MODULE 11

Features and Requirements in

Composing Professional Correspondence

Subject Objectives

After studying this module, the students will be able to:

 organize job-related personal data for an application letter for

employment.
 identify and apply the process on writing application letter for
employment.
 identify the importance and kinds of business correspondence
 determine the content of a business correspondence depending on
its purpose
 write a business correspondence

Start-up Activity

Why do you think writing letters are important? What do you think
are its advantages? Cite two (2) reasons and one example for each.

Reason 1:
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Reason 2:
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Example 1:
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Example 2:
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 Supplementary Ideas
APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
The following must be indicated in the letter:
PREPARING THE LETTER
Read the job application carefully
 Make yourself familiar with the
requirements for the job
 Compare those to your skills and
experiences on your resume
 After doing such, it will help you
provide the most important
information quickly and effectively.
Include the company's information
 Name of the employer, his title or
position, name of the company,
and address
 If you do not know the name of the
hiring manager, search the
company's website
 If the name is unavailable, you
may address the cover letter this
way:
[Department] Hiring Manager
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Add your contact information
 Make it easy for the prospective
employer to contact you
 Make sure your document is
aligned to the left
 Include the date, then separated
by a space, add your contact
information (name, address,
phone number, e-mail address)
Address the letter to the person
 Do not address it to "To Whom It
May Concern" as this is informal
and generic and gives
impression that you have not
researched the company
 If the name is unavailable, "Dear
[Department] Hiring Manager"
will do.
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WRITING YOUR LETTER
 Write an engaging first paragraph
- Treat your application letter like a news article
- Open with a strong, declarative statement that informs your reader
that you are excited to be applying for (position) at (company).
- Be short and specific with what attracted you to the job
- Show the manager that you are not only familiar with the
company's work but that you are a good fit by writing in a similar
tone to the company.

STATE EXPLAIN

 where you found the position to

 why hiring you will benefit the
which you are applying
employer (you may use
(newspaper, company site, job statistics, if possible)
site, etc.)  one or two examples of your
 if you know someone at the achievements and/or
company (do not be afraid to experience that should
name drop if you have the highlight why you will be great
in the role
employee's permission)

SUMMARIZE
 strengths, qualifications, and
experience
 the second paragraph should
mirror the job qualifications to
two or three of your abilities and
experiences
 most relevant aspects of your
career (not limited to recent
accomplishments)
PAINT
 a picture of yourself that is not
in the resume
 in one or two sentences,
express how the company has
impacted you personally
 do not get too cheesy or
emotional, and keep it short,
show that you are more than
just facts on a piece of paper

 Briefly summarize
- why you are the perfect candidate in the job in ONE sentence
- the ending your letter of application on the right note is a very
important part of your letter as it can help you land the interview

NOTE: It is about how your contributions will help the company, not
how the company will help you

 Invite the Hiring Manager

- Invite the manager to contact you
- inform the reader that you would love the opportunity to speak
further about the position
- conclude the letter by thanking the hiring manager

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  Write your name
- After you sign off, write your full name on the last line, and
consider including a signature
- A signature is not always required.

 If you do not have any formal working experience, your letter could
include:
- General skills that help you work in a team and as part of
organization
- Personal attributes that will help you learn to work in a
professional work environment
- School work experience or volunteer work that demonstrates your
strengths and attributes
- Any sporting or community club participation (if relevant)
- Any hobbies or interests that are relevant to the job or
demonstrate your professional experience

IMPORTANT TIPS:

 Whenever possible, address your letter to a named individual.

 Highlight your three to four key accomplishments/skills/experiences.
 Grab the reader's attention by writing an appealing first paragraph.
 Focus on the fit between your qualifications and the job requirements.
 Whenever possible, relate yourself to the company.
 Never include any negative information.
 End your letter by requesting an interview.
 Mention that you will follow up the letter - and then do so.
 Shoot for three paragraphs, and never go over one page; electronic
versions even shorter.
 Your letter should be clear and to the point. The employer's first
impression of you is formed through this document.
 Check to make sure that the letter is formal and does not contain any
slang or informal language.
 Use relevant font. Try to use Arial or Times New Roman. Avoid fun
fonts, such a Comic Sans, as these fonts will ruin the reputation of
the letter immediately, displaying lack of professionalism.
 Avoid all types of mistakes, including typos, misspellings, and
grammatical errors.
 Have a friend or a family member read through the letter to see if they
can spot errors.

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 BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Importance:

 Helps in maintaining proper relationships

- There is a need to maintain proper relationship among them by
using appropriate means of communication.
- The customers can write letters to the businessman seeking
information about products and businessman also supply various
information to customers.

 Inexpensive and convenient mode

- Business information can be provided and obtained economically
and conveniently through letters.

 Create and maintain goodwill

- Businessmen at times send letters to inquire about complaints and
suggestions of their customers, to inform the customers about the
availability of a new product, clearance sale, etc.

 Serve as evidence
- Through letters, he can keep a record of all facts. Letters can serve
as evidence in case of dispute between two parties.

 Help in expansion of business

- Business requires information regarding competing products,
prevailing prices, promotion, market activities, etc. Through this,
he can make all inquiries about the products and the markets. He
can also receive orders from different countries and, thus enhance
sales.

Characteristics of Business Correspondence:

 Simple
- It should be written using a very simple language and it should avoid
highfalutin words so that it will be easy for the readers to understand.

 Conversational Style
- It uses a face-to-face conversational style and it is written as if the
sender directly talks to the receiver.

 Clear goal
- It should show a very clear goal in writing. It should also show
content that is highly dependent on the purpose of the letter.

 Public Relations

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 - It should reflect the goodwill and image of the organization.

 The "you" attitude

- It is when you put the reader’s point of view in mind in writing the
letter. It should show that the central focus of the letter is the reader’s
interest.

 Courteous
- Negative messages should possess courtesy and politeness while
asking for a favor should show utmost care in delivery. It has to
carefully choose the words depending on the purpose.

 Sincere
- The reader should feel this by using words which show genuine
concern for the readers.

 Coherent
- A letter with different ideas has to link together all the ideas.

 Concise
- Brevity is the key in letter writing and conciseness should not
sacrifice the completeness of the letter.

KINDS OF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

LETTER OF MAKING RESERVATION

- Its purpose is to place a reservation or order for a product or services
in a company. Normally, it is short so make sure that you include all
the information about the particular service or product you want to
avail of.

 Include your personal contact details so the recipient can verify your
reservation and provide further details.
 Your salutation should be, "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear Sir or
Madam."
 The body of the letter should be to the point.
 It should specifically state what you need and how you will pay.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
- This letter is written by a person who provides a character reference
to a person usually a job applicant. The writer should have known the
person for quite a while for him to be qualified to give
recommendation.

CONTENT:
 Your purpose;

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  The detailed information about the person in terms of his strengths,
and weaknesses; and
 Appropriate closing remarks.

LETTER OF COMPLAINT
- It describes the damage; errors or mistakes happened to the delivered
goods or services. Part of this letter’s objective is a replacement of the
product or a reimbursement.

CONTENT:
 Description of the complaint;
 Suggest a solution to the complaint made;
 Statement of expectation for an immediate response to the complaint.

Points to keep in mind:

- Clarity and courtesy are important factors to write a letter of
complaint.
- The complaint should be made politely without showing any sign of
anger.

ORDER LETTER
- It only includes all the pertinent information about the product or
services you want to avail which includes the quantity and the
description.
- You also have to include specific details on terms of payment
preferred or required by the company.

LETTER OF RESIGNATION.
- It is written by the employee addressed to the employer to announce
his/her intent to leave a position or office of employment currently
held. It can be treated as evidence or record as to the date or time of
the resignation of an employee.

CONTENT:
 Your objective;
 Your appreciation
 being a part of the company; and
 An appropriate closing strategy and your intention to still work with
the company in the future.

MEMORANDUMS

- it is the correspondence used to PARTS:

disseminate information from one 1) DATE
department to another (2) TO
department. Memos can be used (3) FROM
to quickly communicate with a (4) SUBJECT
wide audience something brief but (5) CONTENT/ MESSAGE
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important, such as procedural
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changes, etc.
 LETTER OF SALES
- It is used to offer product or service to the potential clients. It has to
include good persuasive language and the writer has to be clever in
the use of proper words.

STEPS:
1. Attracting the attention of the reader - It has to capture the
attention of the reader to continue reading until the conclusion part.
2. Arousing interest or desire - the writer has to focus on the good
points of the product or service. The reader has to see that he can
benefit from it.
3. Convincing the reader - you have to use experts' opinion, use
testimonies from clients, statistics, and other facts to support your
goal.
4. Issuing a challenge - stimulating the buyer to act. This involves
finally asking them to avail of products and services.

LETTER OF REFUSAL
- This letter contains a negative statement. It includes statements
which formally announce a decline or rejection of any offer or
proposal. Since it possesses bad news, it has to be stated directly and
written with courtesy.

CONTENT:
 Statement of what is being refused or rejected
 Justification of the refusal or rejection

LETTER OR ADJUSTMENT
- it is the letter in response to letter of complaint. It usually contains
the logical and reasonable answer for the complaint given by the
client. Its main objective is to pacify and address the concerns of the
complainant.

CONTENT:
 Appreciation of the client's effort to relay the concern
 Expression of regret on the complaints and dissatisfaction in the
products or services
 Statement of the reasons or justification for the complaint
 Presentation of alternatives or solutions for the complaints

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 Self-Reflection

Encircle
your
answer

FORM
Read each statement and check ( ) the box that reflects your work
today.
Name: Date:

Section:

Strongly Strongly
Agree Disagree
Agree Disagree

1. I found this work interesting.

2. I make a strong effort.
3. I am proud of the results.
4. I understood all the
instructions.
5. I followed all the steps.
6. I learned something new.
7. I feel ready for the next
assignment.
www.ldatschool.ca/executive-function/self-assessment/

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 Self-Assessment (PART 1)

Go back to Module 10. Recall the position you applied for in your resumé.
Assume that you are already hired in that company and you need to write a
letter. Choose one (1) from the kinds of business correspondence discussed
in this module. Write a letter aligned to your job position. Consider the
format and information given below:

Format:
 Font Style: Calibri
 Font Size: 14
 Alignment: Justified
 Spacing: 1.0
 Margin: 1 inch all sides
 Short bond paper
 Submit in pdf, doc, or docx file format
 Full block style

NOTE:
 If you will submit it as a handwritten output, just send the picture.
(Be guided by the subject teacher’s instruction on how the resume
should be submitted.)
 For soft copies, send it thru MS Teams, e-mail or messenger account.
(depending on the subject teacher’s instruction)

Self-Assessment (PART 2)

Some companies require application letter for employment as part of the

initial requirements. With that, write an application letter based on the job
you indicated to apply for in the resume you previously submitted. Consider
all the guidelines given upon writing the letter. Follow the same format and
instructions given in Self-Assessment (PART 1).

References

 Tandoc, S. (2016). Reading and Writing Skills for Senior High School.
Mindshapers Co., Inc.

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  Gabelo, N. et.al. (2016) Reading-Writing: The Effective Connection for
Senior High School. Mutya Publishing House Inc.
 Jose, L. et.al. (2016) Reading and Writing Skills for Senior High
School. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.

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