xiii Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Amplify Your Learning Communications How does formal communication compare to informal communication? Terms formal communication informal communication communication barrier Objectives After completing this section, you will be able to: • List important elements of a business letter. • Describe the purpose and design of a memo. • Discuss the purpose of a business report. • Explain methods of compiling and organizing formal documents. Business Letters Writing a business letter is different from a personal letter to a friend or relative. When writing a personal letter, you can use your own style of writing. You can write just as you would talk to the person face-to-face. You can write on bright red stationery or yellow paper with polka dots. You also do not have to keep a copy of every personal letter you write. Letters written in the workplace, however, are more formal. There are specifi c parts that should be included in every business letter and certain styles that should be followed. To make keying a letter easy, you can use a template. A is a preformatted form available in word processing software.template Record keeping is important, so always maintain a copy of every business letter you write. You may keep an electronic copy as well as a hard copy in your Parts of a Business Letter Content is presented in an easy-to- comprehend and relevant format. Practical activities provide everyday learning, which enables you to experience real-life career situations and challenges. • Each chapter opens with a pretest and concludes with a posttest. The pretest will help you evaluate your prior knowledge of the chapter content. The posttest will help you evaluate what you have learned after studying the chapter. • The Essential Question at the beginning of each section will engage you as you uncover the important points presented in the content. • Cases simulate real-world scenarios to give context to issues that arise in the workplace. • Career Clusters Handbook describes each of the career clusters and pathways so that you can see at a glance the many career options available to you. It is important to assess what you learn as you progress through the textbook. Multiple opportunities are provided to confi rm learning as you explore the content. Formative assessment includes the following. • Checkpoint questions at the end of each major section of the chapter provide an opportunity to review what you have learned before moving on to additional content. • Teamwork activities encourage a collaborative experience to help you learn to interact with other students in a productive manner. communication commu cat nicat ion ion g red sta tionery or yellow polka dots. You also do not have to keep a copy of every personal letter you write. ommu commu nicat nicat ion ion p onal letter you write. Chapter 2 Understanding Work-Based Learning Case New Outlook for Tonyfiles. At 7:30 on a February morning in northern Texas, it’s very cold! It seemed even colder to Tony when his car didn’t start. The engine coughed once, then twice, and fi nally started. Tony muttered to himself, “Eleven more car payments to make, and it needs a new battery.” As Tony drove to school, he thought about a job. During his three years in high school, he nothing but discouragement. Freshman year was okay, but since then. Career Tony didn’t fail any of his classes, but he Three reasons accounted for Tony’s lack of enthusiasm. First, had goals for his future. His study habits were very had burdened himself with monthly car pay T d n more car payments to make, and it needs a new battery.” As Tony drove to sch ool, he thought about quitting and looking a job. During his three years in high school, he experienced nothing but disc ouragement. Freshman year was okay, but school had become a since then. Tony didn’t fail any of his classes, but he didn’t study Three reasons accounted for Tony’s lack f goal s for his future Hi much either. r Tony s lack of e goal s fo r hi s fu ture Hi People who have jobs in this cluster work with food products and processing, power, structural systems, and plants and animals. Careers in natural resources, environmental ser and agribusiness are also included in this cluster. Fewer jobs involve traditional farming and ranching. Many careers involve working science and technology to discover new food sources, to analyze food structure and content,wit to develop new ways to process, preserve, package, and store food. Workers in natural resour focus on improving the present and future quality of life, conserving natural resources, and preserving wildlife. For example, conservation scientists help solve problems affecting the us of land, water, and air. Foresters plan and supervise the growing, protection, and use of trees Environmentalists work to resolve problems related to pollution and hazardous waste dispos Animal scientists study genetics, nutrition, and reproduction. Entry-level jobs are available. Although some knowledge and skills are learned on-the-jobas many technical jobs require two or more years of advanced training. Professionals, such engineers and scientists, must have a four-year college degree or beyond. The demands of an expanding population, globalization and inc i nutrition and diet will result in strong job work for go Clusters Handbookdragdragnotlorareceeither.either.hebecomehemuchmuchhaddystudyFinally,experiencedforflookingandquittingschoolpoor.didn’t 724 decision. It is a goo letter thanking the interviewer for the offer. Checkpoint 6.2 1. Why should a job seeker go to an interview alone? 2. If an interviewer does not mention when a hiring decision will be made, what can a job applicant do? 3. Why is it important to send a follow-up letter immediately after an interview? 4. What can a job seeker do to improve his or her job-seeking skills? 5. What is the purpose of an I-9 Form? ild Your Vocabulary f ✓ 4. Wha 5. What is the purp ose of an I-9 Form? 148 Teamworkand Role-play video record a mock interview for the job of your dreams. One person on the team serves as the potential employer, and one person serves as the person being interviewed. Before the interview, record important information on note cards. List three questions to ask the interviewer. List fi ve questions that the interviewer is likely to ask the person being interviewed. Next, decide what is appropriate to wear for the interview. After the interview is complete, switch roles. View and discuss the interviews in class. College and Career Readiness S l ing Practices. Read the Ethical Leadership le do you think