The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 12

In this Chapter

This chapter discusses resumes and job applications. First, it discusses letters of application and how to write them. An example is given. The chapter then focuses on resume writing.  It outlines the basic format of a resume and provides several examples. Follow-up letters are then introduced. This section explains when they are appropriate and provides example of letters for different situations. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the interviewing process, including preparation and compensation negotiations.

The Correspondence of the Job Search

Trying to find a job involves several types of correspondence including cover letters, resumes, and follow up letters. While these documents won’t ensure that you get a job, if done incorrectly, they can ensure that you don’t.  It is also worth noting that social networking sites shouldn’t contain anything you wouldn’t want a prospective employer to see because they will probably check them. 

The letter of application is a very important part of the job application process. They should generally be a page or less in length. The letter should identify the position you are seeking, describe your education and work experience, demonstrate knowledge of the company, refer the employer to your resume, and request an interview. 

A resume provides the employer with a summary of your education and experience. There are two types of resumes, chronological and functional. A chronological resume is traditional and widely accepted. For a student, education should be listed first in reverse chronological order, followed by work experience, also in reverse chronological order. Phrases should be used rather than complete sentences to avoid repetition; however, grammar and spelling should be impeccable. A functional resume is organized by the importance of the experience or activity to the position being pursued. This type of resume is organized into categories that demonstrate experience in specific areas. Regardless of the type of resume being used, it should be proofread several times and formatted to be organized and very easy to read. 

Follow-up letters are another important form of correspondence in the job search. They are appropriate if you receive no answer to a letter of application after two weeks, if you have just given an interview, if a company doesn’t offer you a job, or if you are accepting or declining a position. These letters should be brief and respectful. The purpose of a two week or post interview letter is to demonstrate your professionalism and communication skills while drawing attention to your application or interview. If you don’t get the job, the purpose of the letter is the leave a good impression on the employer in hopes of a future job offer or a future business relationship. 

Interviews

The purpose of the previously discussed correspondence is to get an interview. It is very important to prepare well for your interview, as it will probably determine whether you get the job. This is your opportunity to tell the employer why they should hire you and their opportunity to determine if you’re a good fit for the position. Be prepared to answer questions about your education and experience, your strengths and weakness, and your goals for the future.

The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 11

In this Chapter

This chapter discusses oral reports. This chapter begins by providing several steps for planning an oral presentation. There is an emphasis on knowing your audience. The use of visuals in presentations is examined and several examples are provided.  Questions for planning a presentation are listed by category.  The chapter then explains many techniques for effectively presenting your material to the audience. 

Introduction

Oral reports are a very critical part of business communication. Your ability to give good oral reports will be a major determining factor in how you are perceived by your superiors and peers. An effective oral report should follow the same guidelines as a written report. In addition, you must also pay attention to your style of speaking. This should be appropriate for your role in the organization, your audience, and the subject of the report. You should also decide how to use text and visuals to enhance your audiences’ understanding of the presentation. 

Constructing an Effective Presentation

First, you should analyze the audience. You should consider their level of knowledge, attitude toward you, attitude toward the subject, as well as their economic, political, and religious views. This information will help you to create a presentation style that will resonate with your audience in a positive way. Even hand gestures and the way you dress should be chosen based on the type of audience. The context in which you will be presenting can also have an important effect on your presentation. The presentations of other speakers, the physical location, and the events taking place in the organization can all affect the audience’s reaction to your oral report.

It is important that your presentation have a clear goal. All the content of the presentation, including any visual aids, should be focused on accomplishing the stated goal. The best approach for accomplishing your goal should be chosen based on the audience. The type of information used (statistics, illustrations, etc…) should be chosen based on what you think will help your audience best understand your message.

An oral report should be well organized and concise, just like a written report. In fact, organization is probably even more critical in an oral report because your audience can’t “rewind” you and listen again the same way they can reread confusing parts of a written report.  As with written documents, you should state your goal early on in the introduction and restate it concisely in the conclusion. 

Your speaking style will depend greatly on your relationship with the audience. Factors such as your position in the organization relative to the audience, the conventional level of formality within the organization, and whether you know the audience personally will all help determine the speaking style that is appropriate.

Visuals can enhance a presentation, but they should be clear, and relevant to the topic of the presentation. Avoid using overly complex visuals that will confuse and distract the audience form the goal of the presentation. 

Delivery of the Presentation

When speaking, avoid very long sentences and use concrete language. Be careful not to use jargon that your audience won’t understand. You should also try to use short, active voice sentences. In short, the same rules of written style also apply to oral delivery. You should write and practice your speech before hand to avoid stumbling during the presentation. It is also important to be confident during the presentation and make eye contact with your audience. Record yourself practicing the speech and listen for distinct breaks between sections and revise any sentences that sound awkward or hard to follow.

The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 10

In this Chapter

This chapter discusses instructions, procedures, and policies. It begins by examining the differences between instructions and procedures. It then explains the importance of these two types of documents in the workplace. A list of helpful tips is provided on the composition of these documents. The next section discusses the planning of instructions and procedures. This is followed by a description of the structure and organization that should be used. An example of planning and several sample documents are also included in this chapter.  The chapter concludes with a section about online instructions.

Procedures and Instructions

Procedures are general guidelines for performing a task, but instructions provide the reader with specific, detailed step by step instructions.  Both of these documents are important and widely used. Procedures are useful when the reader already has the knowledge necessary to complete a task, but they need guidelines on how the task should be completed in different situations. Instructions are used if the reader requires detailed steps to complete the task.

Instructions and Procedures may be included in many other types of documents. Sometimes, they are standalone documents included with a specific machine or process. Complicated instructions and procedures are usually created as manuals, which usually take the form of a report.  Email is not an appropriate medium for instructions and procedures because the lack of standard formatting can lead to readability issues.

Importance of Instructions and Procedures

These documents are very important because they can expose a company to legal liability if poorly constructed. On the other hand, well designed instructions can improve the image of a company and act as a good sales document. For products that require customer assembly, good instructions are as important as the design of the product itself.  For these reasons, it is very important that these documents be readable, clear, and unambiguous. Because people tend to get impatient with instructions, it is also important that they be as concise as possible. 

Planning

There are several key points to consider when planning this type of document. First, you should consider the knowledge of your readers and how the document will be used. You should then think about what your purpose is in writing the document, and design it to clearly convey that purpose to the readers. Next, you should determine the context in which the document will be used. The context of use is often important in the design, format, and even placement of the document. If the instructions will be available online, extra attention to readability is required. The planning process is especially critical to this type of document because the reader has a very specific need and the consequences for misunderstandings can be serious. 

Structure

These documents usually follow a general structure. They begin with an introduction followed by a section about the theory governing the procedure or instruction. The next section will contain safety warnings, cautions, and hazards. This section may contain other important notes as well. The next section describes the prerequisite conditions for the task to be performed. The las section is the actual step by step instructions for the task.

The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 9

In this Chapter

                This chapter discusses proposal and progress reports. The chapter begins by explaining the purpose of each document. Proposals are then examined in detail. The development and format of a proposal is described and several examples are given. Progress reports are then examined as well, with an emphasis on structure. The chapter concludes with a brief statement about tone.

Introduction

                The purpose of a proposal is to describe possible work or research, the reason it should be undertaken, the required time, and estimated cost. Progress reports describe and evaluate a project while work is taking place. Therefore, any large project will require the creation of a proposal and multiple progress reports.

Proposals

                When an organization decides it wants something done, it usually generates a request for proposals. An RFP is a description of the work the organization would like to have done. Based on the RFP, other organizations will decide to respond with a proposal. The main purpose of a proposal is to persuade the reader that your solution will meet the soliciting organizations needs better than any other. Therefore, it is very important to carefully consider the needs and constraints described in the RFP as well as outside information. 

Proposals generally follow a standard format:

1       Project Summary

2      Project description

a.       Introduction

b.      Rationale

c.       Plan of work

                                                               i.      Scope

                                                             ii.      Methods

                                                            iii.      Task Breakdown

                                                           iv.      Problem Analysis

d.      Facilities and Equipment

3       Personnel

4       Budget

5       Conclusion

6       Appendices

The project description (or technical proposal) is the main part of the document where you explain what you or your organization actually proposes to do.  The Rationale section is also very important, because this is where you will convince your readers that you completely understand their needs.

Progress reports

                Progress reports are used to update interested parties on the work being done on a specific project.  They have three goals:

•          Explain what has been accomplished and discuss any problems that require attention.
•          Describe how time and money has been spent and what still remains to be done.
•          Enable the reader to assess the current work and plan future work.

There are three general structures for a progress report. The first is organized by work performed and is the standard structure. 

1       Beginning

a.       Introduction/description

b.      Summary

2       Middle

a.       Work Completed

                                                               i.      Task 1

                                                             ii.      Task 2

                                                            iii.      Task 3

b.      Work Remaining

                                                               i.      Task 1

                                                             ii.      Task 2

                                                            iii.      Task 3

c.       Cost of work completed

3       End

a.       Appraisal of progress to date

b.      Conclusions and recommendations

A progress report can also be structured by chronological order or by main project goals. In a chronological progress report, the middle section is broken down by period rather than task. The structure by goals form is usually used for research projects. This format separates work by specific goals or milestones.

Style and Tone 

                Because proposals give rise to legally binding contracts if accepted, they should be authoritative, specific and positive.  Generalizations and soft language should be avoided in both proposals and progress reports. Problems should be discussed honestly, but the solutions to these problems should be emphasized.

The Essentials of Technical Communication: Chapter 8

In this Chapter

This chapter discusses technical reports.  It begins by examining the various types of reports. The chapter then begins to examine informal reports in detail. Each part of the report is described.  This is followed by a brief section about developing reports. Several examples are provided. The chapter then goes into detail about formal reports. The purpose and design of prefatory elements are discussed and the structure of the report is explained in detail. The chapter concludes with a section about collaborative writing. 

Types of Reports

                Reports can serve a variety of functions, but in general, they are used to provide the reader with detailed information and analysis. It is important to remember than few people will actually read the whole report. Readers will only look at the sections relevant to their own position and responsibilities. There are several types of reports:

•          Recommendation Reports
•          Evaluation Reports
•          Feasibility Reports
•          Status Reports
•          Trip Reports
•          Personnel Reports
•          Economic Justification Report

Furthermore, reports can be either formal or informal. Informal reports are used for routine internal communication, while formal reports are used for external communication, or very important internal communication. 

Informal Reports

                Internal reports use a memorandum heading to make information about the report accessible to the reader. The report then begins with a concise introduction which tells the reader what the report’s purpose is and any required background information.  It should also list the topics to be covered.  The next section is the discussion, which contains the main information of the report. There will then be a conclusion which summarizes the main points followed by recommendations based on the report’s findings. You should attach any supporting documents at the end of the report. Any type fo report should be well organized with lots of headings so that readers can easily locate information relevant to them.

Formal Reports

                Formal reports require prefatory elements. These include letters of transmittal, title pages, submission pages, tables of contents, lists of illustrations, abstracts, summaries, and glossaries. These documents all support the main report by proving the readers with background information, and giving them a map to find specific information that they need within the report.  Abstracts and Summaries are the most important of these elements because they may be the only part of the report a recipient reads.  While both summarize the content of the report, abstracts are briefer while summaries contain more detail. An abstract should contain the following parts:

•          Purpose statement
•          Methods used
•          Results of research
•          Conclusions
•          Recommendations

The discussion, or body of the report, contains most of the information and is the largest part of the report. This section is an organized, detailed collect of information that the writer wishes to convey with the report. Because this section contains a lot of information, proper organization is essential. Information should be grouped into specific categories under descriptive headings. Many reports have standard templates that should be used. Reports can be organized topically or chronologically depending on the topic. 

Collaboration

                Reports are often prepared collaboratively. It is important that a team leader is chosen and that the responsibilities of each team member are clear. There should also be one team member responsible for editing the document so that the style is consistent throughout. The success of a collaborative report is highly dependent on effective leadership and clarity of expectations.