.
 Sample C

MEMORANDUM

FOR : President, State Colleges and Universities

Presidents, Private Colleges and Universities
Head, CHED Supervised Institutions

SUBJECT : SUBMISSION OF REPORT RE: COMPLIANCE WITH CHED

ORDER NO. 4S. 1995 AND LIST OF ALL FRATERNITIES/
SORORITIES AND/OR STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

DATE : February 17, 2000

X---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In view of the recent events involving fraternities, per CMO 97, s. 1995, you are hereby requested
to submit to this Office the list of all recognized and unrecognized fraternities / sororities and/or
student organizations in your respective institution and their corresponding members. Per CMO
95, s. 1995, you are further requested to submit written report on you compliance with Section 4
of CHED Order No. 4 series 1995 for the 4th quarter of 1999. The
deadline of submission is on or before February 28, 2000.

For your compliance.

Amelia A. Biglete
Director

Parts of a Memorandum
Usually, a memo has four parts: heading, body, enclosure, notation and identification line.
1. Heading
➢ The memo stationery often has four headings: Date, To, From, and Subject. These are printed at the top
of the page beneath the letterhead before the Subject.
➢ Begin with To, From, and Subject at the left, preferably with double-space between them. Use a colon
after each, all aligned with one another after Subject.
➢ The items in the heading begin two spaces from the preceding colors. End-of-line periods are
unnecessary.
➢ To, From, and Subject are traditionally written in capital and small letters (as you see them in this
sentence). This is still acceptable, but capital letters are preferred.
➢ The dateline or date heading may be put above Subject (see Sample B). But the usual practice in
government is above the line where the term Memo, Memorandum, or Interoffice Communications is
written (see Sample C).
➢ Use courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms.) with the names of others. Do not use one with your name. Use official
titles, unless everybody knows the person you are writing to.
➢ Make the subject line clear and accurate as to the content of the memo.
➢ Do not underscore the words if you use capital letters. The modern practice is not to underline words,
even if the subject line contains small and capital letters.
➢ No signature line is used since the signer's name is given on the "From" line. His initials or signature on
the blank space below the text is enough.
➢ File and other references (if used) may be put under a flush-right data. Or to the right of the To-From-
Subject block.

2. Body
➢ The body of the memo is aligned with the first letters of the headings (which are also aligned with each
other)
➢ The first paragraph begins two or more spaces after the last heading. Do not indent your paragraphs.
➢ Omit salutation and complimentary close.
➢ Salute your main point (e.g., request, conclusion, recommendation) in the first sentence, unless your
reader will most likely reject it. If he will, lead him to your point with necessary facts or expectations.
➢ Use full-block style for a memo; single-spaces within paragraphs; and doubledspaced between
paragraphs.
➢ You may use itemizations, headings, tables and charts if these can help clarify your points.
➢ You do not need to type your name at the end of the memo, but non-routine memos require authentication,
so sign them.
➢ For pages after the first, give the addresses name, the date, and the page number on the first line. Then,
triple the space below it.
➢ Finally, provide at least one inch for the right margin, but not more than one and one-half inches.

3. Enclosure Notation

An enclosure notation is typed at the bottom of the memo two lines below the identification line.

Example: Enclosure
Enc.
Encs. 3

Enclosure: Memo of Agreement; Terms of reference

4. Identification line
• Initials on an identification line reveal who dictated and typed the memo.
• You may omit them on the original, but you should have them on each file copy.
• In summary, it is to be emphasized that there are five points to consider in writing a memo
(Lesikas, 2005):
 ➢ It contains no inside address
➢ It has no personal opening or closing
➢ It's. Subject matter is either announced or posted at the onset.
➢ It usually requires no introduction or conclusion.
➢ It does not strictly require a printed or penned signature of the writer of the memo
at the end of the message.

The Advantage of Memorandum

A memorandum has several advantages over oral communication. Lahiff and Penrose (1997)
identified the following distinct advantages:
1. A memorandum provides a written record.
➢ Unlike a conversation, a memorandum can be filed for future reference. It serves as a written
record for the writer or for the reader or for both. The more important the subject of the
memorandum, the more is likely the copies will be filed. By referring to the memorandum at a
later date, both receiver and sender are reminded of specifics, such as date, individual
responsibilities, and deadlines.
2. A memorandum is suitable for transmitting complex information.
➢ When a spoken message contains a lot of very specific detailed or is in some other way complex,
the listener has difficulty remembering it. Complicated instructions are easily misunderstood
under the best of circumstances, but when they are spoken, the chances of the error are manifold.
Consequently, a memorandum becomes an accurate memory jogger.
3. A memorandum can reach many persons simultaneously.
➢ If you must transmit some information to a number of co-workers, contacting each one individually
is time-consuming. Schedule conflicts may make it difficult to assemble the group for a meeting.
A memorandum, however, can reach a large number of individuals easily.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS

E-Mail and E-Commerce Distinguished

E-mail stands for electronic mails.

➢ It means sending messages online wherein messages are transmitted via communication
networks.
➢ It is a system whereby a computer can exchange messages with other computer users.
Advantages of E-mails
1. They make the messages reach the reader by the wink of an eye.

2. It is more convenient to send message through e-mail.

3. Stored in the computer in just hours of days, the message can be received, retrieved, and

modified anytime.
 E-commerce is short for electronic commerce.

➢ It is the use of electronic networks and technology for commerce and other economic activities.

➢ It is the buying and selling of either goods or services or both via Internet.
➢ It also referred to as the use of electronic communication and digital information technology in

business transactions to create, transform, and redefine relationships for value creation between and

among individuals or organizations.

Preparing Easy-to-Read E-Mails

1. Use font types size 11 to 12.

2. Limit the number of characters per line to between 70 to 80.

3. Use short and simple words, whenever possible.

4. Prefer mostly short sentences.

5. Avoid very long paragraphs.

6. Put a space between paragraphs.

7. Avoid:

a. using bullets; prefer numbers.

b. capitalizing all letters.

c. using unnecessary abbreviations and symbols.