Business Letter

Part 1 Beginning the Letter

1 Know the format. Whatever the content of your letter, there are a few business standards to
follow regarding the way it looks. Business letters should be typed and composed in a common font
such as Arial or Times New Roman. Employ block paragraphing. This means that you start a new
paragraph by hitting "return" twice. Don’t use indenting for block paragraphs.

Use one-inch margins on all sides.

An emailed business letter should also be composed in a common font. Don't use script or colors other
than black and white in a business email.

2 Choose the right kind of paper. The letter should be printed on 8.5” by 11” (known as “letter
size”). If you are outside the U.S., you might use size A4 paper. Some lengthy contracts may be printed
on 8.5” x 14” (“legal size”).

If you're printing the letter to send, consider printing the letter on company letterhead. This lends it a
more professional air and provides your company's logo and contact information.

3 Include information about your company. List your company name and the company address,
with each part of the address written on a different line. If you're self-employed or an independent
contractor, add your name either in place of the company name or above it.

If your company has pre-designed letterhead, you can use this instead of typing out your company and
address.

If you're typing out the address, it should appear either right or left justified at the top of the page,
depending on you and your company's preference.

If you’re sending the letter to an international location, type out the country in capital letters.

4 Include the date. Writing out the full date is the most professional choice. For example, write
either "April 1, 2012" or "1 April 2012." This should appear left justified a few lines below the sender's
address.

If you wrote your letter over several days, use the date that you finished the letter.

5 Add the recipient's information. Write out the recipient's full name, title (if applicable), company
name, and address in that order, with each piece of information on a separate line. If necessary, include
a reference number. The recipient's information should be left justified a few lines below the date.

It is best to address the letter to a specific person. This way, an actual person will be able to respond to
your letter. If you don’t know the name of the person to whom you should send the letter, do a bit of
research. Call the company to find out the person’s name and title.
6 Choose a salutation. The salutation is an important indicator of respect, and which one you use
will depend on whether you know the person to whom you're writing, how well you know them and the
level of formality in your relationship.[5] Consider the following options:

Employ "To Whom It May Concern" only if you don't know whom, specifically, you're addressing.

If you do not know the recipient well, "Dear Sir/Madam" is a safe choice.

You may also use the recipient's title and last name, e.g. "Dear Dr. Smith."

If you know the recipient well and enjoy an informal relationship with him or her, you may consider a
first-name address, e.g. "Dear Susan."

If you are unsure of the recipient's gender, simply type the whole name, e.g. "Dear Kris Smith."

Don't forget a comma after a salutation or a colon after “To Whom It May Concern.”

Part 2 Composing the Body

1 Strike the right tone. Time is money, as the saying goes, and most business people hate to waste
time. The tone of your letter, therefore, should be brief and professional. Make your letter a quick read
by diving straight into the matter and keeping your comments brief in the first paragraph. For instance,
you can always start with "I am writing you regarding..." and go from there.

Don't concern yourself with flowery transitions, big words, or lengthy, meandering sentences - your
intent should be to communicate what needs to be said as quickly and cleanly as possible.

Be persuasive in your letter. Most likely the purpose of your letter is to persuade your reader to do
something: change their mind, correct a problem, send money or take action. Make your case.

Image titled Write a Business Letter Step 8

2 Use personal pronouns. It is perfectly fine to use “I,” “we,” and “you” in your business letter.
Refer to yourself as “I” and your reader as “you.”

Be aware if you’re writing the letter on an organization’s behalf. If you are stating the company’s
perspective, you should use “we” so that the reader knows that the company stands behind your
statement. If you are writing your own opinion, stick with “I.

3 Write clearly and concisely. Let your reader know exactly what you are trying to say. Your reader
will only respond quickly if your meaning is crystal clear. In particular, if there is some result or action
you want taken because of your letter, state what it is. Explain your position in as few words as possible.

4 Use the active voice. When describing a situation or making a request, make sure to choose the
active voice, rather than the passive voice. The passive voice can make your writing ambiguous or
impersonal. In addition, the active voice is more streamlined and straight to the point.[7] For example:
Passive: The sunglasses are not designed or manufactured with attention to their durability.

Active: Your company designs and manufactures sunglasses without attention to their durability.

5 Be conversational when appropriate. Letters are written by people to people. Avoid form letters
if possible. You cannot build a relationship with canned impersonal letters. However, stay away from
colloquial language or slang such as "you know," "I mean," or "wanna." Keep the tone businesslike, but
be friendly and helpful.

If you know the recipient well, it's fine to include a friendly line sending good wishes.

Use your judgement when determining how much personality to reveal. Sometimes adding a little
humor is actually helpful in a business setting, but err on the side of caution before making a joke.

6 Be courteous. Even if you are writing with a complaint or concern, you can be courteous.
Consider the recipient's position and offer to do whatever you can, within reason, to be accommodating
and helpful.

For example, a discourteous complaint might read: “I think your sunglasses suck and I am never buying
them again.” A courteous complaint might read: “I am disappointed with the construction of your
sunglasses, and I plan to take my business elsewhere in the future.”

7 Use “second page” letterhead for additional pages. Most business letters should be concise
enough to be one page in length only. But if you have something lengthier, such as a contract or legal
findings, you may need additional pages. Use “second page” letterhead, which usually has an
abbreviated address and is made of the same type of paper as the first page letterhead.

Include the page number on the second and subsequent pages, at the top of the page. You may also
want to include the recipient’s name and the date.

8 Wrap it up. In the last paragraph, summarize your points and clearly outline either your planned
course of action or what you expect from the recipient. Note that the recipient may contact you with
questions or concerns, and say thank you for his or her attention to the letter/matter at hand.

Part 3 Closing the Letter

1 Choose a closing. The closing, like the salutation, is an indicator of respect and formality. "Yours
sincerely" or "Sincerely" is generally a safe bet; also consider "Cordially," "Respectfully," "Regards" and
"Yours Truly." Slightly less formal but still professional closings include "All the best,” “Best wishes,"
"Warm regards," and "Thank you." Use a comma after your closing.

2 Sign the letter. Leave about four lines empty for your signature. Sign the letter after you've
printed it, or, if you're sending it via email, scan an image of your signature and affix it to this part of the
letter. Blue or black ink is preferred.
If you are signing the letter on someone’s behalf, write “pp:” before your signature. This stands for “per
procurationem,” which means “by agency” or “on behalf of.”[9]

3 Include your typed name and contact information. Beneath your signature, type your name,
title, phone number, email address and any other applicable means of contact. Give each piece of
information its own line.

4 Add the typist’s initials. If someone other than the writer typed up the letter, you should add
this person’s initials below the signature block. Sometimes, the letter writer’s initials are also included.
Then it is clear who worked on this letter.

For example, if you include just the typist’s initials, write them in lowercase: mj

If you include the writer’s initials, put these in uppercase with the typist’s initials in lowercase: RW:mj.
Some styles add a slash between the two sets of initials: RW/mj.

5 Make note of enclosures. If you've enclosed additional documents for the recipient to review,
note this a few lines beneath your contact info by noting the number and type of documents. For
example, write: "Enclosures (2): resume, brochure."

You can also abbreviate “Enclosures” by writing “Encl.” or “Enc.”

6 Add additional recipients’ names. If you are sending a copy of the letter to another person, you
should include this on the letter. This is noted by typing “cc:” below the “Enclosures” line, which stands
for “courtesy copy”, along with the person’s name and title (“cc” used to indicate “carbon copy” when
letters were typed on carbon copy paper).

For example, write: “cc: Mary Smith, Vice President of Marketing”

If you are adding more than one name, align the second name underneath the first name, but without
the “cc:”

Part 4 Finalizing the Letter

1 Edit the letter. Presentation is a key element of being professional. Make sure that the recipient
will easily be able to see you as capable and in charge by editing your letter for errors. Run spell check
on your word processor, but also give the letter a thorough read before you send it.

Ask yourself whether the letter is clear and concise. Are any paragraphs more than three or four
sentences long? If so, determine whether you can eliminate unnecessary statements.

If the letter is extremely important, you might want to have a friend or colleague look it over.
Sometimes a second pair of eyes can help you catch errors or awkward wording you may not have
noticed.

2 Don’t staple your letter. If you have multiple pages, staples are generally avoided. If you want to
ensure that the papers stay in order, then use a paperclip at the top left corner.
3 Post the letter. If you're sending the letter via post, use a business envelope. If available, use
one with the company logo printed on it. Neatly print your return address and the recipient's address.
Fold the letter into third parts, such that the recipient will first unfold the top flap, then the bottom flap.
Make sure you affix sufficient postage, and send it off.

If you feel like your handwriting is messy and doesn't match your professional persona, type the
addresses in your word processor and run the envelope through your printer.

If the letter is extremely important and/or time-sensitive, consider having it delivered by courier.

If you want to email the letter, convert the letter in HTML or save it as a PDF to preserve formatting. It is
better, however, to send the physical letter.
Business letter about meeting

Company, Inc.

123 Alphabet Drive

Los Angeles, California 90002

15 November 2012

Ms. Susan Smith

Supervisor of Product Development

Pet Supply Provider, Inc.

472 Canine Road

Los Angeles, California 90002

Dear Ms. Smith:

It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference last week. As we discussed, I sincerely believe that the
widget gizmo produced by Company, Inc. can greatly streamline your production process. If you are still
willing, I would like to bring some of the key members of my team along with me to meet with you at
Pet Supply Provider, Inc. We would like to give you an overview of our services and discuss with you the
best plan to suit your needs.

Meeting in person would allow us to fully evaluate your wants and needs. Our team is available to meet
any time this week or next. Please let me know, at your earliest convenience, when you would be
available.

Cordially,

Sam Brown

Vice President of Company, Inc.

555-555-5555

s.brown@companyinc.com
Business letter about shipment
Company, Inc.
123 Alphabet Drive
Los Angeles, California 90002

15 October 2012

Mr. John Doe

Customer Service Representative
Widgets Galore, Inc.
987 Widget Street
Miami, Florida 33111

Dear Mr. Doe:

I am writing you concerning a recent purchase of widgets. Approximately two weeks ago, on
October 1, I ordered a total of 50 widgets for Company, Inc. via the Widgets Galore client
webpage. I received an email notification two days later confirming the receipt of payment and
the shipment of the widgets. According to your website, shipments should reach their
destination within 3-5 business days of being sent, but I have yet to receive the widgets. Do you
have any information on what may have happened to delay the shipment or where the shipment
is currently?

I have worked with Widgets Galore, Inc. in the past and have the greatest confidence in your
products and customer service. We need the shipment of widgets soon, however, and I hoped
you might be able to provide me with an idea of when I can expect them. Thank you in advance
for any help you might be able to offer.

Sincerely,

Sam Brown
Vice President of Company, Inc.
555-555-5555
s.brown@companyinc.com
Resume Tips
Lots of important things happen in 6 seconds or less. Every five seconds 375 McDonald’s cheeseburgers
are sold, 21 babies are born around the world, and 205,000 Facebook posts are written. Amazing, right?

If you are a jobseeker, there is just one more amazing fact you need to know: recruiters spend just 6
seconds scanning your resume before deciding whether you are qualified for a role. So, what does a
jobseeker need to do to make an impression in such a short window of time? Start by updating your
resume format.

Recruiters have a job to do and need to do it quickly, which is why it is critical that they be able to assess
your experience, education, and skills in just a few seconds. Having a great resume format is critical to
organizing your information in a way that will help you get noticed.

Creating a great new resume doesn’t mean hiring a design professional or learning Photoshop; a really
great resume format isn’t overly designed. Rather, it is well organized and gentle on the eyes.

We’ve chosen nine of our favorite resume designs for 2018, all of which will put the focus where it
belongs: on your skills, work experience, and education. Each of these easy-to-read, attractive formats
will help you get out from behind your computer screen and into the interview chair.

Which resume format should I choose?

In addition to design elements, a great resume format takes into account how best to organize your
information to showcase your strengths. There are three standard resume formats: chronological,
functional, and combination. But how do you know which one to choose?

Chronological resume format: The most commonly used resume format, a chronological resume is
easy to read and easy to update. With your work history listed in reverse chronological order, this
format makes it easy for recruiters and prospective employers see your career progression and stable
work history.

This resume works best for jobseekers with no significant employment gaps who have worked in the
same industry for several years. This resume format might be less appropriate for those jobseekers who
have left the workforce for periods of time or who have done significant job-hopping.

Functional resume format: A functional resume format zeros in on your skills and strengths, and
focuses less on your work history. In this resume format, information is organized in a way that
highlights transferable skills and achievements, which makes it an especially great resume format for
individuals who have gaps in their resume or who have made significant career changes. This type of
resume is also terrific for recent graduates with limited work experience.

One drawback of using this type of resume is that some recruiters and headhunters dislike this
untraditional format. Some complain that the format is difficult to read, and others feel that this less-
straightforward format (it omits the dates of your work history) might be an applicant’s attempt at
hiding something on their resume.

Combination resume format: A combination resume format, or a hybrid, blends aspects of the
chronological and functional resume formats in a way that some jobseekers find pleasing. This resume
format shines an equal light on transferable skills and a progressive work history.

A combination resume works for those who have made significant career changes, individuals re-
entering the workforce, older workers, and new graduates with internship or professional work
experience, and jobseekers with a strong employment history who want a way to highlight their skill set.

This format emphasizes both your transferable skills and a solid work history in equal measure. It lists
your work history in reverse chronological order – with your most recent job at the top. Your
experience is organized into categories to highlight your achievements and transferable skills.

The combination format is useful for a variety of jobseekers, including students, entry-level workers, and
jobseekers looking to make a career change. Because it’s easy to scan by both recruiters and
applicant tracking systems (ATS), this is the preferred format of recruiters. Jobseekers who are
new to the workforce or who want to downplay a spotty work history like this format.

High school and college students sometimes feel trapped in a vicious cycle. They can’t get a job without
experience, and they can’t get experience without a job.

How do you write a resume if you have limited job experience?

It’s not as difficult as you might think.

The art of a resume is to present yourself as the best candidate for a position. For high school and
college students, a strong job history is not necessary for a strong resume. Instead, you can emphasize
the skills and knowledge you’ve developed in your studies, internships, volunteering, or part-time work.

If your work history has nothing to do with the jobs you’re applying for, you can still highlight skills and
experiences you possess that are relevant to the job you want. In this guide, we’ll show you how.

Creating a Successful Student Resume

Identify your skills and experience

Resume writing starts with brainstorming. Jot down your past jobs, internships, school projects, and
volunteer work.

At this stage, don’t leave anything out. Past work that seems irrelevant to your current job search, like
lawn-mowing or babysitting, might still demonstrate some skills that employers are looking for.

These notes don’t have to be polished. This is just information for you to refer to as you write your
resume. Taking detailed notes about your past experiences now will make the resume writing process
easier later on.
Consider which skills are most useful for the job you are applying for

If you’re looking for a customer service job, communication skills will be important. For an entry-level
job at a bank, cash handling skills will be needed.

Look over the work history notes you took in step 1. Did you use communication skills to defuse an
argument between the kids you were babysitting? Or did you handle money while volunteering at a
fundraising event?

Write down what skills you used, and how they might relate to the job you want. This is an easy way to
figure out what to put on your resume when describing your experience or skills.

By customizing your resume for the job you want, you can show employers you have the skills and
experience they’re looking for.

To guide your brainstorming, here are a few skills employers might be looking for:

Leadership

Ability to work in a team

Communication skills (written and verbal)

Problem-solving skills

Strong work ethic

Initiative

Analytical/quantitative skills

Flexibility/adaptability

Technical skills

Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)

Choose the resume template that works best for you. Some resumes are geared toward a specific field.
Others are general purpose and work for a variety of job types.

Look over the notes you took on your experience and skills. Think about what you will be putting on
your resume, and choose your template accordingly.

Write resume text

This is where the real work begins. Now, let’s learn about the basic components of a resume and how to
put them together.
Your resume will be divided into sections. Any resume should always include sections for Contact
Information, Education, and Experience or Work History.

Aside from that, you can choose other sections to add, and decide how best to arrange them. Here are
some you might include:

Career Objective or Professional Summary

Interests and Activities

Relevant Skills

Achievements and Awards

References You may not need every section on this list. Choose the ones that work best for you.
That way, the resume you make will be completely unique to you.

Let’s go through each section, step by step, and learn how to put them together.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Your contact information should always go at the top of your resume, so that employers can easily find
it.

Here’s what you’ll need to include:

Full name

Email address

Phone number

City and state

LinkedIn URL, if you have good endorsements and a significant network

A few tips:

Make sure your email address is professional. It’s best to use one that includes your first and last names,
not a nickname or other reference.

Have a mature, appropriate voicemail greeting on your phone.

You don’t need to include your full street address. Only add it if location is important to the job. (For
example, if you will need to travel to multiple locations for that job and you live somewhere centrally
located, showing your address might be beneficial.)

EDUCATION
The education section will likely go near the top of your resume if you’re a high school or college
student. As you gain more work experience, you may move your education section farther down in your
resume.

In reverse chronological order, list these details:

School name

Major or focus

Degree and year obtained (either the year you graduated or that you expect to graduate)

If you’re a high school student, you can just put your high school name on your resume – no need to go
back to middle or elementary school. If you’re in college, you don’t need to include your high school
name.

If you are a high schooler who has been accepted to a college already, you can also state your college’s
name and the date you will begin attending.

Don’t have a lot of work experience? You can talk about what you’ve learned in your courses in this
section. Use a heading like “Relevant Coursework” to list classes or projects that are relevant to the job
you’re applying for.

Here’s a sample education listing for a college student applying for a research assistant position:

The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA

Degree: B.A. with focus in environmental science

Status: Graduation expected June 2017

Relevant coursework:

Identified fungi using both chemical and microscopic techniques

Collected algae samples to learn about harmful algae growth in the Puget Sound

Published research paper on public policy and the environment

Your education can show employers that you’re motivated and committed to learning, even without
much work experience.

CAREER OBJECTIVE A career objective statement is an optional part of your resume that
acts as your “elevator pitch.” It tells an employer what you have to offer in just a few sentences.

Objective statements aren’t always necessary. However, for high school and college students who don’t
have a lot of work history, stating an objective is a good way to quickly indicate how their experience
lines up with what the employer is seeking in a candidate.
This section should be short and to the point. Let employers know, in 1-3 sentences, what your ultimate
goal or objective for employment is.

A common mistake when writing objective statements is talking about how the job will benefit you,
rather than how you will benefit your employer. Stand out from the crowd by writing an objective that
makes it clear why you’re the best choice for their business.

Here’s an example of a BAD objective statement: Marketing or PR position in which I can use my
Public Relations degree to gain experience and learn about the field. I have experience with a marketing
internship and hope to learn more about using social media and modern PR techniques.

This objective statement outlines some personal goals but doesn’t tell the employer how they would
benefit by them – it only tells how the job would benefit the candidate.

It’s also needlessly vague: “gain experience and learn about the field” isn’t specific enough to be of
interest to employers. There’s no need to mention that you had a marketing internship in this section, as
that information can go under Experience or Work History.

Now, here’s an example of a GOOD objective statement:

Marketing or Public Relations position in which I can use my marketing experience to assist your
business with modern PR techniques, including social media outreach, quality visual content, and online
reputation management.

This objective statement tells prospective employers exactly what you have to offer. It provides details
that might not be found elsewhere in your resume. This is what the objective statement should do:
provide specific, important information about what would make you a desirable employee.

WORK HISTORY Your Work History section (or Work Experience section) will list the past jobs
you’ve had. Start with the most recent one, and list each job in reverse chronological order.

For each job, show the job title, the name of the company, and the length of employment. You can also
include the city and state where the company is located if you’d like.

It can be appropriate to list internships or volunteer work in this section, if they are relevant to the job
you’re seeking. You can also leave off any jobs that are completely unrelated to the job you want.

However, be careful not to leave any unexplained gaps in your work history. If you’re applying for a
banking job but you worked in a restaurant for 2 years, it’s better to list the restaurant job than to make
it look like you were unemployed for 2 years.

Give specifics about what your responsibilities or accomplishments were at each job. Bullet points are
an easy way to do this. Use two or three bullets to describe the skills you used, or how you improved the
business.
Here, you can describe skills or responsibilities from a past job that apply to the job you want, even if it’s
in a completely different field.

For example, if you were to put your restaurant work history on a resume for a banking job, it might
look like this:

Server, The Mad Crab, summers 2013-2015

Gave fast, friendly service to up to 8 tables at a time

Learned Aloha software for taking orders and payments

Counted money and closed cash registers after evening shifts

With this work history listing, you’ve shown that you can provide good customer service in a busy
environment, learn new computer software, and reliably handle cash registers. These are all skills you
might use at a banking job, even though your experience was at a restaurant.

Remember to be detailed and specific in your Work History section. Saying “good customer service” is
not enough. Employers want to know exactly what you did or learned so they know what you have to
offer as an employee.

INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES For students who are new to the job market, interests and activities are
a good way to show employers you have skills they are looking for. If you were on a sports team, or
were active in the chess club, those can show you are a team player. If you took dance lessons for 10
years, that shows you are passionate and committed.

As with your Work History section, in this section you’ll want to mention what you did, where you did it,
and how long you did it for.

If you didn’t have much work history to list, you could add details about specific responsibilities or skills
related to your interests and activities. Just make sure it’s all relevant to your job search.

For example: Classical piano student, Meter Music School, Dec 2013-present

Weekly lessons plus minimum 3 hours of practice

Assistant teach monthly beginner’s classes

4-H Club President, “24 Carrots Club,” Sept 2012-Sept 2013

Ran meetings of the 24 Carrots 4-H horse club, planned fundraising events, and organized volunteering
at a local horse farm

These activities show commitment, responsibility, and leadership. Information like this can help
employers realize that you could be the best candidate for the job.
RELEVANT SKILLS For this section, you can go back to the notes you took about your skills in steps
1 and 2. Fill out this section using the skills that relate to the job you want.

Having a detailed skills section on your resume can make up for a limited work history.

You don’t need to list things like email or Microsoft Word under Skills. It’s expected that students will
know how to use these.

However, if you’ve designed a website on WordPress, conducted interviews for the school newspaper,
or have photography experience, you may want to put these on your resume. They show you have
something to offer that other job seekers might not.

As with every section on your resume, always add relevant details. This section doesn’t need to be
lengthy, but it is helpful to say what kind of photography you’ve done rather than just “photography
experience.”

Here’s what your Relevant Skills section might look like:

Proficient in WordPress and Google Drive

Experience with portrait and candid photography

Experience conducting and transcribing interviews

Professional communication skills

ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS

Maybe you were in the Honor Society, or were Employee of the Month. Awards, honors, and
achievements from your academics, activities, or jobs are worth listing on a resume.

Here’s an example Achievements and Awards section:

National Honor Society member, 2015-2016

Employee of the Month, Cloud City Coffee, October 2014

Engineer Girl Essay Contest Finalist, June 2014

REFERENCES

If you feel it would benefit your resume, you can list the contact information of up to three references.

Keep in mind that no matter what it says on your resume, employers may ask you for references. You
should always have at least three references available.
Avoid using friends or family members as professional references. Ask former employers, professors,
teachers, or coaches instead. Be sure to have handy your references’ names, phone numbers, email
addresses, and places of employment, to share with prospective employers.

Always make sure to stay in touch with anyone you’re actively using as a reference. Your former coach
may be confused if they get a call about you from a potential employer but actually haven’t heard from
you in a year.

Proofread

This is the final step in creating a great resume that will get you a great job.

Employers will often pass up a resume that’s full of typos and mistakes, even if the content is
impressive.

Show employers you are detail-oriented and organized by proofreading your resume. Before sending
your resume out, double check it for spelling and grammar errors. If you can, have a friend look over it
to catch anything you might have missed.

Keep your resume short and simple – resumes should be no more than one page.

Focus on relevant skills and experiences – two weekends of mowing your neighbour’s lawn is not worth
mentioning if you’re applying an accounting assistant position.

Avoid needless information – your resume doesn’t need to include your elementary school, a picture of
you, or other things employers won’t care about. Focus on the areas where you think you may have an
edge over other candidates.

Format for easy reading: the most important or newest information goes at the top, to the least
important or oldest at the bottom.