Business Writing and Professional

CommunicationFacilitated by:

Brandan Oates and Sarah Roth

Honors Professional Development NightWednesday, March 23, 2016

Tonight’s WorkshopTopic Facilitator(s)

Requests for Letters of Recommendation Sarah

Professional Emails Brandan

Getting Started with Résumés and Cover Letters Sarah

Scholarship Application Tips for Success Brandan

Questions and Handouts Sarah & Brandan

Requests for Letters of Recommendation

Facilitated by: Sarah Roth

Don’t Do This…

Do This Instead!

Tips for Success• Give your recommender 2 weeks’ notice

• Provide name of award/scholarship/position/etc.

• Incorporate links associated with the opportunity

• Scholarship description

• Company website• Include your resume

Tips for Success cont.• Describe preferred type of letter• Hard copy or electronic attachment• Include submission instructions and mailing address, if needed• Some may feel uncomfortable giving the student the letter

• Provide final due date needed for opportunity• Include preferred date to you• Send a polite reminder, as needed

Additional Considerations• If the letter needs to be mailed, it’s generous to provide a stamped envelope

• A handwritten thank you note is a nice touch

• So, did you get it?! Keep your recommender posted!

Professional EmailsFacilitated by: Brandan Oates

Email Expert ActivityBackstory:You are the email expert. You have worked at a variety of companies during your career and have encountered a plethora of situations, especially when it comes to email communication.

Instructions:• Mark each of the given emails as “Good” or

“Poor”. • If you mark an email as “Poor”, provide at

least one reason for justification.• You have two (2) minutes.

Purpose of Email• Communicate information quickly, when a telephone or conversation is not

necessary*• Send a file/document• Inquire**• Send non time-sensitive information• Deliver information to a large group of people• Have a written record

*Information should be concise and clear

**Question to consider: Can you find the answer yourself?

Professionalism Tip √

If the email’s content is:• Long and/or complicated• Can be easily misinterpreted• Confidential

…consider a different communication medium.

Know Your AudienceRelationship with Recipient Formality Requirement

Unknown Recipient (Never met) Formal

Professional Relationship Formal

Casual Colleague or Peer Formal-Casual

Casual (Know well) Casual or Formal-Casual

Tone of an Email• Written communication → feelings are hard to express• Tones to avoid

• Demanding• Offensive• Angry• Blame

• Use “please” and “thank you’• Reminder: Email ≠ Conversation

• Never send an email on impulse

Professionalism Tip √

If you have doubted the tone of an email, it is NOT fit to be sent.

Email FormatFW: RE: Email Template

[Greeting / Salutation],

[Content – Indent is not recommended]

[More content – Indent if above is indented]

[Closing],[Full Name]

[Email Signature]

Left-aligned

Font: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or company default

Color: Black is safest (red is okay for emphasis)

Keep font consistent

Proper punctuation

Standard language – avoid abbreviations

Remove “Sent from my smartphone” signatures

Greeting / Salutation

Examples:• Dear [Name],• Hello,• Hello [Name],• Hello everyone,• To Whom it May Concern,• Greetings,• [Name],

*Use a comma after the greeting!

*Address the recipient with the appropriate title (highest title or the best fit based on context)

*Spell the recipient’s name correctly

Content

Emails should cover only one main topic/idea

Paragraphs and lists are welcome, but should be clear and concise

Closing

Examples:• Best,• Best regards,• Regards,• Respectfully yours,• Thank you,• Best wishes,• Sincerely,

Examples to avoid:x Yours Truly,x Cheers,x See you around,x Be well,x Thx,

Other Closings to Avoid:

x Have a wonderful bountiful lustful day,

x Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

x This email is off the record unless otherwise indicated,

x Waiting to hear your reply, with best regards,

x Snuggles,

x TTFN

x A smiling face is miles more attractive than just a pretty one.

x Thanking you in anticipation,

Email Signature

Full NameTitle/Position

Company/OrganizationContact Information*

*Phone Number, Email Address,

Mailing Address, Website

**Modify settings in your email client to automatically insert your signature

at the bottom of every email

Subject Line

Always include a subject line when sending an email!

Subject lines should reflect the main idea of the email, not be

the email itself.

RE: = Reply of an email

FW: = Forwarded email

Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)

Step 1: Click “Mail”

1

Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)

Step 2: Click the gear icon 2

Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)

Step 3: Click “Options” in the settings menu (after clicking the gear icon)

3

Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)

Step 4: Click “Email signature” in the left pane

Step 6: Compose and format your email signature!

SAMPLE FORMAT 2:Full Name

Title/PositionCompany/Organization

Contact Information

SAMPLE FORMAT 1:Full Name

Title/PositionMajor

InstitutionContact Information

Step 5: Check the “Automatically include my signature on new messages

I compose” option

4

5

6

More About Email…When to Send

Do not expect a response outside of normal business hours (Mon-Fri 8:00-

5:00)

Remember: you are not always available!

Quantity

One is best!

Excessive emails decreases their value and can annoy the recipient

Reply, Reply All, Forward

Reply: To one user

Reply All: To all original recipients (avoid unless necessary)

Forward: Copy to new recipient

Cc and Bcc

Cc: Carbon copy – send to recipient who is indirectly affected by email

Bcc: Blind carbon copy – same as Cc, but addresses do not appear (avoid in

most cases)

Last Minute Check √

Be sure to double-check:• Recipient emails• Subject line• Attachments

• Punctuation/Grammar

Getting Started with Resumes and Cover Letters

Facilitated by: Sarah Roth

Don’t Do This…

Do This Instead!

Cover Letters: An Introduction• Cover letters serve multiple purposes:

• To demonstrate that your qualifications fit the requirements of the position

• To show that you have done your homework on the position and organization

• To demonstrate you have the ability to write well

Source: http://careercenter.illinoisstate.edu/student/resume/

Cover Letter Outline

• Paragraph 1: How I heard about the job• Paragraph 2: Why I want the job• Paragraph 3: Why I’d be great for the job• Paragraph 4: How I’m going to follow up about the job

Source: http://careercenter.illinoisstate.edu/student/resume/cover_letters.shtml

Utilizing Your Resources• “Resume Record” template Honors website• Use before you have a resume and/or “on the fly”

• Career Center• Free resume paper, resume printing & business cards• Walk-in resume critiques vs. Resume review

• Career Resource Guide• Resume Basics, pgs. 4-8• Cover Letters, pgs. 9-10

General Recommendations• Leave adequate time to update your resume/cover letter

• Customize them to the opportunity

• Connect your personal skills to the posting/description

• Utilize their key words (e.g. flexibility, teamwork)

• Demonstrate knowledge of their terms/lingo

(e.g. Honors Learning Experiences)

Scholarship Applications: Tips for SuccessFacilitated by: Brandan Oates

Applying to Scholarships1. Read and understand the criteria

2. Prepare and plan ahead

3. Ask questions (if needed)

4. Check, double-check, and check again

Source: https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2015/03/scholarship-basics-make-application-shine/

The EssayKnow the Prompt Organize & Edit the Draft Utilize Past Work

o Reread the prompt

o Align statements with the donor’s hopes and

intentions

o Include specific examples

o Make sure all parts of the prompt are covered

o Utilize standard essay structure

o Proofread! Have another person also double-

check spelling, grammar, and punctuation

o Enrich your sentences: simplify and vary

o It is okay to reuse parts of previous scholarship

essays

o Double-check that the award name is correct

o Consider a new approach for previously

unsuccessful essays

Source: https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2015/04/scholarship-basics-write-winning-essay/

Distinguish yourself!

Personal Anecdote

Scholarships: Final Thoughts√ Start gathering application materials early!

√ Letters of recommendation, transcripts, résumé, etc.

√ Ask questions if anything is unclear.

√ Utilize the ISU Scholarship Resource Office: http://financialaid.illinoisstate.edu/scholarships/

√ If you meet the criteria, APPLY! Smaller, local scholarships can add up quickly.

√ Ensure the application is complete at time of submission.

Questions?Speakers will also be available for questions during tonight’s networking reception from 7:45 – 8:30pm.

Tonight’s Event Schedule

Event Time

Check-In 5:15pm – 5:35pm

Keynote Speaker 5:30pm – 6:10pm

Session I 6:20pm – 6:45pm

Session II 6:50pm – 7:15pm

Session III 7:20pm – 7:45pm

Networking Reception 7:45pm – 8:30pm

Honors Professional Development NightWednesday, March 23, 2016

5:30-8:30pm