http://www.ck12.org Chapter 8. Business Documents
8.1 Business Documents
Learning Objectives
- Understand the style in which business documents are written.
- Learn how to write a business letter.
- Learn how to write a statement of purpose.
- Understand the purpose of a résumé and cover letter.
- Recognize the four essential parts of a résumé.
- Understand the rules for writing effective résumés.
- Understand how to make a good impression online by using email appropriately.
- Understand the limitations of online communication.
- Be able to format a professional email.
What is business writing?
You’ve practiced different types of academic writing so far, but what if you want to send a letter to your congressman
or write an amazing cover letter for a job application? As you’ve probably guessed, the academic essay form doesn’t
always work in these situations. Business and professional writing should be clear, concise, and direct.
So, you might be asking, what differentiates business writing from academic writing? First, there’s style. Business
documents are written in a formal style, meaning that you should avoid using contractions and colloquialisms (slang
and informal writing). And second, there’s form. Most business documents have specific forms that you should
follow. These forms apply to everything from headings to what you should include in each paragraphs. There are
many kinds of business documents (letters, resumes, and memos, to name just a few), and each of these document
types have a standardized form you should follow.
In this chapter, we’ll go over the style and forms you should use for standard business letters, cover letters, and
resumes. Last, but not least, we’ll discuss how you can make yourself stand out in a college application essay.
Business Letters
When Do I Write a Business Letter?
It is appropriate to send a business letter any time you want to conduct a formal correspondence. Business letters
are often sent to companies, politicians, and institutions. For intstance, if you wanted to write a letter to your local
congressman about funding for your school, you would voice your concerns in a business letter. When you ask a
company for a refund for a faulty product, a business letter is far more likely than a casual email to get you your
money back. And when you want to inquire about a job opening, a business letter will help you get a favorable
response.
How Do I Write a Business Letter?
The main thing to remember about a business letter is that you should follow a specific format. Business letters
always include the date, the sender’s address, the recipient’s address, a salutation, a body, and a closing line.
The most common way to format a business letter is calledblock formatting. In block formatting, everything should
be left-justified. The letter should be single spaced, with double spacing between each paragraph. Do not indent the
beginning of each paragraph. You should choose a font with good readability, such as size 12 Times New Roman or
Arial.