MODULES IN BUSINESS WRITING

Module 2

COVER LETTER AND RÉSUMÉ WRITING

I. Duration: 1 hour (3 meetings)

II. Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this module, the students will be able
to:

1. describe common format and parts in writing a cover

letter and resume
2. manifest audience adaptation in writing the cover letter
3. send an e-copy through e-mail
III. Modules Content:
Topic: Writing Application Letter/Cover Letter and RÉSUMÉ

A. Concepts: business letter layout, audience adaptation,

job description, job specification

B. Relevant Readings:

Module 4. Cover Letters by Barbara, Barone. Accessed

February 7, 2019
[Link]
letters/

Cover Letters Part 1. Purdue University.

[Link]
es/cover_letters/cover_letters_part_1.

C. Skills to be Developed:

7 C's of Effective Communication:

1. Completeness
2. Concreteness
3. Courtesy
4. Correctness
5. Clarity
6. Consideration
7. Conciseness

D. Learning Materials: modules, journal readings,

powerpoint presentation
IV. Teaching Procedure:

A. Exploring Background Knowledge

Directions: To test the extent of your business writing skills, try to arrange the
following parts of a letter of application and take note of the items which you are not
familiar with. Go back to these questions as you proceed in reading these modules. (20
minutes)

a. I am presently employed by a small computer company, but I am looking for a more

challenging position where my field of specialization may be used in a more
stimulating environment. As you will notice on my enclosed resume, the job you are
offering suits both my personal and professional interests.

b. I would be pleased to discuss my curriculum vitae with you in more detail. Please do
not hesitate to contact me if you require further information. I look forward to hearing
from you.

c. Dear Madam:

d. 12 January 2019

e. I am writing to apply for the position of Director of Product Development, which

was advertised on your company website.

f. 31 Bloomington Street
Legazpi City
SK45 BX123

g. Ms. Cherry Lopez

ABC Company
HR Manager
12 Hamilton Street
12 Hamilton Street
Cebu City

h. Brandon Lee

i. Yours sincerely,

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Answer here:

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 ACTIVITY 3. MENTAL RECALL

Pair Work: Label the major parts and identify the type of business letter layout
illustrated below. (10 minutes)

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B. Reflection Questions:

1. What are the features of the three common business letter layouts?

2. Can you identify the placement of letter parts in each type of layout?

Let us Review on Business Letter Layouts!

 Full- block style places all the parts of a letter in the left hand margin of the
paper.

 In Block Style, the date, complimentary close and the signature are transferred
to the right side of the paper.

 In semi-block layout, the three parts-dates, complimentary close and signature-

are placed on the right-side margin and the beginning sentence of every
paragraph is indented.

 An application letter may be written using any of these commonly used layout-
full-block; block and semi-block.

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 ACTIVITY 4. NAMING GAME

Directions: Can you give the major parts and optional parts of a business letter?
Write their names on the box provided below. (10 minutes)

Major Parts of a Business Letter Optional Parts of a Business Letter

1._____________________ 1._____________________
2._____________________ 2._____________________
3._____________________ 3._____________________
4. ____________________ 4. _____________________
5. ____________________ 5. _____________________
6. ____________________ 6. _____________________
7. ____________________

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 Remember the major and optional parts of a business letter!

 The major parts of an application letter include the heading, date, inside
address, salutation, body, complimentary close and signature.

Modern heading is also called letterhead, which bears the company logo
while traditional heading bears the home address of the writer.

 The date is written fully with month, day and year.

 The inside address contains the name of the receiver, position, company
name and address

 The salutation serves as greeting to the receiver and it agrees with the sex,
position and nature of work of the receiver.

 The body contains details on the applicant’s skills, qualifications, and

experience.

 The complimentary close serves as a courteous ending to the body and is

based on the position and nature of work of the receiver

 The optional parts are attention line, subject line, enclosure notation, carbon
copy notation, blind carbon copy notation and postscript

 The subject line gives the reader in advance an idea about the subject matter
of the letter.

 Enclosure notation is used when something is attached to the letter.

 Carbon copy notation is employed when the same copy of the letter is sent
to another receiver and is indicated on all copies of the letter.

 Blind Carbon Copy Notation is indicated on the carbon copies but never on
the original copies of the letter.

 Postscript is included when the writer forgets to include an important

message in the body.

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 Read this!
ACTIVITY 5. GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH COVER LETTERS

Directions: Go over the sample of application letter written in response

to a job hiring for a Recruitment Assistant. Try also to review its parts
22 Corona Street and content. (10 minutes)
Aguinaldo, Cavite City
Philippines
February 7, 2018

Mr. Ricky Co
Hiring Manager
Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI)
12/F Ayala Life-FGU Center, Ayala Avenue
Makati City 1226

Dear Mr. Co:

I am writing to express my interest for the position of Recruitment Assistant in your esteemed
company as advertised in [Link].

Having recently obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration major in Human Resource
Development Management (BSBA-HRDM) in the University of the Philippines (UP), I wish to bring
my knowledge, skills and commitment to your company’s innovative environment.

As a Business Administration graduate, I have the necessary knowledge needed for the position
including manpower recruitment, workforce organization, personnel training and compensation as well
as legal provisions and other labor concerns.

My internship at Unilever Philippines also afforded me with the crucial skills to work with some of the
best professionals in the recruitment and human resources industry. Being a trainee has developed in
me enthusiasm and a true passion for human resources and has subsequently convinced me that human
resource management is my true calling.

For additional details regarding my qualification and expertise, please review my attached resume.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Sample Application Letter (E-Mail Copy)
(signature)
Jessica Cenadoza
 

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 ACTIVITY 6. THINK, PAIR, SHARE (10 minutes)

Reflection Question: Why is it important to adapt the cover letter or application

letter to the job description mentioned in the job vacancy?

a. Think: Think about the given reflection question for

five minutes.

b. Pair: Pair up with your classmates and talk about

your answer. Compare and identify the answers that are most suitable,
convincing or unique.

c. Share: After discussing the question, share your responses with the class.

Let’s go over this!

 An application letter is also called a cover letter, which aims to

convince the reader of the writer’s qualifications and skills. It goes
together with a resume or summary of the applicants’ experience,
education and qualifications.
 Solicited application letter is written in response to an
advertisement while an unsolicited application letter is written
through the initiative of the applicant.

 The unsolicited letter is initiated by the applicant without any

announced vacancy or opening.

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  Writing effective application letter and resume is a must and business
graduates should be familiar with various search engines where they can
get ideas on job vacancies like jobs dv, [Link], [Link],
classified ads section, or through newspaper announcement.

 Whatever the source is, the applicant should know how to craft the
application letter and resume based on the needs and qualifications needed
by the employer. These details are provided in the job description and job
specification.

Vocabulary Enrichment:

Job Description- provides the “WHAT” for the job; it provides the nature and scope of
the vacant position. It is also called position description and is sometimes associated
with job specification.

Job Specification- it answers the question “WHO” is qualified for the job; it specifies
the qualifications, skills and experience that are needed for an applicant

ACTIVITY 7. EXPLORING JOB SITES

Directions: Go over the sample job description from

[Link]

FOR HIRING Marketing Associate

Job Description:

 Implements marketing strategies

 Determines target market for products and services
 Negotiates with business professionals to achieve market objectives

Job Specifications:
 A graduate of Business Administration course
 With marketing skills; interpersonal skills; communication skills and
analytical skills
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  Search for the job description of your dream job from the net and do an
assessment how you meet these qualifications. (15 minutes).

Business Talk!

When writing application letter, you must be familiar with the acronym S.A.P.
(Subject, Audience, Purpose)

S.A.P. ANALYSIS serves as a guide in deciding on the content and the

organization of the application letter. It is similar to audience adaptation or adapting the
letter to the needs, preferences and wants of the audience.

S-ubject What is the subject or topic of the letter?

A-udience Who is the reader of your letter?
P-urpose What is the purpose of your letter?

Vocabulary Enrichment:

Audience Adaptation- This is also called “audience adaptiveness”, “the YOU

approach” or “audience analysis” which means writing on the perspective of the
reader. Generally, it highlights the benefits of the letter to the reader. When applied
Let’s
to job hunting, theReview
letter ofonapplication
this! should illustrate how the applicant meets the
required competencies and skills for the job.

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Example:

Audience Analysis Notes

Subject: A letter of application

Primary Audience: Nick Perez, VP for Operations

Expectations and Preferences:

The company prefers applicants who are business graduates

and with experience in marketing and finance.

Purpose: To convince that you meet the requirements for the position
of marketing analyst

Think about this! THE BUSY EXECUTIVE

 An applicant should write concisely and clearly because every minute is

important for a busy executive. Because of this, a solicited cover letter should
follow a structure in order to ensure completeness and accuracy and get the
desired response for an interview.
 Other qualities of business letter include courtesy, conciseness, correctness,
completeness, cleanliness and consideration.
 Courtesy means the “You Attitude” which means writing in the perspective of
the reader. You should always maintain a courteous and businesslike tone to
create a favorable impression on the part of the reader.
 The applicant should also be aware of the common skills that employers are
looking for business graduates like collaboration, leadership, innovation,
integrity, honesty and ethics. These are usually cited in job description or
posting of job vacancies.

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 The Organizational Structure of a Solicited Application Letter

1. Introductory Paragraph: It contains the source of vacancy, expression of

interest and the specific position applied for.

Example 1: “I would like to express my interest in applying for the position of

Marketing Associate as was recently made available in your website.”

specific position source of vacancy

Example 2 “I have learned in the January 27, 2019 Employment Journal that
P&G Partners is looking for a marketing apprentice. I would like to apply for this
position.”

specific position

2. Body: It takes into consideration the reader’s job title, education, industry and
level of interest before deciding on the content, organization, tone, and language
appropriate to your reader. The body of the cover letter contains the details that would
show how you meet the job description and jobs specification.

Example: “I believe that my degree in Business Administration (BSBA) major in

Marketing from the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA) has prepared
me for this position. I am equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to help
develop and drive effective marketing strategies”

I learned how companies determine what product or service to sell, how to reach
target demographics and how to respond to the demands of competitors. More
importantly, I had the opportunity to work with seasoned professionals who taught me
how to easily understand complex marketing concepts.

the body highlights the verbs as mentioned in the job description

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 3. Conclusion: This part expresses a statement of goodwill and request for
favorable action in the form of interview.
Example:

Attached is my resume for your full consideration. Thank you for taking time to
review my application and I am looking forward to have an interview with you so that we
can further discuss my application.

Request for action

In the next activity, you will try to write a letter of application in

response to an online vacancy. Note carefully what is required in the
job description and job specification. Incorporate also the qualities
of an effective business letter.

ACTIVITY 8. PRACTICE WRITING

Directions:

1. Choose one of the sample cover letter styles / formats. (20 minutes)

2. Use the Job Description that you searched from any of the following sites:
[Link], [Link], jobsindeed, jobsDB and others

3. Open MS Word and create a new file in developing the body of the cover
letter.

4. Take note of the suggestions made by your instructor as your guide in the
revision stage. Be guided by the rubrics provided below in developing the
body of your cover letter.

5. Email your cover letter to your instructor.

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 RUBRICS FOR RATING THE APPLICATION LETTER

I. CONTENT (30%) Rating Remarks

A. Introduction
 complete; mentions both the source of vacancy and the 10
specific position being applied for
 1-2 details missing; mentions only the source of vacancy 7
or the specific position being applied for
 incomplete; lacks reference to both source of vacancy or 3
the specific position being applied for

B. Body
 well-developed; relates the job description to personal
qualifications by specifying field of specialization and 10
mentioning skills relevant to business
 lacks one detail-either reference to specific field of 7
specialization and job description or citing of skills
relevant to business
 underdeveloped; does not relate job description to field of 3
specialization and lacks reference to specific skills
relevant to business

C. Conclusion
 very effective; expresses willingness to learn; shows 10
gratitude and ends with a request for interview
 average; lacks one (1) or any of the criteria pertaining to 7
expression of willingness to learn, showing gratitude and
requesting for an interview
 ineffective; does not end with a request for interview and 3
fails to create a positive closing

II. LANGUAGE USE/USAGE (20%)

 very much impressive; uses clear and concise words and 20
grammatically correct sentences
 quite impressive; words and sentences are understandable 15
but there is one (1) to two (2) errors in subject-verb
agreement
 unclear and confusing; there are three (3 ) or more errors 10
in subject-verb agreement which confuses the reader

III. TONE (15%)

 very professional; shows courtesy, enthusiasm and 15
respect and maintains a formal, businesslike tone

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  average; shows enthusiasm but fails to maintain a formal, 10
business like tone
 very informal and creates an unfavorable impression 5

IV. WRITING MECHANICS (10%)

 free from errors; uses correct spelling, margining, 10
punctuation, and capitalization
 with 1-2 errors either in spelling, margining, punctuation, 7
or capitalization
 with three (3) or more errors in spelling, margining, 3
punctuation, and capitalization
V. BUSINESS WRITING CONVENTIONS (5%)
 with complete and correct layout; includes all the basic 5
parts of a cover letter properly ordered
 incomplete; with one (1) missing part or error in letter 3
layout
 underdeveloped; several parts are missing and does not 1
follow any of the standard letter layouts

____________________________________

NAME AND SIGNATURE OF EVALUATOR

Points Assigned: 80 points- Letter of Application

20 points- Resume

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 A REVIEW ON RESUME WRITING

 The resume is a summary of one’s qualifications and skills suited to the

position being applied for
 It is written in outline form that contains the facts which support what is
mentioned in the cover letter.
 It may be written using various format of arrangement of details

For fresh graduates, your resume should include some facts like the following:

 Heading or Personal Information- it contains the following details:

Last name First name Middle name

Street address (with apartment number) City
State/province
ZIP code
Phone number (including area code)
Email address (use a professional address)
Cell phone number (including area code)
Other ways to contact you

 Career Objective- It mentions specific position desired, as well as the skills

and qualifications beneficial to the company

 Summary of Qualifications-It highlights the most compelling attributes like

education, skills, experience and achievements which are related to the job
description

 Education- It specifies the degree, subjects or courses like research,

feasibility study, and other skills related to the vacant position

 Experience- It highlights relevant experiences and mentions keywords,

phrases or action verbs of previous job or leadership positions related to the
job vacancy

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ACTIVITY 9. COMPOSING YOUR RESUME

Directions: Use the Sample template of resume, from

[Link]

 Look for sample resume from the internet then choose the template for fresh
graduates.

 Create a LinkedIn account then upload your application letter and resume.

 Take note of the comments made by your instructor as your guide in revising your
resume.

 Use the given rubrics below as your guide in finalizing your resume.

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 RUBRICS FOR RATING THE RESUME

I. CONTENT Rating Remarks

A. Heading
 complete; contains the complete name, address, e-mail and 3
contact number
 with 1-2 missing details; either e- mail or contact number 2
 incomplete; with 3 or more missing details pertaining to name, 1
address, contact number and e-mail address

B. Career Objective
 mentions specific position desired and refers to skills and 3
qualifications beneficial to the company
 does not mention desired position nor emphasize the skills and 2
qualifications beneficial to the company
 vague; lacks reference to specific position desired 1

C. Summary of Qualifications
 complete; highlights the most compelling attributes like 3
education, skills, experience and achievements which are
related to the job description
 with 1-2 details missing; provides general samples of skills 2
and experience but do not directly relate them to job
description
 very general; does not highlight a skill or attribute suited to the 1
job description

B. Education
 specifies the degree, subjects or courses like research,
feasibility study, and other skills related to the vacant position 3
 provides details on completed degree in a general manner 2
 does not specify or mention the degree and field of 1
specialization

C. Experience
 highlight relevant experiences in OJT/immersion or part-time 3
job; mentions keywords, phrases or action verbs of previous
job or leadership positions handled which are related to the job
vacancy
 provides a general list of experiences and duties performed 2
 gives a general job experiences not mentioning any relevant 1
tasks or duties performed
II. FORMAT AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ( 5 points) Evident Not
Evident

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 uses high quality paper for printing
 uses 12 font size
 contains basic parts (summary of qualifications, education,
experience)
 written in outline form or bulleted form
 printed in blank ink

____________________________________

NAME AND SIGNATURE OF EVALUATOR

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 References

Cover Letters Part 1. Purdue University.

[Link]
_1.
Garcia. C. et al. 2009. Technical Report Writing.

Lesikar. R. & Flatley (2005). Basic Business Communication. Skills for

Empowering the Internet Generation. 10th Edition. McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Lopez, R.& Lopez, M. (2005). A Practical Approach to Business Writing. C 2005.

Books atbp. Publishing Corp. Mandaluyong City

Module 4. Cover Letters by Barbara, Barone. Accessed February 7, 2019

[Link]

Qindara,. M. et al. (2003). Research and Technical Writing. Trinitas

Publishing,Inc,

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