Writing for the Workplace

Letters

No matter what you choose as your career, knowing how to write a good business letter is invaluable in both your professional and personal life. Being able to write an effective business letter might make the difference in the outcome of challenges such as these: What happens when the bank makes an error on your statement? What if you purchase a product and find it to be defective, only to be refused a refund at your local electronics store? What if you are competing with 50 other applicants for a position you know that you deserve? Being able to write an effective business letter might make the difference in the outcome of these and other challenges you will encounter in your life.

A business letter has the same basic structure as an essay: it contains an introduction, body, and conclusion. Letters, however, are short and to the point--no more than a page or two. Your first sentence should state the purpose of the letter. The following sentences explain or substantiate the first sentence, and the conclusion contains a call for action or facilitates a favourable response on the recipient's part.

Always address your letter to a specific person, if possible. You want your recipient to know that you are well informed about the issue at hand. Be positive rather than negative, even if you are writing a letter that contains bad news. You are more likely to elicit the response you desire if you focus on the positive action you want your reader to take, whether that be correcting your statement, replacing your defective product, or granting you an interview for the job you are competing for.

If you just want to have some fun and get those complaints out of your system, see Scott Pakin's Automatic Complaint-Letter Generator , an automatic complaint letter generator.

The online writing centre at Purdue University provides excellent tips on how to accentuate the positive in a business letter. To see them go to: . http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_subnegmess.html

Memos

Memos are internal business letters. When you join a company, you will probably be given instructions on how to format a memo to the company’s specifications. Memos are written with an introduction, body, and conclusion, and their purpose is usually to inform or to solve a problem.

For a detailed explanation of the three main strategies used in memo writing and of the various sections, see the following: Purdue Online Writing Lab page on Memo Writing.

E-mail

E-mail is moving into the mainstream. In some companies, the e-mail message has replaced the memo completely. It is likely that much of your correspondence will be in the form of e-mail in the future (if it isn't already), and learning the conventions of e-mail will help you to communicate clearly and effectively in this medium.

Netiquette is a social agreement that allows a diverse range of people and personalities to function effectively online. If you always keep in mind that you are sending your messages to people, not computers, then you can avoid some of the faux pas that occur in electronic communication. In addition, some netiquette gaffes can be avoided by being sensitive to your recipient's computer capability. Files or attachments that take minutes to download on your school's T1 line could take hours to download at 14.4 kbps.

Here are some basic considerations when communicating via e-mail:

• Don't send large files if you are not sure your recipient can receive them expeditiously.
  
• Use regular mixed case in your writing. Writing in capital letters is the equivalent of SHOUTING online. You can use asterisks to show emphasis, and use an underscore
         _ at the beginning and end_ of something you want to underline.
  
• Include a subject line in your messages.
  
• Include some type of salutation in your messages.
  
• Be sure to include your name in the message. Most e-mail programs have the ability to design a signature file or address card that can be sent automatically with each of your messages.
  
• Don't assume your e-mail is private. If you are sending mail from your school or office, your network administrator has access to it. People have lost their jobs by sending inappropriate mail through their company's server.
  
• Never send an e-mail when you are angry. If you are writing a message containing something negative, save the draft and cool off. Then go back and revise it when you have had time to gain perspective.
  
• Never give out personal information such as your phone number or address to someone you don't know. Sadly, people aren't always who they seem to be on the 'Net.

Résumés

The résumé is your first chance to impress a prospective employer. A well-written résumé can open the door to that first interview. To tailor your résumé to the position you are applying for, try this exercise:

Résumé Worksheet
Examine the job announcement and make note of any specific skills or experience; place all of those items in the left column. Think of something you have done that would indicate that you have that skill or experience; write it down in the right column. Once you have matched the job announcement with your actual experience, write your résumé, focusing on those experiences or skills that best match the job. Don't omit volunteer work or other non-paying experience if it shows qualifications for the job you are applying for.

Job Skills/Experience Needed	Your Qualifications

Your résumé should include your contact information, your education, your work experience and other experiences you have had that will show that you are a qualified applicant. For information on formatting a résumé, see two examples, functional and achievement.

Always include a cover letter with your résumé. Sending out résumés without cover letters is taking an obvious "shotgun" approach to finding a job. It tells the employer that you don't really know or care enough about the company to write a letter that explains why you are the right person for the job; you are placing the responsibility of making the connection regarding your appropriateness for that company on the employer. Most of the time, persons in the position of hiring are so busy that they don't have time to make the connection for you—it's your burden to prove that you are the right person for the job. Take some time to research the company, understand a little of its history and its services or products, and think about how you can tie your experiences to the company in your cover letter. A sample cover letter is provided. Most importantly, proofread the résumé and cover letter carefully before you send them out. Many companies conduct their first cut by reviewing the documents for grammatical and spelling errors. Have the résumé printed on high-quality paper, either in white or off-white.

A résumé model and detailed instructions for writing a résumé can be found in the Purdue Online Writing Lab workshop on writing a resume.

Samples and templates for creating résumés in various fields are available at College Grad: resumes, Cover Letters and More.

A tutorial, tips, and samples of résumés and cover letters are available at the CareerCity Web site. www.careercity.com/content/resumes/

The writing centre at the University of Wisconsin provides excellent advice and examples for writing cover letters. To see their ideas, go to: www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/CoverLetters.html