Code:

Subject: TECHNICAL WRITING

Instructor: Glenda G. Geral, LPT, M.Ed.
Category: General Education
Year/Semester: 3rd YEAR, 1st semester

------ PRE-FINAL ------

TOPIC 1. BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE: RESUME AND COVER LETTER

RESUME
A resume is a structured, written summary of a person’s education, employment
background, job qualification and other data.
 A highly valuable tool to company a letter of application
 Should be visually appealing, easy to read, concise and absolutely free of grammatical and
typographical errors.
 An applicant should NEVER copy someone else’s resume or use same resume for another
prospect since it is an individual document.

A good resume should be:

 think in terms of result
 Knows how to get things done
 Well rounded
 Sign of progress
 Personal standard of excellence
 flexible and willing to try new things
 Possess strong communication skills

Resume content
1. Content information or heading-(required)
 Full name, permanent or temporary address, phone number with area code
 Email add (at the top of one’s resume)
 It is advisable to type his/her name bigger font size than the rest of the content of the resume,
so that it STANDS OUT.
 picture 2x2

2. Objective (required)
 A job objective should state what the applicant wants to do.
 The position he/she is interested in and should be employer-focused. Modify the objective fit
each employer and position targeted.
 Modify the objective if there is more than one qualification such as computer programming and
two years experience in sales.
 Position in sales or marketing with opportunity for travel and advancement
 A computer programming position with an opportunity for eventual managerial status.

3. Summary or Profile (optional)

 A summary includes three or four bulleted statements highlighting one’s skill, enticing the
reader to look at the rest of the resume.
 It supports the objective.
 Quantify the statements whenever possible.

4. Education (required)
 Educational background
 Include name and location of school
 Dates of attendance
 Major field study
 Degrees received.
 Include grades if it is above average or only show the general average grades from the major
subjects (usually these are high grades), can be highlighted.
 Indicate any scholarship, awards or academic achievements.
 Include also off-campus training, relevant seminars or workshops attended, certificates or
other documents received.
 As much as possible do not include the secondary and elementary education in resume,
especially if he/she has already worked in the chosen field.

5. Work experience
 This is an important qualification in itself that employers would see that the applicant has the
ability to get and hold a job.
 The applicant should be honest with the jobs he/she has held, most employers conduct
candidates’ backgrounds, so inaccuracies are bound to show in the future.

For each listing show the following:

 Include company name, address, title and dates of experience if the applicant is still
connected there, put starting month/year-present.
Ex. MARCH 2019- PRESENT
 Describe the task and responsibility especially employment achievements using descriptive
phrase. Start each phrase with action verb explains what one did and what has
accomplished.
Be specific, avoid generalities such as “Worked with customers”
write instead “Served more than 30 customers a day .”
 Avoid using pronouns such as I, My. Resume’s are written with sentence fragments not
complete sentences. Example: “Assisted editor in layout, design and news writing for two
years.
 6. Relevant skills
 Include computer, communication and language skill.
 Be specific.
 If you can read, but not speak a language, do not claim proficiency.

7. Interest(optional)
 Mention hobbies and athlete participation that show balance of interest.
 Be specific instead of just writing “reading” write “reading foreign affairs”.
 Such informations are quite useful to some employers, when personal qualities are related to
the job.

8. References
 Indicate that these are available upon request.
 Include three references, person’s name, job title, phone number, name and address of the
organization.

TIPS:
1. Resume should only be one page.
2. Do not use full sentences.
3. Quantify your experiences.
4. If early in the academic career, include high school information.
5. Check and recheck spelling and grammar.
6. Use high quality 8 ½ x 11 white or ivory paper.
7. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms.
8. Do not include salary information.

RESUME STYLE
There are several basic types of resumes used to apply for job openings. Depending on
personal circumstances, one chooses a chronological resume or a functional resume.
1. A chronological resume starts by listing one’s work history, with the most recent position
listed first. His/her jobs are listed in reverse chronological order with his/her current or most recent
job, first. Employers typically prefer this type of resume because it is easy to see what previous jobs
the applicant held. This type of resume works well for job seekers with strong, solid work history and
for those who show steady career growth. But for many college students and others who lack
experience, the functional resume format may be preferable.
2. A functional resume focuses on one’s skill and work experiences, rather than the
chronological work history. The functional resume begins with the applicant’s contact information, job
objective and education. Instead of listing jobs, though, the functional resume presents skills and
accomplishments in special categories like Management Skills, Communication Skills or Marketing
Skills. It is used most often by people who are changing careers or having gaps in their employment
history.
COVER LETTER
 Accompanying a resume is a persuasive job application letter (also called cover letter)
 Cover letters are usually one-page documents consisting of a beginning, middle and an end.
 In many ways, the letter of application is like a sales letter that sells the applicant’s talents and
tries to beat the other applicants.

PURPOSES:
 Introduces the applicant and his/her resume
 Highlights the applicant’s strengths that qualify to a specific field or position.
 Facilitates an interview between the applicant and the employer.

Three components:
 Introduction – is where the applicant expresses who he/she is and why he/she is ending the
cover letter. The introduction includes any relevant contacts the applicant has in a company
and for which specific position he/she is applying.
 Body – can be one or two paragraphs and is the sales pitch that describes what the applicant
has to offer. This section should also expand upon the applicant’s interest in the position and
how he/she qualifies for the position.
 Closing paragraph – is where the applicant proposes steps for further action. He/she should
request for an interview or meeting. He/she can ask for the next step in the process, clearly
and without apology or arrogance.

CONTENT OF LETTER
1. EMPLOYER’S NAME
 With advertised openings, the applicant will sometimes be instructed to mail his/her
information to an office, or a title, such as the Director of Human Resources.
 In this case, the applicant does not need to find the name of a particular officer to whom
he/she is writing.
 The applicant can find this information by researching or calling the company.
 If the applicant can get the name of the office or employer; it will be to his/her benefit,
differentiating he/she from the other candidates.

2. FIRST PARAGRAPH
 Two to three sentences in length. Start with an interest-creating sentence in which the
applicant appeals to the employer’s need. The applicant should be as specific as he/she
can about the position desired.
Example:
1. I am applying for your sales trainee position which was posted on jobstreet.com. You
indicate a need for a recent graduate with a background in business and sales. I will graduate
in March with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and I have held part-time sales
position throughout college.
2. During the last two years, my editing position with our school newspaper has provided me
with experience related to the Proofreader position which was advertised in The Manila Bulletin
on March 5. I will graduate from Adamson University in May with a Bachelor’s degree in
English , and I plan to enter the field of publishing.
3. SECOND PARAGRAPH
 Three to five sentences in length.
 In this paragraph, the applicant will emphasize a match between the skills which he/she
possesses and those which are required by the employer.
 At the end of the second paragraph, the applicant should make a reference in his/her
resume. Some options are:
 Please see my enclosed resume for a more complete view of my background and
qualifications.
 My enclosed resume will give you a better view of my skills and abilities.
 Please see my enclosed resume for more information.
 If the applicant has both academic qualifications and career-related work experience, he/she
may want to separate this middle paragraph into two paragraphs. By doing this, he/she can
focus on each of these subjects individually.

4. LAST PARAGRAPH
 Two to three sentences in length.
 This is the paragraph in which the applicant tells the employer how to contact him/her and
thank the officer or employer for his/her time and consideration.
EXAMPLE:
1. I am excited about the possibility of working for ergonomics. Should you need more
information, you can reach me by phone at 09999999999 or by e-mail at
nadelg0743@gmail.com . I am available for an interview at your convenience.
2. I believed that my student teaching experience and academic background will be a benefit
to the Wellington International School. Should you need additional information, you can reach
me at (02) 555-1234. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

EXAMPLES FOR COVER LETTER:

ACTIVITY : (THE ONLY) (SUBMIT THE VIDEO BEFORE THE PRE-FINAL EXAM)
Make a video. Conduct a mock job interview. Anyone will take the role of an employer with
guided questions below and you will be the applicant. (It is okay that only your self will be on the
video but there will be an employer’s voice). (Greetings can be added but it’s up to you the
sequence.)
GUIDED QUESTIONS:
1. Tell me about yourself…. 4. Why should we hire you?
2. What are your goals?
3. What are you passionate about?