Professor Ho, I need your help. I’ve prepared my application for a position at MMC.

I wonder what I should do next.

Are you sure you have all the documents ready?

Certainly. I’ve got everything needed, including the application form, certified transcripts, and a resume.

Very good! All you have to do now is sending it to MMC.

But I need to write a cover letter, don’t I?Please tell me about it.

Well, a cover letter is what introduces the purpose and other details of the application.

In the letter, the applicant mentions what he/she encloses with the letter.

Such documents include:Application formRecent photosResumeCertified transcriptsRecommendation lettersOther information

What does a cover letter look like? How many types of letters are there?

There are two types of letters, Linda.

Personal letters andBusiness letters

Can you guess what type of letter does each statement appear in?1

“Mom and Dad, when will you visit me again? Studying at MSU is so tough. I’ve been homesick and I want to go back home to see you.”

Now try this one!

2 “Enclosed please find a copy of my certified transcript along with a resume and a recent photo of mine.”

Here’s another one!

3 “Will it be possible for you to join me in a trip to Chiang Mai next weekend. I have reserved two return tickets for just two of us.”

Just one more!4 “On behalf of MMC and its staff, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you and your colleagues on the occasion of the inauguration of the new office building.”

Now, let me talk about essential components of a business letter.

A business letter is typically composed of:

Letterhead Date Line Reference Number Receiver’s Name & Position Inside Address Salutation

There are quite a few more components.

Letter Body Complimentary Close Signature Printed Name Position Reference Initials Enclosure

Could you please talk about a letterhead?

No problem at all, Linda. A company’s letterhead mainly contains: Company’s name Short description Mailing address Telephone and fax numbers E-mail address

A letterhead is printed in a well-designed form.

Could you please talk about the date line?

Well, I’ll just show you some examples. The date line in a business letter looks like this: American Style:

December 24, 2005 British Style: 24 December 2005

What’s a reference number, Professor Ho?It’s the number assigned

to a letter and used as a reference.

A reference number in a business letter looks like this: 135/2005 refers to the 135th letter sent out in the year 2005.

You may wonder what the receiver’s name and position part looks like. It looks like this:

Mr. Tanabe Takamura General Manager Another example is: Dr. Thaksin Shinawat Prime Minister

The receiver’s name and position part comes together with the inside address:

The whole part looks like this:

Mr. Tanabe Takamura General Manager, MMC Company Limited, 263/3 Nakhonsawan Road Maha Sarakham 44000 Thailand

Now please talk about salutation.

A salutation begins with “Dear” followed by sir/madam, or the receiver’s name with a title and a colon or a comma.

Some examples are: Dear Sir/madam: Dear Mr. Nakamura: Dear Dr. Thompson, Dear Director,

Professor Ho, what’s a complimentary close?

It is a phrase used to end a business letter. It comes in several forms.

Some common examples are:

Sincerely yours, Yours sincerely, Faithfully yours,

A business letter ends with a signature plus a printed name and position. It looks like this:

Sincerely yours,

…………………………... (Mr. Tanabe Takamura) General Manager

A business letter may use a reference initial to refer to a person who drafts or types the letter.

For example,

JJ refers to Jennifer Jackson, a secretary who drafts the letter.

Professor Ho, how many types of business letters are there?Business letters are of var

ious styles. Three frequently used styles of business letters are:

Block Style Modified Block Style Personal Business Style

Thank you so much, Professor Ho. I’ve learned a lot from you.I’ll make sure to write a good c

over letter for my application.

Good luck to you, Linda.I’m sure you’ll get the job you plan to apply for.