Office Memorandum, Notice, Circular, Job application letter and resume

1.                      Office Memorandum

(Memo or Office Memo)

Office Memorandum also known as office memo or simply memo is a short written document used for exchange of information in a business organisation. The word memorandum actually means a short note to help memory.

1.     It is used for internal communication only and is never used for communication with any person outside the organisation..

2.     But within the organisation, it can move in any direction – upward, downward, horizontal or diagonal. It can be used for exchange of information within a department or between different departments of the organisation.

3.     It is very brief. It contains only the necessary information and nothing besides that. You have to be to the point and not include anything else.

4.   It does not contain two elements always found in a letter – the salutation and the complimentary close.

5.     The language is simple, direct and easy to understand. Normally, the language is informal, even conversational. However, it depends on the direction of the communication. One has to use formal language if one is communicating with a senior. There is no attempt to use ornamental language.

6.   Personal feelings are not included in a memo. Emotional appeals are never made. Only the information required is given or asked for.

7.     A memo is used normally for the following purposes:

I.                   To convey routine information.

II.                 To submit periodical reports.

III.              To communicate change of rules in the organisation.

IV.              To issue instructions to the staff.

V.                To confirm a decision taken on the telephone.

VI.              To call explanation of an employee for any act of misconduct or indiscipline.

VII.           To give or withdraw permission to do something.

VIII.         To give or ask for some information.

8.     Format of the memo:

A memo is generally written in the following format. Business organisations generally use a printed proforma for this purpose.

Name of the organisation

Reference No………………..                                                      Date ………….…

To:

From:

Subject:

Body (It contains the details of the information sought or supplied). If there are many different pieces of information, they are given in different paragraphs which are numbered.

Signature

Designation

Enclosures:

Copy to:

(If any documents are attached with the memo, they are listed under the heading enclosures.)

Similarly, if copies of the memo are sent to any people other than the person it is addressed to, their names are given under the heading copy to.

If there are no documents attached and the copy of the memo is not to be sent to anybody except the addressee, these two elements (enclosures and copy to ) are not included in the memo.

Advantages:

i.                    It is inexpensive. It is delivered by hand.

ii.                  It is convenient to use.

iii.                It is quick. There is no delay.

iv.               It helps to keep a record of the information exchanged between the people in the organisation.

v.                 It can help the organisation to fix responsibility in case of anything going wrong.

Resume, Curriculum Vitae and Bio-data

Resume, curriculum vitae and bio-data are documents which are used by the applicant for a job to bring to the notice of the prospective employer the qualifications, work experience and personality traits which he possesses and which make him a suitable candidate for the job applied for.

Sometimes, these three are taken to be different names for the same document which can be used interchangeably. But they are actually three different documents which have the same basic purpose. The difference relate to the details to be included in them and the situations in which they are to be used.

Resume: The resume is used by a person who is already in job and is applying for a higher position in the same field of specialisation. It is the briefest of the three. In it, the applicant gives the details of the qualifications, skills and experience which are directly related to the job he/she is applying for. Any other details which are not relevant to the job in question are not included. These qualifications and experience are also given in the reverse order beginning with the latest and then going back to the earlier ones. The purpose is to highlight those qualifications and that kind of experience which will enable the applicant to perform the duties and functions that he/she may be asked to perform in his/her new job in an efficient manner.

Curriculum Vitae: It is a document used by fresh candidates applying for their first job or by those candidates who are trying to switch the field of work i.e. they are applying for a job which is different from the one they are doing and involves the performance of different duties and functions from the ones that they are performing in their present job. It is slightly longer than the resume and includes the details of all the qualifications, skills and experience which the candidate possesses. But the personal details are generally not included.

Bio-data: This is the most exhaustive of the three. It carries all the details of qualifications, skills, experience and personality traits possessed by the applicant. In addition to these, it also includes the personal details of the applicant like his/her religion, nationality, marital status, hobbies etc. which are not included in the other two. It is used by people applying for a government job or for a job in a multinational organisation or a foreign organisation.

 

How to Prepare the Resume

Your resume is document which is aimed at highlighting your qualifications, skills, job experience and personality traits in order to secure the attention of the prospective employer and by giving him a clear idea of your worth. It is an effort to sell your services to the prospective employer. Therefore, before you sit down to prepare your resume, you have to look into yourself and ascertain whether you have the qualifications, experience, skills and personal qualities required to perform the duties and functions which the job involves. If you have, you have to decide how to project yourself in the best possible manner so as to convince the prospective employer that you are the most suitable candidate for the job. To be able to do this, you have to visualise what the employer is looking for. Then you have to highlight those qualifications, skills, and qualities etc. which he is in search of. Given below are some clues about preparing your resume.

1.     Personal information: Here, you should give your name, your father’s name, postal address, phone number, email id, etc. so that the employer may be able to contact you if he finds you suitable for the job. You may, if you like, include information about your gender, and marital status etc. if they seem to be relevant.

2.     Objective: You can mention here the goal you have set yourself as a professional and particularly your objective in applying for the job in question.

3.     Work Experience: Her you should give the names of all the employers you have worked for in reverse chronological order beginning with the latest, the designations, the period during which you did so, the kind of duties you performed, and any special achievements you might have made in that capacity.

4.     Qualifications: Give your qualifications beginning with the highest and going down to the lowest. Give the name of the qualification, the year of acquiring it, the board or university from which you got it, the marks obtained and the total marks, percentage of marks obtained, subjects that you studied during the course etc. The name of the institution where you had studied may also be given especially if it is a reputed one.

5.     Skills: Details of any other skills that you may have acquired and which may be relevant to the duties which the job involves must also be given.

6.     Personal Qualities: Do not fail to mention any special personal qualities like your ability to lead your team, to coordinate and cooperate with the team members, to organise events, to supervise the work of the subordinates, to inspire your colleagues etc. which may be required for the efficient and effective discharge of the duties and functions that you are likely to be entrusted with in the job applied for. You can mention the capacities in which you may have worked in your student days which validate your claims. Merely claiming to have them is not enough. Any special achievements in academics, sports, cultural activities, social service etc. should also be given.

7.     References: References are the names and addresses of the people who can assure the prospective employer that you really possess the kind of qualifications, experience, skills and qualities which you have claimed in your resume. If you are a fresh candidate with no previous work experience, these references can be your principal, your teachers or research guides etc. If you have some on the job experience, the name/s of your previous employers and the seniors under whom you have worked can be given as references. But before giving their names as references, you must get their consent.