The Systematic Super Scripter's aim to help provide information on some of the most important aspects of professional writing. Our team's goal is to inform, educate, and provide tips and a guide to some of the most pertinent topics to help you, the writer.
Letters of Recommendation are useful in many aspects in life, such as when applying for graduate school or a new job/position. It is important to remember that when asking for a letter of recommendation you cannot assume that a "letter recommendation" will be a "good letter of recommendation." So when asking for a letter of recommendation it is important that you specify, "Will you write me a good letter of recommendation?"At this time the person in question will respond "yes" or "no."
Who should you ask for a letter of recommendation?
Someone who knows you very well
Someone who has a great opinion about you
A person with a good reputation
A person who will be able to write a good letter of recommendation
How do you go about asking for a letter of recommendation?
Make an appropriate and effective request, such as, "Will you write me a good letter of recommendation?
Ask the individual if they know you well enough to write a meaningful recomendation
Pay attention to the individuals demeanor
If the person says "yes," provide them with an already addressed envelope with a stamp
Provide potential writers with information such as transcripts, resume, awards, due date for the application, professional goals. Many letters of recommendation are confidential and do not allow the individual to share their letter with the person. It is ultimately the decison of the individual whom is writing the recommendation, whether you get a copy or not.
When in the work place it is very important to know what type of report you have to write for what instance and who your audience is. The two types of reports are formal reports and informal reports. Formal reports are reports that are normally for clients or anything that has to be published and viewed by the public. Informal reports deal with information that is generally internal. For instance when I worked at a retail store and we would have employee memos and bulletins those would be considered informal, but documents that we had to prepare to be seen be seen by customer's like signs or rules about returning policies then those would fall under the category of formal reports.
Informal Reports Informal reports are generally going to be reports that you will just have to share with your coworkers, like a report of the status of a project, or simply some statistics that you need to share with your coworkers. The difference between an informal report and a formal one mostly comes down to the audience and of course as the names state the amount of formality required when writing for those audiences. The example below is one of an informal lab report that shows a great visual on the difference between that and a formal one. http://writing.umn.edu/tww/disciplines/engineering/assignments/assignmelab.htmlThese examples explain the formats and what should be involved.
Formal Reports Formal reports require more attention to detail, for instance making sure the ideas that the report is explaining are understandable to the audience by using words that explain concepts in the simplest way possible. Using the example of a lab report, with an informal version you would be able to use jargon because you know the people you are writing to have the same knowledge base that you do, but with a formal report you cannot assume these things are cannot leave out details that to you and your coworkers could be considered common knowledge. Formal to me is just another way of saying that the report has to be as perfect as possible for every one to see while informal is allowed to have a few imperfections. The example I have chosen for formal reports explains that shows what elements have to be involved. http://engr.bd.psu.edu/psu007/metbd-formal-report.html
Tips for Report Writing Here are a few of my personal quick tips to deciding which type of report you need to write:
Be sure to remember who your audience is.
Make sure whether or not you can use jargon in the report.
Make sure all the information you are using is correct and from reliable sources.
Focus on making sure you are using the right tone.
Hopefully these tips make these reports a little easier to understand, and I wish you all luck in your future report writing endeavors.
We all have to write a resume at some point of our lives, so it is very important to learn how to write a good and effective resume. I already learned how to do it, and I have my resume ready. Do you? If not, that’s great. You know why? Because I will teach you haw to write a good resume! In addition, I will give you some useful tips.
Resumes are very important documents and you don’t want your resume to look like you did not put a lot of effort into it. You want your future potential employer to be impressed with your resume. You want your resume to stand out, so you can move on to the next step – job interview.
Here are things that you should include in your resume:
Your full name and last name, address, phone number, and email address
Objective ( if needed)
Education
Work experience ( Describe all present jobs in present tense, and previous jobs in past tense; List your jobs in sequential order with the most recent first)
Volunteer Experience
Related Skills
Languages ( if you speak more than one)
Accomplishments
Computer Experience
Here is an example of resume:
Tips for a good resume:
It should be attractive and easy to read
It should be free of spelling and grammar errors.
The format of your letter should be very clear
Bold the most important information
No “right” way to do it
Don’t s
Do not use Wizard, build everything from scratch
No highlighting
Do not include references or phone numbers of previous employers
Do not refer to yourself by using “I”
Your resume should not be longer than one page
Do not use font smaller than size 11
To learn more about things that you should not put on your resume you can watch the following video:
I hope that at this point you know how to write a resume. You should start right away, even if you are not currently seeking for an employment. You can always make some changes to your resume and add some new things. I hope that my tips were helpful to you. However, if you are still confused, you are more than welcome to watch the following video:
When typing an email it is important to keep in mind to whom the email is addressed to. Based upon who the intended audience is emails will vary quite differently from person to person.
Some things to keep in mind when writing a email:
Some emails will be sent to a large group of individuals.
Some emails require a timely response.
Many recipients are geographically distant.
Emails can be printed and distributed.
Internal emails are different than external emails in the following ways:
Internal documents can often be less formal than external documents.
Internal documents generally do not include formal greetings and closing statements.
Emails are often, but not always, less detailed than other types of documents.
A thing that many people including my self is, how does one exactly master a job interview? With the economy the way it is getting to the job interview stage is a feat all by its self. Here my top 5 tips for job interviewing:
Click here to comment on this Voki. Get a Voki now! Tip 1: Make sure to dress professionally When going to a job interview the main objective is to make a good enough impression to be hired. Part of that impression which some people tend to forget is dressing the part. Even if the job you are applying for does not have a strict dress code , the best policy is to wear business attire that goes more to the conservative side. Presenting a clean and put together outer appearance helps people believe that you are that put together in a work environment as well. I personally have experience with this through my own job interviews that I have been on and gotten hired from, when I was in high school I put this tip in use and dressed smartly for a job interview, and was hired over other people my age who dressed in jeans and t-shirts to go on a job interview. Tip 2: Having a positive attitude In almost every job you will ever have, like it or not, you will have to deal with people on a daily basis, be it just your boss and coworkers, or clients, people skills are an important part of any job. Having a positive, upbeat attitude in a job interview shows interviewers that you would be easy to work with and are capable of being a team player. Tip 3: Make sure your resume is up to date and easy to understand With so many Americans losing their jobs lately getting to the interview process has gotten even harder because of the sheer amount of resumes that are coming in. The key when applying for a job is to make sure your resume stands out in the pile. Having a good cover letter and an easy to understand resume that clearly states your work experience and education background. My fellow blog group members have posted resume tips to go further into detail about it. Tip 4: Turn negatives into positives In every job interview you will get asked something about your faults, the key is to turn your fault into a positive, like being obsessive about being organized, never say an actual fault that could endanger your chances of being hired. We all know that every one has faults but job interviewing is all about good marketing, only focus on the positives. Tip 5: Be prepared for anything you might be asked When at a job interview the same basic question are always asked: why do you think you will be a good fit with this company, are you a good team player, where do you see your self in the future, etc. Making sure you know how you will answer this question will enable you to make quick solid answers, which will show how confident you are and hopefully how right for the job you are.
Letter of Application, which is also called a Cover Letter, is extremely important because this is the first thing the potential employer will look at. Most of the employers look at a cover letter before looking at a resume. Writing a cover letter, gives you a chance to impress the employer. Therefore, I will give you some good tips on writing a cover letter, and I hope that after reading what I have to say, you will have no problems with writing a good cover letter.
Tips on Writing a Cover Letter
Cover letter must be written in business letter format. It should look professional.
Your address and employer’s address should be included in the letter.
Address the letter to specific person: “Dr. Mr.…” is more effective than “To Whom It May Concern”.
Paragraphs should be separated by single blank line.
You should close your letter with “sincerely” and your name. Don’t forget to leave four blank spaces for your signature!
Keep you cover letter clear and concise, it should not be longer than one page.
Now, I am going to tell you what you should include in your paragraphs:
Introductory paragraph
In the first paragraph you should say why you are writing this letter. Then you should inform the employer what position you are applying for and how did you hear about this position.
Body Paragraphs
In the body of you letter you should explain how your education and experience connect to qualifications of the position or values of the company. You should definitely be specific in this part of the letter. Include all of the details about yourself that can help you to impress the employer, and make him hire you for the desired position.
Concluding Paragraph
Your conclusion should be short. You should simply state why the employer should higher you. In addition, you should say how YOU are going to contact the employer. For example: I will contact you within several days in order to confirm that you received my letter and my resume. I also will be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.
I hope that now you know how to write a cover letter. However, if you are still unclear, you should definitely watch this video:
When creating a presentation it is important to include only what is necessary, and to use specific formats and graphics to keep the audience alert and interested. Most presentations include different types of visuals to help convey certain information to a group of people. I am going to discuss the ways to create an effective presentation by elaborating on the uses of different visuals and how they effect the audience.
The reason why it is important to use visuals during a presentation is because they provide a number of advantages to the presenter. Visuals establish organization, and gain attention. Depending on how you layout your visual, there should be a site of emphasis on certain information, as well as the highlighting of specific information. Visuals also establish authority for the presenter. If the visual is a graph or chart containing statistics of a subject, the presenter is perceived with professionalism and credibility.
The few important elements to know and use when putting together a presentation are graphics, images, size, and color.
Graphics include icons, graphs, charts, tables, and line drawings. When focusing on graphs, it is always best to use the more appropriate graph for different information. For example, Bar graphs (pictured below) are used with numeric information.
Image provided by www.jpowered.com
Line graphs (pictured below) are used when depicting shifts over a period of time.
Image provided by www.awe.asn.au
When focusing on charts, you have the option to use either pie charts of flow charts. Pie charts (pictured below) represent percentages, and divide a whole circular area in to different representative sections.
Image provided by www.statcan.gc.ca
Flow charts (pictured below) depict a process or procedure.
Image provided by www.edrawsoft.com/Organizational-Flow-Chart.php
Those different graphs and charts are the main types of graphics that should be used when relaying information statistically.
Moving on to the element of images, these include photographs, screenshots, video, and animation. I like to use images when creating a presentation because they relay information well, and serve as a great visual. It is important to relate the image you are using in your presentation to the information in the presentation. For example, I am explaining the different types of graphs used as graphics, therefore I provided a photograph of a bar graph as opposed to a photograph of an apple.
Another element that is important when creating a presentation is the formatting of the visual. Be sure to mix things up when developing a presentation. You don’t always want to use the block style format for a slide show or a power point. The usage of bullet points are always helpful because they emphasize certain information and keep every subject in an organized manner. They also help to cut down the amount of information used in your slide show and only include the necessary points. This will be easy for you to emphasize on each subject just by looking at each bullet point. It also helps to keep your audience interested, as opposed to them getting lost in your presentation.
The last two elements I would like to discuss are those of size and color. When choosing the size of a presentation, it is important to use variety. You do not want the entire presentation, whether it is a power point or poster board, to all be one size. The title of each slide should be the largest font of the presentation. Following the title may be the second largest font for the subtitle. Any other information after that should be fitted accordingly. Larger fonts, as well as bold fonts emphasize information, so keep that in mind when it is time to make your claim or relay any other information that is of importance. Make sure that the size of your presentation does not come off obnoxious or too dominant. You may rub the audience the wrong way if all letters are capitalized and size 72 font throughout the entire power point.
Finally we have our color. Color can be used in a fun way. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Colorful presentations can catch the audiences attention and also make your claim. Just be careful, you don’t want your presentation to look too colorful and obnoxious. This may take away from the sophisticated and professional outlook that we discussed earlier.
All of these elements are important when creating a presentation. With the correct use of graphics, images, formatting, size, and color, you can develop the most effective presentation in no time! Keep all of these little tips in mind next time you are asked to provide a power point to present to the rest of the company!
Below I have provided a video on more tips for creating an effect presentation, I hope this video is helpful as well!
With almost any level of work in the business world you will have to at one point or another write a status memo or a progress report about either your own personal work project or the work of others. Being able to write effective progress reports is key to being productive at work. Progress reports let your supervisors or in some cases other coworkers working on the same project you maybe working with to make them aware on how far you have gotten on a project in most cases, or maybe even a legal case if you work for a lawyer or are one. These reports are so vital in the work place because sometimes other people have to wait to start their work until you get to a certain point, or there might be important deadlines for milestones with a project that supervisors need to be sure are met.
The best tips for writing status reports are:
Being concise and to the point
Be aware of your audience.
Be Concise and to the Point
In order to have an effective progress report it is important that the writer is sure to use clear wording that makes it easy for the reader to understand what is going on with the subject of the report at the time. Avoiding information that is not necessary will also help with the reader understand the information being provided and gather the information that they need in the fastest way possible.
Be Aware of Your Audience
The obvious reason for this document being referred to as a status memo and a progress report seems to refer to the formality required, a memo being an internal document requires less formality than an external document, a report, needs. Another thing that involves your audience is the amount of jargon used in a report, if the report is going to people in your department with similar knowledge base to the person writing it because if too much jargon is used and people reading that jargon do not understand it then the document becomes useless.
The following video is a helful one that shows how to write a basic memo which can be used to write a proper status memo.
Cover letters are very important when submitting a resume. A cover letter gives you the opportunity to wow the reader/employer and set yourself apart from other applicants. It also gives you a chance to share information that is not included in the resume itself.
You should write the resume first, and when that is complete chose three or so main details that you would like to highlight and discuss in more detail. These details will make up the body part of your letter.
What does a resume cover letter include? What format should be used?
The format used is the same as any other letter; introduction, body, and conclusion. The letter should also be in block style because you want it to appear professional. The following explains what exactly should be included in each section of the letter.
Introduction: • What job are you applying for? • Where did you learn about the job? • How are you qualified for the position?
Body: • Elaborate more on your qualifications • Focus each paragraph on one strength or qualification • Use lists to focus on important areas
Conclusion: • Make reference to other documents included such as resume • Give the reader an opportunity to meet with you • Avoid over used conclusions like “Hope to hear from you soon”
As a rule of thumb, be sure you are familiar with your cover letter because many interviewers use these letters to structure their interviews. Make certain that you have knowledge about the information you include in your letter because chances are you will be asked questions about it. Make sure you follow the 5 C’s when writing this letter because employers have many letters to read and they do not have time to search for information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHl1NZAmAD4 Dobrin, Sidney, Christopher Keller, and Christian Weisser. Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2008.
There are so many things to do before graduation. Sometimes people get really stressed out and they don’t know what to do. However, today, I am going to tell you what you should do before gradation. I hope that after reading what I have to say, you will not be stressed out any more.
List of things to do before graduation:
Collect Information You should start gathering information about the type of job you are looking for. First of all, go on internet and do some research. Type some key words. For example, I am in accounting major, so I can just go on google.com, and type in “accounting jobs”. And then look at different types of jobs and decide what you are interested in the most. Collect as much information as possible so you can make sure that you are making the right choice.
Interview Other People Talk to other people about your career. Talk to your teachers, family and friends. Maybe they will give you some good advices. Try to get to people who are doing what you think you want to do in the future. It is very useful to get some information from person who actually does what you would like to do. Person like that can describe to you all of the responsibilities of your future job. One year ago, I was thinking about working in a bank, so one day I just went to one of the banks in the plaza next to my house, and I talked to the representative. I asked him several questions about his job. He was really nice, and I was happy that I could get some information about my potential future job. You should not be afraid to talk to other people. It won’t hurt, it can just help you.
Apply to Career-Related Training or Volunteer Programs By applying to volunteer programs or training related to your field, you can gain a lot of valuable experience. In addition, many students participate in supervised internships related to their major. From supervised internship you can earn academic credit, and sometimes even salary. Volunteering as well as training and participating in internships will help you to gain work experience that will definitely make your future job easier.
Begin Working on your Resume It is very important to start working on your resume. I am only a sophomore, and I have my resume ready. You can always update it and add something new. However, having a resume will help you to keep track of your work experience, skills and qualifications. You will have all important information about you in one place which is very smart. That’s why I already created my resume.
Request Letters of Recommendation One year before graduation, it is important to start requesting letters of recommendation. You should ask your professors for recommendation letters. You also have to make sure that you will ask a professor with who you had a good relationship with. You don’t want to ask a professor who does not even remember you.
Stay Organized It is extremely important to stay organized. You should have a folder or a special place where you will put all of the important documents like resume and letters of recommendations. You wouldn’t want to loose such important documents. I have my own folder where I keep all important documents, and it helps me to stay organized.
Begin your Job Search As you get closer to graduation, start looking for a job in your profession. You can do a research on line or in the newspaper. If you find a job in your profession that interests you, you should definitely apply. You should not wait for the last minute. It is always better to begin applying earlier.
I hope that my list of things to do before graduation will help you. My advice to you would be to stay on top of everything and make sure that you have everything done before graduation. And don’t be scared! We all have to go through this process.
Complaint letters are one of many types of letters. They are intended to address an issue or complaint of any matter within the body of the letter. Therefore, writers should be aware that complaint letters portray a negative message to the reader.
Basic Elements of Letters
Header or Letterhead
Date
Recipient's Address
Salutation or Greeting
Introductory Paragraph
Body Paragraphs
Concluding Paragraphs
Closing Phrase
Signature
Page Headers
***Before you write a complaint letter consider the ideal way of conveying a negative message within a letter. (Below)
Negative Messages
Prepare the reader for the negative message.
Clearly state the negative-once.
Present alternatives, compromises, solutions, or possible actions if they exist.
End with a positive, forward-looking statement.
"Negative letters are perhaps the most difficult to write, but a clearly written and well-organized letter can minimize a reader's negative feeling toward you." (Dobrin, Keller, & Weisser, 2008)
You may feel that what makes a document important lies within the information that the document contains. However, what some of you may not know is that every content of a document contributes to the importance of it’s representation. One of the contents that I am going to touch on is a document’s format. A format is the general physical appearance of a document. This is the feature of a document that the reader sees first. The reader will perceive your work in either a positive or negative way all determined by their first impression, the format. There are different styles of formats for different types of work. The first example I am going to give is that of a letter. When writing a letter, the most common format style used is the block style format. When writing professional letters, such as letters of recommendation, cover letters, and thank you letters, this format is encouraged. The block style is used by keeping everything in the letter in alignment aside from the letterhead which should be along the left margin. Block style is also single spaced, with a double space in between paragraphs. I have provided an example of block style format in the picture below.
Another format style that is often used in the workforce is modified block style. This style is slightly less formal, in the sense that the alignments are used differently in comparison to block style. The return address, closing phrase, and signature are aligned to the right where as all other text is aligned to the left. I have provided an example of modified block style in the picture below.
This picture was provided by jimcosta.org
Another format that is important to know is one that is used when writing essays. Although it is easy to get creative when composing an essay, it is best to follow the following structure: Be sure to include the introductory paragraph at the beginning of your essay. This paragraph describes what you will be discussing in your paper, along with a strong thesis to state your claim. The next few paragraphs should be your body paragraphs. Each of these include supporting details that express your claim. At the very end should be your concluding paragraph. This should wrap up your work, restating what has been said in the essay with a short and strong summarization. Essays are normally double spaced, and indented at the beginning of each paragraph. As the paper itself will vary in length, each paragraph should be no less than 6 to 8 sentences. I have provided an example of the essay style format in the picture below.
This picture was provided by wordsworth2.net/writing/miasmal.htm
Those are just 3 of the many different types of formats used in the professional world. It is important to use proper format so that your work gives a nice sleek and businesslike appearance to whomever you may be submitting it to. Appearance may not be everything, but it is the first thing, and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Below is a short video on how to compose a document using the APA style format. Enjoy!
Every college student today unless they live under a rock, knows that plagiarism is not allowed by any means and results in serious consequences for any one who does it. But with information so easy to obtain with today's current level of technology it is important and every one is clear on exactly what plagiarism is.
Plagiarism: Using someone else's words or ideas without identifying the source.
This definition is from the book Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. If I had not stated that then providing that definition would be plagiarising. The easiest way to tell if you are plagiarising is simply if you read something from a book or any where else it is better to be safe than sorry and cite it in whatever way is required by your class. With so much information readily available there is almost no way facts or statements you are making in a paper are completely your own original thoughts. A video from YouTube by the Michael G. Foster School of Business explains plagiarism in college and does a great job of explaining it.
Plagiarism is a very serious crime in college and in life, after all people work hard to get their ideas out there and share them with the world so that every one can benefit from their knowledge, so give credit where credit is due make sure to cite sources.
Instant messaging has become very popular as one of today’s major forms of communication. Slowly IM is creeping into the business world. IM offers a fast and somewhat secure way to communicate between workers, co-workers, supervisors, and clients. IM is much faster than email, which can take minutes or even hours to receive.
The advantages of IM in the workplace include: • Real-time communication • Users can tell when other users are available • Users can ignore unknown users • Group Chat for online business meetings
The pitfalls of IM in the workplace: • Security is not yet perfected • Compatibility (not all providers are compatible) • Tracking/Monitoring (no real way to monitor employees IMs) • Identity, such as screen names (Personal/Professional)
Instant messaging is gaining ground very quickly in the business world. Nearly 85% of organizations are already using IM, whether for business or personal reasons. Most employees find IM much more efficient and convenient than any other form of communication such as the telephone or email. It only makes sense to take advantage of this new way to communicate in the workplace.
It is really important to know the differences between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing. Some people confuse paraphrasing and summarizing, and some people don’t know how to quote correctly. However, after reading this document, I guarantee that you will be able to distinguish between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.
Quoting Quoting is using other person’s exact words in your own work. Most people use quotes when they want to make sure that they present the concept correctly. For example, sometimes it is better to quote a very important definition from a textbook, than try to define it by yourself and miss out on something that is very important. Other people quote somebody else’s words because they like the way the person said something. However, it is really important to remember that you should not use too many quotes in your document. Your document should be written by you, and quotes should be only small part of it. Some people use long quotes to increase their word count, and doing that is completely wrong. You should not use quotes that are longer than three sentences. Moreover, it is really important that you put a quote in quotation marks and you give a credit to the author. When I was younger, whenever I wrote an essay, I would quote someone else’s work but never give credit to that person. Now I know that I was wrong, and you always have to give a credit to the author.
Paraphrasing Paraphrasing is writing other person’s work in your own words. When paraphrasing you have to be very careful because you need to say exactly what the other person wrote in your own words. Believe me that changing couple words in the sentence is not paraphrasing. I did it in the past but I learned my lesson, and now I know what paraphrasing really is. Moreover, you have to make sure that you give a credit to the author and you identify the source. In addition, you have to make sure that you include all of the important concepts, numbers, dates and statistics from the original document. This is what paraphrasing is all about, providing all of the details but in your own words.
Summarizing Summarizing is very similar to paraphrasing, because it is also presenting other person’s work in your own words. However, when you are summarizing the document, you want to include only the most important concepts. Summaries are usually a lot shorter than original documents. Summary is just a brief, short version of the whole document. In my opinion, summarizing is easier than paraphrasing. You just need to read the document and write a paragraph about it, including all important concepts. When summarizing, you have to also make sure that you give a credit to the author of the original document.
By this time, you should know how to distinguish between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing. I hope that my explanation was helpful. However, if you are still a little bit unclear, you are more than welcome to watch the following video:
Dobrin, Sidney, Christopher Killer, and Christian Weisser. Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008.
Whether you are composing a memo, letter, or document of any sort, the correct use of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice are important. The slightest mistake could change the meaning of the entire document that you have written. I have provided a few guidelines on how to produce an accurate document. In following these steps, you will not only gain knowledge, but you will also become a more professional writer.
When focusing on sentence grammar, it is important to take these steps:
-Make sure that the sentence is grammatically complete. In other words, the sentence must contain a subject and a predicate.
-Make sure that each part of speech is used correctly. Parts of speech include verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and articles. Each of these parts of speech can be used correctly based on the construction of the sentence. It is important to know how you are going to use your subject and predicate in order to include each part of speech.
-Be sure to sequence verb tenses accurately. In other words, the writer must determine which tense the sentence is taking place so that they can set up the verb to describe either the past, present, or future. The past tense of run is "ran", present tense would be "is running", and future tense is "will run". This rule also applies to the subject-verb agreement.
When focusing on correct spelling, it is important to take these steps:
-Learn the most commonly misspelled words. Words are constantly being misspelled, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were to find a few in this blog! However, there are multiple ways to avoid such errors, just by glancing over the commonly misspelled words list. These can be found in just about any grammar book, and even online.
-Use a spell checker. This step is vital for the business environment. When composing a document on your computer, make sure that the spell checker for that document is active. This will point out the mistakes and errors you have made with spelling, as well as grammar.
-Learn to distinguish different homonyms. Homonyms are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. A list of these can also be found in grammar books and online sources.
-Follow the spelling rules, and know the exceptions. An example of a spelling rule would be "i before e except after c" and the exception to this rule would be the word "either".
-Use a dictionary. If you are unsure about the spelling of a word, do not hesitate to look it up in the dictionary. In the end, it will have been worth it to use correct spelling as opposed to looking less intelligent on an application, letter, resume, etc.
-Re-read your work. Spell checkers are not always 100% accurate. This is why it is important to re-read your document, or have someone edit it for you. Sometimes it is easy to miss your own mistakes, which is why peer editing is highly encouraged.
When focusing on punctuation, be sure to take these steps:
-Determine the correct end punctuation. Periods, question marks, and exclamation points are punctuation that goes at the end of a sentence. Periods are used for sentences that making statements, mild commands, or polite requests. Question marks are used to close sentences that ask requests. Exclamation points are used at the end of sentences that show surprise or strong emotion.
-Be sure that the commas in your document are used appropriately. Even I have a trouble with this step. It is important to steer away from any unnecessary commas. Commas should only be used to set off introductory words, phrases, and clauses; as well as setting of items in a series.
-Follow correct capitalization. The beginning word of every sentence should be capitalized, as well as pronouns, and the beginning of a quote.
As far as determining the proper word choice for your sentence structure, there is just one simple rule:
-Always find the word with the higher diction. By this I mean that it is always better to go with the word that has the most sophisticated meaning for your subject. This will help to enhance your vocabulary and display your intelligence to those that will be viewing your work.
These are just a few guidelines to abide by when composing a document. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of taking the time to check for correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice. Just by following these steps, your knowledge of writing will improve and the respect that others have towards you will strengthen. It can only help, and not hurt your document. Good luck, and enjoy the beautiful process of writing correctly!
In professional writing it seems there are some mistakes almost every one makes at one time or another, mistakes that cannot be fixed by simply using the magical spell checker button so many of us rely on to correct everything. Though spell checker is wonderful they do not fix mistakes with are headlines and formality.
Headlines
With technology being so important in the business world today emails are the primary means of communication, be it with a client or between coworkers. Headlines let the person know what the email is about before they open it and can convey how important or unimportant the actual email will be if done properly. A few tips will help make sure you have perfect headlines for all of your emails.
Headlines need to be properly capitalized, all caps and no caps are not the correct way to write a headline.
Wrong ex: Subject: READ RIGHT AWAY!
This tells the person reading the subject line nothing at all about what the email is about, also many spam emails have similar headlines and might not even react a person's inbox and go straight to spam. All lower case letters is also incorrect. The proper way to do it is that all words be capitalized unless they are prepositions with 3 letters or less.
Correct ex: News on the Latest Nike Campaign Proposal
That is a good headline because it tells the reader exactly what to except from the email, news about the Nike campaign that is being worked on in the office. Headlines are so important because they make sure the reader so not over look an important email and it also lets them know if an email can be put aside to be read later.
Formality
When writing documents for the work place it is important make sure that you are formal enough for the type of document you are writing, for instance an interdepartmental message does not have to be as formal as something that you may be sending a client. The easiest fix for formality in professional writing is whenever you are not sure whether or not you need to be formal, just assume that you should be formal because it is better to be too formal than not formal enough.
Following these simple tips should start you on you're way to better and more effective professional writing.
Writing completely means including all the useful information needed to fully understand the writer’s objectives. A complete business message should often include the five w’s: who, what, when, where, and why. A message that provides the five w’s to the reader usually contains enough information and is often considered complete. Complete writings need to focus on the reader’s ability to understand the entire message. The writer must also consider the amount of information the reader needs to understand the intended objective. Leaving out just one small important detail in a letter or memo may make it useless to readers.
What do readers want?
Readers want relevant information, presented in a manner that is clear and easy to understand. Readers don’t want to have to read, re-read and dig for information in a jumbled up mess of meaningless information and they definitely don’t want to read information they already know. When planning your writings try to imagine yourself in the reader’s position.
The following questions should be considered before writing:
· Who are my readers?
· Will they understand technical terms?
· What do they already know?
· What information do they want?
· What do they need to know?
· What do I want them to do?
If you follow these simple questions every time you write you will be sure your message is complete and readers will have no problems understanding your ideas. By making sure that your writings are complete ensures that they are also clear and coherent.
Positive letters are the letters that contain good news. Acceptance letter from University is great example of a positive letter because it contains good news. Letter that informs you that you received a scholarship is another example of positive letter. Positive letters are the letters that the reader wants to read and the message included in the positive letter makes the reader happy. Who wouldn’t want to receive a positive letter? All people like receiving letters that contain good news. However, I am not going to talk about receiving a positive letter; I am going to talk about writing one. First of all, when writing a positive letter you should fallow block style letter format. You should leave one blank space between addresses ( yours and recipient’s) , salutation and paragraphs. At the end of the letter, you should live one blank space, write a closing phrase ( for example: sincerely), leave three blank spaces for your signature, and then at the very end, type your name. Here is an example of a positive letter format:
You should follow these steps when writing a positive letter:
State the good news in the first paragraph. Your first sentence should tell the reader right away what the good news are. The good new should be stated very clearly. The first paragraph should include most important details of the good news.
The second paragraph should include the necessary follow-up details. In this paragraph you should explain everything to the reader, and give all of the information that the reader may need.
The third paragraph should include clear description of limits or negative elements. Sometimes the good news come with some limits so it is extremely important to inform the reader about it. It is also very important to “ present the negative elements as positively as possible”.
At the end of the letter you should include a goodwill ending. You should also give the reader a chance to ask some possible questions by giving them your email address or phone number, so they will be able to contact you.
If you fallow these steps and use block style letter format you should not have any problems with writing an excellent positive letter.
Dobrin, Sidney, Christopher Killer, and Christian Weisser. Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2008.
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You should follow these steps when writing a positive letter:
