business english lecture 31. synopsis – lecture 12 - 18 resume writing cover letter research...

BUSINESS ENGLISHLECTURE 31

Synopsis – Lecture 12 - 18

Resume writing Cover letter Research conventions Process – proposal and report

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Lecture 12 & 133

Writing an Effective Resume Objective; Organization; Presentation 1. A resume earns you an interview! 2. Stand out 3. Organization 4. Summary of sections

Resume and Cover Letter 1. Job vs. Resume ; The components of

cover letter; Style 2. Format controversies 3. Types: Chronological, Linear,

Functional/Skill-based 4. Chronological – Sample/analysis 5. Linear – Sample/ analysis 6. Functional – sample / analysis 7. Skills – sample / analysis

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Cover Letter 1. Objective , opening, closing 2. Mention of Highlights 3. General Guidelines 4. Appearance

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A resume gets you an interview

Find out which applicants are suitable

Choose a small number of candidates to interview

Same issue for proposals and grant applications

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Stand out from the crowd

Include interesting and unique information

Attempt best effort to make a first impression

No chance to explain if you do not get an interview

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Summary of sections

NameAddress, telephone number, e-mail addressObjectiveEducationExperienceAchievements and awardsSkillsProfessional affiliations Publications or projects Optional

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Start with contact information Name (bold, not underlined)

Address

Telephone number

Email address

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Objective

One or two sentences

Type of position (part time, full time, summer internship)

What position would you like to find?

Emphasize how you will use your skills, not what you want to gain

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Questions First …

1) what jobs are you applying for and what skills, knowledge and tasks are required of them?

2) the components of cover letter and resume,

3) the types of resume4) the language styles of cover letter as

well as business letter in general.

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Resume: Components

Heading Objective (examples)

(optional) Qualifications (qualification summary)

Education – degree, school, date graduated, major, GPA, honoraries, scholarships, offices held. Experience – dates employed (from ~ to~) employer, division, position title, key responsibilities (& achievements)(examples). Extracurricular Activities OR Activities and Honors Personal data & References

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Types of Resume

Chronological (reverse chronological order) Linear

Functional/Skills – emphasizes the functional areas in which the applicant is strong at; organize experience by functions one serves or skills one has.

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Cover Letter: Components

Opening: 1. Your reason for writing; 2. Make a point that you think will be interesting to the addressee;

Highlights: Give examples of the qualifications which make you a good candidate.

Closing: ask for an interview. Format: Use block format (all justified left)

, single spaced, double-spaced between paragraphs.

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General Guidelines

Research the companies you are applying for well, and address what they need in your resume and cover letter.

Be self-assertive and matter-of-fact; do not exaggerate or flatter.

Be concrete: use verbs more than adjectives.

Appearance matters: what is appearance?

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Appearance

grammar and spelling; spatial arrangement of resume; font and

spacing; printing and paper qualities. What else? A bit of creative and elegant

decoration if possible.

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Lecture 14

Your resume is...• A critical step at the beginning of a job search process

• An advertisement/marketing tool*

• A written pitch*

• A screening tool

• An assessment of your value*

• A document that leads to an interview (not a job, yet!)

• A first impression

• A stand alone document

*specific to your target audience

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Strategize First...

Important to do prior to deciding on format/content-• Ask, “who am I?”• Ask, “who do I want to be?”• Ask, “what is my brand?”

Keys to getting it right—• Think ahead--write to the future• Emphasize specific skills to match the career you are

seeking• Write to your reader (the target industry/function)• Market yourself by only including what’s important to

your reader

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Good Resume Formatting

• One full page only (unless more than 10 years of related work experience)

• Sections, in this order (heading names may vary):

• Name and Contact Information (on top)• Education/Credentials• Experience (Work, Professional)• Activities/Additional Information (Community

Involvement, Language Skills, etc.)

• Easily scanned for skills, results, job titles and company names in 30 seconds.

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Good Resume Content

• Current and previous job responsibilities represent your skills and results (in addition to general duties and responsibilities).

• Shows the impact your performance has/had on the department, project, organization or company.

• Quantify information/results, where possible. For example, “Achieved 80% reduction of lost-time accidents, saving company $1.2 million….”

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Prioritize bullet points beginning with the most relevant or most impactful first.

Use action verbs descriptive of your skills to start each bullet point (see link on following slide).*

Show promotion or advancement by titles and dates.*

No outdated or irrelevant activities—unless it is a significant accomplishment,

skill, or unusual talking point.*

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Lecture 15

1. Types of Technical documents2. How to write reports3. Computer reports4. Anatomy of a report5. Sales Proposals6. Future of Reports7. We communicate: CV – Resume; Emails – Letters, FAQs;

Messages, Press Release, Multimedia, Reports, etc. 8. Types of reports: Sales, Inspection, Annual, Audit, Feasibility,

Progress, White papers, etc.

1. Classification of reports: Formal - Informal; Information reports, analytical reports, recommendation reports

2. Steps in Report Writing3. Organizing reports4. Diction and Tone: UK vs. U.S. 5. Writing Style6. Formatting Style: Chicago, Strunk & White, MLA, APA7. Anatomy of a report8. Report body 9. Letter of Transmittal

1. Document design: Dos and Don’ts Before Writing Technical Documents1. Reports & Proposals2. Audience adaptation3. Composing Reports and Proposals4. Drafting report Content5. Drafting Intro, body, closing6. Strategies of Success7. The Power of Images: Graphics/Technology8. Visual Literacy

1. Ethics of Visual Communication 2. Choosing points to illustrate3. Norms of graphics4. Charts and Tables5. Data Visualization6. Flow of the Entire process (flow chart)

The Chain of Command

How We Communicate3

• CVs, Resumes• Email, Web site, FAQs • Letters, Newsletters, Brochures, Articles,

Catalogs• Advertisements, Notice Board,

Pamphlets, Signs, Press Release• Presentations, multimedia, talks• Reports, Manuals, Proposals, Books

Which Reports?

Annual Reports

Sales Reports

Feasibility Reports

Inspection Reports

Audit Reports

Progress Reports

White Papers

Classification of Reports

Formal Reports and Informal Reports Information Reports Analytical Reports Recommendation Reports

5 Steps to Report Writing1

1. Define the problem2. Gather the necessary information3. Analyze the information4. Organize the information5. Write the report

Organizing Reports

Comparison/contrast Problem-solution Elimination of alternatives General to particular Geographic or spatial Functional Chronological

Anatomy of a Report

Cover Page Title Page Letter of Transmittal Table of Contents List of Illustrations Executive Summary Report Body

Report Body

Introduction Purpose and Scope;Limitations, Assumptions,

and Methods Background/History of the Problem Body

Presents and interprets data Conclusions and Recommendations References or Works Cited Appendixes

Interview transcripts, questionnaires, question tallies, printouts, and previous reports

Letter of Transmittal

Background Summarize conclusions and

recommendations Minor problems. Thank those who

helped. Additional research necessary Thank the reader. Offer to answer

questions.

Lecture 16

Report Writing Detailed talk: From process to product

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Business reports are systematic attempts to answer questions and solve problems. They include the following activities.

PlanningPlanning

What Are Business Reports?

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PlanningPlanning


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PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch


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PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch


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PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch OrganizationOrganization


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PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch OrganizationOrganization


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PlanningPlanning ResearchResearch OrganizationOrganization PresentationPresentation


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Report Formats Letter format Memo format Manuscript format Printed forms

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Audience Analysis and Audience Analysis and Report OrganizationReport Organization

Direct PatternDirect Pattern

Report

-----Main Idea ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report

-----Main Idea ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If readersare informed

If readersare informed

If readersare supportive

If readersare supportive

If readersare eager to

have results first

If readersare eager to

have results first

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Audience Analysis and Audience Analysis and Report OrganizationReport Organization

Indirect PatternIndirect Pattern

If readersneed to beeducated

If readersneed to beeducated

If readersneed to bepersuaded

If readersneed to bepersuaded

If readersmay be hostileor disappointed

If readersmay be hostileor disappointed

Report

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

Report

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main Idea ----

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Applying the Writing Process to Reports

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5

Step 6 Step 7

Analyze the problem and purpose.Anticipate the audience and

issues.Prepare a work plan.Implement your research strategy.Organize, analyze, interpret,

illustrate the data.

Compose the first draft.Revise, proofread, and evaluate.

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Work Plan for a Formal Report Statement of problem Statement of purpose Sources and methods of data

collection Tentative outline Work schedule

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Locating secondary electronic data• Electronic databases• The Internet• World Wide Web search tools Google MSN search

Ask Jeeves Yahoo!

• Evaluating Web sources How current is the information?

How credible is the author or source?

What is the purpose of the site?

Do the facts seem reliable?

Researching Report Data47

Tips for searching the Web• Use two or three search tools.• Understand case sensitivity.• Prefer uncommon words.• Omit articles and prepositions.• Use wild cards.• Know your search tool.• Learn basic Boolean search strategies.• Bookmark the best pages.• Be persistent.• Repeat your search a week later.


Researching primary data• Surveys• Interviews• Observation• Experimentation


Functions of graphics• To clarify data• To condense and simplify data• To emphasize data

Illustrating Report Data50

Forms and objectives of graphics• Table

To show exact figures and values

Class Agree Disagree Undecided

Seniors 738 123 54

Juniors 345 34 76

Sophomores 123 234 78

Freshmen 45 567 123


Forms and objectives of graphics• Bar chart

To compare one item with others

Illustrating Report Data

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1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

Enrollees

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Forms and objectives of graphics• Line chart

To demonstrate changes in quantitative data over time


0102030405060708090

100

2001 2002 2003 2004

Net ($M)

Gross ($M)

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Forms and objectives of graphics• Pie graph

To visualize a whole unit and the proportion of its components


Strongly Agree18%

Agree13%

No Opinion

3%

Strongly Disagree

38%

Disagree28%

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Forms and objectives of graphics• Flow chart

To display a process or procedure


ReceiveReceive TestTest

FloorFloor

ShelvesShelves ShipShip

Re-boxRe-box Re-stockRe-stock

RepairRepair

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Forms and objectives of graphics• Organization chart

To define a hierarchy of elements


William DixonVice President

Sales

John DeleuzeManager

Joan WilliamsVice President

Design

George LaPorteForeman

Charles EubankPresident

ManagerClarice Brown

Vice PresidentWayne Lu

Production

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Forms and objectives of graphics• Photograph, map, illustration

To create authenticity, to spotlight a location, and to show an item in use


Pie Graph

2006 MPM INCOME BY DIVISION

DVDs & Videos

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Reasons for crediting sources• Strengthens your argument

• Gives you protection

• Instructs readers

Documenting Data59

Two Documentation Formats• Modern Language Association

Author’s name and page (Smith 100) placed in text; complete references in “Works Cited.”

• American Psychological AssociationAuthor’s name, date of publication, and page number placed near text reference (Jones, 2000, p. 99). Complete references listed at end of report.

Documenting Data60

Lecture 17

1. What is Research 2. Conducting an academic investigation Process Proposal Report

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1. What is Research?62

the systematic investigation into and study of materials, sources, etc, in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

an endeavour to discover new or collate old facts etc by the scientific study of a subject or by a course of critical investigation. [Oxford Concise Dictionary; Plays,1997 ]

1. What is research?63

Research is what we do when we have a question or a problem we want to resolve

We may already think we know the answer to our question already

We may think the answer is obvious, common sense even

But until we have subjected our problem to rigorous scientific scrutiny, our 'knowledge' remains little more than guesswork or at best, intuition. Plays,1997

1. What is research: a general perspective

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First priority is to formulate your question

Then figure out how you are going to answer it How have others answered it? How does your proposal fit in with what

others have done? How will you know when you have

answered it? Then you can present your answer

Different from guesswork…1. What is ART of Research?

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What is scientific Inquiry?Characteristics of Formal Research

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Why is research a valued source of knowledge?

Common ways of knowing…

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What is Science, the Scientific Method, and Research?

Research… the application of the scientific method a systematic process of collecting and

logically analyzing information (data) Research Methods (Methodology)…

the ways one collects and analyzes data methods developed for acquiring

trustworthy knowledge via reliable and valid procedures

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The Research ProcessConducting an

Academic Investigation

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The Research ProcessConducting an Academic Investigation

It is impossible to separate the conduct of a research investigation from the exercise of writing up the report.

This part of talk focuses on the strategies and skills that go into conducting an academic research investigation.

All kinds of methodological questions are involved in decisions about the organisation of your report. If you have not planned your research project, this will become evident in your report - and the criticisms will only come when people read your report.

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3. RESEARCH71

key areas of research design and

planning

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Purpose of the Investigation: Differences between reports and essays

we can talk about generally-agreed conventions regarding structure and argumentative style.

But the purpose is different, in that you have now moved to the stage of conducting your own empirical piece of research.

You have moved from second-hand academic study, to first-hand discovery and testing of the theories and methods of academic investigation.

The main difference is the move from secondary to primary research.

Purpose of the Investigation

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Academic research and its social nature The social process starts with your

Literature review, where you establish the relationship of your study to work that has already been done in the area. You need to clarify whether your research is intended to:


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One more important thing is… It is important not only that you

differentiate between these three distinct functions, but that you distinguish between your study’s


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Posing Questions and Defining Problem

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Students of research are expected to present their arguments like this:

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[This means... argument -->

counter-argument --> weighing up

the 2 arguments]

This makes the point of taking account of alternative (opposing) arguments before a final summary or concluding synthesis.

Posing Questions and Defining Problems

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Primary and Secondary research

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Let’s see: Review of research options Secondary research options Primary research options

Review of Research Options

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1. Basic premise:Academic investigations should be approached in a systematic way.

Before deciding on your research options, you need to work out a profile of the study to see what types of research approach or methods will be most appropriate.

A recommended sequence of steps to follow in the research process: Perceive a broad problem

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Read literature on relevant theoretical and empirical work (looking for way of narrowing the problem)

Discuss with peers and tutor to define a researchable problem

Define the context of the problem to be researched Review any comparable case studies, especially for

research questions and methodology Frame research questions Design an investigative procedure Select and retrieve appropriate data Proceed with analysis and interpretation Compare your findings and interpretations with other

relevant studies reviewed earlier Draw tentative conclusions revisit your research

questions or hypotheses

Identify the stages in your reading: Time: 10 minutes

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Research in the Social Sciences is expected to combine the originality of an individual study with the connection of that work to existing disciplinary knowledge and previous research.

Also, any study which the researcher intends to share with a wider community, whether academic or business, needs to be contextualised to show where it comes from in terms of

1. its theoretical and social influences

2. the time, place and circumstances to which it applies

Secondary research options

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There are a range of resources available for secondary research: the most well-known are:

1. Published statistics: census, housing and social security data, and so on

2. Published texts: theoretical work, secondary analyses by ‘experts’ and reports

3. Media: documentaries for example, as a source of information

4. Personal documents: diaries

Primary Research Options

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Field research: collection of primary data

Lecture 18

Research: Methods and Results

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Methods and Results : what they have in common

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Methods and Results in a study have 2 major things in common.

At the level of research, they are the parts devoted to your own empirical or original research. This is where you focus on what you do and what you find – in your own study. As you recall, from our hourglass diagram, the Introduction (incl. the Literature Review) and Discussion sections of a report are the wider perspective you take on your study, placing it in the context of theories and studies written about elsewhere.

At the level of reporting, they have in common the fact that you focus on writing about what you did and what you found.

Methods and Results conti…

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In the Methods section you are expected to tell the reader what you did - your methodology, both for collection and analysis - and who (plus when and where) you did it with or to - i.e. your survey population. As you report all this, the dominant tense is the past tense.

In the Results section, you report what you found – what people said, what they did and what they reported they did – in the past tense. As we suggest, you also go on to interpret your findings in the Results section - otherwise the reader would get very bored!

Methods94

Quality aims in survey research

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Goal is to collect information that is: Valid: measures the quantity or concept that

is supposed to be measured Reliable: measures the quantity or concept in

a consistent or reproducible manner Unbiased: measures the quantity or concept

in a way that does not systematically under- or overestimate the true value

Discriminating: can distinguish adequately between respondents for whom the underlying level of the quantity or concept is different

Steps to design a questionnaire:

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1. Write out the primary and secondary aims of your study.

2. Write out concepts/information to be collected that relates to these aims.

3. Review the current literature to identify already validated questionnaires that measure your specific area of interest.

4. Compose a draft of your questionnaire.5. Revise the draft.6. Assemble the final questionnaire.

Step 1: Define the aims of the study

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Write out the problem and primary and secondary aims using one sentence per aim. Formulate a plan for the statistical analysis of each aim.

Make sure to define the target population in your aim(s).

Step 2: Define the variables to be collected

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Write a detailed list of the information to be collected and the concepts to be measured in the study. Are you trying to identify: Attitudes Needs Behavior Demographics Some combination of these concepts

Translate these concepts into variables that can be measured.

Define the role of each variable in the statistical analysis: Predictor Confounder Outcome

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Step 3: Review the literature

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Review current literature to identify related surveys and data collection instruments that have measured concepts similar to those related to your study’s aims.

Saves development time and allows for comparison with other studies if used appropriately.

Proceed with caution if using only a subset of an existing questionnaire as this may change the meaning of the scores.

Contact the authors of the questionnaire to determine if a smaller version of the instrument exists that has also been validated.

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Step 4: Compose a draft [1]:

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Determine the mode of survey administration: face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, self-completed questionnaires, computer-assisted approaches.

Write more questions than will be included in the final draft.

Format the draft as if it were the final version with appropriate white space to get an accurate estimate as to its length – longer questionnaires reduce the response rate.

Place the most important items in the first half of the questionnaire to increase response on the important measures even in partially completed surveys.

Make sure questions flow naturally from one to another.

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Review – Lecture 12 - 18

Resume writing Cover letter Research conventions Process – proposal and report

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business english lecture 31. synopsis – lecture 12 - 18 resume writing cover letter research...

Documents

cover letter1

business letter

skills sample analysis

linear sample analysis

chronological sampleanalysis5

appearance grammar

appearance matters

use block format