Other Forms of Business Correspondence

1. Memorandum

A memorandum, otherwise known as memo is a short official note which is a tool for
internal communication. It is used to inform or bring attention to problems to concerned
persons and to persuade them to take action to solve problems. It is made internal so it allows
an accurate delivery of information within a large number of people at the same time.
Through a memorandum, written records that can be accessed anytime by authorized
employees are provided in the company. The structure of the memo follows the inverted
pyramid which means that the presentation of information comes from the most important
down to the least important details.

There are the five types of memorandum. Each type has different purposes or
functions. Presented below are the types of memorandum:

A. Announcement Memo
An announcement memo provides information notification about something
like significant event, dignitaries, new rules and issues (e.g. call for a meeting of
faculty, schedule of activities).

B. Authorization Memo
An authorization memo gives permission to a person to carry out an action
(e.g. allowing faculty members attend a seminar).

C. Instruction Memo
An instruction memo gives directives to the reader and calls for an action (e.g.
how to file a leave of absence, how to apply for a scholarship grant).

D. Request Memo
A request memo asks readers to respond by providing needed facts, information (e.g.
submission of annual reports, Submission of PDS).

E. Transmittal Memo
A transmittal memo functions as a cover note which gives a background and
importance of the enclosed document (e.g. a memo transmitting reports of the
campus).

How to write a Memo

A memo is a way of communicating a message within an organization.
Therefore, the writer should follow the correct format, ensure that all parts are
included and all essential information are correctly written. Here are some tips in
writing an effective memo:
 A. Always follow the standard format.
B. Maintaining a professional and positive tone is appropriate.
C. Observe conciseness but comprehensive in presenting the information.
D. In listing information, use bullets for non-sentence items that do not require
chronological arrangement, numbers for sentence items that require
chronological arrangement, and letters for sentence items that do not require
chronological arrangement.
E. Active verbs should be used.
F. Highlight topics by using headings.
G. Be aware with grammatical and typographical errors.
H. The To, Date, and Subject lines are flushed left
I. The name of the sender is typed and signed beside it using initials only.
J. By writing a directive action (For your compliance or For your immediate action)
and by saying Thank you can best conclude a memo.

Parts of a Memorandum

An effective memorandum is well-organized. The information to be conveyed to the

readers must be easily understood by writing the memo in correct order by following the
different parts.

A. Memo Head - indicates the sender’s name of the letter with the address.
B. Date line - serves as date recorder for reference purposes (spell out the month and do
not write dates in plain numbers).
C. “To” line - provides the name and title of the recipient (use “for” if you are sending a
memo to your superior and “to” if the receiver of your memo is
your colleague or a colleague or a subordinate.
D. “Attention “ line - is used when the subject of the memo is brought to the attention of
one person but the memo is addressed to whole company (e.g.
Attention: Mr. Jim B. Rico)
E. “Through” line - is used when a subordinate writes to a primary receiver who is
higher in
position than his/her immediate superior (number of people in the “through”
line should not be more than two).
F. “From” line - shows the sender’s name and his/her initials should be affixed on the
right side
of the name.
G. “Subject” line - tells briefly the main content or subject of the memo wherein the
word,
Subject or the term Re (or regarding) is used.
H. Body - contains the message of the memo and considers the following guidelines in
writing: Lines are single-spaced while paragraphs are double-spaced; Do not
indent paragraphs;
 Use topic headings for quick location of information when a number of
subtopics are to be discussed; and If the memo needs another page, write the
recipient’s name, date, and page number three lines from the page top.

I. Identification initials - shows the initials of the typist or encoder if the sender did not
personally encoded the document.
J. Enclosure notation – gives a note about the attachments to the memo which can be
written
using the following formats: Enclosures (2), Enclosure, enc./encl.
K. Copy notation – provides the names of the secondary recipients of the memo which
are indicated by cc: which means carbon copy or courtesy copies.

2. E-mail
It is otherwise known as electronic mail. An email is a computer-assisted tool for
communicating with people or sending information to others, for transmitting documents, for
sending and confirming requests and for submitting important documents. E-mails have
different advantages. It can easily reach the recipient near or far. It is also low cost because it
is paperless comparing to printed letters. On the other hand, there are disadvantages in using
e-mail. It is environment friendly but prone to hacking and can be a tool in transmitting
computer virus that could damage important files in the computer.

How to write an E-mail

Most workplaces utilize e-mail communications for conveying messages or
information. For effective communication processes using the e-mail, consider its common
elements and the ways they should be written.
A. The subject line is what the receiver sees in the inbox. It should be informative and
complete but avoid making a subject line too long. In replying to a sent e-mail,
never change the subject line.
B. The to line contains the e-mail addresses of the primary readers while the
cc line contains the e-mail addresses of the secondary readers. Always
double-check the correctness of the e-mail address of the recipient.

C. The body states your purpose of sending the e-mail usually at the first part. It should
contain complete and detailed information written clearly and concisely. Do not
misrepresent facts from truth. Short paragraphs should be used and it is wise
to know the context of your e-mail (formal or informal) for you to use
appropriate language..
D. The closing ends the e-mail which is equally important. It includes the full name and
contact number of the sender. The sender may start the email closing with
“Sincerely.”

3. Minutes of the Meeting

The minutes of meeting serves as an official record of the proceedings of a meeting
within an organization. This written record documents what were discussed or transpired
during a meeting. Keeping minutes of meetings serves a lot of benefits such as an aid to
review some topics that were taken, a tool to give information to those who were not present
during the meeting and a guide for a new business to be transacted.

How to write the minutes of a meeting

For every meeting, there must be one to take the minutes- a secretary or a
recorder. The minutes of a meeting is usually written by a member of the organization
while attending the conference or assembly. But in legal meetings, an outsider who is
knowledgeable in parliamentary procedures is the recorder of minutes for the
purposes of avoiding biases and partiality. At any rate, the writer of the minutes
should have effective communication skills.

A. Before the Meeting

Before the meeting starts, write the preliminary parts of the minutes. Indicate the
organizational name, the date, the venue and the time of beginning. State also the kind of
meeting.

Check the attendance by knowing the names of participants who are present.
Indicate the names of those who are absent and who have prior notice of absence.
There is also a need to indicate the names of guests if there are and their roles in the
meeting. Indicate the names of the presiding officer and the secretary.

You should have a recording method like a laptop, audio recorder or

shorthand. It is also wise to prepare a template for your minutes to facilitate taking
down notes on the proceedings of the meeting. Know the agenda of the meeting for
preparation purposes.

B. During the Meeting

The reading, giving corrections and approval of the minutes of the previous meeting
are done before the transaction of the new business. Record corrections as approved by
the body.

Be objective in writing the minutes by focusing on the actions rather than the
discussed matters. Motions raised by individuals should be written as the original
statement of the speaker. The name of the individual who raised the motion should be
stated and the number of votes should be recorded. Complete names of speakers are not
needed as long as their initials are provided. Observe facts but should be brief and
summarized. However, use technical terms for parliamentary procedures like call to
order, withdraw a motion, point of order, division of the house, quorum, second the
motion, lay motion on the table, majority vote, and adjournment.

Announcements like time and date of next meeting, other matters to be transacted
are also indicated. The time of adjournment should be recorded.
 Topics are to be arranged based on the agenda for main headings but it is suggested
that the note taker will make use of chronological order in each cluster. Observe
grammatical correctness. Always use the simple past tense of the verb in writing the
minutes.

C. After the meeting

The first thing that you should be done after the meeting is to clarify with the
speakers the things which are not clear. Then type the minutes, single-spaced the text and
number all the pages. The note taker and the presider should affix their signature in the
minutes of the meeting. Original notes should be kept until the minutes of the meeting is
approved for clarification purposes.

4. Resume

It is a document that gives a summary of the skills, education, experiences, and other
qualifications of an applicant for employment. The resume also shows how the qualifications
of the applicant can be of help to the organization.

The resume is a very important document to be presented by the job applicant because it
serves as a proof of his/her employment record, achievements and skills. It is accompanied by
a cover letter as a way of introducing the applicant to the employer. Writing a resume shows
ones preparedness and organized characteristics of a job applicant in facing the challenges of
recruitment processes.

There are two types of resume: print resume and scannable resume (Wakat, G. et.al,
2018). The print resume is printed on paper for prospective employers to scrutinize and is
designed to emphasize key information using bold or italic typeface. The other type which is
the scannable resume is designed to be read by computers hence it is to be formatted using
typeface or without italics or bold.

The other types of resume which are discussed by Barrot, J, (2018) are the following:
chronological resume, functional resume, and combination of chronological and functional. A
chronological resume is said to be the most popular type of resume which lists employment
history, educational background, and organizational affiliations in reverse chronological order.
It is best when an applicant shows his/her career progression. A functional resume
emphasizes the skills of the applicants but not the job titles and employment dates. This
resume is commonly used by new graduates with no or minimal experience, job-hoppers and
career changers. And the combination type- the chronological and functional lists career
profile, skills which are relevant to the job and other relevant credentials in chronological
order. This resume is best to be used when the applicant has a steady career growth and
stayed in a job or profession for a long period of time.

How to Write a Resume

A. Indicate contact information which includes name, address, contact number, e-mail
address
 Points to consider:

 Increase the font of your name and make it bold to emphasize it.
 Always use words that sound professional.
 Marital status, height, weight, religion, name of parents, and other
details not related to the job you are applying for should not be
included.

b. Write a summary of your qualifications.

Points to consider:

 Highlight your credentials in few strong sentences.

 Write phrases in the third person.

c. Formulate a clear objective statement (optional).

Points to consider:

 Write the job title, function, industry, and way you can offer to the
company.

d. Present your employment history.

Points to consider:

 Indicate the inclusive dates of employment (month and year), and

brief job description and the name and address of the employer.

 Don’t falsify information.

 Present employment details from the most recent work.
 Observe grammatical rules (present tense active verbs for present jobs,
past tense active verbs for past jobs).
 Use of adjectives and superlatives are discouraged.
 Salary should not be included.
 Observe proper layout.

e. Present your educational background.

Points to consider:

 Include the name and address of school, years attended or year of

graduation, degree and specialization.
 Indicate honors, scholarships and extracurricular activities.
 Begin with the most recent education.
 Do not include basic education background (elementary and
secondary).

f. Enumerate your skills.

Points to consider:
  Write your transferrable skills, professional qualities, technical
expertise, personal qualities, and entrepreneurial skills.
 Concretize your skills through past experiences.

g. Give a list of your trainings.

Points to consider:

 Include the date, venue, title of the training and the organizer
 Only the trainings that are relevant to the job that you are applying for
should be listed.
 Listing starts with the most recent training.

h. Identify the organizations where you are a member.

Points to consider:

 List the name of the professional or civic organization, your position

and inclusive dates of membership from the most recent.
 Include also your professional and civic affiliations.
 Religious and political organizations should not be included.

i. Indicate your eligibilities (Professional Licensure and Certifications).

Point to consider:

 Include the name of the certification, rating (optional), date issued and
place of issuance.

j. Enumerate honors and awards received.

Points to consider:

 Identify the title of the award or honor, sponsoring organization,

inclusive date.
 List only the achievements that are related to the job you are applying
for.

k. Give a list of references.

Points to consider:

 Give at least three character references.

Character references should not be related to you.