Monday, April 26, 2010
EdwardM. Capturing Your Audience ( Designing Visuals)
One of the best ways to capture an audience is to incorporate visuals into your material. A Visual is a pictorial representation used to convey meaning and information to an audience. When designing a visual there are a couple things you need to think of. What kind? what should it look like? Where should it be placed?
when deciding what kind of visual to put into your material you should first think of what it is you are trying to get across to your audience. If it is very numerical and math related, charts, graphs, and tables work very well. If it is something technical, screenshots are better for the sitiueation.
Figuring out what the visual should look like is a fairly simple process. The main thing you need to do is be crative with it. If it is directed towards children, add color and fun designs. If its for the professional workplace make it catchy, fun, yet appropriate.
The last thing you will need to decide when designing visuals is where to place the visual. Sometimes it is beter to make it the very first thing your audience will see. Other times you want it to be the last. Now your ready to go out and design your own visuals.
Dobrin,Sidney.Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century.New York:Pearson,2006.Print.
Cristian R.- The End is Near!!! (last Post)
Click here to comment on this Voki.
Get a Voki now!
I have been lucky enough to have many media releases written about me, which has helped me learn something about them. The first thing that I know is that you should have a good headline. It should be short, and to the point. Also I have learned that you should begin the release with information about what or who you are writing about. This is what I have been able to pick up while reading different media releases. There is a correct outline that should be followed when writing a media release. I have already mentioned the first two steps. The third step would be to communicate with the 5 Ws and the H. The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. After you have identified the Ws and H, you need to provide supporting information to tie everything together. After you have completed the headline and body of the media release, the last step would be to add contact information at the end of your news.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
AndresN: Writing Informal Reports
When you are writing an informal report, you should always start with addressing the report in the top left corner. You have to include whom the report is to, who it is from, the date, and the subject. A report should have an introduction, discussion sections, and a conclusion. In the introduction should include the what, when, why, where, and how in order to have an appropriate introduction. The discussion sections is where you would explain all the parts of the report. In this section you may include bullet points, tables, graphs, or any other visual representation. You have to make sure that you explain with detail the visuals in your report. The conclusion should reiterate the issues mentioned in the previous paragraphs. Also remind the reader about any action that is needed. After the conclusion, you should include your contact information. This is everything that is needed to write an informal report.
Monday, April 19, 2010
KevinM - The Secret to Successful Technical Writing
From what I have learned and experienced, Writing Technical Instructions is challenging. When writing, you must consider the audience, purpose, context, length, and complexity of what you are trying to instruct. Whether you are writing something very technical, or something as simple as driving directions, the following guidelines should help you to complete the instruction process.
1. Readability
- Remember your audience. Don’t assume that the people reading the instructions know anything about what they are reading. Make instructions detailed, but not to long.
2. Consistency
- Stick with the same style throughout the entire writing process. Make sure to number/alphabetize everything in order, and not to rename anything using a different name
3. Comprehensibility
- Make sure everything is well defined. If need be, use diagrams or illustrations to explain the point more clearly.
* The instructions should be tested for usability purposes as well. You don’t want to give instructions that don’t work
Finally, along with these tips, I believe there should also be a good conclusion. This explains to the reader why they followed the instructions they did and the ending result they should have. Following these tips, testing them out, and providing proper information should allow your technical writing instructions to be a success.
Michael T. Dreading Writing That Resume and Cover Letter?
When It comes time to write your resume, you may become confused as to what it should include and how to format it. I found it very helpful to review samples before I wrote my resume. I will make a list for you including what should be in a resume how it should be formatted.
Cover Letter- The cover letter is a key ingredient in a resume. It should answer the the question-"Why should I hire you?" The cover letter is your way to stand out over the competition and grab the employers attention.
This is how it should look:
Your Address
Date
Mr./Ms. Employer's Name
Title
Company Name
Address
Dear Mr./Ms. Employer:
First Paragraph should include why you are writing to them.
Second Paragraph should include why your qualified.
Final Paragraph should refer to the resume enclosed and request an interview.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Name
The resume needs to include the following:
Cover Letter- The cover letter is a key ingredient in a resume. It should answer the the question-"Why should I hire you?" The cover letter is your way to stand out over the competition and grab the employers attention.
This is how it should look:
Your Address
Date
Mr./Ms. Employer's Name
Title
Company Name
Address
Dear Mr./Ms. Employer:
First Paragraph should include why you are writing to them.
Second Paragraph should include why your qualified.
Final Paragraph should refer to the resume enclosed and request an interview.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Name
The resume needs to include the following:
- Contact Information
- Objectives (optional)
- Experience
- Education
- Skills
- Organizations you belong to (optional)
- References
Thursday, April 15, 2010
"Writing at Work"
For those of you that want to learn more on pofessional writing and want to better your writing skills, I have found a book that answers that. The book is called,"Writing at Work" You can find it at your local library or on Amazon.com. This book is for those of you who write while at work,whether its memos, e-mails, reports, or letters. This book is also for people who want to learn more. It will help you write more sophistaicated pieces of work to help those who read them. It also focuses on the real rules of grammar and aspects of style that you really need to know to help you write with confidence. It gives examples that people can find on a work setting and it even has excercises that give you an opportunity to write, revise, and correct written tasks encountered at work. After each excercise, there are answers at the end of each chapter. I definatley recommend this book and hope you give it a chance.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Cristian R.- Are you invited?
Writing invitations can be easy or somewhat difficult. Ranging from the basic information to a long description of an event. There are basic guidelines that you know follow when writing any type of information; whether it’s a birthday invitation or a wedding invitation, you should always follow these following steps.
1) Names of hosts or sponsoring organization
2) Type of event (Birthday, wedding, business meeting, etc...)
3) Place
4) Date
5) Time
6) RSVP date and phone number
7) Any special dress requirements
8) Rain date (if any)
9) Be specific about who is invited, whether addressee only, with guest or with spouse and children. (Do not forget this)!!
Although, you might think that invitation to all events should be the same, you are wrong. If it is a business meeting, be more formal, if it is birthday or graduation, have more fun with it! Also, if guests are not from your local area, provide a map to location of the event. In addition, send invitation between 8-2 weeks in advance. Weddings need more time and dinners or small meetings need the least.
1) Names of hosts or sponsoring organization
2) Type of event (Birthday, wedding, business meeting, etc...)
3) Place
4) Date
5) Time
6) RSVP date and phone number
7) Any special dress requirements
8) Rain date (if any)
9) Be specific about who is invited, whether addressee only, with guest or with spouse and children. (Do not forget this)!!
Although, you might think that invitation to all events should be the same, you are wrong. If it is a business meeting, be more formal, if it is birthday or graduation, have more fun with it! Also, if guests are not from your local area, provide a map to location of the event. In addition, send invitation between 8-2 weeks in advance. Weddings need more time and dinners or small meetings need the least.
EdwardM Writing Progress and Status Memos
Status Memos and Writing progress are two different concepts but very easily can be combined into one single piece of information. A status memo is usually an informal letter written to your colleague, boss, or superior. It is a way of showing the progress that you have made on achieving a certain goal that you were either assigned or have taken on yourself. It allows you to lay out everything step by step and in detail to give a breakdown of all aspects of your project.
Your writing progress is the improvement that you personally make as a writer. This is a very grey subject matter, whenever your writing is being observed you must take the observer into account just as much as the actual article. Everyone has a different view of what is good writing and what is bad. All that you can do to improve your writing is to read other peoples writings and to personally write as much as possible.
So how I planned on combining these two topics was by showing how you can make a status memo to yourself on your writing progress. If you lay out what you need to improve on and stating what you feel you already have improved on, it will make it easier for you to attack certain areas of your writing and perfect those aspects one at a time.
KevinM - Guidelines For An Effective Complaint Letter
1.)Send your complaint to correct person/adress
2.)Be Calm, Composed, and Specific in your writing
3.)Detail your complaint with exact dates and exact problem(s)
4.)State what you plan to do or expect to receive
5.)Be prepared to back-up your complaint
andresN Business Writing Journal
Click here to comment on this Voki.
Get a Voki now!
The article that I reviewed appeared in the July 2003 issue of the Boston Women’s Business Journal. The journal was about improving your marketing with email newsletters. The author Andrea Harris had very good points about email newsletters. She talked about how a newsletter is an inexpensive marketing tool. The journal also talks about how a newsletter is another opportunity to reinforce a company’s brand. Newsletters can help a company to truly speak to their customers better than any other way of advertisement. Not only did the author give good points in business but she also had good grammar and wrote very clear in order to keep the readers in the text without getting lost. I think that Andrea Harris did a great job when it comes to business writing and she did a very good job on her article for this business journal.
Writing Completely
When deciding what you want to say in a document, there should be some time spent to analyze what message you want to relay, how you want to relay it, and who you are relaying it to. By identifying these three categories, you can then decide what information is necessary to "complete" your message. An example of this is are key details, such as the time or place of an event. Leaving a key piece of information out of a message can be very devastating, especially in the professional world. Some pieces of information are optional, or what a reader wants, but doesn't need, to know. This is where it is up to the individual who is creating the document to decide if that information should be inclusive in the document or not. Some reasons for exclusion could be document length, information that is for some, but not all, recipients of the document, etc. Keep an open mind about who is going to be reading the document, and be sure to not leave out any key pieces of information.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7kMZuOYd7g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7kMZuOYd7g
Monday, April 5, 2010
Writing Courteously
Get a Voki now!
One of the most important skills to aquire when writing in the business place or sometimes in your personal life is the ability to write courteously. The main purpose of main purpose of writing courteously is to show respect towards the reader you are writing towards. Courtesy is concentrated mostly on rejection or refusal letters because of the natrual negativity of those letters.By being courteous and staying as positive as possible in the letter, it will help the reader get through the letter with as least amount of damage as possible. Although you are ultimatly rejecting the reader, if you have done a good job being courteous then they should still have respect for you and how you have handled the situation. Many companies hang their hat on their customer service and courtesy towards their customers.
Policy or Manual Writing (voki)
Get a Voki now!
When writing a policy or manual, it is important to keep everything simple and as uncomplicated as possible. However you don't want to be too simple to the point that valuable or necessary information is left out. Sometimes small details or semantics completely change the way one reads a policy or manual. Leave contact information for unanswered questions or in case an individual wants more information. It is important to have information transition well between topics, and to have it well organized. An unorganized manual is a very frustrating read to come across, and shows poor planning as a writer.
Tired of that old job? Heres how to move on!!
Sometimes its time to move on from that old job. You may be looking for a new employer because the old one just wasn't working out, or maybe you are looking for a new job to get you ahead in your career. Whatever the reason is you will need to provide some sort of resignation to your current employer. I have provided a basic guideline on how to format a letter of resignation.
The best way to resign is in person. A follow up letter can be sent afterward.
What to include in a letter of resignation:
1. The letter should inform your current employer that you are leaving the company, and the date that you will be leaving.
2. The letter should be brief and to the point. It is not necessary to provide a long list of reasons that you are resigning.
3. If you feel it's necessary to include details on the reason behind you resignation, then only provide reasons if you are leaving from a job that was good. If the reason for leaving is to move locations or go back to school to further your education, then it is okay to provide details. If the reason for leaving is because it was a terrible job, don't bash on the employer.
4. Offer your assistance during the transition of your leave. The employer may or may not accept the offer, but either way they will greatly appreciate the courtesy.
5. One of the most important things to remember when writing a letter of resignation is not to vent. The letter is not the time for you to tell your employer about how terrible it was to work at their company. This letter will be in your permanent record for jobs. You wouldn't want a future employer to come across a letter of that manner. It is also very unprofessional to criticize and bash the company just because it did not work out for you.
The best way to resign is in person. A follow up letter can be sent afterward.
What to include in a letter of resignation:
1. The letter should inform your current employer that you are leaving the company, and the date that you will be leaving.
2. The letter should be brief and to the point. It is not necessary to provide a long list of reasons that you are resigning.
3. If you feel it's necessary to include details on the reason behind you resignation, then only provide reasons if you are leaving from a job that was good. If the reason for leaving is to move locations or go back to school to further your education, then it is okay to provide details. If the reason for leaving is because it was a terrible job, don't bash on the employer.
4. Offer your assistance during the transition of your leave. The employer may or may not accept the offer, but either way they will greatly appreciate the courtesy.
5. One of the most important things to remember when writing a letter of resignation is not to vent. The letter is not the time for you to tell your employer about how terrible it was to work at their company. This letter will be in your permanent record for jobs. You wouldn't want a future employer to come across a letter of that manner. It is also very unprofessional to criticize and bash the company just because it did not work out for you.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Job Interview Here I Come!!!!
Job hunting can be difficult at times, sometimes impossible. But when you do find that job that is interested in you and that you are interested in, there's always a job interview. So here are some do's and dont's on job interviews. First, the dont's:- You never want to be late to an interview
- Do not have your cell phone on, keep it off at all times
- Do not come mentally unprepared
- Do not come physically unprepared
- Participate in the interview, do not just stay quiet
- Do not get personal, about yourself
- You do not want to be chewing on anything
Now the do's:
- You want to be early to your interview
- Use good manners with everyone you meet
- Use proper english, do not use slang
- Have good eye contact
- Send a short thank you note following the interview
Hopefully, well truthfully, these tips will help you become successful in getting a job. Good luck and remember "We Mean Business!"
Monday, March 29, 2010
Using Graphics and Imaging in Professional Writing
One of the nice things about professional writing courses is that most of the papers should have graphics. Some examples of graphics would be; drawings, diagrams, photographs, illustrations of all sorts, tables, pie charts.
Drawings, Diagrams and Photos:
To show objects, place, people and relationships between them better, you can use drawings, diagrams and photos. Illustrations and photographs, can run anywhere from minimal detail to maximal detail. Diagrams show a more abstract, schematic view of things and Photographs provide the most detail of all.
Tables:
Tables are those rows and columns of numbers and words, mostly numbers. They permit quick access to and relatively easy comparison of information. Great for numerical data!
Charts and Graphs-
Charts and graphs are actually just another way of presenting the same data that is presented in tables — although a more dramatic and interesting one.
General Guidelines in using graphics:
- Use graphics whenever they would normally be necessary, don't be lazy!
- Always discuss graphics in nearby text preceding the graphic. Don't just throw a graphic out there unexplained.
- Make sure your graphics are appropriate to your audience, subject matter, and purpose.
- Intersperse graphics and text on the same page. Don't put graphics on pages by themselves.
- Indicate the source of any graphic you have borrowed
Every time something is written, it is intended for someone to read it. In order for the reader to understand what the writer is writing, the writer must first analyze the reader. Analyzing the reader will help the writer see how the reader feels and write so that the reader has a better understanding of the text. Here are some tips on how to analyze your reader:
· Understand the reader’s values and beliefs
You have to make sure that you don’t write with words or phrases that would offend the reader.
· Language use
You should always make sure you write with words that your reader understands without trouble.
· Reader’s interest
A writer should always analyze the reader’s interests so that it can be easier to write about things that connect to the reader.
· What does the reader want
When writing, one should be aware of what the reader wants to read.
Analyzing the reader is very important when writing so that whatever is written does not seem confusing to the reader and also to keep the reader connected to the text.
· Understand the reader’s values and beliefs
You have to make sure that you don’t write with words or phrases that would offend the reader.
· Language use
You should always make sure you write with words that your reader understands without trouble.
· Reader’s interest
A writer should always analyze the reader’s interests so that it can be easier to write about things that connect to the reader.
· What does the reader want
When writing, one should be aware of what the reader wants to read.
Analyzing the reader is very important when writing so that whatever is written does not seem confusing to the reader and also to keep the reader connected to the text.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Writing Correctly in the Business World
Writing accurately is a topic that is usually brushed on at some point in high school and college, but many people usually overlook the importance of it in the real world. Going into a business career myself, I have learned the value of proper grammar, word choice, punctuation, and format. There are several ways that one can prepare for professional writing in addition to related courses.
First, it is important to always spell check any work if possible. This includes any e-mails, homework assignments, papers, etc. When using spell check, rather than simply accepting mistakes and moving on, I suggest looking at what the mistakes actually are. By understanding what is wrong and why it is wrong, you can avoid making the same mistakes in the future, and especially when spell check is not available.
It is also important to look at the format of what you are writing. Whether or not to use indentations, as well as how formal or informal the document is, are two very key factors in any document I am constructing. Whether is is an e-mail to a co-worker through an intranet or a memo to an entire staff, makes a big difference in how you want to construct the document. Take the time to consider these factors before rushing a document that may be criticized at best.
Some more worthwhile information on the subject can be found in the following YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdK2E6pKQno
First, it is important to always spell check any work if possible. This includes any e-mails, homework assignments, papers, etc. When using spell check, rather than simply accepting mistakes and moving on, I suggest looking at what the mistakes actually are. By understanding what is wrong and why it is wrong, you can avoid making the same mistakes in the future, and especially when spell check is not available.
It is also important to look at the format of what you are writing. Whether or not to use indentations, as well as how formal or informal the document is, are two very key factors in any document I am constructing. Whether is is an e-mail to a co-worker through an intranet or a memo to an entire staff, makes a big difference in how you want to construct the document. Take the time to consider these factors before rushing a document that may be criticized at best.
Some more worthwhile information on the subject can be found in the following YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdK2E6pKQno
Friday, March 26, 2010
Cristian R.- Are you prepared for your interview?
If you are a writer and are looking for a career in writing, before you get the job, you will be scheduled for an interview. These are some tips on how to do well if you are being interviewed.
1) Prepare
~Make sure you know what the company is about; History, locations, divisions.
2) Dress Appropriately
~This is a professional career, wear a suit.
3) Communication skills
~Shake hands, make eye contact; this will help to positively connect with the person who might hire you.
4) Too much Communication
~Leave your cell phone at home. Do not bring food or drinks with you.
5) Talk too much
~Do not ramble, simply answer the question
6) Give the correct answer
~make sure you take your time and gather your thoughts before you answer the question
7) Don’t badmouth past employers
~Your last boss was an idiot?? Maybe or maybe not….But keep that to yourself
8) Follow up
~Whether you think you did well or not, follow up with a Thank you note.
Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself if you did badly and did not get the job because, we have all messed up an interview at some point and time. Simply learn from your mistakes and move on.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)