How to write a professional letter

A well-written professional letter is an effective way to communicate within the business setting. With the introduction of e-mail, proper letter writing techniques are not utilized as often. However it is still an essential practice and may be used as the need arises. An eloquently written professional letter will have a favourable impact. It is easy to deduce the writer’s level of competence as a communicator by judging the content and format of the letter. In most scenarios a professional letter is written by a prospective employee vying for a specific position. The following instructions can be applied to any kind of business letter. However, it will primarily focus on writing professional letters for job applicantions.

Required tools

• A computer
• A printer

Required Materials

• 8 ½ by 11 high quality paper

Instructions

1. To begin writing the letter type the return address and the present date. This may be placed at the extreme left closest to the top of the page. It may be placed alternatively at the top, to the extreme right of the page.
2. Insert the employer’s address at the left of the letter a few spaces below the return address if it was typed on the same side. This should include: the name of the person and his or her title and department if it has been specified and the full address of the company.
3. As is customary, begin the actual body of the letter with the appropriate salutation. If the name of the person is unknown, use “Dear Sir or Madam:”. If the person’s name has been declared, place either Dear Mrs, Mr, Ms, Miss or Dr before his or her name. If the letter is being addressed to a woman and her marital status has not been revealed use Ms. Avoid using “to whom it may concern”.
4. Once the required fields are entered the body of the letter is now ready to be written. Ensure that the paragraphs are easily understood. In general a professional letter should not contain more than five paragraphs in total. Use tabs at the beginning of each new paragraph to form indentations or use block style. The paragraphs should contain a double space between each new paragraph.
5. If the letter is for a particular position, ensure that the intent of the letter is made clear at the beginning, highlighting whichever job position is of interest to you. Be sure to explain the reasons the job is desirable and also discuss any personal qualities that are useful in performing that  particular job.
6. After the body of the letter has been completed close the letter with an appropriate closing. This should be positioned directly in line with the return address. If the return address was positioned to the left then the closing should also be to the left and vice versa. After typing in the prefered closing, for example “yours truly” enter four spaces below this and create a line using the underline tool in the word processor. Below this line type in your name.
7. Once the letter is printed sign your signature on the line.

Tips and Warnings

• Try to be as brief as possible when writing the letter.
• Do not write irrelevant information in the letter.
• Always check grammar and spelling once the body of the letter has been completed.
• The letter must be typed and printed do not write the letter by hand.

For more information on How to Write a Professional Letter read:

How to Write a Professional Letter

How to Write a Professional Letter