Do you dislike writing or think you're not good at it? The fact is, you can become a strong and effective writer by knowing a few basic rules and with some practice.
Even if your target job doesn't require writing, remember that the first impression you make on a prospective employer will be your cover letter and résumé. You must get your message across in a clear, error-free, and compelling way -- inspiring the employer's interest and desire to learn more about you.
Be focused
Your first step, before you even begin to write, should be to consider the answers to these questions:
- WHO IS THE AUDIENCE? Is your correspondence intended for a prospective employer, a customer, a supervisor, or a co-worker?
- WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE CORRESPONDENCE? For example, a cover letter will ideally get you an interview, and following up with a thank you note will leave the employer with a good impression of you.
- WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS YOU NEED TO MAKE? Are you trying to communicate your skills, clarify information, or make a request?
Be systematic
Once you have zeroed in on the readers and reason for your correspondence, you can begin the process of writing.
- Gather the information you need to include in the correspondence. Make sure it is thorough and accurate. Be sure to FACT CHECK!
- Organize your information in a logical format. START WITH AN OUTLINE to keep your message flowing well and on track.
- Following the outline you've developed, WRITE YOUR CORRESPONDENCE. Pay attention to your writing style. Useful tips are provided below.
- PROOFREAD AND EDIT! This cannot be stressed enough. Your correspondence will likely be dismissed if you misspell words and/or misuse grammar and punctuation. Even the best writers can overlook their own errors, so ask other people to review your writing and provide feedback. While most computer writing applications have editing capability, you cannot rely on this alone.
Be effective
As mentioned earlier, organization, spelling, grammar, and punctuation are critical elements of good writing. To increase the chances of getting the results you want, you must also pay attention to:
- WORD CHOICE: Expressing your message in a direct, clear, and persuasive way.
- TONE: Your attitude towards the reader.
- VOICE: The "personality" of your writing; should be factual and unemotional in business correspondence.
- VISUAL APPEAL: How the correspondence "looks." Documents with appropriate margins and short paragraphs are generally more inviting than those with very little "white space."
Be aware
Here are some common writing mistakes to avoid. Be sure to keep an eye out for these pitfalls when editing your work.
- WORDINESS will work against you. No one wants to read a long letter when the same thing can be said in far fewer words. Make your point concisely.
- JARGON, ACRONYMS, AND CLICHES should be avoided because readers may not be familiar with them. If your correspondence includes ABBREVIATIONS, be sure to define them the first time they are used.
- INCORRECT SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, AND GRAMMAR will cause people to question your qualifications and credibility.
- INACCURATE AND/OR INCOMPLETE INFORMATION says you didn’t care enough to do the research.
- EXAGGERATED OR FLOWERY LANGUAGE may cause people to doubt the accuracy or sincerity of your message.
- EMOTIONS AND NEGATIVITY should be avoided. When delivering bad news in business correspondence, keep your personal feelings out of it. Stay objective and factual.
- UNCLEAR WRITING makes it tough for the reader to understand your message. Ask someone to read your draft and explain what you're trying to say in their own words.
- CONDESCENDING OR SEXIST words or tone will insult your readers. They may ignore your correspondence or even make a complaint!
There is a lot to digest in this post, but following these practices will become second nature over time. Also keep in mind that these strategies apply to all forms of written communication; whether writing a cover letter, customer correspondence, or even an email to a supervisor or co-worker, you'll want to incorporate the advice we've provided here.
Yes, that's right, while technology has changed the way we communicate, the rules of good writing remain the same! A future post will address additional considerations when communicating electronically.
Receive email notifications when new posts are added:
BR>