Writing Clearly by Zarah Boyer

Writing clearly is extremely important for your message to be communicated effectively. It facilitates the understanding of the reader and is necessary to make your point.


The first step in writing clearly is to organize your ideas into a logical outline. This process allows you to see what is important in communicating to the reader. This is probably the most important step because you can lay out what you want your reader to know. The important thing to know about making an outline is that you don't have to follow it verbatim, it can change as you write and it is completely malleable.


Secondly, you want to make sure that your ideas are getting communicated so you have to tell the reader what you're going to tell them, tell them again, then tell them what you told them. This may seem a little redundant or excessive but it is important to let the reader know what you are trying to say. You can start by telling the reader your topic in the introduction, then continue throughout the body paragraphs and finally tell them what you told them in the conclusion paragraph.


Another thing that is important is to stick to your point. Try not to stray away from your main idea because that can cause confusion with your reader. It is also important to make it interesting. A reader is more likely to stay focused and want to read a piece if it is interesting.


Some more important things to remember are:

• Write for your target audience.



• Assume that your readers are intelligent but do not assume they know the subject matter as well as you do.



• Write cohesive paragraphs structured around a main idea.



• Avoid slang and jargon.



• Use familiar words and combinations of words.



• Use active voice.



• Avoid weak verbs.



• Use parallel sentence construction.



• Use positive terms.



• Avoid acronyms and abbreviations and if they are necessary explain all acronyms and abbreviations.



• Ensure that every sentence and paragraph is necessary.

These steps faciliate that writing and understanding of the written work and aid in the readers ease assessment of it. If you follow these simple instructions you are sure to have a clear idea and essay.

Below is a video dipicting how damaging, if not funny, unclear writing can be:

"WebAIM: Writing Clearly and Simply." WebAIM: Web Accessibility In Mind. 28 Mar. 2009 http://www.webaim.org/techniques/writing/#guidelines.

Writing a Contract By Kyle Ramos

A well built contract is very important in any business agreement. It is the document that spells out what services which your company will receive or pay for, and how much you will pay or receive in return. Contracts are also important because they protect you or your company from bad contractors who do a bad job or do not complete a job and/or bad customers who do not want to pay. A contract is also a great business tool to begin a good business relationship. So for all these reasons it is extremly important to have a good well put together contract. Most importantly it will answer many questions that may be over looked and cause confusion later in the transaction. Here are a list onf all the things that should always be included in a good contract. Usually in this order but, not always.


1. Title
2. Brief description of the project
3. Brief description of the services needed
4. Detailed list of the services to be provided with projected dates of delivery included.
5. Who is responsible for what parts of the project? (The contractor, subcontractors to the contractor, staff of the nonprofit organization, etc.)
6. What are the expectations for communicating progression of Project
7. Paymet schedule / amounts
8. Clarity on expenses vs hour rates vs fixed pricing
9. Ownership of the work products
10. How will conflicts be resolved
11. How the parties can get out of the contract
12. Proper signature(s)

The key is to be specific, and to not be overly detailed which leads to confusion.
If you follow the list and are concise when writing a contract it will start you off with a good working relationship, answer many questions and protects you or your company.

Writing Informal Reports by Geoffrey Hart

When writing an informal report there are two main things that you must do before you even starts to jot words down. First you need to consider your audience, and second you need to collect information. When considering your audience this will let you know how much background information you will need to include in the report. You also will be able to know whether or not to use specialized language as many companies have their own technical languages and terms when talking to each other, and if the report is being read by someone outside the company you will need to adjust your language. Collecting information is vital to being able to portray your objective for writing to the reader. Taking notes is one easy way to collect information on the matter you are writing about. The different types of informal reports are trouble reports, investigative reports, progress and periodic reports, trip reports, and test reports. No matter what type of informal report you are writing the format is the same. There is an introduction, in which you announce the subject and tell the purpose, then the body which presents the body and includes all necessary details, and then the conclusion which is the summary paragraph and also can make recommendations.

Citation:Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. Writing that Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006

Interview Tips

Before you interview it is best that you learn about the company or organization you will be applying to work at. You must also put together a list of questions to ask the interviewer. These questions should be specific and relating to the company. The person who will be interviewing you will also have some questions they will be asking. When responding to these, try not to answer too quickly and be prepared to deeper discuss the question in a natural manner.

Arrival should be a little earlier than the appointed time in case of forms that need to be filled out. You should be dressed appropriate for the occasion, usually business-like. Upon entering greet the interviewer and make sure you have no gum in your mouth or change in your pocket that can distract you or the person who is conducting the interview. It is best to act as relaxed as possible during the interview. Taking limited notes can also help to remember main points and ask some of your own questions.

A few days after the interview was conducted send in the interviewer a brief e-mail or letter showing interest in the job and feel you are the best fit.

Here are some extra questions to ask yourself about the company you will be interviewing with:

What kind of organization is it?
How diversified is it?
Is is locally owned?
Is the owner self-employed? Is it expanding?
Does it provide a service? If so, what kind?
How large is the business?
How long has it been in business?
Where will you fit in?




Citation:
Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. Writing that Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006

Writing Courteously By Geoffrey Hart

No matter who your audience is when writing, you should also be courteous to the reader. Using manners and being polite in a letter, e-mail, or memo is essential if you want the reader to take you seriously. As an employer being courteous while writing to your employees is almost essential if you want employee morale to stay high in order to keep productivity up. In professional business writing being courteous to your clients will help you build a strong relationship with that client which will keep them returning to your company. A very easy way to write courteously in all writing styles and situations and with all types of audiences to too just add in polite words and use good manners. Many people use the excuse that they don’t have enough time to write something and be courteous while doing so, on average here is a list of the time it takes to type some common polite good mannered words or sentences.
Please. (2 seconds)
Would you please (3 seconds)
Thanks. (2 seconds)
Thank you! (3 seconds)
Thanks very much. (4 seconds)
Good morning. (3 seconds)
Hello. (2 seconds)
I appreciate it. (4 seconds)
I hope you had a great weekend. (5 seconds)
Enjoy your lunch. (5 seconds)
I hope that this changes the way that we all write in all types and styles of writing.

Citation:
Gaertner-Johnston, Lynn. Business Writing. .

Tips for Writing an Effective Resume

An effective resume is the key to getting that job you have always wanted and even those to build your experience up to that point. A resume is the first thing an employer sees and is the first thing they have to develop an idea of that person. There are several different ways to create and display a resume but here are some general guidelines to go with almost any resume.

Use a design that gains attention

It is very important to use a design that gains attention at first glance because when employers are going through hundreds of resumes for a single position, you only have one quick glance at either grab their attention or bore them as they move on to the next application. It is a must for your name and contact information to be at the very top in bold lettering to be easily found and get that attention right away.

Provide enough information

Don’t sell yourself short by providing only brief explanations of other positions you have held and the responsibilities with them. You may hurt yourself and not express all the great skills and qualifications you have by only providing an insufficient amount of information.

Provide accurate skills and qualifications

Be sure to provide skills and qualifications that you actually have and know how to use. As important as it is to provide the necessary information of your skills don’t stretch one into another because if you get that ever important interview, it is almost guaranteed that you be questioned on that skill you claim to have but really don’t.

Professionalism around the board

It is imperative that you leave good contact information including phone numbers including home phone and cell phone, e-mail address, or any other professional means of contacts. If you don’t have an e-mail address you should most definitely set up a free account from google, yahoo, msn, etc. And last but not least, being professional extends beyond the resume. If you have a voice messaging system such as answering machine or voice mail on a cell phone, it is best to have a professional message instead of those immature, funny ones.

References: http://www.free-resume-tips.com/10tips.html; http://www.jobweb.com/resumesample.aspx?id=274; http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html

Tips for Preparing an Effective Resume

A resume is one of the most important aspects when finding a job. It lists all of your qualifications and determines whether or not you are the right canidate for the job. Because the resume is the possible employers first impression, it is important to follow steps and stay organized. Here are a few tips reguarding writing an effective resume:

• Consider first an organization that needs your strengths and fits your goals.
• Be consistent. Be sure to use, for example, the same date formats, puncuation, and spacing throughout.
• Use a high-quality printer and high grade paper.

When writing the resume it is vital one follows the following steps:

The Heading

At the top of the resume, include your name, adress, telephone number, and email address

Job Objective

The job objective gives the potential employer an idea of your goals as an employee. Keep the job objective within three lines of the resume.

Qualifications Summary

In the qualification summary section, feel free to write your qualifications for the job. Include achievements, skills, expericence, or personal qualities.

Eduacation

List the colleges you have attended and the degrees you have earned.

Employment Experience

List your previous employers in reverse chronological order meaning place your most recent job first, followed by your second most recent job and so forth.

Related Skills and Abilities

List important skills you feel are unique and beneficial

Honors and Activities

List any honors or achievements you have earned

References

Avoid this step as much as possible

Follow these steps closely and one should write an effective resume. With the economy as bad as it is, making a great first impression with an employer is very important.

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. Writing that Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.

Writing Effective E-Mails by Zarah Boyer

Writing an effective e-mail is paramount when trying to achieve success in a professional setting. If an e-mail is too informal or impersonal a person may feel slighted and reluctant to do business or interact with you. Because of the increasing technological environment of today's business world it is very important to know how to write and effective e-mail.

The first thing you want to address when writing an effective e-mail is thinking about your reader. If the e-mail is being addressed to a close colleague it may be written differently then if it is being addressed to your boss. You need to make sure that you are considering your audience while you are writing the e-mail. It is important to maintain a high level of professionalism. A message should always be grammatically correct and you must make sure all of your facts are stated correctly.

Another thing to consider when writing an e-mail is observing "netiquette." Netiquette is a set of rules that facilitate interaction over the Internet. One rule of thumb for netiquette is to use company e-mail only for appropriate business. You should also not send flames, e-mail messages that contain abusive, obscene, or derogatory language, and spams, e-mail messages that often promote projects and interests.

You also need to consider the design of your e-mail. An effective e-mail should break the text into brief paragraphs. An e-mail should not overwhelm your reader with lengthy paragraphs, if it is too long consider sending an attachment. Our text also offers some other suggestions:

• Be considerate of the technical capabilities of your recipient.


• Put your response to someone else's e-mail message at the beginning of the e-mail window.


• In quoting the message you're replying to, include only those parts relevant in your reply.


• Always fill the subject line with a concise phrase that describes the topic of your message.

You should always use a greeting or salutation. When e-mail functions as a memo you can often leave the greeting out because they integral information is used in the memo's fields. When an e-mail goes outside an organization to someone with whom you haven't spoken with you may use standard letter greetings. When e-mails are going to a work colleague or close friends the salutation can vary depending on the situation.

Citation:

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. Writing that Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.

Tips on How to Determine What the Reader Needs to Know and/or Wants to Know

Assessing your audience’s needs and/or wants is an important part of the Writing Process. In order for a paper to be persuasive and clearly understood, the audience’s needs and/or wants need to be taken into account. According to Mr. Walter E. Oliu, Mr. Charles T. Brusaw and Mr. Gerald J. Alred, authors of the book Writing That Works Communicating Effectively on the Job, the following questions should help a writer focus on the audiences needs and/or wants in relation to the subject matter: (Alfred, Brusaw and Oliu)

1. Who is your audience?

2. Do you have more than one audience?

3. What do you want your audience to know, to believe, or to be able to do after reading your writing?

4. Have you narrowed your topic to best focus on what you want your audience to know?

5. What are your audience’s needs in relation to the subject?

6. What does your audience know about the subject?

7. If you have multiple audiences, do they have different levels of knowledge about your subject?

8. What are your audience’s feelings about your subject- Sympathetic? Hostile? Neutral?

9. Does your writing acknowledge other or contrary points of view about the subject?

10. Have you selected the right medium- e-mail, memo, letter, booklet, and so on- for your subject and audience?

11. Is your tone respectful?

12. Does your format enhance audience understanding?
(Alfred, Brusaw and Oliu, p.7)


Bibliography:

Alfred, Gerald J., Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu. Writing That Works Communicating Effectively on the Job. 3rd ed., Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.