The Higher New Hire

There will come a time in all of our lives, where, we will find ourselves sitting cross from a manager in the spotlight playing something similar to 20 questions. The whole routine will play out in front of our eyes, all the while, they are scrutinizing our every move and answer. Well, I decided to turn the tables on my employer and interviewed him about the interview process. With 18 years of experience of managing stores of all sizes, I hoped his answers would help us out next we interview.

1. What is the most important thing during the interview process? I prefer someone to carefully listen to the question, and to really consider the question before going into their answer. It shows listening skills and also limits useless information that can actually hurt their chances of being hired.

2. What is the most common mistake you see from interviewee's that can single handily ruin their chances? Eye contact. Many times an interviewee will come in on time, dressed well, answer questions well, however, their eyes are darting around the room avoiding eye contact the whole time.

3.What is the single most important piece of advice you can give to someone for an interview? Show personality. If you come in and are not engaged, or act like a bump on a log, you won't stand out to anyone.

Policy and Manual Writing by Robyn Ciancia

Policy and manuals are usually implemented to instruct a staff and/or organization on how to run the business/organization. When effective policies and manuals are in place, the time spent needing to manage problems is reduced. For this reason the following three steps will help create an effective policy and/or manual.

Organization - A structured manual is going to be the easiest to read and understand. Using table of contents, headings, subheadings, and highlighted words will create an organized structure.

Thoroughness/Concise - If a manual is too long, employees are going to stop reading or not absorb the information. Being thorough is very important however make sure each topic is concise. Employee Benefits, Payroll, Sexual Harassment Guidelines; all of these are in depth topics but making the information in the manual short, sweet, and to the point is best. Detailed information can always be made available to employees.

Staff input - One of the best things a manual writer can do is talking with the staff. Employees are the ones that will be reading and following these manuals, ask the staff their opinions and take them into consideration. Conducting an anonymous poll is a helpful tool.


Policy and manual writing isn’t an assignment many will come across on a regular basis; or so you may think. When I started my job as a hostess I never thought I would need this skill; however, as I was promoted to Host Trainer I was asked to create the five day training program for the host staff, a type of manual. It was a hard assignment because I had never attempted to write any kind of policy or manual. Following these three steps has helped me revise my training manual and now I have a better quality product.


www.writeexpress.com
http://www.nightcats.com/samples/manual.html

A Compilation of Journals and Books by Robyn Ciancia

Anyone can use a little extra help when it comes to Professional Writing. There are numerous means to finding help outside of Professional Writing blogs. If you are interested in reading up a little bit more here are a few options you can consider.

JOURNALS

The WAC Clearinghouse
http://wac.colostate.edu/journals/

HighBeam Research at www.highbeam.com
Enter “professional writing journals” into the website search bar and numerous selections on professional writing will open.

BOOKS

Professional Writing Skills by Janis Fisher Chan
Available at www.amazon.com

And your point is? by J. Douglas Jefferys
A power point presentation guide available at www.amazon.com

Writing at Work: Professional Writing Skills for People on the Job by Edward Smith
Available at www.amazon.com

OTHER

I chose to include two books that are not necessarily focused on professional writing however they have been of great use to me while writing for all types of assignments.

The Scott Foresman Handbook for Writers by Maxine Hairston, John Ruszkiewicz, and Christy Friend
Available at www.textbooks.com

The Everyday Writer by Andrea A. Lunsford
Available at Barnes and Noble or www.barnesandnoble.com

Having trouble REVISING your drafts??

Sometimes revising your draft is not easy. However, there are a few things that you can do to make this process less stressful and more successful.
The very first thing that you should do after revising a draft is to put it aside and don’t look at it for at least have a day. By doing this, your mind will be clearer and you revising will be more critical and less bias. Read it aloud, sometimes this can help you catch mistakes easier.
Here is a quick video about the revision process…


After revising, your work should accomplish these:
1. Show a clear purpose.
2. Address your audience which you already identified.
3. Have an interesting introduction and a good conclusion.
4. Have a clear and focused subject.
5. A consistent tone which is suitable for your writing.

Sources:
http://www.cuw.edu/tools/resources/lrc/writing_center/pdfs/revising.pdf
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Revising.html

Tips on Designing Visuals by Caitie Tanner

Visuals are a key element to the success of a presentation. Here are some tips on ways to make your visuals more efficient and professional:

1. Design a visual that presents one major point.
-A visual should get one major point across that is clear to the audience immediately
-This should be supported by factual information in bullet format

2. Keep your visual simple and organized.
-If your visual is cluttered, the reader or audience might loose focus
-A clean and organized visual looks professional

3. Limit the number of words that you use on your visual.
-Using to many words will make your visual look unorganized
-This can also confuse or mislead the reader or audience

4. Be sure and proofread your visual before presenting it.
-Grammatical errors can be seen as unprofessional
-Make sure that you check your data and that it is all factual

5. Use creative and catchy titles.
-The title is the first thing that grabs the reader or audience’s attention
-The title should get the point across and let the audience or reader know what they are going to be informed about

6. Use key words and graphics in your visual.
-This will help to get the attention of the audience and help them focus on a specific point that you are trying to make

7. Don’t mix horizontal and vertical formats.
-Make sure that you stick with one style rather than trying to incorporate both
-This will make the visual hard to follow

8. Make sure not to “over design” your visual.
-A classy and organized visual will have much more of an effect on a reader or an audience than a cluttered visual that will take their attention away from what you want to accomplish

References:

http://www.ua.edu/academic/oit/frc/resources/pdf/10tips.pdf

How to (Politely) Tell Someone They’re Fired

How to (Politely) Tell Someone They’re Fired

If only we were all as rich as Donald Trump, and as good at marketing ourselves that we can indulge ourselves into buying things or fantasizing about the new Mrs. Trump that was born somewhere else this very second to clear up our conscience after shouting, “You’re fired!!” in the most heartless, cruel, brutal way imaginable.

Unfortunately, most of us have consciences that we cannot afford to sooth by money, ego, and self-marketing power alone. Further, we do not have the type of power or authority that Donald Trump has, where we can get away with everything.

There is no good, happy way to tell someone he or she is going to be fired, whether it is for poor performance or due to a need to cut costs. If you must tell someone they are fired, be sensitive about it. Do not write a letter telling them; tell them to their face. Even if you are nervous about it, stay calm.

When telling someone they are fired, be firm about it, and keep certain things on record, such as failure to perform on their job. Keep in mind; even if they had a poor job performance, they were probably trying very hard unlike the famous Donald Trump reality show. Keep the meeting brief, and to the point.

Remember, even if you are frustrated with the employee, the reputation of your company is on the line. You might even need to hire back the employee one day. Do be polite, and try to treat the person the way you would want to be treated.



http://www.bsideblog.com/2009/04/lets-talk-apprentice-for-a-mom.php
http://blog.syracuse.com/shoptalk/2008/07/fired.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2004/10/04/smallb1.html

Writing a Resume by Jeanna

Out of all of the papers that I wrote for a previous class, I think the résumé was where I needed the most help. A résumé is a summary of your qualifications as well as the best tool for you to find the right job. It is best to put it all on one page, make sure it is well organized, carefully designed, consistently formatted, easy to read, and free of errors.

So first you need to know how to organize your résumé:

Heading: At the top of the résumé, include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.

Job objective: Introduces the material in a résumé and helps the reader understand the goal.

Education: List colleges you have attended with the degrees you have received and the date received.

Employment experience: Organize your employment experience in reverse chronological order (start with the most recent).

Related skills and abilities: List out the skills and abilities that you have. Make sure you list ones that go best with the actual job.

Honors and activities: List any honors or unique activities that you are involved in.

References: List references. Best is to say, “References available upon request.

If you have all of these organized and listed properly you will be able to provide the best résumé there is. Take a look at this short video for additional pointers.

Overcoming Stage Fright by Kristina Shope

A recent Gallup poll found that 40% of adults have a fear of public speaking, and as Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once observed, most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy! Like many others, I often suffer from stage fright. I am guilty of avoiding public speaking at all costs. I would rather work a twelve hour shift then speak for 3 minutes in front of a crowd.

If you suffer from Stage fright here are 10 Key Principles to Keep in Mind:
1) Speaking in public is NOT inherently stressful.
2) You do not have to be perfect.
3) You just need 2 or 3 main points.
4) You need a purpose.
5) Best way to succeed is to NOT consider yourself a Public Speaker!
6) Humility and Humor can go a long way.
7) Nothing “bad” can ever happen.
8) Do not try and control the audience’s behavior.
9) In general, the more you prepare the worse you’ll do.
10) Your audience truly wants you to succeed.


Here are some tips that I found to help me overcome my fear of public speaking:
 Visualize your performance ending well.
 Eat a healthy snack/meal before hand.
 Focus on your breathing. Breathe deeply in and out.
 Chew gum before you take the stage to help relieve jaw tension
 Imagine everyone in the audience as the same person (a family member or friend).
 Rub your hands with lavender or vanilla lotion before going on stage. Pleasurable scents can help relieve stress.

References:
• Smith, Taylor. "Fear of Public Speaking". 4/13/2009 .
• Orman, Morton. "How To Conquer Public Speaking Fear". 4/13/2009 .

How to Analyze Your Reader by Caitie Tanner

The key to analyzing your reader is to know the needs of your reader. The goal of the writer is “to create a common ground between the reader and the writer.” Here are three areas that a writer should consider before writing:

1. Knowledge:
   The question the writer needs to ask is “How much does the reader know?”
   Do you think that your reader is familiar enough with the background of your topic to understand you in the first place?
   The goal of Knowledge is to determine how much you want the reader to know. If you think that the reader is not familiar enough with your topic, then you need to inform your reader prior to them reading your piece of writing. This is the most important thing you could do to benefit the reader. This not only benefits your reader, it also helps to achieve your initial goal of writing the piece.
   



2. Attitude:
   The next question to consider would be “What do you want the reader’s attitude to be after reading your piece of writing?”
   We need to first consider if the reader already has a perspective or attitude towards the specific topic you are proposing them to read. If the reader’s attitude differs from that of your paper that means you need to do more to make the reader see where you are coming from.
   



3. Needs:
   The final question you need to consider is “How can you adapt to the reader to fulfill his needs?”
   A readers needs are completely different from his knowledge and his attitude. A person who is not familiar with your field of work or the purpose of your paper does not want to read a textbook, they merely want you to adapt to his or her needs and tell them the purpose of your paper.

Referances:

http://www.csus.edu/englishta/TA/Readings/FlowerKnow.pdf

Write a letter of recommendation

Letters of Recommendation

A time in your life may come when you may need a letter of recommendation to secure a specific job or academic goal, or be asked to write one yourself. Employers use letters of recommendation to help assess the abilities of a potential employer. A good recommendation letter should verify employment experience and credibility of the person the recommendation is written for.

The intro of the letter should introduce you as the reference, state your relationship to the candidate (Supervisor, coworker), and other information you may need to verify you are a credible source. In this paragraph, you should also write a general overview about the applicant. If you honestly have nothing positive to write about this candidate, you should not agree to be a reference in the first place.

The body should be kept to at least two or three paragraphs, and describe strong, specific examples of the person being referenced. Such examples could be classroom experience, professional skills, or a particularly difficult situation you have faced with this person. When writing out examples, be careful to not write any information that could give away the applicant religion, race, gender, handicap, age, and other protected groups of people.

In the conclusion, leave information for the potential employer to contact you, and personally sign your name. The conclusion should also confirm that the person you are writing for is a qualified candidate.

Most of all, remember to check your work carefully once and maybe twice more very carefully. Someone is not only depending on your word to help them get a job, but also respects your opinion enough to have you as a reference. Good luck!!

http://www.uwgb.edu/Careers/Recommendation_Letters.htm
http://www.writeexpress.com/recommendation-letters.html
http://www.used-textbooks.net/used-textbooks.html