Sensitive and Negative Messages By: Hayley O'Mara

Refusals





There comes a time in all of our lives where we have to be the bearer of bad news. No one wants to be that person, but it is inevitable. Even though it is awkward and uncomfortable, there are many ways you can make the best out of the situation.





1. context. Begin your letter with a "buffer". State the subject clearly and keep a professional tone.





2. Explanation. State how you have reviewed the facts that lead to your decision.





3. Bad News. State your decision quickly and without apology.





4. Goodwill. In your closing paragraph wish them well and give them thanks for their interest in your company or your product.





A great example of a refusal letter is from colleges. They begin every rejection letter with their thanks in the students interest in their university, state they have reviewed all of the paperwork, and are sorry to say that they student will not be attending their school in the fall. They wish the student the best of luck in the future and then they make their closing comments.





Complaints





A good complaint letter consists of five sections: Background, problem, solution, warning, and a closing. The secret to a great complaint letter however, is your tone. Never under any circumstances write a complaint letter while you are still upset about what has happened. The best way is to give it a day, cool off, and then calmy state your problem. The most effective complaint letters follow this pattern:

1. Clearly state the problem, the more specific the better. Include dates, names, reciepts, invoice numbers, anything that you think will help state your point.

2. Thoroughly explain what the problem was. If it was a problem with a employee be extremely specific since there will be two sides to this story.

3. Explain what you expect the reader to do after reading your complaint letter.

4. Send several copies to different supervisors around the office. You will find you will get faster results. If more people recieve your letter, there will be more people trying to find a solution to your problem.

Giving someone bad news is never fun. But with these helpful pointers maybe it won't be so hard!

http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/eiw/complaint_letter_constructor.htm

http://www.hartwick.edu/x3290.xml

Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, Gerald Alred. Writing That Works. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007

Interested in becoming a professional writing consultant? Here's how!

There are many ways to get your foot in the door in the professional writing world. However, after looking through the Bureau of Labor Statistics (the government department that lists statistics for various jobs and occupations), there are a few key steps that will ensure you land a job as a professional writing consultant.

First, it is a general rule of thumb (though not entirely absolute) that the candidate hold a degree in either Journalism, English or Communications. If you are going into a specific field, a background in that field is helpful.

A qualified candidate would:

• Express ideas clearly and logically
• Use creativity
• Use good judgment and a show a strong sense of ethics. This is vital in deciding what material is appropriate to publish.
• Have the ability to work well under pressure and to concentrate amid confusion. The writing world is often full of deadlines, and professional writing is no different, as there are clients who need material at certain, specified times.

It would be helpful for a prospective professional writing consultant to get involved in campus publications. Although these positions are usually unpaid, they provide priceless experience. Another option to gain experience would be to get an internship. If you are lucky, it will be a paid one.

The outlook for professional writing consultants is a good one. The need for technical writers in fields such as law, economics and medicine is growing. Also, since technology is changing very rapidly, the need for technical writers to write user's guides, instructions manuals, etc. is growing as well.

If you can get your foot in the door of the professional writing world, you are sure to enjoy a challenging, stimulating, and exciting career!

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos089.htm

The use of graphics and imaging software in professional writing by Ryan Lee

Professional writing dose not just have words and numbers in it, but it also contains graphics and images. You should always put graphics in whenever the information calls for it. Graphics help illustrate your point that you are trying to make. Such graphics show different things.

Some graphics show how to build boats, houses, buildings, anything you want by a specific design. They offer a step by step know how on how to build the item.
Picture- thinkthisblog.com/image/o34BluePrint1sm.gif


Other graphics show information in form of plots. This graph is mostly used with numbers. Examples would be for business to show financial growth or decline, or in this case the plot shown is showing elevation and annual temperatures.
Picture- argyll.epsb.ca/jreed/math9/strand4/4102.htm

Some programs offer a way for you to alter your pictures so that you can make your point or just have some fun and make it look like your doing something that you really never did. With photshop programs you can change colors, people, and make graphics that would be appropriate with your information
Picture- www.mediachance.com/realdraw/photoshop.htm

Never Fear! Rhyan, your Resume helper is here! - by Rhyan Eberhardt

Since about the age of 18, we all have heard how important resumes are. We have had it pounded into our brains over and over again. Well, if hearing that isn't stressful, then I don't know what is. We are constantly pressured with perfecting our resumes. Don't misunderstand me, I KNOW resumes are very important when searching for employment but, there is no need to lost any more hair over it. I have compiled a few tips together to help you with your resume and cover letter worries. So grab a cold drink, sit back, relax and enjoy...

Resumes

These categories of your resume must always be included:

• Contact information
• Work experience
• Higher education

Don't forget to state your job objective! This shows employers that you have a sense of direction and it shows that you set goals for yourself.

1. Do not prepare a resume that is more than 2 pages in length. One page is highly recommended.
2. Only state the work you have done for the past 15-20 years.
3. Do not omit dates of employment to hid your age.
4. Never mention anything about a salary or reasons you were fired from a previous job.
5. Avoid overused cliches.
6. Avoid long-winded and detailed job descriptions of your daily routine tasks. Your employer is already familiar with the duties.

Remember, the purpose of a resume is to get the interview, not necessarily the job.

Cover Letters

A cover letter is basically a letter of introduction. You will want to explain who you are and why you are writing to that company.

• It should be brief and simple. (Approx. 3-4 paragraphs)
• Should address what position you are applying for
• Should state how you learned about that position for the company
• Needs to include who will contact who.

Here are a couple videos that are helpful for relieving your resume and cover letter worries:



Well, there you have it folks! Use these tips to create a great resume and cover letter...stress-free!
So, keep your hair and your sanity and get THAT INTERVIEW!!I hope this has helped! Have a wonderful week! God Bless!

Works Cited:
http://www.accent-resume-writing.com/covertips/
http://www.resumagic.com/resumes2.html
http://www.damngood.com/jobseekers/tips.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHl1NZAmAD4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbZ5_ar4Dj0

All About Professional Writing Consultants

Take a trip with me into the exciting and thrilling life of a professional writing consultant.
On a typical day, the employed consultant will arrive at his or her job ready and enthused to work. The duties of a consultant include, but are not limited to, developing important written information about a product or service, collaborating with the employer and/or employees about writing projects, and/or helping a client on an individual basis with writing.
Think of the professional writer as the ultimate writing authority. When employers have any sort of writing questions or need something written down but lack the necessary skills, they employ professional writing consultants using them to compensate for their lack of written word ability.
Although some consultants are employed by companies, others are self-employed. The self-employed writing consultant advertises themselves to help others perform written work. For example, if you wanted to write a book, you could hire a professional writing consultant to help brainstorm and coax the book into written form. The consultant, in this case, however, would not actually write the novel. Their sole purpose would be to advise and help you get your book written and published.

A professional consultant possesses very strong grammar, spelling, and composition skills. A college degree is not necessary to become a consultant; however, a degree may open more job opportunities with better pay. As long as sharp writing skills are possessed, a consultant may get their degree in any field. In fact, if a consultant has a specific area of interest, he or she may use her writing skills to work within the area. For example, if a consultant is interested in agriculture and landscape, a degree in that field may better equip him or her to use her writing skills within that area of interest.

A professional writing consultant has a very flexible and rewarding career. Because of the limitless fields a consultant can work in, work is readily available. The professional consultant field offers an excellent career to any skilled, professional writer.

Designing visuals

How do you design visuals for your writing or presentation?These simple steps will show you how to complete a great design anyone would love.

How listeners absorb information

• 25%-50% of information is absorbed through visuals.
• an audience listens only half of the time during a presentation.
• People learn a lot of more by reading versus only listening.

How to make visuals to help absorb the information

• Organize your information into a structure.
• Provide a map of information you are going to talk about and follow it so your listeners do not get lost.
• Illustrate your information, make graphs, make a painting, anything that will allow your listeners to obtain your information that you are sharing.
• Do not forget that your listeners are only truly "listening" half of the time so be sure to repeat your self and the information so you get your information across.

How you should create your visuals

• Simplicity- Make sure your visuals are simple and not full of clutter
• Make sure that your visuals are visual. The font should be a nice size not to big not to small. Make sure you data does not exceed the screen that you are presenting on.
• Focus one item per visual.
• Use color to get your visual across
• Add tone to your presentation. Make your voice herd through the words on the visual.

Now that you know how to create visuals for your presentations get out there and impress your boss, professors or family with your amazing new skill

"Designing Presentation Visuals". Media Services, Robert A. L. Mortvedt Library Pacific Lutheran University. 3/30/2009 .

How to Write Effective Meeting Minutes by Alex Bean

How to Write Effective Meeting Minutes

All organizations and committees keep official records of meetings. Records mean minutes; the person taking these minutes is picked before the meeting begins. This person will also write and distribute meeting minutes before the next meeting. The people who are at this meeting then vote on these minutes to make sure that all the information is contained.The meeting minutes taken do not have to contain all the information that was discussed in the meeting just the basic topics covered.

If you are recording the minutes there are a few things you need to do, so that you are prepared.

Before the meeting
To be prepared for the meeting you should get as much information as possible and have that recorded.

These are a few of the examples, there may be more or less topics placed on this list depending on the information needed. I picked a few from Effective meetings.com and Ehow.com.
-Place the date and time
-Location of the meeting
-Title of club or organization
-Officers or Meeting Leader Name(s)
-Topics to be covered (if known)

You have several different ways you can record these minutes it is your choice. Do what makes you feel comfortable, if that means typing on a laptop, then do that. Just be sure that whatever method you use does not interfere with the meeting.

During the Meeting

Take names of people attending and whether they are voting or not and names of guests.

Some people may pass a list for people to sign in; others may do a roll call. Again this can be your choice.

During the meeting do not copy what is said word by word. You need to be brief and to the point, but you also need to effectively record important information that has been covered.

End of Meeting
You should tell the time the meeting ended.

Review your notes so that you make sure that you have key information, and it is recommend to type notes out afterwords so everyone can read them.

Here are tips from the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)
Number the pages as you go so you aren’t confused later. Remember, though, that the minute-taker is responsible for providing good flow. Don’t force yourself to write the minutes in the actual chronological order of the discussion - it may not work.

Focus on action items, not discussion. The purpose of minutes is to define decisions made and to record what actions are to be taken, by whom and when.

Be objective. Write in the same tense throughout and avoid using people’s names except for motions or seconds. This is a business document, not about who said what.

Avoid inflammatory or personal observations. The fewer adjectives or adverbs you use, the better. Dull writing is the key to appropriate minutes.

If you need to refer to other documents, attach them in an appendix or indicate where they may be found. Don’t rewrite their intent or try to summarize them.

Once you finish the meeting have a lead or officer review your notes, and then send them to the members.


Work Cited

http://www.effectivemeetings.com/meetingbasics/minutes.asp
http://www.ehow.com/how_2141613_write-meeting-minutes.html
Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, Gerald Alred. Writing That Works. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Pg. 506

A Glimpse Into Professional Writing Conferences

In the quest to become a better writer, professional writing conferences may be that extra shove into the realm of skilled and qualified writing. Not only do these conferences provide the necessary skills and tactics used to obtain good writing habits, but they also provide the teaching of such skills through different means instead of classroom learning. Professional writing conferences use hands-on, visual learning to coax the best writer out of the participants. Socializing and networking could also be a point of interest to an attendee by taking advantage of the many professionals also learning at the conferences.

An example of a professional writing conference coming to Fort Myers, FL, is a 2-day work shop simply titled, “Business Writing and Grammar Skills” with the tagline “Transform your written communications from so-so to sensational with this skill-packed two-day workshop!” The conference promises a shift from possessing generic, mediocre writing to having personalized, accurate, and effective written communication skills. The conference will be held on Tuesday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Although the workshop fee of $299.00 may seem a little steep, think of the price as in an investment in your career, possibly leading to a better paying job or a promotion within your current workplace.

A few tips for a beneficial conference:

-Arrive at least a half hour early to secure parking.
-Bring pens, pencils, legal pad, or other means to take notes.
-Bring snacks such as water, granola bars, or power bars to maintain energy to learn.

The website, www.nationalseminarstraining.com, has a list of all conferences available within the United States and Canada. Just click on the state or providence you plan to attend in narrowing down your search.

Works Cited:

http://www.nationalseminarstraining.com/

http://www.nationalseminarstraining.com/Seminars/Business_Writing_and_Grammar_Skills/1817036/index.html

Tips to Reduce Spelling Errors by Blake Dudkewic

Spelling is one of the most important pieces to a written document. Good spelling makes a persons writing look more professional, and most of the time the reader will judge the writer if their writing is of poor spelling quality. You do not want to send an email to your boss and have him wonder why he hired you after seeing your spelling. To reduce spelling errors, I have came up with a short list of tips that everyone could use.

1) For a questionable word, don't just scan through the possibilities in your mind, say it outloud.
2)Have someone proofread your article.
3)Put your writing away for some time, and than come back and try again.

It doesn't matter if you're a ivy league student or a fourth-grader, good spelling should always be at the top of your list when proofreading or revising your writing.

Business Week Online: MBA Writing Tips (Article Review)

In the professional world, there are a few rules of thumb to consider when writing for work. Sometimes it is hard to know what is expected of the writer, and what is considered acceptable and unacceptable. An article called "MBA Writing Tips" by Alison Damast of Business Week Online proved to be very helpful.

Damast wrote the article about a new and innovative Business Writing Course at the University of St. Thomas' Opus in Minneapolis. The course was designed and is headed by Opus faculty member Roseanne Bane. In most business colleges, a writing course is not considered to be of utmost importance. But Bane felt that being a strong writer in the business world was a vital skill, and as a result, the school created a business writing course. The course focuses on how to write strong and effectively in the professional world.

Here are a few tips from this course:

• Don't be long winded. In other words, be concise.
• Know your medium. E-mail is not always the right form of communication.
• Understand your audience. What do they already know and what do they need to know? Keep in mind which information is most significant.

"Identify the purpose of your communication, consider the context of the situation, and then select the message accordingly," Bane says.

• Be practical. Understand that your writing should be fast reading and easy to understand.

Overall, this article was helpful not only for its suggestions and tips, but also because the source is credible. I would recommend that anyone read this article if you work in the business world.

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/ nov2008/bs20081118_490130.htm

Job Interview Tips by Rhyan Eberhardt

Everyone dreads job interviews. Some people start sweating at the thought of having a job interview. Well, I'm here to help. I have done some research and have compiled a few tips together for you to be prepared for your next job interview. So, before you start having a panic attack, here is some advice for you.

"Preparation:

• Learn about the organization.
• Have a specific job or jobs in mind.
• Review your qualifications for the job.
• Be ready to briefly describe your experience, showing how it relates it the job.
• Be ready to answer broad questions, such as "Why should I hire you?" "Why do you want this job?" "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
• Practice an interview with a friend or relative.

Personal appearance:

• Be well groomed.
• Dress appropriately.
• Do not chew gum or smoke.

The interview:

• Be early.
• Learn the name of your interviewer and greet him or her with a firm handshake.
• Use good manners with everyone you meet.
• Relax and answer each question concisely.
• Use proper English—avoid slang.
• Be cooperative and enthusiastic.
• Use body language to show interest—use eye contact and don’t slouch.
• Ask questions about the position and the organization, but avoid questions whose answers can easily be found on the company Web site.
• Also avoid asking questions about salary and benefits unless a job offer is made.
• Thank the interviewer when you leave and shake hands.
• Send a short thank you note.

Information to bring to an interview:

• Social Security card.
• Government-issued identification (driver’s license).
• Resume or application. Although not all employers require a resume, you should be able to furnish the interviewer information about your education, training, and previous employment.
• References. Employers typically require three references. Get permission before using anyone as a reference. Make sure that they will give you a good reference. Try to avoid using relatives as references."

----------------------------------------------------

"Practice: Practice answering interview questions and practice your responses to the typical job interview questions and answers most employers ask. Think of actual examples you can use to describe your skills. Providing evidence of your successes is a great way to promote your candidacy.

Prepare: Prepare a response so you are ready for the question "What do you know about our company. Know the interviewer's name and use it during the job interview. If you're not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions.

Get Ready: Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy and appropriate for the type of firm you are interviewing with. Bring a nice portfolio with copies of your resume. Include a pen and paper for note taking.

Be On time: Be on time for the interview. On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the office ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there.

Stay Calm: During the job interview try to relax and stay as calm possible. Take a moment to regroup. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Listen to the entire question before you answer and pay attention - you will be embarrassed if you forget the question!

Show What Your Know: Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. When discussing your career accomplishments match them to what the company is looking for.

Follow Up:Always follow-up with a thank you note reiterating your interest in the position. If you interview with multiple people send each one a thank you note."

I hope that these tips helped. Now you will feel confident and prepared for your next interview. Good Luck and God Bless!

Work Cited:

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/jobinterviewtip.htm

http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20045.htm

Time Management Tactics

In the work force you not only have dead lines, but you also have to juggle several assignments at once. When this occurs your time management skills have to be on point. The hardest part of most of these assignments are actually starting the assignment. Here are some things to remember when you are in that state of procrastination:

• Remember past writing projects- you have completed something before, and you will this time.


• Don't wait for inspiration to write the rough draft- treat writing the draft as you would treat any on-the-job task.


• Don't worry about a good opening- that can wait until you've constructed your paragraphs.


• Keep writing quickly to achieve unity, coherence, and proportion.


• Don't criticize yourself for not being able to write a smooth, readable sentence the first time; it is natural for the first drafts to be clumsy and long-winded.


• Remind yourself that you are beginning a draft that no one else will read.

Also remember that time management is a practiced skill. The more you do it, the better you will be at it! Here are some things to factor in as you prepare yourself.

• Set Study Block Times - How long does it take for you to get restless? If you can study for an hour without breaking your concentration then that is how long your study blocks should be. Of course this varies from person to person considering their own personalities, and also with the complexity of what they are studying. You should also factor this in to times of day that you are most productive. For example, are you a morning person or a night owl?


• Prioritize Assignments - Have a calendar and update it every week. Sit down once a week and prioritize all of these assignments into things that must be done, and things you want to get done. For example, finishing your Microeconomics project is something you need to get done, and going to the beach is something you want to get done. If you practice this enough, you will actually find that you will become so efficient with your time that you will get both of these things done.


• Take advantage of "free" time - This includes things such as looking at flash cards on your way to class, on the bus, etc.


• Review class notes - If you go home from class and review your notes right away, you will find that when it comes to studying for an exam you will not have to study as much. Remember most information is forgotten within the first 24 hours!

One of the biggest things to remember is to remain flexible. Start with a simple outline and progress from there. Do not attempt to write the whole thing in one sitting, you will just feel overwhelmed and your project will not turn out as well as you are capable of making it. However, if you do get on a roll, don't stop. It is also important to remember to reward yourself. These things are not easy and it makes you feel more accomplished if you treat yourself after a long study session.

Work Cited

Walter E. Oliu, Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alred. Writing That Works. Bedford/St. Martin's Boston, 2007.

Study Guides and Strategies, www. studygs.net/timman.htm

Team Projects

Team projects in the workplace can have many different goals or objectives, but to reach these goals people must collaborate effectively.

One type of team project is collaborative writing which is working with other people on a team to produce a single document. As with any project achieving the goal may be stressful but at the end it will be rewarding.
Some reasons for collaborative writing
1. The project requires expertise or specialization in more than one subject area.
2. The project will benefit from merging different perspectives into a unified perspective.
3. The size of the project, time constraints, or the importance of the project to your organization requires a team effort.
Examples of projects may be sales proposals, formal reports, and technical specifications.
For the team to work effectively they must all work together in
-Planning the document
-Researching the subject and writing the draft
-Reviewing the drafts of other team members
-Revising the draft on the basis of comments from all team members
As with any group exercise there will be disagreements, the group must be able to handle conflict well and be able to move on with it to finish the project.
Some examples on how to handle conflict
-Avoid taking a win-or-lose stand, meaning one person will win and someone else will lose.
-Avoid accusations, threats, or disparaging comments, express desire to want to work together in a friendly yet effective manner.
-Use facts to support your ideas or position.
- Use bargaining strategies to comprise.

Other forms of Team Projects which may not consist of collaborative writing have the same general principles on how to accomplish goals but may go about different tasks.
A project team can be a group of people from the same functional organization or from many different organizations. It is recommended to use a cross-functional approach, which consists of people from many different organizations.
The most important tasks that a project team has are
• Understanding the work to be completed

• Planning out the assigned activities in more detail if needed

• Completing assigned work within the budget, timeline and quality expectations

• Informing the project manager of issues, scope changes, risk and quality concerns

• Proactively communicating status and managing expectations

With any type of Team Project there is a project manager, or leader which will produce the final product and make sure that the team is organizing the project well and that it stays on task. The team leader cannot complete the project on his/her own each person within the group must understand his/her job and be able to complete it in an effective time and to the best of his/her ability so that the final result is very good.
Works Cited
Visitask. About Us: Project Management. 2004-2009. 23 March 2009 http://www.visitask.com/project-teamwork.asp.
Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, Gerald Alred. Writing That Works. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007.

Writing Proper and Effective E-mails in the Workplace by Jessica Pfaff

E-mail is a quick and easy way to communicate in a professional environment. However, even though e-mail might not be the most proper and formal of documents it still needs proper revision. In order to maintain a certain level of professionalism when sending an e-mail we have to understand the rules of netiquette or Internet + etiquette.

Netiquette Rules:
- Use company e-mail only for appropriate business (do not send jokes, biased languages, or office gossip.)
- Respond to e-mails promptly by checking your e-mail several times a day.
- Send mass mailings with care.
- Ensure that the intended recipient and nobody else receives the message.
- Do not write in all-UPPERCASE or all-lowercase letters (can be considered lazy and could be hard to read.)
- Avoid abbreviations (FYI-for your information.)
- Do not use emoticons (keyboard characters, such as smiley faces:)
- Send an attachment only after checking that your recipient wants or needs the file and the recipient’s software can access it.

When composing an e-mail the overall design and layout should be taken into account. The dynamics of a computer screen and the limitations of some Internet service providers require certain formats for sending e-mails.

Tips for Design Consideration:
- Break the text into brief paragraphs.
- Avoid lengthy passages; they tend to make the reader lose interest more quickly.
- Put your response to someone else’s e-mail message at the beginning of the e-mail window.
- Always fill in subject line with a concise phrase that describes the topic of your message.
- Only include tables and bulleted lists in an attachment and not the actual e-mail message.

E-mail can also function as letters, memos, or personal notes; therefore, make sure your salutation applies to your intended audience and context. Apply the same form in your e-mail as your employer uses.

Tips on Salutations and Closings:
- When e-mail goes outside an organization to someone with whom you have not yet corresponded, use a standard letter salutation (Dear Ms. Smith) and an informal closing (Best Wishes.)
- When e-mail functions as a personal note to a friend, you can vary informal salutations (Hi, Hello) and closings (Take care, Cheers.)
- When e-mail functions as a memo, you may omit the salutation and closing because both your name and the name of the recipient appear in the “To” and “From” sections of the message.

E-mail is a great way to send information quickly, elicit discussions, collect opinions, and transmit documents and files of all types in the workplace. They are very useful when working with collaborative teams because they exchange ideas rapidly and can sound very conversational in tone. Even though e-mails may sound very informal compared to other forms of work discussions you always need to remember you are in a professional environment and your e-mails need to have a certain level of accuracy and appropriateness on the information they contain.

Work Cited:

Walter E. Oliu, Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alred. Writing That Works. Bedford/St. Martin's Boston, 2007.