Purcom Reviewer - Hence facts mentioned must be true and
genuine
LETTER
D. Politeness
- whether long or short has to be planned
before it is written. - Politeness is a keyword in a business
letter. Therefore it should be courteously
written
WRITING A BUSINESS LETTER - It should include the expressions such as
- the writer produces one-sided conversation thanks, I regret, please, my pleasure.
with the reader in the sense that he/she has - Letter of request or complaint should
to anticipate the reader's questions and avoid unpleasant and rude expressions.
provide answers to those questions.
E. Consideration of the addressee
- Business letters assist you in sustaining
your business relationships with other F. Use of jargons
business and customers.
PURPOSES
to inform
You Attitude
to congratulate
- Focus on the recipient's needs, purposes
to inquire
or interests instead of your own.
to order
- Recipient oriented style is called you
to request
attitude.
to collect dues
- Use more of you and yours instead of I,
to complain
me, mine, us, our. Ours.
to make an adjustment
to sell a product, service or scheme For Example: “We are glad we can now send our
tape recorders.”
FEATURES OF AN EFFECTIVE
BUSINESS LETTERS “You would be glad to know that your tape
recorders are ready for sale.”
A. Brevity
You attitude is a matter of genuine
- present the subject matter short. empathy.
- Too many words often mar the beauty of
business correspondence and lead to You attitude may not help at times.
confusion For example:- If someone makes mistake,
minimize ill feeling ill feeling by referring to the
B. Clarity
mistake impersonally rather than pointing out
- Avoid vagueness or ambiguity directly.
- Business letter should be direct
For ex: “We have a problem instead of 'you
- In order, to sound natural, the writer
caused a problem”
should use plain conversational Englisha
- Howsoever, serious matte is presented in
a letter, the writer should use a relaxed,
clear tone. FORMAT OF BUSINESS LETTERS
- Too familiar style should also be avoided
- Bombastic language can spoil even well Block Format
written letter
- Avoided ambiguous, difficult and obsolete In the block format all the elements such
words. as date, address, salutation, paragraphs
and the close all start from the left hand
C. Accuracy margin.
The word or each paragraph need not be
- Genuine information strengthens the indented.
business relations between two business
firms or two individuals.
Different parts and paragraphs of the
body of the letter are typed in double
spacing.
While within each part and paragraph
single spacing is preferred.
Semi-Block Format
This resembles modified block style
except that the start of each paragraph is
indented.
Each paragraph of the message starts a
few spaces away from the margin.
This form makes the letter somewhat
clumsy and has gone out of style.
Simplified Style
This format resembles block format,
characterized by the following features:
Omits salutation
Often includes subject line in capital
letters
Omits complimentary close
Paragraph Writing
STAGES IN PARAGRAPH WRITING
1. Pre-writing
Modified Block Format
Pre-writing the first stage in the process, starts
is different from block format in the with
positioning of certain elements.
Heading, complimentary close and (1) sifting through any number of ideas in
signature block are aligned vertically with order to find a suitable topic to write
the right margin. about
(2) restricting the scope of that topic to fit Instead, choose the part of the problem that you
the confines of a paragraph, and can write about with confidence. All topics can
(3) Devising an arrangement of the material. be viewed from different angles and this one,
This is also the time to decide on too, can be subdivided into several minor
(4) your purpose for writing and the audience aspects, any one of which can become a topic
to be addressed in order to for a paragraph.
(5) Determine the appropriate language and
tone. 7. Determining Purpose and Audience
2. Finding a topic Purpose in writing propels the writer to
communicate thoughts and feelings with
There are two things you should remember conviction and enthusiasm and provides the
about selecting a topic. overall design that is to govern what the writer
has to set out to do. When you sit down to write,
A. First, it should be something that ask yourself: Who am I addressing?, Who do I
interests you personally so that you can want to reach? It is good to remember that all
project some enthusiasm and emotion in writing must be directed to a specific audience.
your writing.
B. Second, you should be knowledgeable
about the topic so you can have
something worthwhile to say to your 8. Choosing point of view
readers.
Point of view is the position from which a
3. Brainstorming writer looks at his subject. While pertaining
specifically to description, point of view is
Brainstorming is a popular and time-tested nonetheless necessary in all writing in order to
means to explore the mind for ideas and an stay within a context that will insure unity in
invaluable aid in discovering topics for writing. the paragraph or essay.
To begin a brainstorming list, start at the top of
a blank page and write down as many words
and phrases that come to your mind. After a HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW
given amount of time, say three or five minutes,
stop. 1. Carefully examine the job description
4. Clustering - During your prep work, you should use
the employer’s posted job description as
Clustering is a nonlinear brainstorming process a guide.
created by Professor Gabriel Lusser Rico of San - The job description is a list of the
Jose State university in California. qualifications, qualities and background
the employer is looking for in an ideal
5. Free writing candidate. The more you can align
Free writing is an activity in which you write yourself with these details, the more the
down anything and everything that comes to employer will be able to see that you are
your mind: thoughts, half-thoughts, words, qualified
fragments, in the form and the language that
2. Consider why you will be interviewed and
they come to you, without worrying about
grammar, punctuation, or style. You may not
your qualifications
stop at any time during the activity; if you run - Before your interview, you should have a
out of ideas you will simply have to keep good understanding of why you want the
writing. Let your mind run where it wants to, job and why you are qualified.
and record everything. - You should be prepared to explain your
interest in the opportunity and why you
6. Restricting the topic
are the best person for the role.
When you finally decide on your topic, be sure it
is not too broad to be discussed in single
3. Perform research on the company and
paragraph. If it is a huge problem and you will role
not want to deal with the problem in its entirety.
Researching the company you’re applying to is 9. Prepare your travel arrangements
an important part of preparing for an interview.
Not only will it help provide context for your - Job interviews tend to be stressful for
interview conversations, but it will also help you most people for many reasons but getting
when preparing thoughtful questions for your to the interview can be a challenge.
interviewers. - If your interview is an unfamiliar area or
even an entirely new city, it can be a
4. Consider your answers to common source of anxiety to find your way around
interview questions and make sure that you show up on time.
- there are a few common questions you
can plan answers for.
- You might also consider developing an 10. Sell yourself
elevator pitch that quickly describes who
you are, what you do and what you want. - One of the biggest challenges in an
interview is selling yourself. Most people
5. Practice your speaking voice and body are uncomfortable with this idea but
language presenting yourself accurately and
positively does not have to feel like a
- It’s important to make a positive and sale. The truth is that you do have
lasting impression during the professional skills and experiences that
interview process. may set you apart from other applicants,
- You can do this by practicing a confident, so it's acceptable and expected for you to
strong speaking voice and friendly, open acknowledge them to your potential
body language employer.
- Pay special attention to your smile,
handshake and stride.
6. Prepare several thoughtful questions of
the interviewers
- You should take time before the interview
to prepare several questions for your
interviewer(s) that show you have
researched the company and are
well-versed about the position
7. Conduct mock interviews
- practicing interviews is the best way to
relieve anxiety and improve your
confidence.
- Practice may be tedious, but repeatedly
experiencing the interview process will
make you more comfortable and help you
give the right impressions.
8. Print hard copies of your resumes
- Most employers ask for digital copies of
your resume with the application, but
they may not have easy access to it
during the interview itself.
- Having copies to present to multiple
interviewers shows that you are
prepared and organized.
- You should have at least three copies to
provide for multiple interviewers, plus
one for yourself to follow along.
