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

“Tips for Writing with Some Humor” by Stephanie Cifuentes

Many times, adding humor to your writing can be extremely helpful to get your point across. Nevertheless, one must know how to use this tool, as it can also cause some problems too. Here are some tips for writing with some humor:

*Plan for a bigger audience than what you originally planned for, because a small inside joke that for a small audience might me appropriate, might not be so convenient to use for a bigger audience.

*Do not focus all your attention in humor. Remember that humor needs to be use as assistance to your writing and not as the main emphasis.

*Try to incorporate humor into your writing by using literary devices learned back in your English class such as personification, compare and contrast, similes, good verbs, and descriptive words.

*Aim the direction of your writing in a way that at the end result of your piece, your writer thinks of you as a very talented writer who is fun to read, and not as a clown who is learning how to write.

*Be careful when using profanity, as these words get a different perspective when written rather than when spoken. Using a bad word in your context while speaking might be funny, however, using a bad word while writing might instead become distracting and not so appropriate.

*Do your best to avoid sarcasm and cynicism, as some people might not get what you are really trying to portray in your joke and get the wrong message. By avoiding this as much as possible, your end piece will be much more effective.

*At the end always revise for the tone, as it might sound different when you read it aloud rather than when you where originally writing it on paper.

Humor, if used correctly and appropriately, will help your audience to remember you. It will also make sure that the point that you are trying to make across stands out and gets notice. But make sure not to overdo it as it could turn against you and insult the reader. Lastly, make sure that your written work looks professionally polished by checking the grammar, spelling and punctuation.

References:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Eleven-Tips-for-Writing-Humor&id=903009
http://www.essortment.com/all/businesshumor_rshx.htm

What is Needed in order to Write Formal Reports by Jeanna Hepp

There are three major parts to a formal report:

1. Front Matter
2. Body
3. Back Matter

Front Matter includes:

• Title Page: Full title of the report, names of the writers, principal investigators, or compilers, date or dates of the report, name of the organization for which the writer works or being submitted to
• Abstracts: summarizes and highlights the major points
• Table of Contents: lists all the headings of the report in their order of appearance, along with their page numbers

• List of Figures: lists of figures by title, along with page numbers



• List of Tables: list of tables by title, along with page numbers
• Foreword: introductory statement written by someone other than the author
• Preface: introductory statement used to announce the purpose, background, or scope of report
• List of Abbreviations and symbols: A list of all abbreviations and symbols from a report

Body includes:

• Executive Summary: Provides a more complete overview of the report (better than abstract)
• Introduction: Provides audience with any general information; Introduce the Subject, Stating Purpose, Stating the Scope, and Previewing How the Topic Will be Developed
• Explanatory Notes
• Graphic and Tabular Matter
• Conclusions
• Recommendations
• Works Cited/References

Back Matter includes:

• Bibliography: Alphabetical listing of all of the sources
• Appendixes: Clarifies the body with information
• Glossary: Alphabetical list of definitions of terms used in the report
• Index: Alphabetical list of all the major topics and subtopics found in the report

Hope you find this information helpful!

References:

Oliu, Walter, Brusaw, Charles, and Alred, Gerald. Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job. Boston, MA: Bedform/St. Martins. 2007.

Writing Courteously by Kristina Shope

#1 Rule to Writing courteously in Business letters is:
USE A POSITIVE TONE!


In order for any business letter to be successful, you should focus on using a positive tone rather than a negative one, simply because most people respond more favorably to positive ideas than negative ones. A positive emphasis will persuade the reader and make them feel more comfortable. In contrast, negative words may generate resistance and other unnecessary reactions.
Do not dwell on problematic areas. Accentuate the positive.

The Pro’s of Positive writing:
• tells the recipient what CAN be done
• suggests alternatives
• sounds helpful and encouraging
• stresses positive actions/consequences

Some situations in which optimistic writing may be useful:
• Complaint letters
• Rejection letters
• Relaying bad news
• Acknowledging a problem



Some words/phrases that should try to be avoided:

Demanding phrases that may pressure/threaten:
* You should...
* You ought to...
* You must...
* We must ask you to...
* We must insist...

I know it is hard to not let our emotions get the most of us, but in the business world it pays to be polite! Say “Thank you” often and end with a goodwill statement such as, "have a great afternoon" or "goodmorning"

References:
Bacal, Robert. "Using Positive Language ". 3/26/2009 .
Owl, Purdue. "Business Letters: Accentuating the Positives". 3/26/2009 .

Blogdoctors Toon by Robyn Ciancia

Writing a Resume by Jeanna Hepp

I picked to talk about Writing a Resume because it is something I know we can all get help on, or at least me.

I was able to google "Resume Tips" and it liked me to http://www.free-resume-tips.com/

The information was very helpful for future writings or for updates to my current resume.

1. Use Title or Headings That Match the Jobs You want


2. Use Design That Grabs the Attention


3. Create content that sells


4. Quantify and use Power Words


5. Analyze Ads and Job Descriptions to Identify Key Words


6. Identify and Solve Employer's Hidden Needs


7. Sell the Benefits of your skills


8. Create an Image that matches the Salary you want


9. Prioritize the Content of Your Resume


10. Tweak and Target Your Resumes and Cover letters

When writing my own resume for my first interview years ago, it was hard to figure out exactly what should be on the resume and what also should be corrected or added. I think these tips will help people to focus while writing the Resume for it to give the person a chance at the job.

Hope some of this information can help!! : )

This video is cute and gives you some tips on HOW TO WRITE YOUR RESUME!

Preparing for a job search by Caitie Tanner

When you are looking and applying for a job here are some things to think about:
Video-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB1rshuI5fY

Job Posting:

• -Many people do not post jobs so the key is networking.
• -Let companies know that you are looking for a job.

Major Do's and Dont's of Resume Writings:

• -If you are applying for an artistic position, you are able to use a more creative approach when making your resume.
• -If the job that you are applying for is looking for deatail, you need to carry that perseption of yourself along with no spelling errors and a well formated resume.
• -Find key messages or words that a company is looking for and incorporate that into your resume.

ATS:

• -Many companies are using ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems, which is an automated screening process.
• -Due to the ATS, companies do not pay attention to the look or feel of your resume, rather the content.
• - Look for key words the company might want to see and incorporate them into your resume.

Preparing for the Interview:

• -Avoid asking basic questions I.e. questions that can be found on the companies website
• -Try and do research on the company before going into your interview.
• -Call the company and get insight information.

The Interview:

• -Demonstrate you have what it takes to work for the company but do not be over confident.

Ask these questions at the interview:

• -What would be my expectations?
• -What would be my boss's exspectations of me?
• -Who is the person I will be reporting to?

Ask question that can not be found on the companies website.

References:

http://www.watchmojo.com/

http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-Your-Job-Search