rePare a résumé that highlights your character,
education, and

CXperience. Use the Sanchez résumé and “Tips for Preparing
a Résumé”

in this chapter as a guide.
Check your local newspaper or familiar Web sites for job listings, and

WTite a letter applying for some current job that interests you. Attach the

job listing with your letter.

XERCISE

2

Writing E-mails
The office memorandum (memo, for short), usually sent as an e-mail message,

is a vital link between and among workers in an institution and provides a for-

mal record of newly initiated activities and requests for information or action.
E-mail continues to grow in popularity, and for good reason. it is quick; it is

informal; and it can cover wide geographical territories without problems. An

office manager may e–mail all her employees about new safety regulations

required by the state; an office assistant may e-mail his boss requesting annual
leave over Christmas and New Year; a sales manager may e-mail a represen-

tative requesting explanations of weakening sales for an important product.
Some e-mails are fairly long, but usually the most effective communication in
this medium is brief and to the point-and deals with an explicit topic. Look at
the annotated e-mail on page 413.

E-mail messages should be concise and, despite the informality of the com-
munication, should be error-free. Most e-mail providers have built-in spell
checks. Don’t assume that e-mail is an open field for bad spelling and grammar;
mistakes always diminish the impact of your message in any medium. And
remember: Business e-mail is for doing business. If you want to pass along or
receive jokes, local supermarket sales information, concert dates, and so on, be
sure that you use your private e-mail account for such purposes, not the account
established where you work. Many companies now monitor their emplovees
e-mail, and you want to be beyond reproach.

2 2 Day Day Care Center Message (HTML)
Date appears

automatically on
Message a Irvsert Options Format Te Revie

Sender’s name the sent messageFrom Roberta McAtster
Person receiving

Send Mildred Greenberg Stevens
e-mail

Recipients of

copies (cc’s) of

the message

C Winifred Rollison; Roger Eggers
Subject of e-mail,

stated briefly Subject: Aay Care Center

Mildred,

Many of our employees have asked us to establish a day care center for the children of Wakdorf Corporation’s workers. I think that
this is a good idea, but we have far too little information to
recommend the option to our Board of Directors. I have asked
Winifred Rollison, Director of Personnel, and Roger Eggers,
Eastern Regional Sales Manager, to work alóng with you in developing by the end of next month a preliminary report that will
guide a decision. Please address the following issues

Purpose and

desired outcome

stated in the

first paragraph

Double-space between

paragraphs

Space. Where would be the best place to establish a day
care center in our building?
Regulations. What regulations-state, federal, local-exist
to guide the construction of a day care center?
Cost. What would it cost to establish and maintain the day
care center? Deadline for
Need. Just how many Waldorf workers wouid take

advantage of the Center? How many children would we
expect to serve each day?

completion of

stated task

‘m sure that you will discover other key issues as well; feel free to
address them in your report.

Roberta

Sender’s

Roberta McAlister

Vice President for
Administration

Waldorf Corporation
612 Super Highway
Mitwaukee, WI 53201

(414) 555-7645

contact

information

414 CHAPTER 19 Business Writing:An Overview

TIPS for Successful E-Mails
Be brief. If your e-mail is too long, you probably should write your

message in a separate file and add it as an
attachment.

Include relevant dates. E-mail programs automatically add the date sent

to outgoing messages. Be mindful, though, that words like fomorrow can be

vague, depending on when an e-mail is actually
received or read. Your mes-

sage will be clearer if you use specific dates.

Check names and e-mail addresses carefully. Probably the worst error

you can make is misspelling someone’s name. Also be
sure that the copies

go only to the people you intend to read the e-mail.

Always fill in the “Subject” line. If you leave it out, the recipient will read
“No Subject,” a phrase generated by the server. “No subject says “This is

not really important, even if that’s not what you mean.

Replay to e-mails promptly. If an answer is called for in an e-mail you

receive, acknowledge the message as quickly as possible. Remember that if

you send a “Reply all” message, every recipient of the original message will
see your response.

EXERCISE Write an e-mail on one of the following issues:
1. Announce to members of your class a trip to a local animal sanctuary;

include the purpose of the trip, the day and time, the cost, the person in

charge, and any other relevant details.
2. 2. Assume that you are the office manager of an employee pool of twenty-

five people and that you are writing to remind your workers of the
importance of getting to work and, moreover, getting to work on time.

Sick-day call-ins seem excessive to you. Employees also have been

clocking in beyond accepted arrival times.
Announce to members of your class a series of collaborative study ses-
sions that you’re trying to organize in preparation for the biology final.

3.

MyWritinglab
Visit Ch. 19 Business Writing in MyWritingLab to test your understand-
ing of the chapter objectives.