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As frequently noted above, EOIs should be lean, succinct documents. To get your EOI as streamlined as possible, you'll need to be a merciless editor. When you've finished your first draft, take the opportunity to read it over at least one more time, looking for any unneeded content. Whenever you see a sentence that goes on longer than needed to get its point across, shorten it. Whenever you see a complicated word that could easily be replaced with a shorter one, do so. Your EOI is a functional document, not a chance to exhibit your writing ability, so keep it simple. If you have time, take a quick break between when you complete your EOI and when you start proofreading. Most writer's resources will recommend this because it gives you a healthy degree of "distance" from what you've just written, making it much easier to see mistakes. EOIs should always be written with the sort of formal, dignified voice that normal business writing demands. Avoid using slang, colloquialisms, or humor. Keep in mind that the people reading your EOI have never met you before, so they won't have any reason to assume that you're including these things with good intentions rather than out of disrespect. A good general rule recommended by many writer's resources is to write as if you're giving an important speech, rather than talking to a friend of family member. As an obvious example, if you're talking our work history, the sentence "From 2002 to 2006, I worked as a freelance consultant for several personal contacts" sounds much more dignified than "From 2002 to 2006, I did a little freelance work for a couple of guys I know", even though it has almost the same meaning. When you've finished the content of your letter, take a moment to ensure that it's formatted in a way that shows respect for formal business writing conventions and makes it as easy as possible to read. Typically, this will be very similar to that for a cover letter or similar document. Below are just a few formatting issues that are common sources of confusion: Headings: In the top left corner of the letter, provide your name, address, phone number, and email address (each on a separate line. Leave a space between your heading and salutation. Spacing: Keep the text in the paragraphs single-spaced. Leave a space between each new paragraph. Indents: Either indent the first sentence of each paragraph or leave them aligned with the left side of the page. Many sources recommend against indenting if you skip lines between paragraphs. Closings: Leave three spaces between your closing (e.g., "Sincerely,") and your name. When you think your EOI is ready to send, be sure to give it one final once-over to look for any minor errors that may have slipped your notice. Keep an eye out for misspellings, inappropriate word use, grammar errors, and unnecessary content Below are just a few general tips for proofreading: Work from a printed page, not a computer screen. Seeing your work in a different format lets you view how it appears on the page and can help cure a case of "glazed-over eyes" from looking at a computer screen for hours. Read out loud. Hearing your text with your ears in addition to seeing it with your eyes gives you an extra way to detect any errors. This is especially good for spotting run-on sentences that might otherwise escape you. Get a friend to help. Someone who's never seen the text before may be able to see errors that you can't. Often, spending a long time writing a document can make you "blind" to errors in it that you've gotten used to seeing.
Re-read and trim any unneeded content. Maintain a formal voice. Ensure you're using proper formatting. Proofread for spelling and grammar before submitting.