Career as a Professional Writing Consultant by Stephen Sherbune

There is a wide variety of options to choose from when becoming a professional writing consultant. Here is a list of just some of the options chose from when deciding what to do as a professional writing consultant.

Writing analysis- analyzes you writing and show you were improvements can be made. Help develop you into a better writer. A person could do this for companies.

Developing your own workshop- providing customers with templates, in order to have a properly formatted email, memo, and or document to somebody. Just providing general knowledge about how to become a better writer and how to look and be professional

Simply being an editor- Proofread and edit documents, papers, memos, resumes, and academic work for students. There are several companies that do just this edit documents for there customers. Some bigger companies would actually hire their own professional writing consultant to proofread all documents that get sent out.

Becoming a professional writing consultant has many different opportunities. You could even write your own book such as Writing That Works. Some companies actually offer all of these activities, some individual’s do all of these activities and some do just editing and proofreading documents for example.

Works Cited

1. http://www.professionalwritingaustralia.com.au/professional-writing-and-consulting-services-what-we-do.html

2. http://www.professionalwritingaustralia.com.au/images/img-writing-consultants-advice.jpg

Photostory: Humor in Professional Business Writing

Writing Clear by: Justo Almodovar

According to Edward T. Thompson who is/was the editor in chief of Reader’s Digest there are only three basic requirements to writing clearly:
1) You must want to write clearly
2) You must be willing to work hard.
3) You must know and follow some basic guidelines.

These basic guidelines that Mr. Thompson mentioned are:
1) OUTLINE WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY meaning that you need to make sure that you know what you are going to say and know when you are going to stop.
2) START WHERE YOUR READERS ARE which means keep it simple and do not write at a higher level than where your reader’s knowledge is about the subject.
3) Don’t use words, expressions, and phrases known only to people with specific knowledge or interests, basically AVOID JARGON.
4) USE FAMILIAR COMBINATIONS OF WORDS; be careful because the term familiar combination of words does not mean incorrect grammar.
5) USE "FIRST DEGREE" WORDS which are words that bring an image to your mind almost immediately such as: face, stay, or even book.
6) This is where the outline in step one helps you drastically because you want to make sure that you STICK TO THE POINT.
7) Last but certainly not least BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE because whatever you write, shortening condensing almost always makes it tighter, straighter, and easier to read and understand.

Sources:

http://www.harmonize.com/probe/aids/manual/Write_cl.htm
http://www.digital-rights.net/images/writing.gif

Present It! By Meg L Bostick

When creating an effective presentation, one must take into consideration many things. First of all, a presentation should never be too informative to the point that it is overwhelming to the audience. Information overload is never a good thing, as it can cause your audience to become bored, and you don’t want that! To prevent this from happening, minimize not only the amount of information you provide within your slides, but the number of slides you have within your presentation. Next, choose a font that is both interesting and easy to read so your audience does not get a headache trying to read the information you are giving them, yet it is still aesthetically pleasing. Also, to make certain your presentation is aesthetically pleasing, use graphics that make sense with the information and are just as interesting to look at. To ensure that the audience can easily read the information provided, make sure you use bullet points and short sentences. Finally, make sure spelling and grammar are correct!

When delivering an effective presentation make sure to keep eye contact with the audience, making the delivery personable and not “robotic.” Also, it is important to project your voice so everyone in the audience can hear and understand the presentation. Make sure while you are projecting your voice, you are using a steady pace so as not to lose the audience. Never Rush! And finally, use movement and gestures to help animate your presentation and make it that much more interesting. Most importantly, have confidence!

Sources:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint/HA102078641033.aspx

Walter E. Oliu, Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alred. Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job. . Ninth Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007: 499-502.

Recommendations to the Readers by Adam Glick

So What Do You Recommend?

Some people think they know everything there is to know about a subject and that only their opinion matters.  However, if you're not a politician, you would use other sources besides your own knowledge to relay a non-biased message to your readers.  A few examples of "other sources" would be a journal, book, magazine or video. For this week, we will focus on video recommendations.

I will now open the floor up for any questions you readers may have.

Q: So Adam, Why Would I Use a Video Recommendation?

A: Well reader, I am glad you asked.  There are several reasons for the use of a video in your writing. If your reader would like to learn more about the subject presented, they can simply click on the video instead of having to research more information on their own.  Also, if you are trying to sell a product, a video can help relay a positive image of that product.  An example of such a video would be a commercial. Next question please. 

Q: Where Should I Put My Video Recommendation?

A: I recommend you put your recommendation wherever you as the writer recommend.  Most video recommendations are put near the information that they are associated with rather than being placed randomly across your work.  You can also put your recommendation at the end of your work so that your reader can greater their knowledge even further if they so desire.  Your reader will only use your video recommendation if you did your job as a professional writer and sparked further interest.

I hope that I answered all of your questions thoroughly.

Below is a video I recommend for a very brief overview on this course.

Sources:

http://web.uvic.ca/akeller/pw401/demos/video_web_D.html

Writing Informal/Formal Reports By Jonathen Peck

A report is defined as an organized presentation of factual information prepared for a specific audience. Beyond that they can be broken down into two different categories. These two categories are informal and formal reports. First off the main difference between them is usually length and amount of time and scope of coverage on the topic. Formal reports generally take many months and run about several hundred pages with devices to aid the reader to help find specific points throughout the whole report. Informal reports are more toned down running only a few paragraphs to a couple pages and provide information on projects that take only a few hours or days to complete.

Informal Reports

Most informal reports describe incidents, note the progress of ongoing activities or summarize the results on these projects. Due to the nature of the use for these reports they are typically written as a memo, letter or email message.

Key questions to ask yourself when considering audience and purpose are:

• Who is the audience?
• What specifically have the readers requested?
• How knowledgeable are your readers on the subject?
• Have you selected the right format?
• Have you provided the background information?

Types of informal reports

1. Trouble Reports
2. Investigative Reports
3. Progress Reports
4. Periodic Reports
5. Trip Reports
6. Test Reports

Formal Reports

These reports are written accounts of major projects such as new developments, exploration of a new product, or an end of year review on new developments. Formal reports are very long and require a great deal of formatting to help the reader and to be presented professionally. Most formal reports include a cover letter and a table on contents at the beginning.

Key Parts of a Formal Report

• Table of contents
• Executive Summary
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
  
• works Cited

Formal Reports also must have supplementary back matter including a bibliography, appendixes, a glossary, and an index that shows a list of all major topics and subtopics in the report.

I have never written a formal report and it seems these take a lot of time and research on a certain topic. They require a great deal of knowledge on the subject. Informal reports on the other hand you can find yourself writing these week to week for your job. Over my career I really did not realize I would write types of informal reports. I've written accident reports to progress reports.

Sources:
Writing That Works(Oliu, Brusaw, Alred)

Personal Business Writing by Leandro Caputo

When using personal business writing, you need to start with a good structure, by refering on how you choose to present the information. A good structure can make your piece flow, and enahnce the readers ability on what you want to let the reader know. Here are some tips on getting a good structure in your personal business writing:

Structure

• Choose a Focus: refers to the main point of your statement
• Create a Frame for your Focus: gives a shape to talk about your focus
• Create Strong Transitions: refers to the language to move between ideas.

Style

• Grammar: make sure syntax is correct
• Follow through and flesh out: follow through on raise issues
• Show, Don't Tell: most valuable piece of advise given to writers

Business requires that we communicate in writing, which has an impact in your organization and reputation. So it is essential that business executives are trained correct in business writing.

Good Business Writing includes:

• Taking personal responsibility for ensuring the communication takes place.
• Audience and reader focus – understanding who will be receiving the message.
• Impact analysis – how will this communication be received and acted upon.
• Accuracy and clarity.
• Cultural sensitivity – to the culture of the organisation and to national cultures.
• Timeliness – prompt and to deadline.
• Focus on value. What value will this communication deliver?
• Risk management – knowing what can go wrong and how to mitigate these risks.
• Setting high personal standards.
• Follow-up and follow-through.

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."- Ben Franklin

Work Cited

http://www.cmu.edu/hpp/achieve/pstips.html

http://www.selfleadership.com/services/business_communication/business_writing_skills/

How to Properly Plan a Meeting By Stephen Sherburne

Planning a meeting can be a difficult and time consuming task. If planned and carried out successfully can make the meeting a success leaving your attendee’s with more knowledge and or experience then what they came in with. There are 6 simple steps that take you through the planning process to help make your meeting productive.

1. Find the purpose of the meeting. It should answer the question of those who are attending what they want to know, believe, and to be able to do as a result of this meeting.

2. Who should attend this meeting? Invite only the participants who will achieve the goals that you have set out for the meeting to achieve.

3. Decide when the meeting should be held. Once you have decided who the key participants in the meeting will be, decide on a time were the key participants are available and can attend. The length of the meeting is important, make sure it is not to long but, still covers what you need to get done.

4. Decide where the meeting should be held. If it is a first time meeting, then meet at a neutral zone, an off-site meeting place that is not any of the member’s business locations. If you have met more then once and you are hosting the meeting use one of your locations.

5. Once you have decided the above steps you need to make an agenda for the meeting. An agenda is an outline of what is going to be covered in the meeting and the amount of time each item is going to be discussed. This should also be sent out a few days prior to the meeting to give the attendee’s time to prepare and be ready for the meeting.

6. Delegate somebody in the meeting to be taking the minutes of the meeting, or another words take down what is being discussed in the meeting. Either rotate this task or have this task be assigned to a person like somebody’s secretary for example.

Works Cited
1. www.cartoonstock.com/.../jsi/lowres/jsin86l.jpg

2. Walter E. Oliu, Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alred. Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job. . Ninth Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007: 499-502.

Analyze That Reader! By Meg L. Bostick

When analyzing your reader, it is important to figure out what they know and what their skills are. Let’s face it, we are not all alike and some have strengths where others don’t! The more we know about our reader as far as their skills and what information they are able to relate to and what may be over their head, the easier it is to write something in which they can relate to.
Take for instance someone who is athletic, yet has no sense of artistic flare. If the writer composes a piece of writing based on Michelangelo and his famous portraits, for he/she to read, they are most likely going to have no idea about what the writer is referring to because they cannot relate to what is being said. Therefore, the writer has not analyzed the reader well enough to know what he/she understands.
If you are looking to write for a variety of readers, a way to accommodate all is to write in such a way that is universal and easy to understand. In other words, don’t go overboard and in extensive detail on a certain subject, as it will most likely be too much for many of the readers to handle, especially if they do not know much about the topic.
A great way to make sure you have written for either a “specific” reader or a “universal” reader is to have someone within that category read your piece and find out if they understand what is being said.

A guide to Writing Technical Instructions by Jonathen Peck

Writing Technical Instructions is basically trying to teach someone how to do something that they don't know much about. It is usually very challenging due to all of the things you have to consider. These thoughts that need to be considered when starting this process are who is your audience, what is your purpose, context, how lengthy they will be, and how complex these instructions are going to be. Technical writing is a profession in its own. You may think these specialists usually write their own but most of them actually only review the documents technical writers design to make sure things are correct

A good way to go about starting this process is to ask yourself a few simple questions.

1. Who will be the audience for your instructions? Why are these readers the best audience?
2. How will you have to tailor your instructions for this audience?
3. How long will your instructions be? How many different parts will you have to explain for your audience?
4. Will you need to include pictures or diagrams in your instructions? How many pictures will you need? What will those look like? Why are these important?
5. How might your finished instructions look? Will they be 1-page long or more? Will it look like a book or a pamphlet? How else might it look?

A great rubric that shows how well your documents are put together and how clear they are can be found here. http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson1101/SampleRubric.pdf. This rubric is based off of how well you define your audience, purpose, visual design, and how complete your work is.

Personally I don't think I have ever written instructions for an audience but going through school and work your experience this more than you realize. There is basically a list of instructions for almost everything you can learn.

Sources:
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=1101
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson1101/SampleRubric.pdf
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson1101/PlanningSheet.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_writer

Review an Article in Business Writing by Leandro Caputo

Business article reviews should expend the most time to summarizing the information and highlighting the important concepts. The rest of the review should focus on analyzing the value of the article. The grammar and punctuation plays an important role when reviewing an article, it tells whether the writer was focus and use the right words to express himself on the article. Also, poorly organized ideas that the reviewer thinks that are not pricesely needed or understandable on the article should be backed up by reasoning, so that the reader of the review can determine on whether he agrees with your opinion.

When reviewing an article you should follow this steps:

1. Establish your purpose, your reader's needs, and your scope.
2. Outline key points.
3. Write a rough draft from the outline.
4. Allow for a cooling period to not vent emotions.
5. Revise the rough draft, checking for sense as well as for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
6. Adjust the format.
7. Assume final responsibility on the review.

In the introduction of the article, identify the purpose of the article and include a thesis statement to identify the main points that you will be discussing in the review.

While reviewing the article, you should also described the methods that the writer was using, describe what was found, and discuss the strenghts and weaknesses of the article.

In the conclusion, summarize the previous discussion and make a final judgement on the value of the article. Also state what you learned from the article and comment on the future or implications of the research.

References:

http://technicalbusinesswriting.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_review_a_business_book

http://www.learn.maine.edu/ocls/criticalreview.php

Walter E. Oliu, Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alred. Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job. . Ninth Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007: 262-263.

Interviews with Professionals by Adam Glick

Welcome to the Big Leagues Ladies and Gentlemen

Your first interview with a professional is going to be much different than your first interview you had at the seven eleven down the street when you were fifteen.  That first interview is most likely still vivid in your memory because of all the emotions involved.  

You probably had no idea what to wear so you grabbed a shirt that was two sizes too big out of your parents closet and threw on some wrinkled khaki jeans that had been under your bed since Easter service.  You were nervous and unprepared.

Whether you were awarded the position you desired or not, you were practicing your interviewing skills for later in life.  

These skills need to be perfected by the time you have your first interview with a professional or you will most likely end up back at the seven eleven selling nachos and over-cooked hotdogs to college students at two in the morning.

There are several tips you should remember when going to your first professional interview.

Seven Successful Suggestions:

Practice Interviewing

Interview with a friend or in the mirror

Do Your Homework

Research the ideals of the company

Be on Time

Arrive at least 15 minutes early

Use Positive Body Language

Make eye contact frequently and sit tall

Ask Questions

This will show your interviewer how interested you are in their company

Relax

Try to be calm and confident

Follow Up

Always send a brief thank you note after your interview

Now remember, this is not your interviewers first time interviewing a possible new employee. You need to impress him or her enough to separate yourself from the hundreds, maybe thousands of other applicants. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. 

Sources: 

http://www.macyscollege.com/college/careers/interviewing/tips.asp

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/proper_preparation_prevents_poor_performance/201859.html

The Role of Instant Messaging by Justo Almodovar

Instant messaging is a communications service that allows the exchange of text messages in real time between two or more people on computers, cell phones, or personal digital assistant (PDAs). Instant messaging can be a fast, convenient method for exchanging messages and sharing files with collegues, suppliers, and partners and that is great because then all of your colleagues will be getting all of the information in a quickly manner. Unfortunately the one thing that may hinder the productivity using instant messaging is that you need to make sure that your colleagues have the same instant messaging software that you have because if not you would not be able to use instant messaging to transport ideas. Instant messaging can be used when an intranet for an organization is down, you can use instant messaging to communicate on how to repair the problem with the IT department of the organization, all of this according to the ninth edition of Writing That Works.

Sources

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred.
Writing That Works Comunicating Effectively on the Job. ninth. Boston, MA:
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Print.pg. 265

How to Review a Business Article By Stephen Sherburne

Anything in the business world that gets sent out whether it be a email, memo, and or business letter it should always be reviewed carefully. Because you always want to sound professional and well educated when speaking to other professionals like youself.



When to use what medium. for Letters on organized stationery are good for when you are first contacting new business associates or customers or other official business that has to do with communicattion outside the company or organization. Memos are good for communication within the company whether sent electronically or on stationary. Email messages are good for sending information like a quote, maintaining professional relationship, elicit discussions, and collecting opinions. Instant messages is an exchange relationship of information in real time, its the most responsive form of communication.



Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your document.



1. Make sure your purpose is clear and your reader knows what to get from reading this.

2. Outline the points you want to make and the order you want to make them

3. From that make a rough draft.

4. Take a break and allow yourself to clear your head and have a chance to think about it.

5. Revise the rough draft. check for spelling, grammer and punctuation.

6. make sure formated correctly for your specfic document you are creating, print a copy for review make sure everything is in order.

7. sign it and assume final resposibilty for you are responsible for its appearance and accuracy.

Works Cited

Writing That Works, (Oliu, Brusaw, Alred)PG. 262-265

Writing Courteously by Justo Almodovar

The word courteous means being polite and in a considerate manner. So when you are writing courteously then you are writing in a polite and considerate manner. Writing courteously happens mostly in sensitive and negative messages such as refusals, complaints, adjustments, and collection letters.

The first and most important step of writing courteously is to make sure that you stay positive during the whole letter now matter what the letter is about. Since being courteous in your writing mostly happens in sensitive and negative messages, being positive is a huge step because you do not want the reader of the message to think that you are talking bad about either them or their organization. Make sure that the tone stays positive all along the message.

Another important step is to make sure that in the closing of the message you establish or reestablish a positive relationship with the reader. This basically is just to to be considerate of the reader’s feelings so that no matter how bad the message may actually be this will help the reader think that you have some common decency.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/courteous
info.wlu.ca/%7Ewwweng/jweldon/courses/notices.htm
Writing That Works, (Oliu, Brusaw, Alred)PG. 323-338

Job Interview Tips By Jonathen Peck

Job interviews can potentially be the hardest part of the job search because it is the selling of yourself and what you know on the subject. There are a couple of ways that job interviews can be conducted some being in person, other by phone and finally some can be conducted by teleconference. Interviews can last from 30 minutes to several hours and there even might be multiple interviews. The most important thing when you have to attend a job interviews is to be prepared.

These are the key points for preparing and attending the interview.

1. Prepare-Research The Company/Ask yourself questions that might be asked.
   
2. Watch-Take a look at helpful videos on interviews.
   
3. Get Ready-Dress appropriate and bring copies of your resume.
   
4. Be on Time-5 to 10 minutes early. Know where you are going.
   
5. Stay Calm-Relax. Maintain Eye contact
   
6. Show What You Know-Match accomplishments to what the company wants.
   
7. Follow Up-Thank you note showing interest in the position
   

To help be prepared you should do some research on the company and position you are applying for.

• How often are employees evaluated on their performance.
• Does the company require training or certification.
• Does the company fund career related training.
• Does the position have promotion potential.
• Is there a probational period for new employees.

During the Interview

• Behavior-Thank the interviewer for their time and express your pleasure in meeting them. Always sit up straight and maintain confidence.
• Responses-Don't ramble or stray from the subject. Avoid giving just yes or no answers. Always thank your interviewer when finished.

Interviews can be very stressful but being prepared and very confident will get you through.

Sources:
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/jobinterviewtip.htm
Writing that Works(Oliu,Brusaw,Alred)pgs574-577

Creating Visuals By Meg L Bostick

Visuals can be something as simple as a photograph to something as complex as a chart, and are expressions of ideas that are not capable of being conveyed in words alone. Visuals offer the audience something appealing to look at, while at the same time providing information.
One part of a visual is the icon, which is a representation of an idea portrayed in an image. An example of this picture of a floppy disk, which signifies “save as.” In Microsoft Word. It conveys a message to the user.
Another part of a visual is the color. The color of a visual makes it “pop” and gives it character, so that it is attractive and serves as appealing to the audience. After all, who wants to look at just a black and white picture? How boring!
One crucial thing to remember when creating visuals is integrating text. It is important to have text in your visual just in case the pictorial representation does not make sense to the audience, and also because it serves more of a purpose when it is justified with relevant text. The most important thing to remember is to make sure the graphics relate to the text. You don’t want to confuse your audience!
After you have your graphics and text finalized and you are ready to “accept” the finished product, it is important to look at your visual and make sure your visual includes the following:

Accurate and relevant information
Focused
Terms and symbols are consistent
Consists of specific measurements/distances
The text is readable
Caption is clear
Visuals are appropriately placed
The visuals stand out from the text\

When construction graphs, it is important to make sure you place the information in a way in which it is not confusing. One example of this is by using the correct range of numbers i.e. 200,400,600 etc. When using numbers that have not correlation to the next, the audience is confused by the data. The same thing goes for a pie chart. The 50% section of the pie should obviously be larger than the 30% piece. Otherwise, the audience will be confused.
Finally, taking a look at visuals in which help to construct a piece of equipment, it is very important that the visual makes sense. To assure the image is understood by the audience, every part must be labeled. If the directions are given with many parts to the image yet they are not labeled, the reader is going to have a difficult time putting the piece of equipment together. This is why it is important to label!
So you see, there are many important things to remember when constructing a visual. It is not simply a picture with no significance, but image(s) justified with relevant text to help the audience better understand what is being portrayed.

Source:
Writing That Works, (Oliu, Brusaw, Alred) P. 205-240

Writing Effective Meeting Minutes by Leandro Caputo

What is a meeting minute?


Many organizations and committees keep official records of their meetings; such records are known as minutes and are taken by someone designated before the meeting to do so. The person designated writes and distributes the minutes before the next meeting. At the beginning of each meeting, those attending vote to accept the minutes from the previous meeting as prepared or to revise or clarify specific items.

• Because minutes are often used to settle disputes, they must be accurate, complete, and clear.



• If you are assigned to write minutes, keep them brief and to the point.

To ensure the meeting is successful, the leader should:

• Issue an agenda


• Start the discussion and encourage active participation


• Work to keep the meeting at a comfortable pace – not moving too fast or too slow


• Summarize the discussion and the recommendations at the end of each logical section


• Ensure all participants receive minutes promptly

Writing Minutes of Meetings

1. The name of the group or committee holding the meeting



2. The topic of the meeting



3. The kind of meeting (a regular meeting or a special meeting caleed to discuss a specific subject or problem)



4. Names of attendees and their titles or organizations



5. The place, time, and date of the meeting



6. A statement that the chair and the secretary were present or the names of any substitutes



7. A statement that the minutes of the previous meeting were approved or revised



8. A list of any reports that were read and approved



9. All the main motions that were made, with statements as to whether they were carried, defeated, or tabled, and the names of those who made and seconded the motions.



10. A full description of resolutions that were adopted and a simple statement of any that were rejected



11. A record of all ballots with the number of votes cast for and against resolutions



12. The time the meeting was adjourned and the place, time , and date of the next meeting, if any.



13. The recording secretary's signature and typed name, and, if desired, the signature of the chairperson.
    

A sample Meeting of Minutes Form

Sources

http://www.meetingwizard.org/meetings/taking-minutes.cfm?re=6

http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/RunningMeetings.htm

Designing Technical Documents in a Web-Based Format by Adam Glick

What is Technical Documentation?

Technical documentation is all of the documents that are associated with a product.

For example, think about the last time you bought a television and something went wrong and you needed to try and figure out how to fix the problem.  What was the first thing you thought to yourself? If you are like most people, your first thought would have been,

Where is that pamphlet of papers I threw halfway across the room while trying to get the television out of the box as fast as humanly possible to watch the season finale of The Hills?

That pamphlet of papers not only explains in great detail every possible problem that could occur to your television, but also explains all of the functions of each component as well.

Q: So what happens when you cannot find that pamphlet of papers?

A: Why not check online?

Many companies have posted their technical documentations online using a web-based format.  However, the documents posted online are much more user friendly. Users no longer have to read through useless information until they stumble upon the answer they needed.  Now users can simply click their way through and find their answer efficiently. 

Advantages of Web-based formats:

• Documents are online
  
• User can search for specific data
  
• Much easier to update data
• All data is in one place
• More user-friendly

Keys to Remember When Designing Technical Document Online

• Keep it simple
• Make sure document is easily navigable
• Use laymen's terms when possible
• Allow room for updates

Sources:

http://helpcentral.componentone.com/CS/blogs/c1buzz/archive/2009/01/23/introducing-nethelp-how-doc-to-help-s-web-based-format-makes-your-content-more-accessible.aspx

http://www.usernomics.com/documentation.html

http://www.trans-com.de/transcom/en/technische-dokumentation.htm

Writing Completely By Stephen Sherburne

Whether you are describing something, explaining a process, and or defining something, make sure you write completely. Explaining your idea completely through illustrations, a step by step process, examples, and definitions that help get your idea out clearly, accurately and completely as possible. For example if you were to describe a process you may use illustrations and descriptions in order to get your point across. Some steps that will help insure you that you are writing completely would be first identify your subject and the purpose for writing the subject, second provide necessary context and description for the subject and the last thing to keep in mind is to catch your audiences attention. When writing its always important to make sure its clear who your intended audience is aimed toward, the subject you are writing on, descriptions are clear, your point comes across clearly, make sure your audience knows what they should take away from this and what you want your audience to do after they are done reading.

How To Write Correctly By Meg Bostick

In order to write correctly, many things must be taken into consideration including aspects such as grammar, punctuation, style, and choice of words.

Grammar is important in writing correctly because it is the relation of words, which form a sentence. There are four divisions of grammar:

Ø Orthography- The formation of letters to words.
Ø Etymology- How a word came to be; its derivation.
Ø Syntax- The arrangement of words in sentences.
Ø Prosody- The way of speaking and reading a sentence.

Important parts of grammar are:
§ Letters
§ Syllables and words
§ Parts of speech:
Article Verb Mood Preposition
Adjective Noun Conjugation Interjection
Conjunction Pronoun Adverb

Without grammar, we would not be able to write!

Punctuation is used to mark connections between words and phrases within a sentence. There are different reasons for each punctuation mark including:

Ø Comma- Used for slight separation between words and phrases.
Ø Semicolon- Separates parts of a compound sentence.
Ø Period- Completes a sentence.
Ø Question mark- Used at the end of an interrogative sentence.
Ø Dash- Used to break a run on passage.
Ø Parenthesis- Separates expressions in a sentence, and is very seldom used.
Ø Quotation marks- Used when borrowing phrases, words, etc.
Ø Apostrophe- Omits letters in a word(s).

Style is the writer’s thoughts and ideas portrayed in his/her writing. Parts of style include:

Ø Diction- Choice of words.
Ø Purity- Words used at the present time.
Ø Propriety- Proper use of words.
Ø Simplicity- The use of simple words that are easy to understand. (Quite simple! =) )
Ø Unity- Part of style which keeps all parts connected.
Ø Harmony- Gives fluency to a sentence, and makes everything flow


· Choice of words is important in a writer’s piece, because it brings the publication together and determines whether or not the piece of writing flows. Using the correct choice of words also makes for writing that the reader will understand and therefore enjoy reading.


When correctly using these four aspects in writing, a writer can ensure that they are effectively writing. However, it is important to take into consideration all the rules that come along with each aspect, especially punctuation!

Preparing a Resume/Cover Letter By Jonathen Peck

A resume is a summary of your main skills and qualifications when looking for a job. It is not very long, running only about a page, but it is most likely the first impression you will have on the employer and it will be the deciding factor on if you are contacted for the position. A resume must be well organized, carefully designed, formatted properly, free of errors, and easy to read for the employer. There are many guideline on how to put together a very good resume.

A second part used while putting together this document is a cover letter. A cover letter is a general introduction attached to another document such as a resume. It is basically a way to introduce yourself and show your interests in the position.

Cover Letters

There are three types of cover letters:

• The application letter which responds to a known job opening
• The prospecting letter which inquires about possible positions
• The networking letter which requests information and assistance in your job search

Also a cover letter is no more than one page and divided into four different sections.

1. Header-sender's address and other information, the recipient's contact information, and the date sent after either the sender's or the recipient's address.
2. Introduction-It states the specific position desired and catches the employers attention
3. Body-The body highlights or amplifies on material in the resume or job application
4. Closing-A closing sums up the letter, and indicates the next step the applicant expects to take.

The Resume

There are key guidelines when starting your resume to follow:

• First find an organization that fits your strengths and fits your goals
• Determine a layout that is professional and uncluttered
• Be consistent throughout your resume
• Proofread to make sure there are no errors and the information is accurate

Overall a resume is a list of your qualifications and skills to help you preform the position they organization is hiring for. You will need to reflect on many different categories of information while completing your resume. There are many ways to organize your resume but here is a general overview in order.

1. Heading
2. Job Objective
3. Qualifications Summary
4. Education
5. Employment Experience
6. Related skills and Abilities
7. Honors and Activities
8. References

Writing effective resumes and cover letters is not very hard. They just take time and propper formatting to make you stand out of the other thousand resumes companies get. A helpful site I found that helps prepare your in writing a resume can be found at http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumes/a/aa040801a.htm. Not putting the time and effort into your resume can fail to get you the interview. Follow all these tips and guidelines in preparing a resume to get the position you want!

Sources

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumes/a/aa040801a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_letter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resume
Writing That Works(Oliu, Brusaw, Alred) p539-555

The Use of Graphics and Imaging software in Professional Writing by Adam Glick

In professional writing, one uses many different forms of images to express their ideas or thoughts.   In most cases, a graphic will be used when words alone cannot explain the writers point. Some examples would be a graph, drawing, photograph, chart or maps.  All of these graphics allow the reader to comprehend data quickly, making their decisions faster as well. The fact that readers make faster decisions may help your document look more persuasive. 

However, not every aspect of writing can use the same type of graphic.

• To show objects and spatial relationships, one would use a drawing or a photograph.
  

• To show geographic information, one would use a map.
  

• To show numerical information, one would use a bar, line, picture, or pie graph.
  

• To show steps in a process or relationships in a system, one would use a flowchart or schematic.
  

• To show relationships in Hierarchy, one would use organization charts.
  

• To show supplement or replace words, one would use symbols or icons.
  

Tips for using graphics:

• Keep your graphics simple
• Use the least amount of words as possible
• Make sure the graphic has explanation close by

Imaging Software

There is a lot of different software on the market that allows the writer to edit their photos or designs in hopes of getting their message across more clearly.  Also, if a writer cannot find an image that best represents the message they are trying to get across, they can start from scratch and make their own.  The possibilities with imaging software are only limited to the writers imagination.

An example of such software would be photoshop.

Tips for Writing a Policy Manual by Heather Zappacosta

An Employee Policy Manual is a vital management tool which communicates rules and expectations to employees. A good Employee Policy Manual would address issues of employment, health and safety in the workplace as well as employee theft. Although the contents of the Employee Policy Manual will vary from business to business, all should contain the following main sections:

1. Employee Code. Outline basic elements such as working hours, vacation time, salary and benefits, overtime, orientation procedures, and performance evaluations. Also, include coverage of customer handling and other issues that arise during the normal course of the workday. Include job descriptions in this section as well.

2. Employee Misconduct.Include description of how employee misconduct will be addressed, including issues such as tardiness, persistent lateness, or employee theft.

3. Sexual Misconduct. Even small and startup businesses are advised to include a policy item outlining behaviors that are not acceptable within the workplace. Primarily designed to protect women in the workplace, these policies also advance strong guidelines to mitigate the occurrence of sexual misconduct in the work environment.

4. Heath & Safety Guidelines.When employees share in the responsibility for health and safety issues, the entire business benefits. Guidelines must comply with applicable local, provincial and federal legislation.

5. Internet Policy. Include mention of appropriate Internet and email usage. Be sure to specify that employees may not use company email or other Internet components to conduct illegal activities, or to access or distribute pornography or copyrighted materials, such as the popular MP3 music files. Should you ever find yourself in court defending your business because an employee has used your email system to send threatening or harassing emails, an Internet Policy will be to your benefit.

Many other important issues can be addressed in the manual as well. By having an Employee Policy Manual, employers are being proactive. It is important to do this so that when something negative does happen, the employer will already know how to deal with it. It is also good because employees will know exactly what is expected of them, and they will know what is considered unacceptable in their particular office. Employees should be required to read the manual.

Works Cited

Campbell, June. "Tips for Writing an Employee Policy Manual." Business Writing by Nightcats

Multimedia Productions. http://www.nightcats.com/samples/manual.html.

How to be Persuasive by Justo Almodovar

There are many ways to be persuasive in not only your writing but also in the way you communicate with others. Commercials, just like the Mean Joe Green Coke commercial shown here use different elements to make sure that they are persuasive. The website write101.com stated three important elements in being persuasive.

1. Win the Trust of Your Audience

This is first step because you want to make sure that the audience knows that you can be trusted. To make it easier for them to trust you make sure you know something about them such as how old they are or even what interests them. A perfect example of this is the Coke commercial shown above that first aired during the Super Bowl and starred one of the biggest stars in the NFL in that era.

2. Appeal to the Audience’s Emotions

Write101.com made the great point that people respond to their emotional appeals more than their intellectual appeals and the commercial above is famous for exactly that. You have to give Coca Cola credit with this commercial because who would not get a little emotional about a cute little kid not only seeing if Joe Green was okay but giving him his bottle of Coca Cola. Then to top it off they have one of the meanest football players to ever play the game drop his tough man persona to give the little kid his jersey.

3. Rationalize

This is the final step of the three step process that write101.com says to use to be persuasive. This is the step when you give people good reasons to believe what you are trying to tell them. In my opinion, the Coca Cola Company did a great job with this stage because a long with Mean Joe drinking the Coke they have the song saying that Coke will make you feel good and make smile while at the same time having Mean Joe giving the cute kid his jersey while smiling.

Sources

http://www.write101.com/persuasive.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xffOCZYX6F8

How to write concisely by Stephen Sherburne

Writing Concisely requires you to get straight to the point when writing, not dancing around the idea or point you are trying to make. Just because writing concisely means to be shorter to the point does mean it requires less time. In fact, it requires more time because generally a good idea is getting your idea on the paper then, go through it with a fine comb and see what you can take out, to make it more conscise, more specfic but in few words. Writing Concisely should alsio be clear, meaning the point you are making should be short be the reading should be able to clearly understand what you are trying to get across to them. In this case, think of your audience, sometimes you have to use less complex words, and sometimes its easier then trying to use more advance word usage. But, generally when writing concisely your generally using the more advance word usage that gives your writing more meaning but, in less time and making your writing more concise.

Technical Writing in Major by Justo Almodovar

Technical Writing can be done in many different types of work when it comes to anyone’s specific major. Technical Writing can be collaborative projects, in formal reports, and in proposals.

Any team project that you may do in a class can be considered as technical writing collaborative works. Collaborative works are usually used in three occasions, 1) If the project requires expertise or specialization in more than one subject area. 2) The project will benefit from merging different perspectives into a unified perspective. 3) The size of the project, time constraints, or the importance of the project to your organization requires a team effort.

Another way that technical writing is used in different majors is in formal reports. Formal reports are written accounts of major projects. Since formal reports serve a different variety of purposes to serve they can be known by many different names such as feasibility study, annual report, investigative report, research report, and an analytical report. Formal reports are organized to address the needs of more than one audience, which have a variety of positions in the organization.

Last but certainly not least, technical writing can be found in proposals. People use technical writing to write proposals when a primary reader may be an expert in the subject that you are speaking about but their supervisor is not, you would provide an executive summary for the supervisor.

To sum everything up, every major uses technical writing. Every major has their students either working on a group project or doing formal reports and that is all that technical writing is. Technical writing is something that every college student does and may not even know that they are doing technical writing themselves.

Source:

Writing That works(Oliu, Brusaw, Alred) p129-30, 372,376, 435