In the workplace, you will find that a lot of your daily writing is some kind of correspondence (letters, memos, or email messages). This week’s #TuesdayTutorial focuses on one of these kinds of correspondence: letters.

Most of the time, the letters you write will be formal letters. You will use letters for things such as job applications, official requests to someone inside or outside your organization, documentation of complaints and reprimands, and recognition of special achievements. Here are some more specific examples that you are likely to see early in your career:

• cover letters that are part of a job application packet.
• thank you letters to those who are part of your job search (e.g., interviewers, HR staff, those who write recommendations).
• recommendation letters for those you work with.
• cover letters (or transmittal letters) that accompany reports and proposals.

In all these cases, you will want a formal letter. You may occasionally write informal letters in the workplace, but it’s typical for informal correspondence to be handled in email messages.

To learn more about formal letters, watch this short video from Rasmussen College to find out “How to Write a Formal Letter” (3m49s):