An e-mail is simply electronic mail. E-mails are used when direct and slightly informal communication needs to occur between the administrator and someone else. I have learned from job shadowing that the situations in which the administrator would use an e-mails would be for simple communication between themselves and someone else. The communication can either be a question, or a simple statement or contain a more complex dialectic, the choice is up to the administrator. A memo resembles an e-mail but tends to be longer and quite more formal. A memo is used by an administrator when a problem and/ or solution, or a specific task or assignment needs to be addressed to another employee (Perkins). A business letter is an extremely formal form of communication that the administrator will typically use only when needing to speak to someone in a higher position. A business letter may also be about something of severe importance (Angeli and Brizee). E-mails, memos, and business letters are all three different types of writing that require their own style and context. An administrator uses e-mails more often than a memo or a business letter just because it is quicker, however, if needed they must be able to prepare a memo or a business letter when either document is required (Ho). Knowing every detail for each of these business communication outlets is …show more content…
“You should take time to consider the purpose of your document in order to determine how you should express the message you wish to convey” (Driscoll). The characteristics of the most common writings are: length, style, tone and format (Driscoll). However, along with those characteristics, the most important feature of all types of professional writing is to be confident. In the article about the tone of business writing, Dana Driscoll stated, “You can feel confident if you have carefully prepared and are knowledgeable about the material you wish to express… As you prepare (professional) documents, you want the reader to do as you ask or to accept your decision. In order to make the document effective, you must write confidently’. I have learned from firsthand experience that e-mails are typically short to moderate in length. E-mails also tend to stay within 2 to 5 sentences. The subject line is a very important detail of an e-mail. The subject lets the receiver know what the e-mail contains and if its level of importance. The typical tone of an email is causal and informal, however, if e-mailing someone whom you should speak to formally then the tone can be altered. There is not a specific type of format that administrators must use in e-mails. I learned from my Allied Health class that the