Lesson 5 (Cover Letter)

• Cover letter


  A one-page document attached to the resume that gives a summary of an applicant's strengths and abilities related to the job post being applied for
• Guidelines on Writing an Effective Cover Letter

  • Create a memorable introduction
  • Cite specific and organized information
  • Be clear and concise
  • Be honest in the information provided
  • Be unique
  • Highlight relevant qualifications
  • Do not reuse the same cover letter
  • Tell your story
  • End with a call-to-action remark
• Most Common Types of Professional Correspondence

  • Internal correspondence
  • External correspondence
  • Sales correspondence
  • Personalized correspondence
  • Circulars
• Other examples of professional correspondence

  • Résumé
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Cover letter
  • Letter of acknowledgment
  • Resignation letter
  • Letter of acceptance or declination
  • Letter of complaint
  • Response letter
• Styles Observed in Writing a Letter for Professional Correspondence


  • Block style
  • Modified block style
  • Indented style
• General Format in Writing a Letter for Professional Correspondence

  • Margin: 1 inch to 1.5 inches on each side
  • Font style: standard plain fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, and Courier New
  • Font size: 10 to 12
  • Spacing between letter elements: varies per line and per element
• Internal Correspondence


  -These are letters sent within a company, between different departments or units,  or to  different branches of the same company.
• Internal Correspondence 


  The main purpose of this type of correspondence is to send instructions or announcements  that concern all of the employees or members of a certain company or organization.
• Some examples of internal correspondence are

  Promotion letter

  Notice to explain

  Memoranda,

  Approval or dismissal letters,

   written reprimand,

  and formal requests for approval.
• External correspondence


  - these are letters sent from one organization to another or from a company to its customers or clients.
• External Correspondence

  The main purpose of this type of correspondence is to inform the recipients about meetings,sponsorships, invitations to events, and Others that concern individuals or organizations outside the company.
• Sales Correspondence


  These are letters sent mainly for sales-related communication.
• Personalized correspondence


  These are letters that are more personal and less formal as compared to the other types of correspondence as they typically express the emotions of the sender toward its recipient.
• Some examples of personalized correspondence

  are letters of gratitude congratulations, appreciation, favor, request, and commendation.
• Circulars


  These are letters sent to notify a large number of people within a company or organization.
• Circular 


  These typically convey information about general instructions or announcements that concern everyone in the company or organization.
• The common subjects of circulars are

  details  about meetings, new protocols to be followed, and changes in contact information.
• Professional Correspondence 


  résumé letter of recommendation! cover letter letter of acknowledgment resignation letter letter of acceptance or declination letter of complaint response letter
• Block Style


  - In this style, all of the elements in the letter  are aligned to the left and there are no indentions. Paragraphs are not indented. To indicate a new paragraph, a line is skipped.
• Modified Block Style


  - In this style, the elements in the are not fully aligned to the left or right. Paragraphs are not indented. To indicate a new paragraph, a line is skipped.
• Indented Style


  - This style is similar with modified block style. Its only difference is that its paragraphs are indented. To indicate a new paragraph, a line is skipped in this style.
• Some examples of external correspondence are letters sent to creditors, suppliers, customers, government offices, business affiliates, prospective clients, financial institutions, law and accounting firms, sponsors, and donors