“E-mailing Propely at Work” by Stephanie Cifuentes

The technology advancements have allowed for the e-mail to become a tool that allows us to communicate more rapidly and efficiently not only in our personal and social environment, but also at work. However, we have to be very careful because this useful tool might also be very harmful, especially at work.
Here are some tips when using e-mails at work:

· You always want to show yourself as being polite and professional. Therefore, always start your e-mails with a proper greeting. i.e. “Hello”, “Hi”, “Dear XYZ”, or “To whom it may concern”.

· Take some time to compose a good subject line, at that it reflects what the e-mail is all about. By doing a good job at this simple step, your e-mail will get the proper attention that it deserves.

· As with any correspondence, you should always write your e-mails following the 5Cs to make sure that it is Clear, Concise, Complete, Correct, and Courteous.

· Before forwarding any e-mail from somebody else, always ask for their permission first. This will avoid potential trust conflict in the future.

· Make sure that you are taking time to answer to your e-mails in a timely fashion; this will show your professionalism. If you know in advance that you are not going to be able to take some time to reply to an e-mail, you should at least reply to the sender with a quick message that you have received the e-mail and that you will soon review it.

· Do not send personal e-mails through your work’s e-mail account. This is viewed as being not professional at work.

· Remember that your work has the capability to retrieve and review any e-mails sent, received, and even those that you have deleted. So do not write, or include anything that could potentially put your job in jeopardy.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2293051_use-proper-email-etiquette-work.html

Job Search- Networking by Kristina Shope

Networking:


Career experts claim that the majority of job openings are never publicly announced or advertised, but they are found through word-of-mouth. This word-of-mouth networking is often referred to as the “hidden job market”.

Networking refers to the means of developing a broad list of contacts, and using them to your advantage when searching for a job. Some of your contacts may be able to offer you advice or information that you could use to land your next job. They might even introduce you to a new company and educate you about it. Confronting your past coworkers or previous employers are a great place to start your networking. Often times, your coworkers have similar interests and therefore they could point you in the right direction for your next job.

For example, one of my coworkers quit his work at an animal hospital day clinic because the pay was not that great. Shortly after he started working at a local Emergency Pet Hospital. He relayed the news to me and even put in a good word for me to his new boss. I eventually landed the new job and the pay was indeed much better.



Some helpful steps to Successful Networking are:
-Develop a firm grasp of job search basics
-Conduct a self-assessment
-Prepare a strong resume
-Decide how to organize your network
-Communicate with your network
-Initiate informational interviews
-and finally to Follow up with your network.

Here is an educational video:



Works cited:
Hansen, Randall. "Networking Your Way to a New Job". 4/4/2009 .

Designing Effective Visuals by Robyn Ciancia

Studies show the brain retains more information when combining visual and oral stimulation. When designing visuals for a presentation there are a few key points to keep in mind. You are not trying to distract the audience with the visuals; you are assisting the audience in understanding the presentation. Here a few tips to help when designing your visuals.

• Think of your audience first and keep in mind that the short term memory only holds 5-7 points. Keep the visual short, sweet, and to the point.

• Design the visual to assist in listening. By taking data and making a visual out of it, listeners are more likely stay involved in the presentation. Organization is key.

• The visual needs to be clear and concise enough for the audience to see. Too many bells and whistles are going to be distracting.

• Paying attention to color schemes is very important! Colors subconsciously imply different things to the human brain. A few examples are:

• White - youth, sterility, purity, neutrality. Doctors wear white coats to imply sterility.

• Black - While black can mean intelligence, classic, and new, it also is associated with death. Black is an abstract color that is also associated with mystery and rebellion.

• Red - passion and intensity. The physical human response to Red is for the heart to beat faster. It is used to highlight important points.

• Blue - confidence, stability, and security. Many service employees (such as police officers) wear blue to promote the feeling of security.

• Keep in mind the meaning of color when creating your visual. If you are giving a presentation about cleanliness in public restrooms, keep the visual clean and stark by using white, and only highlighting with red. Black would not be an appropriate all over color.

By keeping in mind these few simple tips will make sure your visuals are helpful to your audience instead of distracting.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_symbolism_and_psychology
2. http://www.plu.edu/libr/media/designing_visuals.html
3. www.ua.edu/academic/oit/frc/resources/pdf/10tips.pdf
4. http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/traintec.html

Voki for the BLOGDOCTORS by Jeanna Hepp

Writing a Resignation Letter by Laura B

Too often, resignation letters do not contain good news for recipients. When writing a resignation letter, remember that the last impression is just as important as the first one. Even if you are not very happy with your former employer, never write anything negative about your experience with your company. A resignation letter is supposed to maintain good relations, not make things worse.

Your resignation letter should be brief, and explain why you are leaving the company. You should include the date you are leaving, and attempt to remain courteous. Do not be surprised if you receive an emotional response, because your employer could be relying on your talent in their company.

A resignation letter should be brief, and outline why you are leaving the company. Do not write anything about how your job has caused you multiple migraine headaches and your doctor to screen you for cancer as a result, or how you have a nice new natural shade of hair color that was not there before you accepted the job. Try to write something positive, such as “I believe this new position will further my professional development.” Also, try to write something positive about your experience with this company. If you honestly cannot of have anything positive to write, instead just focus on being polite.

Civility is most important when writing a resignation letter. You never know when you might need your old workplace again, as either contacts or potential references in the case that you need a new job. Remember, the purpose of a resignation letter is to maintain good relations and not damage them.

http://www.worktree.com/tb/MB_resign.cfm
http://www.writeexpress.com/resignation-letter.html

Successful Team Projects By Caitie Tanner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMvUzBeo9bg

Participation is an important part of being in a group.

- Work together as a team.

-Take an active role in the group no matter what.

Make sure and listen to all the members of your group.

-Actively listen, THEN contribute to the group.

Stay focused when your having group disscusions or meetings.

-If you do not stay focused, there is a chance you could miss something important.

Make sure and ask questions.

-The best time to ask a question is if you are confused and you are not sure of what is going on.

Take notes while you are having team meetings.

-Notes can help you remember exact details and information.

-Notes are always a good resource to look back on.

Monitior your contributions to the team while you are having meetings.

-Ask yourself:

-Do I need to contribute more or less to my group?

- What is my role in the group?

- Am I contributing enough to my group?

ALWAYS communicate your progress to the team.

-It is key to your teams success that you communicate your progress.

-Make sure the rest of your team is well informed on what is going on.

-Let your team know how far along you have getten with specific tasks.

-Make sure your team is aware if you have fallen beind. This is why you are team. They are there to encourage you and help you successed.

* Groups are teams*

Resources:

http://articles.directorym.co.uk/Tips_For_Running_Successful_Projects-a1012377.html

Write humor the right way

Writing with humor can be a very integral tool for writing, speaking, and presentations in the business world. Tossing in a little humor here and there can create a positive atmosphere, loosen up the crowd, and lighten the mood. Although, in my personal opinion, humor in writing of any sort can help bring out the writers personality which is always important. However, there are some key points one needs to adhere to when using humor.

• Know your audience- Remember what is funny to you or me is not funny to everyone.
• Tone- A negative tone can turn a positive joke, presentation, or memo into a negative one.
• Language-Be careful not to use offensive or abusive language, again remember, each and every person has their own opinions of offensive and abusive.
• Clarity- Be sure not to cloud your writing with humor, or to focus the writing around the humor. This method can confuse the reader or take away from the overall purpose.
• Chase the outsiders- A writer can use humor to attract readers who usually might not be in the readers normal audience.
• Be Appropriate- It is obvious that many jokes or innuendos are not appropriate in the workplace, therefore, they should not be used.

Though these tips will not guaruntee any laughs or great writing, they should help when it comes to using humor in professional writing. Keep in mind, humor is not for all situations, all people, or all writing but it can help bring out a new audience or your personality!

http://www.alexcommunications.com/style_guide.htm#humor

http://www.essortment.com/all/businesshumor_rshx.htm
http://www.caddylakgraffix.com/images/favorite_sites/favorite_sites001.jpg
http://www.consultpivotal.com/humour_in_business_presentations.htm

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter by Laura B

Potential employers want people who will add value to their organization. The purpose of the resume is to express job qualities in a direct, data based matter. On the other hand, the purpose of the cover letter is to provide a personal interpretation of the facts displayed on the resume. The cover letter answers the question of “Why should I hire you?”

The first paragraph or the introduction of the cover letter should consist of two or three sentences. In this paragraph, specifically why you are sending a resume. If you are looking for an internship position or full time employment, say so. Do not leave employers to guess what you want. Further, state how you learned of the position.

In your introduction you should also attempt to create a connection with the company by stating why you are interested in this position, and express some knowledge about the company. If you are unable to briefly and specifically make this connection, then leave this part out of the letter.

The second paragraph, or the body of the cover letter, explains why you are qualified for the position you are seeking. You should not repeat what is already written on your resume. While the resume highlights your prior experience, anyone else who held that job would end up with similar experience. Here is where you may highlight your qualities, enthusiasm, communication skills, etc for the job.

Draw attention to specific attributes on your resume that you believe make you qualified for the job. Provide strong examples from prior jobs, internships, college, etc. For example, instead of outlining your duties in a prior internship, talk about something extra you bought to your position. Perhaps you had to make a speech, or you taught other coworkers how to use a specific type of software.

The last paragraph should be around 2-4 sentences short. Put in your contact information and refer to your resume. Most importantly, thank the reader for his or her time and consideration.

The cover letter is what employers see before the resume, so make sure it is neatly written and polished. The cover letter should be short so employers may read it quickly. Tailor your letter specifically for the position you are seeking, so that you may stand out from the other potential candidates for the job opening. Finally, do not discuss salary expectations, and always send out a cover letter even if not required to do so in the job posting.

Sources:

http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/career/guides/cover_ltr.shtml
http://www.cvtips.com/employers_look_at_achievements.html
http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverletters/a/aa030401a.htm