Week 2: UVW 312: English For Technical Communication
Week 2: UVW 312: English For Technical Communication
Week 2: UVW 312: English For Technical Communication
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:_______________
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.
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).