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#InfographicInspiration: What Goes Into a Letter

#InfographicInspiration: What Goes Into a Letter published on 10 Comments on #InfographicInspiration: What Goes Into a Letter

This week, the daily posts focus on correspondence in general. You will find posts that apply to letters, memos, and email messages—all of which you write in the workplace. Since none of the course projects focuses on correspondence, these posts will cover this important topic.

Most of the time, the workplace letters you write will be formal letters. You will use letters for things such as job applications, official requests to someone inside or outside your organization, documentation of complaints and reprimands, and recognition of special achievements. Here are some more specific examples that you are likely to see early in your career:

  • cover letters that are part of a job application packet.
  • thank you letters to those who are part of your job search (e.g., interviewers, HR staff, those who write recommendations).
  • recommendation letters for those you work with.
  • cover letters (or transmittal letters) that accompany reports and proposals.

In all these cases, you will want a formal letter. You may occasionally write informal letters in the workplace, but it’s typical for informal correspondence to be handled in email messages. Before considering today’s infographic, watch this short video from Rasmussen College to find out “How to Write a Formal Letter” (3m49s):

Next, from the website The Visual Communication Guy, our #InfographicInspiration provides an annotated explanation of what goes into a letter and how to format letters that you write. Note that the image on this page is minimized; here is the enlarged (and more readable) version.

How To Format a Letter, from The Visual Communication Guy

 

Note: This infographic is explained on the related website, so it does not need a transcript.


 

#WednesdayWrite: Is BRIEF Correspondence Best?

#WednesdayWrite: Is BRIEF Correspondence Best? published on 12 Comments on #WednesdayWrite: Is BRIEF Correspondence Best?

This week, the daily posts focus on correspondence in general. You will find posts that apply to letters, memos, and email messages—all of which you write in the workplace. Since none of the course projects focuses on correspondence, these posts will cover this important topic.

SSN774 Virginia rollout by Marion Doss on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 licenseThe Lifehacker article “Remember ‘BRIEF’ for Efficient Office Communication” outlines a mnemonic for writing correspondence and presentations that include just the right amount of information for the audience and purpose. The idea is explained fully in the book Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less by Joseph McCormack, the founder and CEO of Sheffield Marketing Partners. (The full text of the ebook is available through the Tech library.)

Neolithic, a commenter on the Lifehacker post, argues that another mnemonic, SBAR, is more effective. The SBAR system was developed by U.S. Navy personnel working on nuclear submarines. As explained in Stewart and Hand’s “SBAR, Communication, and Patient Safety: An Integrated Literature Review,” “Employed primarily in high-risk situations of the Navy’s nuclear submarine industry, the SBAR communication tool enabled all users, regardless of the level of command, to communicate via a common structure.”

For your #WednesdayWrite, compare the two mnemonics and explain which would make the better choice for someone in your field. As you examine the two options, think not only about the logistics of how they work but also the details on how they were created (one in marketing and the other by the military).

If you read any of the linked background information, incorporate what you find as well. Further, you can also suggest an alternative system for writing effective correspondence if you have one.

 

Photo credit: SSN774 Virginia rollout by Marion Doss on Flickr, used under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license


 

#TuesdayTutorial: Good-News Messages

#TuesdayTutorial: Good-News Messages published on 12 Comments on #TuesdayTutorial: Good-News Messages

This week, the daily posts focus on correspondence in general. You will find posts that apply to letters, memos, and email messages—all of which you write in the workplace. Since none of the course projects focuses on correspondence, these posts will cover this important topic.

Today’s #TuesdayTutorial looks at the kind of correspondence most people enjoy working on: Writing An Effective Good-News Message (1m21s). Good-news messages are usually easy to write. At worst, your reader may be neutral about the information that you are sharing. In many situations, your reader may be pleased or even overjoyed, which makes your job as the writer simpler.

Even though they are easier, good-news messages do require a specific organization. Most importantly, you want to be sure that you don’t bury your good news. Put it right up front!

Watch today’s video to learn about the organization of a good-news message, all in just a bit over one minute:

 

 

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 

Peer Review and Submission of Your Genre Analysis Reports

Peer Review and Submission of Your Genre Analysis Reports published on

This is the post for the week of April 16, 2018.

Affect vs. Effect & 34 Other Common Confusions (Infographic)
Click on the image for a larger version.
Source: www.grammarcheck.net

We’re down to the last days of the course, so it’s important to stay on track and finish strong. If you run into trouble, be sure to contact me so we can come up with a solution.

Calendar for the Rest of the Term

All submissions due by 11:59 PM.

Date What’s Going On?
04/16 Grace period for 04/13 Labor Log ends
04/18 Draft of Genre Analysis Report due in Discussions for peer review
04/20 Feedback on Genre Analysis Repor due to group in Discussions
04/20 04/20 Labor Log due
04/23 Genre Analysis Report due
04/23 Grace period for 04/20 Labor Log ends
04/26 Grace period for Genre Analysis Report ends
04/27 04/27 Labor Log due
04/30 Grace period for 04/27 Labor Log ends
05/02 All revisions, transcripts, and other work for all projects due
05/03 SPOT Responses due
05/07 Final Exam due (no grace period)

Readings for the Week

Since you have your big project to share with your group this week, go back and review any readings that you need and whatever research you have found. You control your readings for this week.

If you have questions about readings, research, or writing, let me know.

Tasks for the Week

Because I want you to have the whole week to work on your Genre Analysis Report, there are no extra tasks this week. Just the essential work.

  1. By 11:59PM on Monday, April 16, submit your your 04/13 Labor Log in Canvas, if you are using the grace period.
  2. By 11:59PM on Wednesday, April 18, post a draft of your project in the Group Feedback on Genre Analysis Reports Discussion in Canvas.
  3. By 11:59PM on Friday, April 20, post feedback on the drafts posted by your group members in the Group Feedback on Genre Analysis Reports Discussion in Canvas. Be sure to use the strategies from the Peer Review: Commenting Strategies video.
  4. By 11:59PM on Monday, April 23, submit your project in the Genre Analysis Report assignment in Canvas. If you are using the grace period, submit your project by 11:59PM on April 26.
  5. By 11:59PM on Friday, April 20, write your 04/20 Labor Log in Canvas. Specific questions for your log are included in Canvas. The grace period for your log entry ends at 11:59 PM on Monday, April 23.

 

 

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.

 


 

#SundayShare: Citing Your Sources

#SundayShare: Citing Your Sources published on 1 Comment on #SundayShare: Citing Your Sources

You need to provide in-text citations and bibliographic citations in your Genre Analysis Report, so I am sharing resources that explain How to identify and credit sources (6m 32s).

Screenshot of Lynda.com session, How to identify and credit sources

In your Genre Analysis Report, you can use whatever bibliographical format you are most familiar with. Here are some tools if you are unsure how to make correct citations:

You can also watch the Lynda.com information on Citing Sources in research papers for more specific examples of citations.

 

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 

#WeekendWatch: Preparing for Online Interviews

#WeekendWatch: Preparing for Online Interviews published on 5 Comments on #WeekendWatch: Preparing for Online Interviews

This week, I am sharing resources that will help you with your resumes, cover letters, and other job application materials, based on a request included in the midterm evaluations you submitted.

It’s possible that at some point in your career, you will be interviewed online, using something like Skype, Google Hangouts, or Facetime. While you may be prepared for face-to-face interviews, these online interviews are a little different. Today’s #WeekendWatch shares Tips for Skype Interviewing from Curry College Center for Career Development.

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 

#FridayFact: LinkedIn Isn’t Enough

#FridayFact: LinkedIn Isn’t Enough published on 7 Comments on #FridayFact: LinkedIn Isn’t Enough

This week, I am sharing resources that will help you with your resumes, cover letters, and other job application materials, based on a request included in the midterm evaluations you submitted.

Scattered chocolates, wrapped in silver foil labeled with the LinkedIn logo, on a table.With yesterday’s infographic on robot readers, you might think that an online presence on LinkedIn will give you have you need in the job market. No such luck. You need LinkedIn AND a resume to succeed.

The Harvard Business Review’sDo You Need a Résumé in the LinkedIn Era?” explains, “When you are actually applying for a job, however, neither LinkedIn nor a professional landing page can replace the résumé. A strong résumé is still the gateway to an interview….”

Read more in the Harvard Business Review’ post, where you will also find tips on ways to use LinkedIn and personal websites.

 

Image credit: Linkedin Chocolates by Nan Palmero on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.


 

#InfographicInspiration: What Do Robots Think?

#InfographicInspiration: What Do Robots Think? published on 15 Comments on #InfographicInspiration: What Do Robots Think?

This week, I am sharing resources that will help you with your resumes, cover letters, and other job application materials, based on a request included in the midterm evaluations you submitted.

One of the sad truths about the job search is that sometimes you get rejected by someone who does not more than glance at your resume. Worse yet, you can get rejected without a human ever looking at your resume.

Today’s infographic from hireright.com invites you to “Meet the Robots Reading Your Résumé” and provides some details on how to prepare your job application materials so that the robots like them.

Meet the Robots Reading Your Resume - An infographic by HireRight

You can read more in Beat the Robots: How to Get Your Resume Past the System & Into Human Hands from The Muse, and
Applicant Tracking Systems and Your Resume from Menlo Partners Staffing.

Note: This infographic needs a text-based transcript. See the Optional Accessibility Transcript Activity for more details.


 

#WednesdayWrite: What’s Your Advice for Job Searchers?

#WednesdayWrite: What’s Your Advice for Job Searchers? published on 15 Comments on #WednesdayWrite: What’s Your Advice for Job Searchers?

This week, I am sharing resources that will help you with your resumes, cover letters, and other job application materials, based on a request included in the midterm evaluations you submitted.

Student talking with a company rep at at career fairThis week’s #WednesdayWrite is simple. You have applied for various things up to this point in your college career—jobs, internships, clubs, special organizations, colleges, and so forth.

Think about your successful applications (or your unsuccessful efforts) and share a unique piece of advice that you have gained from your experience. Read through the comments left by others to ensure that your advice adds something new to the conversation.

You can also add to someone else’s comments if you have a related tip or disagree.

 

Image credit: Career Fair by Carmichael Library on Flickr, used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.


 

#TuesdayTutorial: Job Application Resources

#TuesdayTutorial: Job Application Resources published on 10 Comments on #TuesdayTutorial: Job Application Resources

This week, I am sharing resources that will help you with your resumes, cover letters, and other job application materials, based on a request included in the midterm evaluations you submitted.

Lynda.com Login Help

Lynda.com videos are free to Virginia Tech students with your VT.EDU login. Start at the VT.EDU login page to access these resources.

You can find a treasure trove of tutorial videos that will help you apply for a job or internship on the Lynda.com site. You will find courses on LinkedIn, on improving your resume, and on conducting a job search.

I’ve created a Lynda.com playlist of Job Application Resources, from which you can choose a course or video that will help you with your job application process. Overall, there are 12 courses, consisting of 287 videos. You would need 16h 37m to watch them all. Of course, I don’t expect you to do that. Instead pick and choose whatever will help you.

One of the videos I like focuses on Tips for college grads and early career (3m23s), which discusses issues such as what to do if you do not have any work experience and how to use formatting to pad out your resume without padding too much.

Screenshot from Lynda.com video

 

Note: This video has closed captioning, so it does not need a transcript.


 

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