Organize Your Writing Whether you are writing a memo to your co-worker or a report for your boss, you

should decide what information you want to convey. Here is how to do this: 1. List each item you need to discuss in your memo or report. 2. Put them in order from most to least important 3. Write a brief summary of your entire memo this will be your first paragraph. 4. Expand on each item listed in step 1. 5. If any action needs to be taken by the recipient, state that in your closing paragraph. Some Tips 1. Avoid wordiness. Say out loud what you are trying to write. Listen to how the words sound. For example, the sentence, "I found out that I should take a look at our past sales figures in order to come up with a plan to help us re-evaluate our sales technique" could be more simply stated as "I must take a look at our past sales figures to re-evaluate our sales technique." 2. Write for your examiner. Use simple language. You don't want the reader to need a dictionary to decipher what you are trying to say. You should not try to impress your reader with your huge vocabulary. Chances are you will frustrate your reader instead. Most people are juggling several tasks at the same time, and are interested in receiving only necessary information. You are responsible for making this happen. Instead of saying, "His gregarious nature credentials him as a superlative candidate for the job;" say "His friendliness makes him a top candidate for the job."

3. Stay away from jargon your reader may not understand. If your work is very technical, but the person you are writing to is not well versed in that field, stick to words that person will understand. For example, if you are a Web site designer, this sentence in a memo to your client, a psychologist, will make no sense: "What would you like me to use as the BGCOLOR for your site: #ADD8E6 or #FFFFFF?" Anyone proficient in Web page design knows that this question can be translated to "What would you like the background color of your site to be: Light Blue or White?" However, don't expect your client to be more familiar with this technical jargon than you would be with his discussion of a psychological term such as trichotillomania. 4. A clich a day keeps the reader away or at least it does not make him or her remember what you are saying. You want your writing to be memorable. Because we hear clichs often, we become desensitized to them. The words, then, are not uniquely associated with your writing. Rather than saying "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today" in a memo to a subordinate you are trying to motivate. Simply say, "Stop procrastinating. Get the job done now." 5. When possible, use the active voice. The active voice makes your sentence stronger and usually shorter. Let's try these examples. sales." 6. Don't be redundant. It is not necessary to say "2 p.m. in the afternoon". Saying "2 p.m." or "2 in the afternoon conveys what you want to say and is less wordy. Passive voice: "Sales increased due to the networking I did." Active voice: "My networking increased

7. Must pay attention to grammar. Internet resources online or a good dictionary should be at hand, along with a thesaurus. A thesaurus will allow you to keep your writing fresh by helping you find a variety of words to use. 8. Proofreading is one of the most important things you can do. Since you probably do most of your writing on a computer, you have access to automated spelling and grammar checkers. Beware though some words, used in the wrong context may be missed by computerized spell checkers. For example the sentence "To employees attended too meetings two learn about the gnu software," would pass through the spell check without any misspellings being detected. So, proofreading personally of your document is a must.

The Resume / Curriculum Vitae (CV) Writing a successful resume or CV depends on many factors. Here is a simple guide to the basics of writing a good resume: 1. Take detailed notes on your work experience. Include both paid and unpaid, full time and part time positions. Include your main responsibilities, any other activities that were part of the job, the job title and company information including the address and dates of employment. Include everything! 2. Take detailed notes on your education. Include degree or certificates, major or course emphasis, school names and courses relevant to career objectives. Remember to include any

important continuing education courses you may have completed. 3. Include a list of other non-work related accomplishments. These may include competitions won, membership in special organizations, etc. 4. Based on your detailed notes, decide which skills are transferable (skills that will be especially useful) to the position for which you are applying. 5. Write your full name, address, telephone number, fax and email at the top of the resume. 6. Include an objective for the resume. The objective is a short sentence describing what type of work you hope to obtain. 7. Summarize your education, including important facts that directly relate to the job for which you are applying. You can also choose to include the education section after you have listed your job employment history. 8. List your work experience beginning with your most recent job. Include dates of employment, company specifics. List your principal responsibilities making sure to focus on transferable skills. 9. Continue to list all of your work experience in reverse order. Always focus on skills that are transferable. 10. Finally list information skills such as languages spoken, computer programming knowledge etc. under the heading: Additional Skills. 11. Finish your resume with the following phrase: REFERENCES Available upon request. Tips 1. Be concise and short! Your finished resume should not be more than a page; CV may extend to four pages. 2. Use dynamic action verbs such as: accomplished, collaborated, encouraged, established, facilitated, founded, managed, etc.

3. Do NOT use the subject "I", use tenses in the past. Except for your present job. Example: Conducted routine inspections of onsite equipment.

Here is an example of a basic resume: Personal Information NAME E.MAIL ADDRESS CELL PHONE NO: MAILING ADDRESS

Marital status: Unmarried Nationality: Pakistan Objective Specially interested in developing computer time-management tools for in-house use. Work experience 2010 Manager Present: ABC Corporation, Blue Area, Islamabad

Responsibilities

Managing staff of 10 Provide helpful service to customers concerning Information Technology choices

Design and implement computer based tools using Microsoft Access and Excel for staff Monthly bookkeeping Suggest changes in product offerings on a quarterly basis based on detailed analysis of sales patterns Provide in-house training for new employees as needed

2006 2010: International Office Supplies, The Mall, Rawalpindi Assistant Manager Responsibilities

Managed warehouse operations Programmed Excel spreadsheet implemented to control sales strengths and weaknesses on quarterly basis Interviewed new applicants for open positions Travelled locally offering on-site visits to regular customers Supervised bookkeeping staff

Education 2002 2006: National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Sector H-12, Islamabad Bachelor of Computer Sciences

Four year Computer Sciences (Software) course focusing on application of software techniques in information technology Professional memberships

Lions Club Member, Islamabad Chapter Young Computer Sciences Club President 2005-2006, NUST, Islamabad

Additional Skills

Advanced level skills in Microsoft Office Suite, basic HTML programming, spoken and written proficiency in French REFERENCES Available upon request The Cover Letter The cover letter introduces your Resume or CV when applying for a job interview. There are a few important things that need to be included in the cover letter. Most importantly, the cover letter should point out why you are particularly suited to the position. The best way to do this is to take the job posting and point out the highlights in your resume that exactly match the desired qualifications. Here is an outline to writing a successful cover letter. SAMPLE COVERING LETTER

Date & Your Own Address Name or Designation along with Address to Whom the Letter is Being Addressed

Dear Mr. / Madam,

I was very interested to read your advertisement for the post ofas it precisely fits my career plans.

I first became interested in the applications of Information Technology during an "Insight" course which I attended during my second year at University. Since then, discussion with my career adviser and my own research have confirmed my belief that this is a career which will enable me to use not only my interest in business and finance but also my skills in working with people, both in an advisory and a managerial capacity. I am particularly interested in a career with your esteemed organization because of the high

reputation of your graduate training scheme, and your commitment to giving new recruits early responsibility. During my time as a student I have had a variety of part-time and vacation jobs, all of which have required me to work as part of a team and to deal directly with the public. I found my work at the Tourist Information Office particularly valuable in teaching me the importance of ascertaining

customers' needs and providing clear and accurate information in response to those needs.

As part of my degree course, I chose to carry out a final-year project which involved a statistical analysis of 150 questionnaires sent to local employers. To process this information, I taught myself to set up and use a database and felt great satisfaction in completing this project well ahead of the end-of-term deadline. Although my overall degree result was a 3.5 GPA; this particular piece of work was awarded a high 3.8. I look forward to hearing from you shortly and enclose my Resume / CV for your consideration. Yours sincerely