Lesson: Business Letters

7c’s of Business Communication; Direction of Communication; Importance of Business Writing Skills,

Topic:
Business Letters and its parts and Formats of a Business Letter

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Identify 7c’s of business communication;
2. Analyze direction of communication within an organization through the given illustrations;
3. Illustrate the different letter styles and parts of business letter; and
4. Analyze samples of business letter
When your communication is clear, you are able to convey your thoughts more precisely. You
will also be able to get the job done and in case of job interviews, you may also be able to land your
dream job. As for every form of learning, business communication also has some principles which
make your communication more effective.
These 7 C’s of communication must be followed by every business entity and individuals so
that the workplace communication can be effective. Communication holds a very important role in
any business. Without clear and precise communication, a business cannot stand. It is the foundation
for any business.
7 C’s of Business Communication
CONCISE
Being concise means being able to convey your messages in shortest possible words. But this
doesn’t mean that you provide the information less but articulating in such a possible way that you
get to spread the message across everyone and that too in fewer words.
It is a necessity for business communication as this C does not involve the vague words and this the
message is clearly sent to everyone. Because of conciseness, you save time as well as you save a lot
of costs.
As this C excludes the needless and excessive words it makes the main idea or the message more
understandable. For audience also this form is more convenient and appealing.
CLEAR
Clear or clarity is very important in business communication. Through this, you are able to
emphasize a specific message or a goal at that time. In a business communication, you cannot
achieve too much in one go. That is why you need to clear about your ideas.
Because of clarity, the understanding of ideas becomes easier. As the clarity is achieved for ideas and
thoughts, the meaning of the words is enhanced. The message becomes more appropriate and
exact.

CORRECT
The understanding of your audience is directly proportional to the correctness of your ideas.
Because correct communication of thoughts and ideas is also an error-free form of communication.
There are many ways to achieve this correctness in your sentences.
One is through a technical understanding of your thoughts and ideas. Further, the names and titles
that you have mentioned should be correct. Because of correctness the confidence level of yours as
well as your audience increases. It has more impact.

CONCRETE

Concreteness refers to the idea of being clear and particular. It avoids the basic fuzziness and
general in your ideas and thoughts. Often, concrete communication is fortified by facts, figures,
illustrations and examples – anything that can help clarify a message so that it is not misinterpreted.
It leaves nothing to chance and less to the imagination.

COMPLETE
A message or an idea is complete when the audience has everything that they want to be
informed. Also, this gives an authority to them to move to call of action.
The complete communication generally involves the call to action, which helps the readers
understand what you want to imply to them. It also includes all the facts and figures in the
sentences.
COURTEOUS
Courtesy is the respect that we show to others and in business communication also it means
the same thing. You should show respect to your reader by having courteous communication. The
individual while sending the message should be polite, sincere, enthusiastic, and reflective.
Being courteous means that you have taken into consideration the feeling receiver as well as your
own. It also shows that you are positive and your focus is on the audience.
COHERENT

The messages that you send should be logical and that is why coherent communication is
important. The message involves certain ideas and thoughts and thus when they are coherent than
only they are able to convey the main idea of the message. All the points that you have mentioned
should be relevant to the topic and connected.
DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
Communication travels within an organization in three different directions, and often the channels of
communication are prescribed by the direction in which the communication is flowing. Let’s take a
look at the three different directions and types of communication channels used.

Vertical Communication
Vertical communication can be broken down into two categories: downward communication and
upward communication.
Downward Communication
Downward communication can be defined as a transmission of information and messages from
the top level executives to the low-level employees. This means that the communication is
initiated by the highest level of management in the corporate ladder, to convey orders,
instructions, warnings or responsibilities to the subordinates working in the organisation.
 Downward communication might be used to communicate new organizational strategy, highlight tasks that ne

(Figure 1. Downward Communication)

Upward Communication
tion. Often, this type of communication provides feedback to organizational leaders about current problems, or even progress
ware of how employees feel about their jobs, co-workers and the organization in general. Managers also rely on upward comm
Horizontal Communication
In lateral communication, the sender and receiver(s) are at the same level in the hierarchy. Formal communications t
This type of communication can be seen taking place between persons operating at the same level or working under

(Figure 3. Horizontal Communication)

Business Letters
It is a sad fact of life that not everyone can write good and effective business letters. However, the
good news is that anyone can learn the tricks and trades of business letter writing as long as the
eagerness and interest to learn and improve are present as motivational forces.
In the world of professionals, one of the inevitable tasks that individuals perform is business letter
writing. Be it in the realm of business, education, commerce, industry, public management or private
sector, the writing of business letters play a major role in the communication process among
agencies and among individuals within those agencies. When you need a job, you write an
application letter. When you want to inquire, you use a letter of inquiry. If you are not satisfied with
a product or service, you write a letter of complaint. When you need a capital, you utilize a letter of
credit, and so on and so forth.
When you have developed the skills in writing, thus making yourself well-versed with the intricacies
of business letter writing, you are unconsciously making a competitive edge over others, making
yourself now an asset as you lead your life to the corporate world.
BUSINESS LETTERS
Business is an act of buying and selling. Any written report done on this commercial act inside
or outside the place of business becomes a technical written work called a Business Report. This is so
because the content of this technical reports refers mainly to a special area of knowledge called
business. It’s only its content or subject matter that makes it a technical written work but its format
and language as well. Unlike other types of writing that are open to all kinds of expressions, business
letter has its own set of special words or expressions exclusively for buying and selling acts.
(Lehman, 2005)
While any format – formal, informal, memo, E-mail, blank form, or letter format is used in
business, the letter is the most preferred format by the people in the business world. Those engaged
in the other fields of knowledge like science, engineering, architecture, computer, medicine and so on
likewise use letters in presenting knowledge and information on investigation results, technical
proposals, feasibility studies, work progress, laboratory findings and in other technical reports. Owing
to the frequent use of letters in technical writing, the principles behind effective business letter
writing must therefore be well understood and well applied by any technical report writer. These
business letter writing principles from (Davis, 2005; Brusaw, 2005) Adler (2010) and from other
reading materials on business correspondence listed on this material are clearly explained by the
succeeding paragraphs.

PARTS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

A normal business letter has eight parts. In the order of their appearance, they are: Letterhead, Date
Line, Inside Address, Salutation, Body, Closing or Complimentary Close, Signature Line, and
Notations.
The Letterhead is found at the uppermost part of the letter.

Letterhead
 This topmost part of the letter gives these pieces of information: full name, complete address,
contact numbers, and the nature of the company sending the letter. The secondary information are:
names of one or more offices, telefax number, logo, and corporate subsidiaries.
With the many artistic designs of the letterheads, some consider this letter part as an
information-giving portion and an ornamental feature of the letter. However, the best kind of a
letterhead is one that follows a simple design. An elaborate letterhead tends to grab the reader’s
attention from the central message of the letter.
Since the letterhead projects a corporate and somehow affects the reader’s understanding of the
message of the letter, some firms take much care and time in finalizing the appearance of the
letterhead to represent the company. In fact, some companies launch money-spending contests on a
company logo and letterhead designing.
The second part of a business letter is the Date Line, which is type two or four spaces below
the letterhead. There are two standard ways of writing the date: the American way (May 8, 2011)
and the British way (May 2 2012).
More way are used by other business correspondents, but whatever style you choose, the
usual procedure calls for one punctuation mark – the comma after the day (August 8, 2011) and for
the non- abbreviation of the name of the month.
The address of the writer is found in the heading; that of the recipient, is in the Inside
Address. This third part of the letter, Inside Address, is written four or eight spaces below the date
line on the
 left margin. Normally, if this consists of three to four lines, the first line presents the name of the
person or company and the individual or official corporate title of the like: Miss, Mrs., Atty., Dr.,
President, Manager. For example:

Mrs. Fely R. Zamora, Manage Atty. Alex B. Solis

Hope Enterprises Maxim Steel Corporation
38 Quirino Avenue, Quezon City 17 Taff Avenue, Manila

The following are some reminders on the proper way of writing titles:

1.
1. Address an
Avoid abbreviating Christian names, corporation, company, an
You may abbreviate titles like Honorable, Reverend, Professor
Include the article “The” before the company name like – The
or the Paulinian Ladies Circle.
Write the titles – Honorable, Reverend in full if the article “Th

them like The Reverend

6. Use the ti
full names, not before a last name, like – Professor Juliet J. Sales, Honorable Orly D. Pecson, not Profes
7. Use small letters in writing the article “The” in “the Reverend Lino V. Paterno” or “the Honorable N

The fourth part is the Salutation or Greeting. This is written on the left margin, two or four
spaces below the Inside Address. Since its purpose is to cheer up or greet the addressee with the use
of positive words like Dear, Dearest, My dear, it is also called the Greeting. However, you cannot just
use any greeting you want. The degree of formality tells you which greeting to use. The most formal
salutations for top-ranking government officials are Sir and Madam. Lower than these are Dear Sir or
Dear Ma’am, and for friendly, intimate and informal relationships, you may use My dear Cora, Dear
Peter, and so on.
In formal business letters, the Salutation is followed by a colon; informal or friendly letters, by a
comma. These two – colon and comma – are the only punctuation marks used after the Salutation of
a business letter. Gentlemen is the salutation for letters addressed to a company, club, committee,
and other organizations composed of males or both males and females. The salutation, Ladies, is for
organizations exclusively for females. However, if there is a particular person whom you want to read
the letter addressed to the company, you can write this person’s name in the Attention Line, a letter
part considered as an extension of the Inside Address and can be placed between the Inside Address
and the Salutation or opposite the Salutation.
 Examples:
extension of the Inside Address and can be placed between the Inside Address and the Salutation

GONZALES ENTERPRISES
23 Yulo Street
Cubao, Quezon City

Attention: Engr. Hector N. Nolasco

Gentlemen:

 opposite the Salutation

GONZALES ENTERPRISES
23 Yulo Street
Cubao, Quezon City

Gentlemen: Attention: Engr. Hector N. Nolasco

There are also Salutations, like To Our Dearest, To the PTA Members, Dear Customers, that are
situated at the upper center of the bond paper. These kinds of Salutations are good for formal letters
making an announcement to a group of people.
Another secondary part of a business letter found in the area of the salutation is the Subject
Line placed two spaces below the Greeting. In a modified block letter, it is usually centered, and in a
full block style, it is at the left margin. Serving as the title of the letter, the Subject Line states the
purpose or topic of the letter in a short sentence. Here are examples of the how the Subject Line is
written.

Engr. Nick F. Lanuza, President

APEX Home Builders
12 Taft Avenue, Manila

Dear Engr. Lanuza:

 Subject: Repainting of the Del Fun House.

Please, comply with our agreement on the repainting of the DEL Fun
House before the end of Summer 2011. It is surprising that, soon, May will
end, yet none of your men is coming to see us regarding this matter.

Nova Hills Bank

28 Pawid Street
Fairview, Quezon City

Gentlemen: Subject: Repainting of the DEL Fun House

Please, comply with our agreement on the repainting of the DEL Fun
House before the end of Summer 2011. It is surprising that, soon, May will
end, yet none of your men is coming to see us regarding this matter.

The fifth and the biggest part is the Body of the business letter. This begins two spaces below the
Salutation. The spacing is double between the paragraphs of the letter. It is in this part where you
may convey all the messages you want your reader to understand.
The Closing or Complimentary Close comes as the 6th part. It is typed two or four spaces below the
body. Unlike the Salutation that uses two punctuation marks, comma, and colon, the closing uses
only one marl, the comma. If the closing is of several words, only the initial world should be
capitalized. Choosing the kind of complimentary close also considers the degrees of formality. Below
are some of the most commonly used Closings ranging from formal to informal ways:
 Very respectfully
yours, Respectfully
yours, Very truly
yours,
Truly yours,
Sincerely yours
Cordially yours,
Best wishes,
Kindest regards,
The seventh part is the Signature Line. In business letter, two signatures are needed – the
printed or typewritten signature, and the penned signature. The printed signature is typed four
spaces below the Closing. It is four spaces because the other two spaces are for the penned
signature of the writer and for the fully capitalized name of the company represented by the writer. If
the name of the company is in the letterhead, you may do away with your typewritten signature.
With regard to the signature of a woman writer, consider the following assumptions:

It is assumed that a surname preceded by initials belong to a man.

Example:

Yours truly,

M.S. Lopez

It is assumed that a name not preceded by Miss or Mrs. always means a name of an unmarried
woman. (Rosario C. David)

Respectfully yours,

Myrna S. Lopez

The eight part, which is the last part is Notations. The following are the notations that come two
spaces below the Signature Line:
 Identification Initials. These are the initials of the writer or dictator and the typist or
transcriber. A colon, a slash mark, or a differentiation in letter size used to separate the two
kinds of initials. (e.g. KM:LY, KM/LY, KM ly)
 Enclosure. Sometimes, there are some important documents or papers that the writer would
like to attach to the letter. This inclusion of papers in the letter would eventually be
 by the reader through the explicit statement of these documents in the body of the letter and
in the Enclosure. Enclosure is a notation written two spaces below the initials of the dictator
and the typist and appearing in full word. Enclosure or in an abbreviated form, Enc.
Example:

 Carbon Copy. This notation is found two spaces below the last line of the signature. Its
purpose is to let the reader know that a copy of the letter is sent to another person or
recipient whose name is not mentioned in the address. The term Carbon Copy or the
symbol CC may then be written for this kind of notation, and the written after CC or Carbon
Copy is the full name and official corporate position of the other recipient.
Example:

 Blind Copy. If the writer, in confidence, decides to give a copy of the letter to a person not
referred to in the address, he may note this as “blind carbon copy” or “bcc” on the copy for
the “secret” recipient. This “bcc” is not reflected in the original. Actually, though they are not
noted as carbon copies, they may not be, at all times, carbon, but may be photographic or
Xeroxed copies.
 Postscript or PS. This may be added after the last notation. It serves as a device for
emphasis. Two spaces below the Identification Initials or two spaces below the Enclosure or
CC is where you can write the symbol PS.

FORMAT OR STYLES OF A BUSINESS LETTER

Based on a certain letter format, you may position the parts of your letter in the following
ways:
 FULL BLOCK STYLE

MODIFIED BLOCK STYLE

 SEMI-BLOCK STYLE

INDENTED OR TRADITIONAL STYLE

 HANGING STYLE

MEMORANDUM STYLE
The first three styles – Full-block, Modified Block, and Semi-Block – are the modern forms of business
letters. Among the three, the Full-Block is the most widely used form because its layout is easy to
make. Since all its parts begin at the left margin, the typist need not worry about the indention of
parts. To a certain extent, this advantage is likewise true for the Modified and Semi-Block forms.
There is however one disadvantage of the Full-block form. This is the lopsided or imbalanced
appearance of the letter due to the concentration and beginning of all parts at the left margin.
Looking at the layouts well and depending on these criteria for evaluating letter forms: time for
typing, need for space, nature of the message, kind of occasion, and the position of the write, you
may conclude that some patterns are good or bad.
END of LESSON 7 and 8
 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
English 1023 (Advanced Technical Communication)
AY 2020-2021

Lesson 1: Introduction to Technical Communication

Topic: Types of Business Letters

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. identify the different types of business letters;

2. state the use and characteristics of each business letter;
3. differentiate the types of business letters; and
4. write a sample of a business letter.

LEARNING CONTENT
Introduction:
Letters have always been a way of communication. They have been used in many ways that
are beneficial to us. When we were younger, we were taught to write letters such as friendly letters,
birthday invitation letters and of course love letters. Such letters are used primarily to express
feelings, emotions and thoughts. These kinds of letters are usually addressed to our families,
relatives, friends and special someone. We call these letters as informal letters.
As college students, you are now expected to write letters that are utilized in your future
workplace such as business letters. These are letters that are far different from your informal letters. I
am sure you already had a glimpse of what business letters are because it was tackled in your
previous module. This time, we are to tackle the types of business letters and their purposes.
Lesson Proper
In the corporate world, there are several types of business letters that are being
utilized. Remember that you utilize a certain type of business letter depending on your purpose.

Types of Business Letters

Source: Rosales (2019) and Egipito (2005)
1. Letter of Inquiry
 This type of business letter is considered as the simplest business letter. This is
used when one writes a letter to ask, seek or inquire for particular information. It
may be written to seek information about people, services, products, prices,
catalogue, policies, personnel, and the like of a certain agency which demands
some specific response.
 Remember that this type of letter is direct and the questions are constructed to get the
An inquiry letter according to QS study (2020) has one of the following objectives belo

To ask for a catalog, 1.

To know payment terms, 2.
To know the past records of a job3.applicant,
To know the creditworthiness of a4.firm or a person, To know the financial strength of a firm or
To obtain information about the social
5. status of a person or a firm, To evaluate the performanc
To learn about the quality of a product,
6. etc.
7.
8.
9.
Take note: The first paragraph begins with the most important question or a summarizing statement.
The second paragraph may contain the explanation or lists of questions. Lastly, the third
paragraph should tell the reader what you want to be done and when.

Sample Letter of Inquiry:

 2. Letter of Reply or Response
A letter of reply or response letter is written when one responds to a letter of inquiry. It directly answe
In writing this letter, you have to express your appreciation for the interest shown by the sender, and

 Acknowledge the inquiry by mentioning important details from the letter of

inquiry you received.

Take note of the following when
Build writingand
goodwill thispave
letter:the way for future contacts by using a cordial or
friendly tone.
 Answer the questions fully and send prompt replies
Sample Letter of Response:
 3. Letter of Order
Letter of order is simply written for the purpose of purchasing items that are for sale.
Below are the usual contents of the letter of order (Rosales et al, 2009):

1. Name of the item ordered

2. Description of each item, giving size, style, finish, quality, material,
weight, or whatever will help in identifying the article wanted
3. Catalog number of the item, if it is available
4. Quantity of each item wanted
5. Price of each item and the total price of the order
6. Method of shipment desired by the buyer
7. Address where the goods are to be shipped or delivered
8. Date of shipment
9. Credit references, if payment is made from an account
10. Mode of payment
Take note: The writer should not forget to include important details or the complete descriptions
about the product. This is to have a purchase that is satisfying, specific and complete.
Sample Letter of Order:
 Source: https://

4. Letter of Complaint and Adjustment

Letter of Complaint – It is written for any grievance regarding goods and services. The primary purpose of th
Letter of Adjustment – It is written in response to the letter of complaint. Its primary purpose is to handle the
The issues or complaints may be addressed though reimbursement, replacement or refund.
According to Romero, et al. (1997), claims made by customers generally involve any of the following:
1. Merchandise claims which involve orders incorrectly filed, merchandise whose
quality is unsatisfactory and goods damaged or delayed in shipment.
2. Amounts of money claims which involve errors in statements and invoices and
misunderstanding with regard to price or terms of payment.
3. Service claims which include delays in filing orders or requests for service,
discourteous treatment by employees and failure to make a follow-up of an earlier
incomplete service.
Tips in Writing a Letter of complaint:
1. Describe or explain tactfully the circumstances. Do not be overpowered by
your anger.
2. Mention details of your claim.
3. Suggest a solution.
4. State your immediate solution.
Tips in writing a Letter for Adjustment:
Thank the writer
1. for writing you by making a conciliatory statement. Assure him that he did t
Express regret2. over the incident.
State the policy
3. of the company when it comes to complaints. Explain briefly the possible re
Specify the action
4. to be done to solve the problem. Assure the customer that it will not happ
5.
6.
7.
Sample letter of Complaint:

Source: https://blogs.ubc.ca/shaktiramkumar/2018/12/17/writing-letters-of-complaint-and-adjustment/
Sample Letter of Adjustment:

Source: https://blogs.ubc.ca/shaktiramkumar/2018/12/17/writing-letters-of-complaint-and-adjustment/

5. Letter of Transmittal or Cover Letter

 It is a letter that accompanies an item or document sent to a client and
identifies what is being sent, the person receiving it, and the reason the item or
document is being delivered to the recipient (Baugh, Frayrs and Tomas,
1996).
 It has the same function with the preface of the book.
 Transmittal letters usually use the term “herewith” which means the writer
is enclosing something with the letter.
Most transmittal letters (Bradley, 2020):
Establish
 goodwill

Present the information clearly and in an easy-to-read format Are only one page

 Include importantdeadlines or other dates
 of the accompanying document or package Answer any questions that ma
Explain the content
 the product, contract, manuscript or other document Clarify the desires or in
Be promotional for



Some of the main types of documents that are sent with a transmittal letter (Bradley, 2020):
Proposals, quotations
 or bids Contracts

Manuscripts for publication
Formal reports of analytical studies Shipments of merchandise Applications




Sample Letter of Transmittal:

Big Ideas:
 The type of business letter you write depends on your purpose.
 Any type of business letter contains the main parts of business letters.
 Any type of business letter can use the different formats (can be Full-block, Modified
block, Semi-block, or Indented).

*** END of LESSON***

 A Step-by-Step Guide in the Job Application Process

A Step-by-Step Guide to the Job Application Process; Supporting Documents for

Topic: J
and Don’ts in Job Application

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify the steps in job hiring process;

2. Enumerate the different supporting documents for job application;
3. Internalize the different DOs and DON’Ts in job application; and
4. Create an essay of a career that you are interested in pursuing

Lesson: Job Application

When you’re in the middle of it, the job application process can seem both mysterious and
frustrating. What should you include in a job application, resume, or cover letter? How many
interviews should you expect to participate in – and how many interviewers will be at each one? And
finally, how can you know when you’re approaching the end of the process and a
possible job offer? It’s easier to deal with the waiting – and the possible anxiety – when you
know how the job application process works. While every company does things a little differently,
most employers use some variation on the standard. This step-by-step guide will tell you everything
you need to know about the job application process.
A Step-by-Step Guide to the Job Application Process
o Get your Resume Ready
Many companies require a resume and a cover letter in addition to a job application. When you
submit a resume with your job application, it is important that your resume is well-organized and
polished.
You also want to be sure that your resume is a match for the job you are applying for. Personalize
o Write a Cover Letter
A cover letter is a document that explains why your skills and experiences make a good fit for a job.
This document may be required as part of the job application process. If it's optional, including a
cover letter is the best way to pitch your case for an interview.
Again, make sure that your cover letter is tailored to the specific job listing.

o Job Applications
You can apply for jobs online, via email, or in person. No matter what job you are applying for, be
sure to follow the company's specific directions for filling out the application.
 o Job Application Screening
Companies often use applicant tracking software (ATS) to recruit, screen, hire, track, and manage
applicants for employment. Therefore, your application is likely to be screened to determine if you are
a match for the job.
The software will match up the information in the job applications that are submitted with the
position requirements for the job. Those candidates who are the closest match will be interviewed.

o Employment Tests
Employers often use pre-employment tests and other selection procedures to screen applicants for
hire. The types of tests and selection procedures utilized include talent assessment tests, cognitive
tests, personality tests, medical examinations, credit checks, and background checks.
along in the hiring process, after the interview and prior to a job offer.

o Interview Process
If you are selected for an interview, you will be invited to talk to a recruiter, hiring manager, or
employer on the phone or in person (or both). The company may conduct several interviews prior to
offering the leading candidate the job.
Some interviews are one-on-one, while others are in small groups.

o Hiring Process
From the time you apply for a job until the time you accept a job offer, you will go through a series
of steps as you progress through the hiring process.

The first step in the hiring process is, of course, to apply for jobs and to get your application into
contention for the jobs you are interested in.
Depending on the organization and the job, you may apply online, email a resume and cover letter, or
apply in-person.

o Job Offers
When you receive a job offer, you're close to the end of the process. However, you don't need to
accept the job, at least right away, if you're not sure whether it is the best opportunity for you.
It's important to take the time to evaluate the offer carefully, so you are making an educated decision
to accept, decline, or renegotiate the offer.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS FOR A JOB APPLICATION

When you're applying for a job, an employer may want more information than just a copy of your
resume and cover letter. The company may request what is known as "supporting documentation" to
complete your application. Knowing what to include and how to include it will help you stay in the
running for the role.
What Are Supporting Documents?
Supporting documentation for a job application can include a resume, a cover letter,
educational transcripts, writing samples, Veterans' Preference documents, portfolios, certifications, a
reference list, letters of recommendation, and other documentation as specified in the job posting.
The information that is required varies depending on the job and the employer's hiring requirements.
Note: Generally, employers will specify which documents they would like you to include with your
application.
If not, feel free to ask the hiring manager or HR representative what kind of supporting
documentation to send. Be sure to follow all their instructions about what to send and how to send it.
(For example, official transcripts would usually be sent directly from the school or
institution concerned.)
Why Do Employers Request Supporting Documentation?
Getting supporting documentation from candidates helps companies evaluate applications. For
many employers, a resume (or a resume and cover letter) provides all the information they require.
Other employers need more information to determine which applicants they will interview and
eventually hire.
The reason for requesting information is to get a full picture of you as a candidate, or to
provide confirmation of the details listed in your resume or job application. For instance, requiring a
transcript as supporting documentation allows employers to confirm that you graduated, as well as
your GPA.
Requesting documentation can also be a test of whether or not applicants can follow
instructions. If a job posting states that candidates must submit a list of references with their
application, hiring managers can immediately eliminate all applicants who did not submit references
List of Supporting Documents
Below is a list of supporting documents that you may need to submit along with an employment
application:
 Resume
 Cover Letter
 Reference list
 Letters of Recommendation
 Transcript
 Portfolio
 Writing Sample (Essay, articles or other writing samples)
 Employment Certificate
 Certifications (e.g. Teaching or computer certifications)
How to Submit Supporting Documentation
Gathering up all this information at one time, whether it’s during the application process or
after an initial interview, is hugely helpful to employers. It allows the hiring manager to have all the
pertinent information about candidates to hand, and cuts back on follow-up emails and phone calls to
request more documents.
 Bringing Documentation to a Job Interview
If the company asks for supporting documentation to be brought to the interview, bring a
photocopy of each of the requested documents with you to leave with the hiring manager.
Also be sure that you have everything else you need ready to bring with you to the interview.

DOs and DON’Ts in Job Application

Do’s
1. Prepared with what you will need
o Resume, social security card, driver’s license, etc
o Names and addresses of previous employers, as well as starting dates and
salary information
o Names, addresses, and phone numbers of references
o Black and blue pens (have extras)
2. Read and follow instructions carefully
o Review the entire application before you begin
o Be sure to write your answers on the correct lines and in the right spaces
3. Complete the application thoroughly and neatly
o Print clearly – do not be in a rush
o Think about your answers before you write them in
o Keep your information consistent with your resume
4. Answer truthfully, but don’t provide negative information
o Turn “negatives” into “positives” (such as “job ended” instead of “got fired”)

Don’ts

1. Don’t leave blank spaces.

2. Don’t be unclear. If a question requires specific information, don’t try to dodge it by being
vague.
3. Don’t write in scripts.
4. As much as possible, do not use correction fluid.
END of LESSON 10