+

Business Writing 101

+The way you write within a

business setting influences your reputation tremendously

Effective

businesses thrive on strong communication skills

If you come across as a strong communicator, you will be seen as an asset to the company

Your Career
How will you use writing someday?
List

three careers you could see yourself having in the future

each of the careers you listed, list the ways in which you will use writing for that career. Think about: Resumes Emails Etc

For

Four Types of Communication in Business:

-Results-Oriented
Focused

on producing results Includes a call to action or specific instructions to follow Motivational tone

-Informational
Simply

used to provide information to employees Mostly e-mail communication Should be clear and succinct

Types of Business Writing contd

-Persuasive
Proposals,

especially to recruit new employees or clients Focuses on stressing the benefits for the readers Writers typically use second-person tense

+
-Negative

Challenging, but often inevitable

Writers

should use a firm, but empathetic tone Write succinctly to provide essential information in a direct manner

+ Steps for business writing:

1. Identify Audience 2. Determine Purpose for Writing 3. Choose Ideal Format 4. Research Background Information

5. Capture Audience
6. Stick to One Topic 7. Proofread for Grammar and Clarity

+
Business E-mails

ALWAYS Get Use

abide by e-mail etiquette

to the point within the 2nd or 3rd sentence proper tone- always keep your audience in mind

+ Before you write a

business e-mail, you need to write a strong resume!
-NEVER

underestimate the power of

the visual
-Your

resume should be VERY easy to

read
-Be

honest and accurate page length is ideal

-One

-ALWAYS

provide a professional email contact-a derivation of your name is ideal (ex: JohnDoe @gmail.com NOT Hottie7 @gmail.com)
-Have

multiple, trusted people proofread your resume BEFORE submission

Resume formats may vary, however, there are some that are better than others. Use the format that best displays your skills and accomplishments.

Step 1: Your contact information; Make sure to include: Your full name Home address Phone # with area code E-mail address -All information should be accurate, updated and professional -Your name should be in a relatively large, readable font. Your contact information should directly follow your name.

+
It

Step 2: Objective: Stating what you want in a job/career

Your

objective should be clear and concise. should be reader-centered; tailor your objective to the position you are applying for.
Strong

Example: Objective: Help ABC Aerospace achieve its mission of designing tomorrow's technology today by joining the Navigation Software Development Team as a programmer. This objective shows that the applicant wants to help a particular company accomplish a particular goal.
Weak

Example: Objective: Expand my skills in programming in the software development field. This objective is focused on the applicant, not the employer. Also, it is extremely generic and could be submitted to ANY software company.

+
Education
State If

the highest degree you have earned first

you do not have extensive work experience, consider including any additional degrees you have earned (high school, junior college, trade schools etc.)
Also

include:
Name of the school where you earned the degree Date of graduation Level of degree (B.A, A.A, M.A, B.S.) The field you studied (English, Business, Engineering, etc)

Any minors (Theater, Mathematics, etc.) or concentrations (Education, Accounting, etc)

Your G.P.A. (unless it is lower than a 3.0)

Work Experience
If you have ANY work experience (even babysitting), you should include it As you mature within your work experience, you will focus on the more relevant work experience

For each job you list, include this information: Name and address of the organization Dates of employment Position title Responsibilities. If you do not have ANY work experience, include volunteer work, extracurricular activities, school clubs etc. Make sure to emphasize your responsibilities or roles within the organizations you mention.

Additional Information
As a young and inexperienced job candidate you will need to include any relevant information that will help bulk-up your resume. Remember, you are selling yourself Items to consider:

Computer skills Honors and awards Languages Certifications Volunteer experience Hobbies and interests Foreign travel Community service, etc.

References
References are people who can vouch for your character, your work ethic, or your reliability Do NOT include family members or minors- Teachers, supervisors, family friends, etc. are acceptable On your resume, you may list the references if you have the space If your resume is close to a full page, consider simply stating, References available upon request. Make sure to get permission from your references before you provide a potential employer with their personal information Ensure that you provide your potential employer with accurate and updated contact information for your references.

What NOT to do. Resume Bloopers

-Why Interested in Position: To keep my parole officer from putting back me in jail -Reason for leaving: I thought the world was coming to an end. -Experience: Stalking, shipping & receiving -Background: 28 dog years of experience in sales (four human). -Personal statement: Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details. -Personal statement: I am a wedge with a sponge taped to it. My purpose is to wedge myself into someones door to absorb as much as possible. -Lets meet, so you can ooh and aah over my experience. -Qualifications: Twin sister has accounting degree. -Salary desired: Starting over due to recent bankruptcies. Need large bonus when starting job. -Objective: What Im looking for in a job: #1) Money #2) Money #3) Money.

Business Letters
1.

Senders address- Include only the stress address, city, and zip code (This is only necessary if you are NOT using a letterhead) Date- indicates the date the letter was written or completed. Use standard format- April 1, 2012 Recipients address: Its best to address your letter to a particular person, using his or her full name and personal title (Ms., Dr. etc) If that information is not available, simply write the address in U.S. postal service format. Salutation: Use personal title and full name followed by a colon. If you do not know the readers gender you can use To Whom it May Concern: Leave one line blank after the salutation. Beginning the letter:
1. 2. 3.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Conciseness is vital! ake sure to maintain the appropriate tone throughout the letter. Outline the main points you want to communicate, and the details or examples you want to include to support your main point BEFORE you begin drafting

Business letters contd

1.

The first body paragraph: Begin with a friendly opening and a statement of the main point. The second body paragraph: Emphasize the importance of the main point. The following body paragraphs: Continue supporting your main point by providing supporting details, background information, examples etc. The concluding paragraph: Restate the purpose of the letter and sometimes, request some type of action. Closing: Begins one line after the last body paragraph. Capitalize the first word only. Follow with a comma (Ex: Best wishes, Thank you, Regards, Best, etc.) Enclosures: If you are submitting an additional document along with your business letter, such as a resume, you must inform your reader. Simply write, Enclosures: 2 one line beneath the closing

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Tone in Business Writing

Tone in writing refers to the writer's attitude toward the reader and the subject of the message. The overall tone of a written message affects the reader just as one's tone of voice affects the listener in everyday exchanges" (Ober, quoted from OWL) In order to ensure you are using the appropriate tone, ask yourself these question before you begin to write: Why am I writing this document? Who am I writing to and what do I want them to understand? What kind of tone should I use?

Quick Tone Tips

Be confident. Be courteous and sincere. Use appropriate emphasis and subordination. Use non-discriminatory language. Stress the benefits for the reader. Write at an appropriate level of difficulty. Avoid slang, abbreviations, acronyms, and contractions. Dont use emoticons

+ Sources

http://jobmob.co.il/blog/funniest-resume-mistakes/ http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/careerdev/resources/resume/sections/index.html http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/564/1/ http://www.syntaxtraining.com/business_writing_tips.html#biztip1 http://www.syntaxtraining.com/PDF/Rules_of_Email_Etiquette.pdf