ENGLISH 4 - FINALS COVERAGE TECHNICAL WRITING

TOPIC OUTLINE:

A. Employment Communication
a. The Application Letter
i. Classification of Application Letter
ii. Parts of an Application Letter
b. The Resume
i. Parts of Resume
c. Follow-up Letter
B. The Job Interview

EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATION

a. THE APPLICATION LETTER

- It draws a clear connection between the job you are seeking and your
qualifications listed in the resume;
- Its main purpose is to convince the reader that the applicant is able and
qualified for the position.

Classification of Application Letter:

1. Solicited application letter is a written answer to an invitation, usually an advertisement. The advantage
of it is that applicants are certain of a job opening which an employer wishes to fill.
2. Unsolicited application letter is written to a prospective company employer in the hope that there
might be a possible job opening or vacancy.

Parts of an Application Letter:

1. Introductory Paragraph. The first paragraph of the application letter is the most important; it sets
everything up – the tone, focus, as well as your most important qualification. Express these three
important things in no more than 4-5 lines in your introductory paragraph:
- The purpose of the letter – to inquire about an employment opportunity.
- Indicate the source of information about the job.
- State one eye-catching, attention-getting thing about yourself in relation to the
job that will catch the interest of the employer.

2. 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.

3. Closing paragraph. 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.

b. THE RESUME
- a concise summary of pertinent facts about yourself, the basic purpose of which
is to acquaint your prospective employer about your background.
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Parts of the Resume:

1. Heading – provides the basic contact information about you. That means your name, address, any telephone
numbers you are available at and your e-mail address. You can arrange this information in a variety of ways.

2. The Objective Statement – this statement should be brief and concise – not more than a sentence or two. An
objective tells potential employers the sort of work you’re hoping to do.

3. Job Experience – this is the most complex section of your resume, and it is required, although you have a
great deal of freedom in the way you present your experiences. To get started on this section, make a list of
your job titles and the names, dates and locations of places where you worked. Break each job into short,
descriptive phrases or sentences that begin with action verbs. Arrange your work experience in reverse
chronological order – that is, put your last job first and work backward to your first, relevant job. Include in this
section:

 title of position
 name of organization/company
 location of work (town, state)
 dates of employment
 description of your work responsibilities
4. Education - this section can be set up much like the job experience. This is an important one for most
students, and it is a required element of the resume. In this section, you should include:
 Name and location of your college or university
 Degree and graduation date
 Majors and minors
 Grade point average (GPA)
5. Skills and Qualifications – helpful in emphasizing skills acquired from various jobs or activities. In this
section, you may include any office machines you have experience operating, software programs you
are proficient with, and anything else that you feel might put over the top with the job.

6. Award and Achievements – this section points out your leadership and sociability as shown by your
involvement in different activities. This should be your shortest section and should support your career
objective.

7. References – a list of people who can verify and elaborate on your professional experience for a
potential employer. In listing your references, you should include the following:

 Reference person’s name

 Department/company
 Title/position
 Address and contact number
Remember the following:
 Ask the person first if you can use them as a reference;
 Past employers, professors, and advisors are the best professional re ferences to have;
 Make sure to include person who know what type of person you are and who are familiar with
your work.

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SEMIFINAL ASSIGNMENT 1.
1. Check out a job vacancy posted in any job site websites.
2. Based on the posted job vacancy ad, write a one-page application letter. Pretend that you have
completed the degree you have always wanted with an impressive GPA to help you get your dream job.
3. Write and design also a resume showing how you are qualified for the job you are applying. You may
assume to have obtained any degree(s) and other work experiences relevant to your application.
4. Bring your encoded first draft on our next meeting.
c. THE FOLLOW-UP LETTER
- Also known as a thank-you letter, is sent soon after a job interview. The follow-
up letter should:
 Thank the employer for the interview;
 Remind the employer of something said or done during the interview;
 Explain why you are the best candidate for the job; and
 Express continuing interest in the job.
Sample of a follow-up letter:
Dear Mr. Yamsung:

Thank you for considering me for the position of computer programmer with your company. I enjoyed
discussing ways to improve the personnel database. As you may remember, I have had much experience with
the relational database program Fox Base Pro. I would welcome the opportunity to put mu knowledge to work
for your company designing a more efficient personnel database. I am also willing to relocate to any of your
subsidiaries.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. If you have additional questions about my qualifications, please
call me at (063) 555-0172.

THE JOB INTERVIEW

Parts of the Job Interview:
The job interview is usually granted by the human resource officer or the manager of the
company where you are applying. It consists of three parts; opening, the body and closing.
The opening includes the initial contact between the communicants which creates the initial
impression. The body of the interview proceeds with the objective of finding whether the applicant fits
the job as necessary. The conclusion of the interview can enhance or weaken what has taken place
previously. It should include:
- The review and/or summary,
- An orientation of what will happen next, and
- An expression of appreciation.
SEMIFINAL EXAM – SIMULATED JOB INTERVIEW
 Submit your revised application letter and resume with your recent 2x2 picture and the rating sheet to
be provided by the instructor a day before the scheduled interview.
 Applicants are expected to be in corporate/formal attire.
 You will be graded according to the following criteria:
o Personality (50%)
- Dress appropriateness, behavior/attitude, poise and self-confidence
o Communication Ability (50%)
- Fluency of the English language, spontaneity, grammar, pronunciation

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REPORT WRITING
A report is a written or oral message which conveys information about a research or status from one
area of business to another. It aims to assist the management in arriving at a decision or to present solutions to
company problems.

CLASSIFICATION OF REPORTS

1. Informational reports – accident report, news report, progress report, annual repors.
Characteristics:
i. Sometimes oral and short
ii. Presents factual information that does not require analysis
iii. Subject matter is usually office routine
iv. Sometimes written in report forms that are pre-printed or in letter or memo form
v. Conclusions or recommendations are optional
2. Analytical reports – are usually assessed and evaluated. Examples are case study, feasibility studies or
proposals and position papers.
Characteristics:
i. Mostly written
ii. Usually written on a particular issue or problem
iii. Usually combine factual information with analysis and evaluation
iv. Usually in fixed format
v. May be in letter or memo form
vi. It is concluded with recommendations for making important decisions.

STAGES IN WRITING A REPORT:

1. Planning and gathering data/investigating

2. Selecting information and outlining
3. Drafting
4. Revising
5. Writing the research draft

STEPS IN WRITING THE DRAFT:

1. Write the draft during a single stretch of time when you are sure to be free from interruptions.
2. Before you begin, have all your materials ready for quick reference.
3. Write on uniform-sized sheets of loose-leaf paper, preferably lined pad paper.
4. Write on ly on one side; later this will help you estimate more accurately the length of the paper in
terms of type-written pages.
5. Use only one color of ink for the draft, reserving another color for making revisions. The preferred
ink color is black.
6. When actually making the draft:
a. Write freely but edit objectively
b. After you finish writing the draft, do not read it yet.
c. If time permits, keep away from the draft for one day or 24 hours so that you can be
objective when you will revise or edit the draft.
d. When you revise the draft, assume the viewpoint of a reader who will re quire an orderly
and clear discussion of the subject matter.
e. Read the draft rapidly from beginning to end. Does the report succeed in projecting your
subject matter and your arguments?

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f. Read the draft again slowly taking one section at a time for adequacy of information and
clarity of organization.
g. On the third reading, pay attention to your atyle. Remove irrelevant material and insert
additional material.

EXAMPLES OF COMMON REPORTS

1. Progress Report. The progress report presents information about a work done on a particular project
which is not yet completed at a particular period of time.

Parts of the Progress Report:

a. Introduction c. Tables and graphs

b. Body of the report d. Conclusion
2. Letter Report. It is a report in a business letter with parts of a common report for its body. The
conclusion usually contains comments and recommendations. It is usually addressed to the company
president.
3. Feasibility Study or the Project Proposal. It is written to determine whether a project is viable. An
ample time is required for the preparation of a feasibility study. it is persuasive in nature and it offers to
solve a problem. It may either be solicited as when an individual has requested it or unsolicited where it
is sent to a certain organization for support.

Parts of the Proposal or the Feasibility:

a. The plan d. The market

b. The cost e. Profitability
c. Source of funding
4. Position Paper or the Reaction Paper. It is written to drive a point or to justify a position. It intends to
refute a known argument with a presentation of both sides and favoring one side in conclusion.

Parts of the Position Paper:

a. Statement of the problem d. Definition of terms

b. Statement of the position e. The conclusion of the report favoring one
c. The issues side

5. Case Study. it is an in-depth investigation of a single person, an event, an institution or a group that uses
observation as a primary technique of gathering information.

Parts of the Case Study:

a. Introduction
b. General information
c. Laboratory studies
d. Drug study
e. Management

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FINAL REQUIREMENT – PROJECT PROPOSAL/FEASIBILITY STUDY
 Group yourselves consisting of four members. Assume that you are a staff of a company.
 Observing the rules of effective report writing, write a proposal/feasibility study regarding your project.
 Submit your written proposal three days before the presentation.
 Present orally using an OHP (Over-head Projector), or the LCD.
 Be ready for an oral presentation on May ___, 2016.

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