14th Week: Resume / CV

A customized résumé emphasizes skills and achievements aimed at a particular job or company. It shows a candidate’s most important qualifications first, and it de-emphasizes any weaknesses. In organizing your qualifications and information, try to create as few headings as possible; more than six generally looks cluttered. Most writers consider including all or some of these categories: main heading, career objective, summary of qualifications, education, experience, capabilities and skills, awards and activities, personal information, and references.

1. Main Heading

Your résumé, whether it is chronological or functional, should start with a main heading that is as uncluttered and simple as possible. The first line of the main heading should always be your name; add your middle initial for an even more professional look. Format your name so that it stands out on the page. Following your name, list your contact information, including your complete address, area code and phone number, and e-mail address. Be sure to include a telephone number where you can receive messages. 

2. Career Objective

Opinion is divided about the effect of including a career objective on a résumé. Recruiters think such statements indicate that a candidate has made a commitment to a career and is sure about what he or she wants to do. Career objectives, of course, make the recruiter’s life easier by quickly classifying the résumé. Such declarations, however, can also disqualify a candidate if the stated objective doesn’t match a company’s job description. A well-written objective—customized for the job opening—can add value to either a chronological or a functional résumé.

3. Summary of Qualifications

A summary at the top of your résumé makes it easier to read and ensures that your most impressive qualifications are not overlooked by a recruiter, who skims résumés quickly. Job applicants must often capture a recruiter’s attention in 20 to 30 seconds. A wellwritten summary of qualifications, therefore, motivates the recruiter to read further.

4. Education

The next component in a chronological résumé is your education—if it is more noteworthy than your work experience. In this section you should include the name and location of schools, dates of attendance, major fields of study, and degrees received. If you have attended college, you don’t need to list high school information on your résumé.

5 Work Experience or Employment History

When your work experience is significant and relevant to the position sought, this information should appear before education. List your most recent employment first and work backward, including only those jobs that you think will help you win the targeted position. A job application form may demand a full employment history, but your résumé may be selective. Be aware, though, that time gaps in your employment history will probably be questioned in the interview.

For each position show the following:

● E mployer’s name, city, and state

● D ates of employment (month and year)

● M ost important job title

● S ignificant duties, activities, accomplishments, and promotions

6. Capabilities and Skills

Recruiters want to know specifically what you can do for their companies. Therefore, list your special skills, such as Proficient in preparing federal, state, and local payroll tax returns as well as franchise and personal property tax returns. Include your ability to use the Web, software programs, social media, office equipment, and communication technology tools. If you speak a foreign language or use sign language, include it on your résumé. Describe proficiencies you have acquired through training and experience.

7. Awards, Honors, and Activities

If you have three or more awards or honors, highlight them by listing them under a separate heading. If not, put them in the education or work experience section if appropriate. Include awards, scholarships (financial and other), fellowships, dean’s list, honors, recognition, commendations, and certificates. Be sure to identify items clearly. Your reader may be unfamiliar, for example, with Greek organizations, honoraries, and awards; tell what they mean.

8. Personal Data

Today’s résumés omit personal data, such as birth date, marital status, height, weight, national origin, health, disabilities, and religious affiliation. Such information doesn’t relate to genuine occupational qualifications, and recruiters are legally barred from asking for such information. Some job seekers do, however, include hobbies or interests (such as skiing or photography) that might grab the recruiter’s attention or serve as conversation starters.

9. References

Listing references directly on a résumé takes up valuable space. Moreover, references are not normally instrumental in securing an interview—few companies check them before the interview. Instead, recruiters prefer that you bring to the interview a list of individuals willing to discuss your qualifications. Companies are more interested in the opinions of objective individuals who know how you perform professionally and academically.

13th Week: Informal and Formal Business Report

To guide readers through the data, you need to provide the equivalent of a map and road signs. For both formal and informal reports, devices such as introductions, transitions, and headings prevent readers from getting lost.

1. Introduction.

One of the best ways to point a reader in the right direction is to provide a report introduction that does three things:

• Tells the purpose of the report
• Describes the significance of the topic
• Previews the main points and the order in which they will be developed

Remember that the introduction provides a map to a report; switching the names on the map will ensure that readers get lost. To maintain consistency, delay writing the introduction until after you have completed the report. Long, complex reports may require introductions, brief internal summaries, and previews for each section.

2. Transitions.

Expressions such as on the contrary, at the same time, and however show relationships and help reveal the logical flow of ideas in a report. These transitional expressions enable writers to tell readers where ideas are headed and how they relate. 

The following transitional expressions enable you to show readers how you are developing your ideas.:

• To present additional thoughts: additionally, again, also, moreover, furthermore
• To suggest cause and effect: accordingly, as a result, consequently, therefore
• To contrast ideas: at the same time, but, however, on the contrary, though, yet
• To show time and order: after, before, first, finally, now, previously, then, to conclude
• To clarify points: for example, for instance, in other words, that is, thus

In using these expressions, recognize that they do not have to sit at the head of a sentence. Listen to the rhythm of the sentence, and place the expression where a natural pause occurs. If you are unsure about the placement of a transitional expression, position it at the beginning of the sentence. Used appropriately, transitional expressions serve readers as guides; misused or overused, they can be as distracting and frustrating as too many road signs on a highway.

3. Headings

Good headings are another structural cue that assists readers in comprehending the organization of a report. They highlight major ideas, allowing busy readers to see the big picture at a glance. Moreover, headings provide resting points for the mind and for the eye, breaking up large chunks of text into manageable and inviting segments. Functional headings are useful for routine reports. They are also appropriate for sensitive topics that might provoke emotional reactions. Talking headings provide more information and spark interest. Unless carefully written, however, talking headings can fail to reveal the organization of a report. With some planning, though, headings can be both functional and talking.

The best strategy to help you create helpful talking headings is to write a few paragraphs first and then generate talking headings that sum up the major point of each paragraph. To create the most effective headings, follow a few basic guidelines:

● Use appropriate heading levels.

The position and format of a heading indicate its level of importance and relationship to other points.

● Capitalize and emphasize carefully. 

Most writers use all capital letters (without underlines) for main titles, such as the report, chapter, and unit titles. For first- and second- level headings, they capitalize only the first letter of main words such as nouns, verbs,adjectives, adverbs, names, and so on. Articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or, nor), and prepositions with three or fewer letters (in, to, by, for) are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning or ending of the heading. For additional emphasis, most writers use a bold font.

● Try to balance headings within levels.

Although it may not be always possible, attempt to create headings that are grammatically similar at a given level.

● For short reports use first-level or first- and second-level headings.

Many business reports contain only one or two levels of headings. For such reports use first-level headings (centered, bolded) and, if needed, second-level headings (flush left, bolded).

● Include at least one heading per report page, but don’t end the page with a heading.

Headings increase the readability and attractiveness of report pages. Use at least one per page to break up blocks of text. Move a heading that is separated from the text that follows from the bottom of the page to the top of the following page.

Source: Midge Gillies, Business Writing: The Essential Guide To Thinking And Working Smarter.

11th: Report and Research Basics

Report Functions and Types

In terms of what they do, most reports fit into two broad categories: informational reports and

analytical reports.

1) Informational Reports.

Reports that present data without analysis or recommendations are primarily informational. For such reports, writers collect and organize facts, but they do not analyze the facts for readers. A trip report describing an employee’s visit to a trade show, for example, presents information. Weekly bulleted status reports distributed by e-mail to a team record the activities of each group member and are shared with supervisors. Other reports that present information without analysis involve routine operations, compliance with regulations, and company policies and procedures.

2) Analytical Reports.

Reports that provide data or findings, analyses, and conclusions are analytical. If requested, writers also supply recommendations. Analytical reports may intend to persuade readers to act or change their beliefs. For example, if you were writing a yardstick report that compares several potential manufacturing locations for a new automobile plant, you might conclude by recommending one site after discussing several criteria. Alternatively, let’s say you work for a company that is considering a specific building for a women-only gym, and you are asked to study the location’s suitability. You may have to write a feasibility report, an analysis of alternatives and a recommendation, that attempts to persuade readers to accept that site. To distinguish among findings, conclusions, and recommendations, consider the example of an audit report. The auditor compiles facts and figures—the findings of the report—to meet the purpose or objective of the audit. Drawing inferences from the findings, the auditor arrives at conclusions. With the audit objectives in mind, the auditor may then propose corrective steps or actions, the recommendations.

Organizational Strategies

Like other business messages, reports may be organized directly or indirectly. The reader’s expectations and the content of a report determine its development strategy. In long reports, such as corporate annual reports, some parts may be developed directly whereas other parts are arranged indirectly.

1) Direct Strategy.

When the purpose for writing is presented close to the beginning of a report, the organizational strategy is direct. Informational reports, are usually arranged directly. They open with an introduction, which is followed by the facts and a summary. The report begins with an introduction. The facts, divided into three subtopics and identified by descriptive headings, follow. The report ends with a summary and a complimentary close.

Analytical reports may also be organized directly, especially when readers are supportive of or familiar with the topic. Many busy executives prefer this strategy because it gives them the results of the report immediately. They don’t have to spend time wading through the facts, findings, discussion, and analyses to get to the two items they are most interested in—the conclusions and recommendations. You should be aware, though, that unless readers are familiar with the topic, they may find the direct strategy confusing. Many readers prefer the indirect strategy because it seems logical and mirrors the way they solve problems.

2) Indirect Strategy.

The organizational strategy is indirect when the conclusions and recommendations, if requested, appear at the end of the report. Such reports usually begin with an introduction or description of the problem, followed by facts and interpretations from the writer. They end with conclusions and recommendations. This pattern is helpful when readers are unfamiliar with the problem. This pattern is also useful when readers must be persuaded or when they may be disappointed in or hostile toward the report’s findings. The writer is more likely to retain the reader’s interest by first explaining, justifying, and analyzing the facts and then making recommendations. This strategy also seems most rational to readers because it follows the normal thought process: problem, alternatives (facts), solution.

Source: Midge Gillies, Business Writing: The Essential Guide To Thinking And Working Smarter.

10th Week: Persuasive and Sales Messages

Persuasion is defined as the ability to use argument or discussion to influence an individual’s beliefs or actions. Parents use persuasion to cajole their kids into doing their homework. A team member uses persuasion to convince her technology-averse manager that instant messaging is an excellent tool to keep all team members informed about a project.

Successful persuasion depends largely on the reasonableness of your request, your credibility, and your ability to make the request attractive to the receiver. Many techniques can help you be effective in getting your ideas accepted by your fellow workers, superiors, and clients.

• Establish credibility. To be persuasive, you must engender trust. People must believe that you are telling the truth, are experienced, and know what you are talking about. Most of us would not be swayed if a soccer or film star told us how to ease world tensions. If you lack credentials or experience, use testimonials, expert opinion, and research to support your position.
• Make a reasonable, precise request. Persuasion is most effective if your request is realistic, doable, and attainable. Don’t ask for $100,000 worth of equipment when your department’s budget is $5,000. Also, be clear about your objective. In one research study, students posed as beggars and asked for money. If they asked for an unspecified amount, they received money 44 percent of the time. If they asked for a precise sum (say, $1), they received money 64 percent of the time. 4 Precise requests are more effective than vague ones.
• Tie facts to benefits. Line up solid information to support your view. Use statistics, printed resources, examples, and analogies to help people understand. Remember, however, that information alone rarely changes attitudes. Marketers have pumped huge sums into failed advertising and public relations campaigns that provided facts alone. More important is converting those facts into benefits for the audience.
• Recognize the power of loss. Describing the benefits of your proposal is a powerful motivator. Another powerful motivator is the thought of what the other person will lose if he or she doesn’t agree. The threat of losing something one already possesses—such as time, money, competitive advantage, profits, reputation—seems to be more likely to motivate people than the idea of gaining that very same thing.
• Expect and overcome resistance. When proposing ideas, be prepared for resistance. This may arise in the form of conflicting beliefs, negative attitudes, apathy, skepticism, and opposing loyalties. Recognize any weakness in your proposal and be prepared to counter with well-reasoned arguments and facts.
• Share solutions and compromise. The process of persuasion may involve being flexible and working out a solution that is acceptable to all concerned. Sharing a solution requires listening to people and developing a new position that incorporates their input. When others’ views become part of a solution, they gain a sense of ownership; they buy in and are more eager to implement the solution.

Source: Midge Gillies, Business Writing: The Essential Guide To Thinking And Working Smarter.

9th Week: Electronic Messages and Digital Media

E-mail has replaced paper memos for many messages inside organizations and for some letters to external audiences. It is a standard form of communication within organizations, it will likely be your most common business communication channel. E-mails perform critical tasks such as informing employees, giving directions, outlining procedures, requesting data, supplying responses, and confirming decisions.

Much like hard-copy memos, routine e-mails generally contain four parts:

(a) an informative subject line that summarizes the message

(b) an opening that reveals the main idea immediately

(c) a body that explains and justifies the main idea

(d) a closing that presents action information, summarizes the message, or offers a closing thought. 

Remember that routine messages deliver good news or standard information.

1. Subject Line.

In e-mail messages an informative subject line is essential. It summarizes the central idea, thus providing quick identification for reading and filing. Busy readers glance at a subject line and decide when and whether to read the message. Those without subject lines are often automatically deleted. Stay away from meaningless or dangerous words. A sure way to get your message deleted or ignored is to use a one-word heading such as Issue, Problem, Important, or Help.

2. Opening.

Most e-mails cover nonsensitive information that can be handled in a straightforward manner. Begin by front loading; that is, reveal the main idea immediately. Even though the purpose of the e-mail is summarized in the subject line, that purpose should be restated—and amplified—in the first sentence.

3. Body.

The body provides more information about the reason for writing. It explains and discusses the subject logically. Good e-mails generally discuss only one topic. Limiting the topic helps the receiver

act on the subject and file it appropriately. A writer who describes a computer printer problem and also requests permission to attend a conference runs a 50 percent failure risk. The reader may respond to the printer problem but delay or forget about the conference request. Design your data for easy comprehension by using numbered lists, headings, tables, and other document design techniques.

4. Closing.

Generally conclude an e-mail with: (a) action information, dates, or deadlines; (b) a summary of the message; or (c) a closing thought. The closing is where readers look for deadlines and action language. An effective e-mail closing might be, "Please submit your report by June 15 so that we can have your data before our July planning session."

In more detailed messages, a summary of main points may be an appropriate closing. If no action request is made and a closing summary is unnecessary, you might end with a simple concluding thought (I’m glad to answer your questions or This sounds like a useful project). You don’t need to close messages to coworkers with goodwill statements such as those found in letters to customers or clients. However, some closing thought is often necessary to prevent a feeling of abruptness.

Source: Midge Gillies, Business Writing: The Essential Guide To Thinking And Working Smarter.

6th Week: Positive & Negative Messages

Unlike academic papers, which are almost always persuasive pieces of writing, the purpose of business communication is to deliver a message, whether good or bad. As a result, you may find yourself writing positive messages, negative messages, or persuasive messages. Each of these requires a slightly different approach, all of which are detailed below.

A. Positive Writing

Positive messages are often the easiest to write because the audience is expected to be fairly receptive of the presented information, thus they tend to follow the direct pattern by stating the idea at the very beginning following with the explanation. In the explanation, writers will once again want to consider using various highlighting tools to improve readability. Writers will conclude the message courteously and with a request for action by a given date, if necessary.

While all positive writing messages follow a similar format, there are different types of positive messages:

1. Requests for Information/Action

Maintain a courteous tone, spell out what needs to be done, suggest reader benefits, and make it easy for the reader to respond. If there is a deadline, include the date in the closing to ensure that it sticks in the reader's mind.

2. Claims

Claims are letters sent with the intention of correcting something that went wrong (a common occurrence in the business world).

The format of claim letters follow the protocol of other positive messages, but because they are intended to correct mistakes, it is important to maintain a calm tone and refrain from making accusations or placing blame, and to avoid harsh language that will only impede the effectiveness of the letter and may be regretted later on.

3. Replies

Begin by telling the reader what they want to hear and avoid long, drawn out openings. If there is both good and bad news in a reply letter, always begin with the good, but refrain from misleading the reader if you're intentions don't entirely meet their expectations. For example, don't respond by saying "We think your request for donations is a great idea!" if you have no intention of actually donating.

Writers should organize the information they are providing in a clear, coherent manner followed by a courteous closing that refers back to the enclosed information.

B. Negative Writing

Negative messages are usually difficult to write because the audience is being told exactly what they don't want to hear. Negative messages most often include refusing requests and delivering bad news to a customer or to those within an organization. Certain techniques that help soften the blow of bad news are applicable to all negative messages. Remember, when writing a negative message, the audience is likely to be unreceptive so be sure to use the indirect approach.

1. Buffer the opening

Buffers are the first tool business writers use to soften the blow of the message by doing things such as presenting the best news first or complimenting the reader.

Example: Your company has my sincere admiration for the charitable effort you've put forth this holiday season.

2. Cushion the Bad News

Place the bad news strategically after the buffer and before a positive closing to lessen the impact. If the bad news is sandwiched between two positives, the reader is less likely to dwell on the negative.

3. Be Empathetic

Understand where the reader is coming from and do so sincerely. This concept is also included in the audience analysis stage of the 3X3 Writing Process, but it cannot be stressed enough.

4. Provide Reasons

When people are receiving bad news, they want to know why. By providing logical, clear reasons for the negative news, readers are more likely to be agreeable and understanding of the situation.

5. Avoid Negative Words

Choose words carefully to avoid losing the reader's attention and receptivity. Negative words only add to overall negativity of the message, so use positive language that focuses on reader benefits.

Words to avoid include: cannot, regret, reject, fail, mistake, impossible, and the like.

6. Close Pleasantly

The closing serves as the writer's last chance to leave the reader with a positive thought. It's appropriate to promote goodwill by looking ahead toward a brighter future, to offer an alternative option if one exists, to provide the reader with promotional information, or simply to close by wishing the reader well.

C. Persuasive Writing

Persuasion is a critical tool one should master to achieve professional success in the business world, but it is also one of the more challenging. Whether writers are aiming to persuade customers, potential donors, or those working within the same corporation, they will want to focus their attention on four main things:

1. Grabbing the Reader's Attention

Engage the reader quickly and at the beginning so they are immediately interested. A few ways of doing this are to use a startling statistic, an intriguing story, or by telling the reader how they will benefit and what they can gain.

2. Building and Maintaining Reader Interest

Readers can easily disregard letters when they are being asked to do something, so it is essential that writers know how to not only grab the reader's attention, but how to maintain their interest. Keep the reader invested in what they are reading by providing examples that make any requests sound reasonable, appeal to reader emotions, or emphasize indirect benefits the reader may receive such as feeling good about themselves. Writers ultimately want to provide the reader with incentives to do as they ask.

3. Reducing Reader Resistance

Be prepared for readers to be reluctant and to ask questions. Anticipate this reaction by presenting counter-arguments to whatever objections the reader might raise and as always, stress the benefits and focus on the positive.

4. Motivating the Reader to Act

Encourage the reader to respond or act by a certain time. Writers will want to sound confident that they have achieved their goals without sounding arrogant or pushy.

Source: Midge Gillies, Business Writing: The Essential Guide To Thinking And Working Smarter.

4th Week: Planning Business Messages

In planning a business messages, It’s important that what you write is clear, concise and conveys the right message. Ultimately, you need to make sure what you say gets to the point. 

A) Put your main point first – always put your important message in the first paragraph. If you waffle and mention the important part at the end, people will already have lost interest.

B) Use plain English – use the simplest language you can. Simple = clear and easy to understand. 

C) Avoid jargon and buzzwords – don’t assume people understand your jargon. All industries develop jargon and abbreviations over time. But your customers won’t have a clue. Explain things clearly and simply. And try to avoid business cliches like ‘thinking outside the box’ or ‘blue-sky thinking’. They make you sound old-fashioned and overly corporate.

D) Avoid too many long sentences – keep sentences short and to the point. Three short sentences are much better than one long, hard-to-read sentence. And vary the length of sentences. Like this. It can really create a much better impact for what you’re saying.

E) Simplify long emails – when writing a long email, try to keep emails to less than 500 words. If you absolutely have to write a long email, outline the main points as bullets at the start of the email.

When you are preparing an e-mail message, memo, letter, or oral presentation, the process will be easier if you follow a systematic plan. The 3-x-3 writing process breaks the entire task into three phases: prewriting, writing, and revising.

01. Prewriting

The first phase of the writing process prepares you to write. It involves analyzing the audience and your purpose for writing. The audience for your letter will be other franchise owners, some highly educated and others not. Your purpose in writing is to convince them that a change in policy would improve customer service. You are convinced that a singleline system, such as that used in banks, would reduce chaos and make customers happier because they would not have to worry about where they are in line.

Prewriting also involves anticipating how your audience will react to your message. You are sure that some of the other owners will agree with you, but others might fear that customers seeing a long single line might go elsewhere. In adapting your message to the audience, you try to think of the right words and the right tone that will win approval.

02. Writing

The second phase involves researching, organizing, and then composing the message. In researching information for this letter, you would probably investigate other kinds of businesses that use single lines for customers. You might check out your competitors. You might do some calling to see whether other franchise owners are concerned about chaotic lines. Before writing to the entire group, you might brainstorm with a few owners to see what ideas they have for solving the problem. Once you have collected enough information, you would focus on organizing your letter.

The final step in the second phase of the writing process is actually composing the letter. Naturally, you will do it at your computer so that you can revise easily.

03. Revising

The third phase of the process involves revising, proofreading, and evaluating your letter. After writing the first draft, you will spend a lot of time revising the message for clarity, conciseness, tone, and readability. Could parts of it be rearranged to make your point more effectively? This is the time when you look for ways to improve the organization and tone of your message. Next, you will spend time proofreading carefully to ensure correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format. The final phase involves evaluating your message to decide whether it accomplishes your goal.

Source: Marry Ellen Guffey & Dana Loewy, Business Communication Process & Product, 7th Edition