Food for the restaurant Sexy

Poster Example

Both negative and postive elements? Remember what was discussed in class...

Presentations Schedule

Final Presentations of your group restuarant concepts will be held during our slotted exam time: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 from 1pm - 3pm.

Integrating Text and Graphics (Reiterated Strategies)

Effective Language, continued (p. 558 - 560)

For a maximal presentatation, considering how you use writing and what kinds of writing becomes essential. The following strategies are useful to organize thoughts and graphics, and allow for your audience to follow along while you develop your ideas slide-to-slide.


1. Advanced Organizers - a statement that highlights the main points of the presentation and clarifies what you will discuss, and in what order. Use transitional phrases and specific, active language to outline where you will take audience. You may have many such advance organizers, which may serve as introductions into a. entire presentation, and/or b. sections where points are developed in steps and multiple examples.

The following is an example of an Advanced Organizer for entire presentation:

Chez Denise brings Paris, France to Chicago. From the first sight, our customers will have travelled across the globe without the expensive plane ticket. From the facade to the dining rooms to the singing of metal pans cooking the best French cuisine the city can offer, we intend to show you how the City of Love falls in love with the Windy City.


2. Using Memorable Language - appropriate, clear language is necessary, but so is langauge that will be vigourous and specific enough to paint your image in the audience's brains.

The above example includes some memorable language. Common references to Paris (City of Love) and Chicago (the Windy City) help build the connection. Also, "facade" is a French term, which sticks out in various ways: 1. "facade" is a concise description instead of
buidling's outside appearance" and 2. the word allows for the Paris to be brought in the language.

Also, there is reference to the customers in the description. All of the language specifically describes the following general things - the customers, the concept of the restaurant, the city/community.


3. Summaries - use some slides to summarize/conclude some of the previous slides. Too often we summarize first, telling audience how to look at everything. However, there is a difference between providing an advanced organizer and a conclusion. The conclusive summary indicates "this is what we talked about" while advance organizers provide "what we are going to expand on, and in what order."


4. Transitions - Rather than starting a new point from scratch, use slides like you would use paragraphs. Repeat some key words and phrases from the last slide (point) as you transition into a new slide (point).

Also, use transitional phrases such as "such as", "secondly," "in contrast to," etc. Go back in our blog to look at transitional devices

Entrepreneurial H*E*L*P

To help out with our business ventures, here is one link that may lead you to some data/material, if not only to broaden how you are looking at your proposal!

Here is one college's interesting website: North Dakota State's "Your Resource Guide to the Food Industry: Food Entrepreneur"

Again, to help inspire your final projects (as the one you're pitching to), here is some reading material that may or may not inspire, or even give you confidence, in your own ideas:

1) A Young Entrepreneur Makes Food, Not War

2) Uniting Around Food to Save an Ailing Town

3) QUICK BITE/Sea Cliff; Morning Coffee, Evening Sushi

4) A Southern-Fried Picnic, to Go

5) A New Era for Brooklyn's South Shore

PowerPoint Presentations*

Strategies for Success

*please print a copy of your presentation off, for professor, and in case of emergency

I. Of course, understand audience and purpose.

• In the final project, you are trying to persuade an investor by providing information of your restaurant concept, fully considering all business and cultural aspects of the proposal.
  

II. Organization / Development of Presentation

• The most important aspect of a presentation is the clarity, and ordering your information (from slide to slide) in a logical manner

• Remember Organizational Patterns, Chapter 7
  

• How are you starting the presentation? What information comes when?

• When do you discuss the economics? Do you include all of the money aspects at once, or spread throughout presentation?

• When do you discuss community and how your place fits in?

• Real estate – property value (rent, or buy?)

• Neighborhood?

• When do you discuss the food, the look of the restaurant, etc.?
  

III. Slide Rules

1. Each slide should be used effectively by having a smaller purpose that fits into the larger purpose of presentation.
2. Divide presentation into larger categories (see II. above) of information and break down each category with individual slides in individual sections for each category created.
3. Don’t spend too much time on one slide in presentation (30 seconds per slide).
4. Thinking of 1-3, each slide should be made reader-friendly. Don't stuff any individual slide with too much material. One slide=one purpose (like a paragraph!).
5. Use non-distracting graphics that fit within textual content. (Don't use offensive or controversial images, or random "cool" graphics just to get them in.) 
6. Balance out the text v. graphics in each slide.
7. Use backgrounds, fonts and other formatting techniques that will relate to your overall business concept. (Don't use neon colors for a "classy restaurant proposal"! But, if you're doing a retro-'80s place...gnarly.)

IV.  Content meets form: Re-hashed

• Legibility of font; appropriate font size
  
• A font that thematically fits presentation and restaurant
• Color of font and slide background to fit theme, too
  
• Graphics – variety of graphics; pictures or model of restaurant, including dining area, kitchen, outside look, and logo/sign; neighborhood shots
• Charts and Graphs: use to break down the budgetary concerns for at least the first year, and you may project the first five years!

V. Effective Language

• Short, uncluttered sentences
• Language that mimics the restaurant concept
• Language that is aware of its purpose within the PowerPoint (bullet points for numerous points, for example) 
• Verb choice appropriate to slide purpose
• Use of nouns over pronouns
• Support you main points with statistical/numerical data
• Reference your graphs and charts, and other graphics, in text. Don't just put in charts without prior interpretation of data...

Final Project:The Business of Food

Final Project Presentations (300 pts)
Due: Finals Week, June 15-19 (exact finals date TBA)

Prompt and Guidelines:

In groups of three, you will put together and make a 15-20-minute presentation to the class, using visual aids. Notice the plural in there; aids. The most basic visual aid will that you are required to use is a PowerPoint presentation. You must also put together a brief proposal (2-3 pages) with cited research, a poster and a sample menu. You must also hand in a Bibliography (Work Cited page) of researched data used in all documents.

Specifically, you are a group of burgeoning restaurateurs / restaurant owners. You have an idea for a restaurant, you’ve done your research on both the food and the business side, and you need a financial backer. You set up a meeting with a wealthy businessman and his group of lawyers and accountants. You must impress him with both a thorough consideration and outline of the economic aspects, as well as showing him your vision of what the restaurant will look like.

Immediately start research on restaurants and what kind of material goods (from building space to stoves to forks) will be needed and how much things cost (budget!). Those who choose option 2 should to immediately start looking up modern architectural terms, designs, etc. Both groups will benefit from understanding some of the basic/known figures and terms in either the culinary (cooking) or architectural worlds.


Expected Material:

1) Restaurant Concept business proposal

• With restaurant design/concept and other logistical considerations outlined
  
• Discuss menu items and approach towards customers
  
• Explanation/ rationale for concept (why your place will make money)
  
• Researched, thought out points (cited studies)
  
• Address budget concerns; show were money is going!
  

2) PowerPoint with visuals, and main points of proposal highlighted and visualized

• Use of graphics
  
• Use of bulleted points
  
• Clear, readable slides
  
• Prepared team speech to go along with slides
  

3) A poster/advertisement for restaurant that includes graphics, color and appropriate formatting and content choices

• Colors and fonts that fit concept
  
• Important logistical information, appropriate placed 
  
• A memorable slogan and/or content that fits concept
  

4) A sample menu for restaurant

• Content – example food dishes
  
• Design aspects
  

5) Bibliography (Work Cited Page) of research for project

6) One extra technical document – your choice…something group feels is needed for with presentation

7) Other visual/ audio aids: poster-board with restaurant sign; appropriate music (to enhance vision); a company website (this would be impressive and time-consuming, and those with skills and knowledge are encouraged to go with your guts!)

5/27: Charts and Graphs in Documents

Charts and Graphs tutorial...

Practicing Chart

Below is the data that we will use to familiarize ourselves with making charts and graphs. Though the process can be intimidating (at least it is to me, the professor!), and involves using both Word and Excel, once you get the hang of making the graphics, you'll find them not as hard to really make.


1) Having your data handy is the very important first step. You need:

• The numerical values (money spent, intervals)
  
• The items whose values you are comparing (on Excel they call these "categories")
  
• How many times you plan to compare the items (one year, two year, etc.)
  

Example: 2009 Budget for Nike-Apple Integration for Apple

1. Project Management combined salary (executive personnel): 200,000

2. Software Design Team combinedsalary: 450, 000

3. Chicago Technology Lab (new division/area): 1 million

4. Ground transportation of product: 300, 000

5. Air Transportation of product/ team members: 150, 000

Okay, above are example budget concerns that may show up in a proposal. All of this numerical data can be better displayed using graphics. Below are steps outlined for using Word 2003.


Microsoft 2003 steps for making a chart:

1) On the Insert menu, click Object, and then click the Create New tab.

2) In the Object type box, click Microsoft Graph Chart, and then click OK.

Microsoft Graph displays a chart and its associated sample data in a table called a datasheet.

3) To replace the sample data, click a cell (cell: A box formed by the intersection of a row and column in a worksheet or a table, in which you enter information.) on the datasheet, and then type the new text or numbers.


Note: If you close the datasheet you can reopen it by double-clicking the chart and then clicking Datasheet on the View menu.

In-Class Work, 5/20:

What economic factors play a role in determining a business' actions in dealing with another business? 

This important question will  drive your working on the economic proposal for BTS 3. In the economic proposal, you must outline both the direct economic considerations between two companies, but also outline the cultural-business impact through research and use of an economic research study. 

For in-class practice, let's read the following blog post from The Wall Street Journal and then answer the following (10-20 minutes):

"IBM wants to buy out Sun Microsystems because it believes the consumer market makes it a good move. First, why does IBM believe this?  Secondly, answer what some of the possible consumer factors IBM should research before going through with the deal."

BTS 3: Economic Proposal

Due: Friday, 5/29/2009 


Your task:

After sending the first memo recommending a business venture (BTS 2), your CEO asks to see a follow-up memo from you explaining how our company will integrate the product into its business. His/Her schedule is pretty busy so you need to be clear and concise, using graphics to help out. He/She wants to know a few basics on the suggested use of the other company’s product, including discussion of economic factors. The boss really wants to see some economic studies done within the area 

The basic questions that he’d like addressed in your proposal are (p. 413):

1) What personnel is necessary to go through with the projected integration? How many of the company’s own workers will need to be included in the integration? What kind of personnel? What is the role of the other company, the one whose product your company is going to use?

2) Whose facilities are going to be used – theirs or ours, or both, or someone else’s?

3) What kind of equipment is involved? Are we going to have to buy or subcontract new equipment?

All of these questions should be integrated in your proposal to the CEO. However, you will want to structure your proposal as follows (p. 414-419):

I. Introduction:

a. Explain the product again and how and why using the product will benefit company (What is the opportunity?)
b. Explain the basic structure of the integration/use of the product (What is the scope of the project?)
c. Who would be in charge? This goes along with b., but should be emphasized.

d. Introduction of economic viability (mention a relevant economic study done that you will then explain in the third section of proposal (see below).

II. Proposed Program:

a. Go into more detail about each of the basic questions asked above.
b. Use at least one chart or graph that clarifies your company's projected economic expenses or profits. Here are some options for this graphic:

- Profit of your company, profit of their company’s product, predicted potential profit increase
- Cost of integration versus potential profit increase
- Budget for product integration, which would include projection of how much money is put in manpower, facilities and equipment over next five years. This projection should be a visual representation of the information within the proposal.

III. Economic Research Study

- Section dealing with a current economic market trend relevant to your project 

- Use both writing and a graphic to support the recommendation for doing project.

IV. References or Experience:

- Choose one of these brief sections to end the proposal
o References: source material used for economic projections
o Experience: qualifications of those would will be in charge of overseeing the project

Format Requirements: TWO (2) pages; 10-12 pt font size; Times New Roman font

Developing your point throughout

The Business Memo is similar in structure to an essay, where you introduce your thesis/purpose, outline the highlights, and then go into depth on persuading the audience into buying your thesis. For a visual model, check out p. 353 in our text, and also work with the templates in Microsoft Word.


Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences


1) Put in your section headings (if not already done) to help guide reader

2) Each paragraph should have a focused individual purpose that develops out of the thesis/main purpose for writing the document.

In a blank Word Document, write out the four different topic sentences; one for each section:

• Purpose
• Summary
• Discussion
• Recommendation

Remember to use specific language in each section, and to repeat the subject of writing in each section.

3) AFTER providing topic sentences for each section, then go back and and work on each section as a smaller part of the larger memo.

Effective Sentences

Today, as we continue discussing Effective Language, we will focus on a few syntactical issues (sentence structure issues) we can work on polishing.

Let's go to the Owl Website, first to look at some of the suggestions and examples, and then to practice with the on-line worksheet.

Design Principles: outlined refreshment

Here are some key considerations for document design, outlined, that we will continue to emphasize with all documents (page 257):

1) To help readers understand the structure and hierarchy of information.

2) To help readers understand information.

3) To help readers remember the information.


Below is an outline of design principles. Along with the reiteration of our textbook, I have connected the three goals above to those design principles below. Your job is to take apply these goals and principles into the design of your documents.


Understanding Design Principles


Proximity - providing enough space between headers and text, between sections and sections. The human eye and mind need text broken up into related ideas, so you will want to make sure you give proper spacing between each of your three main parts of BTS 1.

- Consider the distance between each section, even when use use section headings.

- Consider the distance between a section heading and the text within that section.

- Related material should always be closer together, but still readable.


Alignment - use indention, columns, etc. to help also clarify #1, showing the different levels of importance of information. Section headings, headings, graphics, and the text itself; how do you structure so that the reader can understand?


Repetition - Your purpose is much clearer in your documents if there is some repetition in the specific content within each section. For example, instead of inventing and using different examples to clarify each part you look at one example in different ways in each section (as you were to do with BTS 1's example ethical dilemma!).


Contrast - bold, italics, COLOR, because using an appropriate amount of COLOR can really help your readers remember specific content.

Business Memo Link, 5/15

To help with writing our memos, click here, to get to another universities template and strategies for writing a memo. We will discuss and emphasize some of the same rhetorical considerations. 

Of course, our own memo has a different subject, audience, and purpose, but like with many technical documents, most memos have a standard flow and format.

Active Voice

To help us practice writing with an active voice, we have two writing activities for you to complete after briefly reviewing active and passive voice.


1) We will do the activity found here ....by clicking this link.

2) We'll do a re-write of today's homework:

• Open up a new Word document file and begin to revise "from scratch," making conscientious choice to eradicate the passive voice when it is wordy or switches focus to a different subject. It is always easier to read work that doesn't have unnecessary words! Try to keep it to a verb, as discussed below.
  
  
• It is also easier to make sure the subject of the writing is the subject of most of the sentences. Therefore, go through your writing and make sure that the subject (the noun that does the verb!) is the focus of the sentence.

One Verb Considerations:

• Look for -ing verbs that you can make put into present or past tense. For example: "Jason has been working here since 2008" can be said more concisely, "Jason has worked here since 2008." The second sentence is more concise, or says same thing with less words, here.


• Look for hidden subjects of a sentence; sentences that turn the focus around on the wrong noun. For instance, "The dog was walked by Catalina" is passive, and Catalina becomes the object! This is wrong. She is the one in charge. An actice, quicker way to make this statment: "Catalina walked the dog."

BTS Student Example, With Comments

Agenda: Organizing a Document

*Pages 128-136 will help immensely as you look to organize all of your data for the interview (and to come back to for all technical documents [and essays] you write.)

The main goal for today's class is to begin organizing your questions in a way that seem appropriate for the interview. What is deemed appropriate? Well, that depends on what you, as a group, want to focus in on in the interview.

Perhaps you've found lots of data on the company -- its business success in regards to similar companies, its public relations issues, its company motto and core company values. Or perhaps there is other material you've found. Or perhaps, you will find this kind of material between now and Monday's deadline!

As a group, you must evaluate together all of the information you found in your individual research. (Again, grades of the assignment depend partly on your interpersonal communication within your group. In other words, I will hand out team-member evaluation sheets on Monday.)

To Organize Questions: Make a choice for how to order of each question...

1) Do you want to perform your Interview starting out with General questions on the position and the candidates skills and then order your questions to be more company-specific?

2) Do you want to ask question that start out with the most important questions about the job (also the most company-specific/duty specific), and then filter towards questions that may not be as important in terms of getting the job. These "less important" questions might be questions that have to do less with company, then, and more about resume details, etc.

One important thing: As a group, how do you decide which is more important, and which is less? Make sure to discuss this amonst the group.

3) You may also use any of the other methods of organization charted on pages 130-131 and explained in better detail in Chapter 7 -- but the above two choices are most likely the easiest ways to structure your script. You may borrow some of the techniques of structure from the other organizational patters, though. 

One example: cause and effect might be an interesting pattern use for the questions -- since many of the questions in a successful interview seem to play off of each other.

Consider Your Answers in final organization:

1) Depending on your example answers, which are required to be included in the script, you may feel that some questions are more connected to each other once you've gone through and looked for patterns in your answers.

2) You may even want to re-word a couple of your Interview questions to include previous possible answes to other questions!

Final Form of Script: like all technical documents, the final form should be consistently formatted, and aesthetically-pleasing to the eye (aka: readible and presentable).

1) Are you using numbers to organize questions?
2) Are you using sub-headings for different sections/ lines of inquiry?
3) To bold, or not to bold? Italics? Indenting? These are usually some of the last things inexperienced technical-document writers conside, but they should be decided on amonst the group.

You want to the document to be professional-looking, with no errors.

Agenda Setting: Researching for Appropriate Content

As we discussed within our small groups, the goal of yesterday was to start researching and understanding the company your putting The Interview Script together for.

By gathering as much knowledge as you an about the company, your goal for yesterday was to understand:

1) Who there audience is, and
2)How the company addresses that audience --through it's company goals, through its advertisement, through its press releases.


Creating a Preliminary List of Interview Questions

Some groups have already begun to do so, but here are some rhetorical considerations to make your script strongest.

Content: during an interview, the interviewer may be ask a variety of questions, not all of them in specific regard to your resume. Below are today's prompts to help you come up with different areas for lines-of-questioning that an interviewer might ask a candidate for a position:


1) An competent Interview Script will ask questions that address company needs, company history, company ideology. You've been doing the research on this stuff already, so this first thing your group will do today is to write down at least 5 company-geared questions.


2) Another area for questions might be "expertise" questions. These kinds of questions ask about specific parts of the job, and measure the candidates theoretical and practical knowledge of their "field". Remember: You are looking into the fields of "public relations" OR "marketing," and you are to have started looking into finding, at minimum, some basic information on these fields of study through academic journals and reference material.

You'll have to research, "What does a public relations person do?" Or, "What does a marketing person do?"

If your group hasn't yet, find an article and/or book that gives you a basic understanding.
Write out some of the basic duties and basic field knowledge needed to perform job well.



Planning/ Researching Strategies


Make a second list of field knowledge questions (5-10). If you have time or feel ambitious, start to think back to your first list made today and start making this list of field- knowledge questions more specific towards the job.

Field Knowledge includes two things*:

1. General skill level and knowledge for the general position (lawyer, doctor, public marketing)

2. Specific Area field knowledge within the larger field (International lawyer, criminal lawyer; pediatrician, cardiologist; sports marketing, environmental public relations)

This is important, and you will be graded on how well the content of your group Interview Script reflects having researched and incorporated general field knowledge AND Specific Area field knowledge.

Your group should discuss, and then research, which Specific area your company would be included in.



The Real World: at an interview, one should also ask or expect to be asked questions that relate to what is currently happening -- in the economy, in the field, ...in the global culture.


To this end, it is important to do research through periodicals for trends in the marketplace, and similar areas. To do this, again, you can go to the periodicals-section of your local bookstore (I like Borders sections), but also use the Internet to go to reputable business/new magazines such as the NY Times, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN and The Wall Street Journal.


TIPS:
1) You may want to divide these duties among your group members.


2) When it comes to #3, you may want to discuss as a group what you are looking for when you are reviewing periodicals. What kind of subjects/articles are you looking for? Should the researcher be looking within a certain section?

Agenda Setting for The Interview Script

After settling into which company your group works for to complete The Interview Script, here are a couple of tasks that you are to start doing today within your groups, to help in the research process:

Research – answer a few ?s about the company that are important to pursue:

-        What is the company motto and/or what do they emphasize their company is about?

-        What are some of the general main duties and skills necessary of a person working in the public relations OR marketing aspect of a company?

-        Consider the current culture – what are some possible cultural/ business events that may likely affect your company?

*

1) Go to the Company Website: seek out information from their "about" or "history" section. 

Tip:Have someone on the team draft a professional-looking e-mail inquiry to their human resources department that:

a. explains that you are doing it for a class project, and 

b. you want to know what kind of qualifications and characteristics they look for in hiring someone into their company. Also, ask them You may get a response, you may not, but this is part of the research process. For some help, go to page 117 of our text)

2) Library Research: Expanding beyond the workplace
-Everyone in the group should brainstorm together, and create a list of, various kinds of data and job-related material might be useful when discussing the available position. For example: there are theories, and standard practices and tools used within various fields. When you are about to interview someone, it is helpful to get to know some of what the experts know in that position...so...to the library! (http://www.chipublib.org)

The Interview Script Assignment

The Interview Script (50 points)
Due: Monday, May 4, 2009

Explanation:

For this assignment you are putting yourself in the position of INTERVIEWER. More specifically, you are a Human Resources employee that is assigned to put together an “interview script” by the Human Resources manager; one that (s)he can use to evaluate potential candidates for a position in Public Relations/Marketing.

Further explanation of the kinds of questions and answers you will put together will be listed below. Also, for this assignment, you will be working in small groups of 2-3 people, as you would in the workplace.

You are allowed to choose your own company, which we will do during class time, once small groups are formed.

First steps:
1) First, exchange contact information for communicating outside of class time.

2) As a group, choose an easily researchable company; one whose product each of you is familiar with.

3) To begin your research, search/go to that company’s website and start looking for relevant information on the company’s history and its company goals/motto/beliefs/ core values. The website is usually starting reference point, and sometimes there is an “about” or “history” section where this information is located. Make sure to record this information so you can evaluate and use material for your Interview Script.

4) You will also want to do outside research using the school and public libraries, using interlibrary loans, periodical indexes, and other secondary source material (refer to Chapter 6 of Technical Communications for a refresher).

5) Start creating an agenda for the group to follow in the writing process.

Goals/Requirements:

1) The Interview Script includes both:

a. specific questions appropriate to be asked based on the company and the position being interviewed for, and:

b. exemplary answers that are specifically related to company and to Public Relations/Marketing position, but also to the current economic climate of 2009!

2) The script should be approximately two complete pages, single-spaced, with a minimum of six questions.

3) The script should include researched (and cited) material, both from primary and secondary sources. 

4) Each student will get evaluated both on group work and individual part in putting the script together. (There will be an evaluation form filled out by group members.)

Transitional Devices

How do you develop your one theme in four paragraphs of intro, education, professional experience and in your asking for an interview?

Transitional devices can reallly help you focus and bring out the theme of your letter:

1. Transitional sentences: use the last sentence of one paragraph to connect ideas that you will explore in the next sentence (see page 393, end of paragraph 1, for example).

• Open-ended
• Introduce or repeat phrases that you will develop in next paragraph

2. Transitional Words and Phrases:

• Visit U. of Richmond's site for a good example.
• Also, Purdue's OWL website is the most infamous site for grammar help.

As You Consider your Cover Letter:

• Which transitional phrases will help you structure your letter
• What is your theme, and in which ways will you develop it through education and work experience?

Pre-Writing Strategy -- in-class

First, open up a blank Word document to do the following:

Before we worry about formatting and editing, we must get out content.

Answer the following questions in good detail, and feel free to use examples from your resume. Go into more depth on what you did at your jobs, or in school, etc.

1. What are 2-3 skills you've learned in college that will help you in this particular job? (Specify the course, what projects and technology you worked with, etc.) What in the job posting you are applying to makes you think these skills are necessary for this job?

2. In what ways have you demonstrated those skills you write of above? In the real world, on the job? In other worlds, how have you put that knowledge to use on practical levels?


3. What is something you do that you feel represents who you are as a worker? A specific task, project, idea that you put into practice? Explain that here.




* After we do the above writing we will e-mail our answers to a peer. When you are directed, you will partner with one of the people at the computer next to you. You will switch seats, read each other's answers...and respond in a "Dear ..., letter" at the end of their document. But, you will also use the following guidelines in a response:

Critiquing a Colleague's Work (p. 55)

1. Start with a positive comment
2. Discuss the large rissues first. (In other words, don't edit words, commas, etc.)
3. Talk about the document, not the writer

Cover Letter (aka: Letter of Application), Due 4/24

Cover Letter:

Along with the resume, you will often be asked to also send a cover letter (or letter of application). Below is a template for what to include in that cover letter. Basically, this letter is a chance to go in more depth on your skills and work experience that you'd bring to the position employer is looking to fill.

Guidelines: 1-2 pages (most companies prefer 1-page) of focused letter that explains interest and qualifications for job (as you see!). Use 12-pt, Times New Roman. Single space, and follow the template below as far as form and content....

Also, this is due Friday, April 24th, but by e-mail*.

*Since I will be out of town. You will have a homework assignment given next Wednesday for the following Monday (Week 4).


For some good pointers and a more in-depth template and description of a Cover Letter (Letter of Application is another term for this letter), review and take notes on pages 387-393 of our textbook.

For now, here is the run down on what to include.

Rather than overloading with a list of all things you've ever done, places you've worked, skills you have, or the success of your education, you want to highlight a few points.

Focus on 2-3 points within the letter, and develop those points with the job you are applying for in mind. Again, look back to the job posting to see which qualifications are of highest importance and begin thinking about and writing down in your first draft how you can fulfill those jobs.


Here is our template:


Your street addy
Your city/state/zip

Date letter is written

Person Addressing Letter To (potential employer; be formal)
Their Business Addy


Dear Mr./Ms. (don't assume that a woman is married!):

Paragraph 1: Don't indent, but use a space to separate paragraphs. In this first paragraph, be straightforward and to the point. 4 duties of the introduction: 1) What job you are applying for, and 2) ask for them to consider you. 3) How do you know of job; who told you? 4) What is one position-specific reason they should consider you for job (skill, past employment). Tip: This last sentence should respond to a particular demand implied in the job posting --again, look for key qualifications and repeat them back with specific examples developed in your response.

Paragraph 2: Education paragraph. This is an important paragraph for many of you, applying for entry level positions out of college. Use a transitional topic sentence (a hinge) that speaks back to the main reason you should be considered for the job, and then describe how your education has helped build that skill or given you the practical knowledge to be able to fulfill the position's responsibilities. For instance, if the job asks for sound computer skills and you have them...let them know what courses you've taken, what computer programs you've worked with, and how those courses will fulfill particular responsibilities they are asking of their candidates.

Paragraph 3: Using one job as a reference point to describe what you learned or what skills used (or both) by working there. IF you haven't had a job, ever, than this may be more difficult, but you can still use this paragraph to explain your skill-level and how you've used that skill.

Paragraph 4: Wrap up --why should they interview me? 1)Mention your resume. 2) Ask or make know that you would welcome an interview (use such a phrase as "would welcome"). 3) Provide your personal contact information (e-mail and phone #), and mention that you will also provide further references or would be willing to provide additional information (if they would like).

Tips:

- Formality is key: use friendly phrases; do not use contractions(don't, can't, etc.); and don't be too forward.

-Consistency: have a focused theme, and commit to developing that them from paragraph to paragraph. If they have a main duty or skill important to hiring the person, focus your letter on explaining how your own skills and experience fulfill different aspects of that main duty or skill they are looking for --in interest, education, and in practice.

Resume Revisions:

Here are two major considerations when revising your resume, as stated on p. 372 of our textbook:

1) "The resume must provide clear, specific information, without generalization or self-congratulation" and

2) "The resume must be completely free of errors"

To help achieve this, we will do a few activities in class today:

1. Look over some example resumes and discuss the language and aesthetics in the documents, and how this affects the reader...
2. Then work on the re-vision strategies below to help discuss the language within your own resume.
3. Finally, we will open up a blank Word Document, find its Word 1003 resume templates, and at minimum look at which one looks appropriate for our content and then how to insert own information into the relevant sections.

Re-vision Strategies:

Active Language includes specific tasks, actions, tools/programs (like Microsoft Excel/ C++/Quark/ tow motor operator/ etc.) in the appropriate categories.

Here are two easy rhetorical exercises you can do alone, or with a considerate reader, to help you make your resume stronger:

1. Look for Generic Content:

• Read over the resume and look for standalone generalizations. Phrases like "intelligent leader", "strong communicator", "great secretarial skills" and "well-practiced in field" are not as effective as we'd think, and really don't provide much insight into the kind of talent and experience you can bring to job. These phrases can be effective when when part of a longer description that includes specifics, but when left on their own, leave a lot of questions (in other words, alone these phrases are weak and empty).
  
  -Underline/circle/highlight standalone generalizations...
  
  -Then, ask yourself the question, "What made me write that I am /have . . . _____(ex. "hard-working")?"
  
  -Record the answers to the above question for each standalone generalization. Use these answers to revise by addition!

2. Effective and Dynamic Language: Read over the the resume again, looking at your verbs and your adjectives. After doing the above content-revision, you want to go through and make sure the language sticks out -- in a good way -- from all of the other applications.
-In this exercise you want to do to two things:

• Reconsider your verbs. Go through this list here (Columbia College's list of strong action verbs) and see if you can replace generic verbs describing you and the work you've done with a word or phrase inspired by the list.
  
  For example: instead of writing "worked at a publishing house," use a verb that describes the kind of work done, such as: "edited at a publishing house" or "developed new material at a publishing house."

• Add specific tasks: Don't just use verbs, but use language that will allow reader to visualize your skills: look at the first exercise we discussed, about standalone generalizations. Use not only more accurate verbs, but attach those verbs to specific skills, duties, tools, courses, etc.
  
  
  

School Career Center Resume Help

Putting together a resume is daunting if you've never done so before. I know, since I've had six years of practice, starting with graduate school!

What goes on the darn thing, how long should it be, what kind of paper should I use? What is the purpose of this thing? God, gods, goddesses, please make sure there are no grammatical errors that kill my chances!

Where should I go for examples, for advice, besides this class? Once I am outside these walls?

1. Microsoft Word 2008 has a great template. All versions of Word have templates. If nothing else, search for templates in the help screen of your home word-processing program.

2. Academic Institution websites! If you're like me and are a bit independent and like to figure things out simply by looking at examples, or don't have time to make multiple visits to your school Career Services office, look at their website.

I suggest, though, consulting a few school websites, simply because each Institution has their own thought process and might give extra insights not seen on another. Also, you'll be able to get a sense of what things are most valuable by seeing repeated formats, etc. Click on these links, read and imitate!

Columiba College's Resume Helper

Northwestern University's Resume and Cover Letter Helper

Resume

Due: Friday, April 17, 2009

Requirement: 1-page resume, for a particular job posting

Guidelines:

We’ll be working on finding a job posting on-line that you will use to write a mock resume for.

It is suggested that you find a job posting in a field related to your own major studies here at East West, as this will provide you good practice for when it comes time to write your real resume. We will spend some time in class searching job websites for postings, and discuss what to look for.

A key point to the project is to understand that you are being graded on your ability to understand and create a resume,and that some of the requirements might cause you to have to fictionalize work experience, education, etc., only for this project.

In the real world, outside this classroom, when applying for a job – you cannot falsify and exaggerate your qualifications, ethically. Such falsification could get you fired, or more.

But, for the purposes of having some fun, and to allow for your creativity, you may imagine credentials and experience in order to create a strong resume for this class.

However, the focus is still on your ability to apply some of the basic To Dos of both parts of the job application.


The Resume

This is a brief outline of your qualifications for a job. The resume should provide relevant material to the job posting, such as educational background, work experience, skills used, learned, and any honors/credits that show success within the field in which you’re applying.

1. You must have at least 4 main categories, 3 of which should include:

a. Objectives
b. Education
c. Skills

The other 1-2 categories can be from categories such as:

- Related Work experience
- Volunteer Experience
- Awards / Publications
- Relevant Courses (for coming out of college)

Technical Writing Syllabus and Weekly Calendar