Reading and Writing Skills Q4W3

Composing Professional Correspondence

Lesson 1 Composing a Résumé

Résumé originated from the French word résumé which means, “summary”. It is a concise
document that highlights your education, work experiences, and other qualifications such
as your skills and strengths.
These are information or qualifications that your future employer might look for in the job that
you are applying for. A résumé is usually an enclosure to an application or cover letter so it is
recommended that you prepare the résumé first since the information that you include there will be
the basis of your letter.

Functional resumes focus more on relevant skills than work history. While the chronological format
highlights work experience with detailed summaries of the achievements within each position, the
functional format focuses on the applicant’s skill set relevant to the role you are applying for.

Functional resumes are used most often by people who are changing careers or who have gaps in their
employment history. It is also useful for people who are new to the workforce, have limited work
experience, or who have a gap in their employment.

A functional resume format usually includes the following information in this order:

 Contact information
 Objective or summary statement
 Summary of relevant skills
 Work experience
 Education
 Additional information (i.e., volunteer work and special interests)

When to use a functional resume

If you have one long gap or multiple employment gaps in your resume in the past five years, are a
first-time worker or are drastically changing career paths, then consider a functional resume. By
highlighting skills that transfer across industries and your most relevant accomplishments, you can
emphasize the right qualifications for the position you want. This also prioritizes the information that’s
most important to a recruiter rather than focusing on a work history that doesn’t align with the job.

In some cases, a functional resume might be too limiting. If you have some experience and few or no
gaps in your employment history, a combination resume might be the right choice.

How to Format Resume

1. Apply appropriate margins

Setting proper margins for your document ensures the information fits within the readable
space on the page. Standard margins for resumes and other professional documents like cover letters
or resignation letters are one inch on all sides.

If you have a fairly short resume with a lot of blank space, one-inch margins will likely be the
best option to create a well-spaced document with text that fills up the page. If you require more
space to describe your relevant skills and experience, then you might reduce your margins to .75
inches. If you decide to adjust your margins, you should keep them at or above .5 inches.

2. Select a professional, readable font

When deciding what font to use for your resume, keep in mind that it should be clear and easy
to read. Making sure employers don’t have to work to understand words on your resume is the most
important factor when choosing a font.
You should also avoid “light” or “thin” fonts which can sometimes be difficult for people to read
on a screen or paper.
Here are several examples of the best resume fonts:
Calibri Franklin Gothic
Cambria Garamond
Constantia Georgia
Corbel Gill Sans

3. Make your font size 10 to 12 points

Another factor in making your words clear and readable is setting an appropriate font size.
Generally, you should stay between 10 and 12 points. If you have a shorter resume and are trying to
fill space, select a 12-point font. Anything larger might appear unprofessional. If you have a lot of
information on your resume, start with a 10-point font and increase it if you have space.

4. Feature section headers

Bolding, underlining or increasing the font size by one or two points for section headers can
help employers quickly find the information they are looking for. Be careful when formatting section
headers—they should be differentiated from the section body in a clean, professional way. You can
stylize your headers in a few different ways:

Use a “bold” font on your section headers.

Increase the size of your section header fonts to 12 or 14 points.
Underline your section headers.
You can also apply these styles to your name and contact information at the top of your
resume. This information should be the first thing employers see, and it should be easy to read and
reference.

5. Use bullet points where appropriate

Using bullet points in your experience, skills or education sections allows employers to easily
read the most relevant information from your background. Bullet points should be used to list your
achievements. Avoid using only one or two bullet points in a single section — if you have less than
three pieces of information, simply list them without bullets in sentence form or use other punctuation
to separate different ideas.

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/resume-format-guide-with-examples
Lesson 2 Writing Application Letter

Employment Application Letter is widely known as a "cover letter". It is used to introduce yourself
to a prospective employer. You write this to demonstrate your interest in the company, sell your
services and qualifications in written form, and show that you are fit for a job position.
It is usually submitted with a résumé. Using any of the three letter formats (Block, Modified Block, and
Semi-Block) depends on your preference as an applicant, but the most common layout for business
letter is the block format which means that all parts of the letter are aligned to the left.
In a modified block format, the heading, date, complimentary close, and signature are placed slightly
to the right of the center of the paper. The least used format is the semi-block which is similar with
modified block except that the paragraphs of the body are indented.
This document allows you to present a persuasive argument for why you deserve a job
interview. Your application letter can also help explain your resume further, such as a long gap in
employment or apparent demotion.
An application letter is important to include when you're submitting your resume for a job. This
type of letter allows you to elaborate on your qualifications and explains why you want the position. A
well-written application letter can inspire hiring managers to call you for an interview, propelling you
forward in the application process.

How to write an application letter

1. Research the company and job opening
Thoroughly research the company you're applying to and the specifications of the open position. The
more you know about the job, the better you can customize your application letter. Look for details
like:
Recent awards the company has received
Major accomplishments or distinguishers that set this business apart from competitors
Specialized certifications, skills or knowledge that are necessary or helpful for the job
The size of the company
The name and title for the hiring manager
2. Use a professional format
This letter should follow a professional format and include your name, your contact information, the
date and the company's information. Begin with a professional salutation, such as "Dear X," and
address the hiring manager by name whenever possible. If thorough research doesn't yield the hiring
manager's name, you may use "Dear [Department] Hiring Manager," to address your recipient.
3. State the position you're applying for
Open the letter with a clear statement about the position you are applying for. Mention the company
by name. You may want to specify where you saw the job posting. If you were referred by someone at
the company, be sure to include their name and position.
4. Explain why you're the best fit for the job
In one or two impactful sentences, explain why you're the best fit for this job opening. Provide clear
details regarding your experience, skills, education or certifications.
5. Summarize your qualifications
Mention the top qualifications that make you a good fit for the job. Provide a brief summary of your
background that highlights the most important points from your resume. Consider what you want the
hiring manager to know first. The reader will likely read your cover letter before reviewing your
application, so this is your opportunity to make a compelling argument for why the reader should
review your resume.
6. Mention why you want the job
Include a personal statement about why you want this position. You've already explained why the
company should want you. This section details why you have chosen this company and what excites
you most about this job opportunity.
7. Include a professional closing
Thank the reader for reviewing your letter, reference your resume and any other attached documents
and offer to provide additional information as needed. Mention that you look forward to the next steps
in the hiring process and conclude with "Sincerely," as a closing.

Parts of an Application Letter

Lesson 3 Various Forms of Office Correspondence
When a party initiates communication with another party using a professional letter , and
the receiver responds in the same manner, a correspondence has been established. This method
of communication is particularly recurrent in the corporate world wherein the entities involved
seek a much more professional and formal way of interacting in exchange for physical
articulation.
Office Correspondence, or business correspondence, is a written interchange of internal
(communication between company departments) and external communication (communication
between a company to another firm) to assist the flow of business processes.
Business letter is the traditional way of communicating information from one company to
another or used in external correspondence. The format can either be full block, modified block
and semi-block. Various types of letters are sales letter, order letter, complaint letter, inquiry
letter, adjustment letter, acknowledgement letter, follow-up letter, cover letter, letter of
recommendation, and letter of resignation. Here is an example where you can identify the
different parts of a letter.
Businesses utilize letters to exchange ideas or information, and to communicate with
investors, clients, customers, and their suppliers.
Basically, correspondence letters are a great way for two involved parties to keep an
active line of communication when it is not always possible for them to meet in person. It
also makes carrying out a business transaction possible for both international and local
audience since distance will no longer be an issue thanks to the aid of letters.
 Additionally, Business memorandum or memo is a written communication strictly
between the company’s offices to another, or used in internal correspondence. A memo has its
title line and series number. Employees tend to read the memorandum if the title line is related
to their job description. Memos are also used to implement internal guidelines or procedures
that the employees must follow.

Here are some reminders in completing the parts of a memorandum:

Heading – This segment follows this general format:
TO: (Identify the recipient/s)
FROM: (Your name)
DATE: (Complete and current date)
SUBJECT: (What the memo is about)

Body – Basically, the body of the memo has two parts: the purpose statement and
the explanation. It is usually presented in single-spaced paragraphs
with a line skipped between each paragraph.

Special Notations – Notations at the bottom of the memo are used to indicate
specific things to the reader.
 If you have an attachment on enclosure notation, type “Enclosure” or “Attachment”.

An Enclosure is something included with the memo while an Attachment is

a supporting document attached by a paper clip, staple, etc.

 If copies are being sent to others, add notation cc (carbon copies or courtesy
copy) line and list of names at the bottom of the memo.
 Lastly, Business e-mail is an office correspondence that can either be internal or
external. There is no required format in writing e-mail correspondence but it is expected that
the writer maintains a professional tone. Note that the header of the letter is written on the
blank fields including the ‘from’ and ‘to’ fields. ‘From’ contains e-mail from the sender while the
field ‘to’ contains the email of the recipient.