Professional Writing Conferences 2009-2010 by Zarah Boyer

One of the great things about being involved in something is the ability to gather with your peers and discuss your common interest. The Council of Writing Program administrators allow professional writers to do this with a multitude of conferences and seminars throughout the year wear professional writing is discussed. They offer conferences throughout the year on different topics to provide a place where writing professional can share their knowledge with fellow writers and novice writers. One of the conferences they are holding this year is the 2009 Minneapolis Workshop and Conference Sneak Peak in which they will provide a workshop for writers and preview their upcoming events and conferences.

Some other conferences held by the CWPA are:

• The 2009 WPA Breakfast in San Fransisco


• The Quality Enhancement Plan in which discusses the Writing Solution.


• The Better Writers, Not Just Better Writing: Online Strategies to Support Writers in all Disciplines

Another group that is to hold professional writing conferences in 2009 and 2010 is the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. The AWP holds conferences from Boston to Denver to celebrate the years outstanding writing professionals and literary authorities.

These conferences provide a forum where writers can come together and discuss their craft and learn from other professionals in the field, which I believe is an important part of growing in your work.

Citations:

Council of Writing Program Administrators. 08 Apr. 2009 http://www.wpacouncil.org/frontpage.

"AWP- Conference." The Association of Writers & Writing Programs -- Serving Writers Since 1967. 08 Apr. 2009 .

Cover Letter Writing By Geoffrey Hart

Cover letter writing serves the purpose of identifying what you are sending in a short brief message. Cover letters are sent with formal reports, proposals, brochures, and other similar types of written work. A cover letter is also referred to as a transmittal letter as it provides you the writer with a record of when and who you sent the written work to.
In the cover letter you should include a short opening paragraph including what you are sending and what it is being sent for. If you include a second paragraph a short summary can be included as well as you can point out particular sections of concern to the reader. In the closing paragraph you should include acknowledgments and contact information for questions or concerns and convey that the material fulfill its purpose.
Examples of cover letters can be in many different forms of communication. An e-mail message included with an e-mailed attachment serves as a cover letter. A memo also serves as a cover letter within an organization. Cover letters are just for what they sound like, to cover the material included with it.

Works Cited:

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.

Writing Effective Complaint Letters

Complaint letters are important because they bring an issue to the surface that is either bothering the employer or the employee. However, getting your point across in a precise and professional manner is crucial. Usually by the time you write the complaint letter you are already very upset and angry. You cannot let your emotions effect your letter. Three effective steps include:

1. Identifying the problem and including relevant information such as names, copies of receipts, and invoice numbers.

2. Explain clearly what went wrong.

3. Explain what you expect the reader to do to solve the problem.

Be Specific

One of the most important tips when writing an effective complaint letter is being specific. The more details you can provide about the situation the sooner the problem can be resolved. The more details you provide, the sooner the problem is likely to be resloved.

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.

Finding and Attaining the Right Job

Finding the right job can be difficult and stressful. You'll need to be careful and thorough while searching for the right job. Begin your search by assessing your abilities and skills. For example, deciding whether you are a people person or not, is a skill you would question. Also, considering your morals and values and your career goals would be a good decider of which job you would be competent in. After taking into consideration all of the things that can play a factor in your job search, creating an effective resume is your next step. An effective resume is one that summarizes and highlights your skills, like whether you know how to use Microsoft Word or Power Point, your experience and the qualifications you have attained at other jobs, and by informing the employers of extracurricular activities and volunteer events that you participate in. After creating a perfect resume, there are a number of sources that can help you find the job you are looking for; web resources such as monster.com, advertisements, newspapers, networking, campus career services, and government employment agencies. After finding a couple of jobs that you are interested in, all you have to do is execute a striking and efficient interview. Interviews are used by employers in order to learn some facts about a possible employee. An interview can also be used for your benefit. You can ask the interviewer questions about the company and the job so that you can gain insight about what the job would be like if you were to get hired.

http://blog.networkingexcellence.com/2008/10/turn-multiple-job-interviews-i.html

Leading A Team by Chris Hudak

Leading a team or group of individuals can be a very difficult but great and rewarding experience. Being a team leader can range from a small group project at school or leading and managing a large group of colleagues in your career field. There is a lot of pressure put on the leader to make sure the team works in an effective and efficient manner and to make the right decisions at spur of the moment when necessary.
When it comes to assigning tasks for each individual member be sure to determine everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. If you assign someone a mathematical portion when their strength is technical writing, the results will most likely be less than desirable. One very important thing to avoid is placing blame on others. This can really demoralize a team and cause unsatisfactory results. This sounds very cliché but there is no I in team. When you are working with a team you are just that, a group of individuals working collaboratively to achieve an individual goal.
Overall, leading a team brings on great responsibility but can have an even greater reward when performing successful. It is important to be respectful of all members and work effective and efficiently as individuals and as a group.

http://www.builderau.com.au/strategy/projectmanagement/soa/10-tips-for-leading-your-team-to-peak-performance/0,339028292,339278390,00.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-on-Leading-A-Team&id=647331

Business Writing by Eusebio Moreno

As we know by now; communication is key in the workplace. Business Writing should communicate formality, respect, and authority. Choosing the right medium and form to communicate your message, is key to successful communication and the first step in business writing. Among the various mediums available for business communications are:

1. Letters on your organization’s stationary. This form of communication is used to represent a commitment to the recipient and/or to formalize a business relationship.

2. Memos: printed or electronic. This form of communication is used to communicate and circulate information within your organization.

3. E-mail and instant messages. This form of communication is used to communicate quickly within your organization and with customers and others outside your organization. It can also be use to transmit text and graphics files electronically. (Alfred, Brusaw and Oliu, p.306)

After determining which medium will work best for your business writing, the following tips can help you to clearly and effectively communicate your message:

1. Establish your purpose, your reader’s needs, and your scope. Explain what you mean explicitly to avoid people misinterpreting your writing. You can put your reader’s needs and interests first by writing from the reader’s point of view. Often, but not always, doing so means using the words you and your rather than t he words we, our, I and mine. Stay focus on your subject as you write. For international correspondence, be aware of how cultural differences may affect the reader’s interpretation of your message.

2. Outline key points. For a short letter, a memo, or an e-mail, jot down the points you wish to make and the order in which you wish to make them.

3. Write a rough draft from the outline. You should consider whether a formal (somewhat restrained) or an informal style would be more appropriate for your purpose and your audience. Remember that an attempt to sound casual or friendly can instead seem insincere.

4. Take a break. Allow for a cooling period, especially when a letter or an e-mail responds to a problem. Don’t vent emotions. Maintain a cordial and professional tone.

5. Revise the rough draft. Even when writing to a close associate, always be considerate of your reader and check for sense as well as for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

6. Adjust the format. Especially the arrangement and spacing of letter parts, and print a copy for review and proofing before signing it.

7. Assume final responsibility: as the author of a letter or a memo, you are responsible for its appearance and accuracy. (Alfred, Brusaw and Oliu, p.262- 263)

If you follow these tips, your business writing will be both, concise and adequately developed.


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.

Writing Technical Instructions By Kyle Ramos

When writing instructions there are a few things you have to take into perspective. Before you start you have to keep in mind the average audience and the audience’s average technical knowledge. Then you have to avoid technical jargon, because most average people will not understand the same lingo. Also avoid undefined acronyms and do not use 2 different words for the same thing.
Now I will tell you how to write technical instruction. When writing instruction you want to use the simplest language possible. You also want to write in the form of commands. From one command to another addressing each step clearly to your audience this makes instructions less wordy and easier to follow. Be careful that when you are trying to be simple that you don’t cut out necessary item which will then make your instructions unclear. Like when it is necessary to let glue dry, do not say “Let the glue dry” but instead say “Let the glue dry for 30 minutes at room temperature” this is more precise. If you follow these simple guidelines you will be able to write great instructions that anyone can follow.