UVW 312:

English for Technical Communication

Week 2

Centre for International Languages (CIL)

Semester 1, 2019/2020.
Technical Communication at
Workplace

Memorandum
Formal Letters
Emails
Resume
 Memo
• A short letter with company letterhead sent
electronically as a file attachment or printed
for hand delivery.
• Used for communication INSIDE an
organization.
• Contain To, From, Date, Subject Headings and
Message section.
 Why do we send memo?
• Purpose:
– Share news
• Keep employees informed on the latest happenings.
– Address a problem
– To solve problems
– Make a request
• Attendance at meetings, changes in work procedures,
etc.
– Provide feedback
• Give employees a response so they know how their
work is being received.
E.g.:
To: ____________________________________
From :__________________________________
Date:___________________________________
Subject:_________________________________

Message:
 Memo vs. Letter
– Use letter format when your audience is outside
of your organization.
– Use memo format when your audience is within
your organization
Memo
• NO complimentary opening and closing.
– Dear ______,
– Sincerely, Nurul.
• NO mailing and return address.
– Memos are typically internal-sent between
employees of the same company.
– No address are needed.
• Hardcopy memo: place your signature after
the sender’s name.
 Memo
• Label the memo “Memo” or “Memorandum” at
the top of the page as in the examples.
Memorandum
To:___________________
From:_________________
Date: _________________
Subject:_______________

• Subject Line should be very specific to the topic.

How to write memo?

Guidelines
• A well organized memo should contain the following
sections:
1. To: Reader’s name.
2. From: Your name.
3. Date: When the memo is sent?
4. Subject: The main idea of the memo.

5. Introduction: quickly orients the reader to what the

PURPOSE of writing the memo.
6. Problem
7. Solution
8. Action (solutions that the receiver need to carry out)
9. Politeness
E.g.:
To : Mrs. Wang, Human Resource.
From : Pauline Wong, Sales.
Date : 8 August 2013.
Subject: Microwave oven in the office.

Since the move to the new office in Kowloon Bay, the staff have
difficulty in finding a nearby place to buy lunch (PROBLEMS).
Therefore, providing a microwave oven in the pantry would
enable the staff to bring in their own lunch boxes and reheat
their food (SOLUTION). We would appreciate it if you could
authorship up to $ 3,000 (ACTION).
Once again, thank you for your support (POLITENESS).
Exercise
Situation:
1. There will be a meeting with UniMAP’s Vice Chancellor on
Monday (24 Sept). However, due to inevitable reasons, the
meeting is postponed to Thursday (4 Oct) at 2.30 pm. As the
Secretary of the Students’ Council at your faculty, write a
memo to all students to inform about the postponement.
2. You are working at XYZ Company. For the last four months,
the company has been paying a lot for the electricity and
water supply. As the Manager at the company, write a
memo to all staff to remind them to conserve energy (turn
off the lights and air conditioners when you are leaving your
office, do not hibernate your laptop when not in use , turn
off the water tap). Date: 24 September 2019.
Formal Letter

• Cover Letter
• Resignation Letter
 Cover Letter
• A complement to your resume.
• A formal letter sent with your resume to apply
for a job.
• Detail your qualification for the position and
skills you would bring to the employers.
• The letter should be properly organized,
formatted and spaced so it is readable and
makes the best impression.
 Types of Cover Letter
1. Application Letter
– Apply for a known job opening.
2. Prospecting letter/ Inquiring letter/ Letter of
interest
– Sent to companies that maybe hiring but have
not advertised job openings.
 Cover Letter
• Length: 1 page only
• Format: single-spaced between each
paragraph.
• Font:
– Traditional fonts: Times New Roman, Arial or
Calibri.
– Font size:10-12 points.
How to write cover letter?
Format:
1. CONTACT SECTION
– a letter starts with both you and the employer’s
contact information
– (Name, Address, Phone Number, Email)
– Date.

2. SALUTATION
- Dear Mr./ Mrs. ____________
- Dear Sir/ Madam,
- Inquiry from the target company.
3. Body of Letter (3 paragraphs)
st
1 paragraph: mention the post you are
applying and where did you found about the
vacancy.
nd
2 paragraph: State what you have to offer
the employer. Mention why your skills and
experience is a good fit to the job.
rd
3 paragraph: informed that you have
enclosed your resume together with this letter.
Thank the manager for considering you and note
how the company can reach you.
4. Signature
- placed your signature on the left side and
followed by your typed-name.
- Email: Include your typed-name and
contact information (email and phone no.)
E.g.: (First paragraph)
Dear Mr. X,
I am writing to apply for the position of __________
as advertised in (where did you found out about the
vacancy? – newspaper, website, etc) on (date of
advertisment).

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I am writing to enquire if you have any vacancies in
your company. I have enclosed my CV for your
information.
I am writing to apply for the vacant post at your
company. I am a graduate from (name of your
university) specializing in (your major). Throughout
my years of studies, I have maintained (your CGPA/
result).
E.g.: (Second paragraph)
As you can see, I have had extensive vacation
working experience in__________, the
_________ sector and ___________. Those
experiences has given me varied skills and the
ability to work with many different types of
people. I believe that I could fit easily in to your
team.
I am a conscientious person who works hard and
pay attention to detail. I’m flexible, quick to pick
up new skills and eager to learn from others. I
also have a lot of ideas and enthusiastic towards
anything.
E.g.: (third paragraph)
I have attached my resume/ curriculum vitae
along with this letter. I can be reached by phone
no. at 012-3457890 or by email
abc@yahoo.com. Thank you for your
consideration and I am looking forward to
meeting you.
 Resignation letter.

To ensure that the process of leaving

a job is properly and professionally
managed.
Dear Mr. _________,

I would like to inform you that I am resigning from

my position as (your position) for (the name of the
company), effective by (the date you will end up
your service).
Thank you for the opportunities for professional
and personal development that you have provided
during the last (duration of your service). I have
enjoyed working for the companies.
Dear Mr/ Ms._____________

I am writing to inform that I will be resigning from ________. My last

day of work will be __________.

I would like to thank you for having me as part of your team. I am

proud to have worked for _______ and I appreciate the time and
patience you have showed in training me. I have learnt a lot about
_________ and these skills will serve me well in my career.

Please acknowledge this letter of resignation and know that I will do

my best to ensure all of my work are completed and ensure a smooth
transition. I have been fortunate to have been apart of ___________
and I wish you every success in the future.
 Submitting resignation letter
• You should give proper notice to your
company.
– To give your employer a reasonable amount of
time to fill your position.
– Notice should be no less than 2 weeks.
– State your last day of work immediately after
stating your intention to resign.
Emails
 Emails
• A good way to your message across
• Especially when you need to get in touch with
a person who’s hard to reach via telephone.
To:
Cc:
Bcc:
Subject:
• Greetings and sign-of
– Do not begin your text without a polite signature.
– Address someone formally to avoid offending their
feelings.
• Dear ____________,
• Hello ____________,
• Hi _______________,
– If you are sending email to someone you do not
know or to diverse group, try something generic.
• To whom it may concern,
• Dear members of ___________,
• Hello everyone,
• Closing
– Always sign off the email with your name at the end
of the email.
– If you do not know the reader well, you might also
consider including your title and organization you
belong to.
 Carbon copy (Cc) &
Blind carbon copy (Bcc)
• Sending copies of an email to additional
people.
• Useful to convey message to more than one
person.
• Professional setting:
– Can help get things done.
– Prompt the co-workers to respond.
 Cc and Bcc
• Cc:
Each person who receive the message will be
able to see the addresses of everyone else who
receive it.
• Bcc:
Only the sender know who are the recipients of
the email.
Avoid other recipients from knowing who else
was copied.
Guidelines when sending emails.
• Double check the spelling of the names.
• Check dates and times carefully before
sending a meeting request.
• Proofread your email first.
(typo, punctuation, lowercase letters, SMS
codes, etc. )
• Reflect on the tone of your message.
Resume/ Curriculum Vitae (CV)
 Resume/ Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• An outline of a person’s educational and
professional history.
• Prepared for job application.
• Conveys personal details in the way that
presents you in the best possible lights.
• CV = “marketing document”
What information should a
resume include?
 A) Personal Details
• NAME, ADDRESS, DATE OF BIRTH, PHONE NO,
EMAIL.
• Photograph
– At the middle OR top right-hand corner.
– Should be head and shoulder shot.
– Dress appropriately and smiling.
 B) Education and Qualification
• Degree
– Institution:___________________
– Date of Graduation:___________________
– Grade/ CGPA: _________________
• Diploma
– Institution:___________________
– Date of Graduation:___________________
– Grade/ CGPA: _________________
• High school
– School: ___________________________
– Year: ________________________
– ( the highest certificate that you own)
– Result (only mention the good grades i.e. A and B)
 Work Experience
• If you have worked previously, mention your
experience in this section.
• Begin with the earliest job until the current
job (IF you are still working).
• Highlight the NAME OF COMPANY, POSITION,
DURATION, JOB SCOPE, and SALARY.
* Even if you only worked at a shop, bar or restaurant, it gives
the employer the sense that you can involve working in a team
and dealing tactfully with complaints.
 D) Interest and Achievement
• Highlight hobbies that are a little out of the
ordinary.
– Mountaineering (hiking/ rock climbing)
– Scuba diving
* Ability to rely on yourself in demanding situations.
• Evidence of leadership
– Captain/ Coach
– Course Representatives
– Chair of student’s society
– Leader of ________________.
 E) Skills
• The usual ones to mention:
– Language (Good conversational, basic)
– Computing (Microsoft Word, Excell, Publisher,
Internet)
– Driving (__ years clean driving license)
 f) References
• “References are available on request.”
• Normally, TWO referees are sufficient:
– Academic (lecturer, tutor, or project supervisor)
– Employer (your previous jobs)
What would make your resume
rejected?
 Reasons:
1. Resume with spelling mistakes/typos.
2. Resume that copied large amounts or wordings from
the job posting.
3. Inappropriate email address.
• sweetlittlegirl_97@gmail.com
• undertaker@yahoo.com
• smell_my_armpit@rocketmail.com
4. Resume does not include SKILLS.
5. Resume more than 2 pages long (entry-level)
6. Resume printed on decorative paper.
7. Contact or email problem.
 Resume/ CV length
• Fresh graduates: NOT MORE than 2 sides of
A4 paper.
• Employer prefer ONE page CV.
• See how well do you make use of space
available.
 Topics
Topic 1:
Discuss about thing that you SHOULD DO/ SHOULD NOT DO
BEFORE DURING and AFTER attending a job interview.
Topic 2:
Men’s and Women’s physical appearance (attire, personal
hygiene, colour) for attending job interview.
Topic 3:
Frequently asked questions for job interview+ Tips to answer
Dealing with sensitive questions.
All the best!! ☺