Chapter-by-Chapter Suggestions

<em>Write for Work</em>

(View the Instructor's Resource Manual table of contents.)

The following material provides specific, chapter-by-chapter suggestions for teaching from Write for Work.

Section I: Understanding the Basics

Section II: Writing in the Workplace

Section III: Communicating in the Workplace

Section IV: Landing a Job

Section V: The Proofreader’s Guide

Section I: Understanding the Basics

Chapter 1: Your Company Profile

Chapter 1 is key for contextualizing the class, particularly the writing-based parts. (If your class is more heavily speaking-based, consider adding questions to the profile that directly relate to speaking in a business setting.) It is an excellent chapter with which to begin the class. If time allows, you might assign an interview with a professional who works in the company the student profiles (or in a company similar to the one that is profiled).

If company profiles are sufficiently specific, they will provide many ideas for practicing real-life business communication. Tell students to consider their profiles as works in progress; they should be able to add to them or revise them as needed, describing additional workers, successes, challenges, routines, activities—whatever they need to create scenarios for writing practice that feels real.

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Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Few students understand that good writing seldom results from a single draft. Chapter 2 walks the student through the steps of the writing process, providing hands-on practice with an e-mail message as the steps are explained.

If you’d like additional practice, and if your students are familiar with memos (Chapter 6), you could assign the following exercise to practice with each step in the process.

Prewriting: Your supervisor has asked you to gather evidence that a product or procedure recently adopted at your workplace is effective. You will respond to him/her in a memo. Supply the necessary specifics (they could be real or hypothetical) to write answers to the prewriting questions on page 9.
Writing: Write a first draft of your memo. Follow the suggestions on pages 10–12 for drafting the opening, middle, and closing. Simply try to write your ideas in an organized way; don’t worry too much about grammar or punctuation at this point.
Revising: Revise the first draft of your memo by fine-tuning ideas, organization, and voice. If possible, get input from another reader.
Editing: Edit your revised memo. If possible, get input from another reader.
Publishing: Create a final, finished version of your memo. Refine the format, page layout, and typography, and print a final copy that is ready for distribution.

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Chapter 3: The Traits of Writing

Chapter 3 presents the seven traits of effective workplace writing. It is a logical chapter to break out across seven or more class sessions. No matter how you teach this chapter, students should be able to review class assignments with the traits in mind. As students learn about each trait, consider requiring them to review previous (or new) writing assignments as outlined below:

Ideas: Review a document you have written, checking for clear ideas. Do you have a focused main point (or main points)? Have you added clear, detailed, convincing support? Revise as necessary.
Organization: Review a document you have written, checking for logical organization. Do you have three clear parts (opening, middle, closing)? Are transition words needed? Could you add a list for clarity? Revise as necessary.
Voice: Review a document you have written, checking for voice. Have you kept the writing positive? Do you have a polite focus on the reader’s needs? Is your tone appropriate?
Word Choice: Review a document you have written, checking for careful word choice. Have you chosen specific nouns and verbs?
Sentences: Review a document you have written, checking for sentence variety. Do you have some short sentences and some that are longer? Do you have several sentence types?
Conventions: Use the Conventions Checklist on page 32 to review a document you have written. Make corrections. As a final check, read the document out loud, slowly. When you think the conventions are correct, ask a partner to edit your writing.
Design: Analyze a document you have written. Does it look inviting? Is the information easy to grasp? Revise as necessary.

When discussing design, you could have students create logos for their companies that could later be used on company correspondence.

An additional assignment related to the final trait, design, asks students to analyze magazine articles or textbooks that include subheadings and lists. Are the pages balanced and easy to read? How does the style of the subheads differ from that of the text? (Note that headings and subheadings generally use sans serif type such as Arial or Helvetica; the text itself generally uses a readable serif typeface such as Times New Roman.) How are the lists set up? Are there other typographical features worthy of note? Perhaps you can find a technical writer, graphic designer, or other design expert to talk to the class.

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Section II: Writing in the Workplace

Chapter 4: Forms

The workplace forms discussed in Chapter 4 are representative of the many types of forms workers fill out. You might require your students to bring in actual workplace forms from places they work. If you want to relate this chapter to the company profiles, require students to create and fill out forms representative of those companies.

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Chapter 5: E-Mail

Some people don’t give much thought to e-mail. After all, how hard is it to dash off a message and click “send”? When introducing Chapter 5, explain that the simplicity of e-mail can make it one of business’s greatest assets—or greatest liabilities. Share the examples below, which show just a few of the challenges e-mails can present:

Meg and Paul have been disagreeing over who is responsible for an assignment. Meg decides it’s not worth fighting over and dashes off an e-mail to Paul: “OK. If that’s the way you feel, I’ll take care of it.” Five minutes later, Paul stomps into Meg’s office, saying, “I’m upset by your attitude!” What went wrong?
- Challenge: Convey all of your meaning with words. E-mail has no tone of voice, no facial expression, to supplement its words. In the example above, Paul assumed that Meg was being sarcastic.
Sue-Ann works as an after-school tutor for an elementary school. One morning she realizes she has booked an important doctor’s appointment at the same time as her afternoon tutoring session. She shoots an e-mail to the tutoring coordinator: “Sorry i can’t be their today. i have to go the docter.” The coordinator reads the e-mail and makes a mental note: “Replace this tutor!” What went wrong?
- Challenge: Take time to proofread. It is so convenient to send e-mails that the inconveniences associated with proofreading don’t seem to fit. However, if Sue-Ann had double-checked her message (or asked someone else to), she would have noticed she had misspelled there and doctor and had not capitalized I. The coordinator expects tutors to know how to spell.
Roger has heard a rumor that he will be laid off. He angrily sends an e-mail to his boss: “I give—and give—and give to this company—and now you’re letting me go! This is the worst place I’ve ever worked!” His boss reads the note and is surprised; she’d had no plans to dismiss Roger. Now, however, she wonders about his attitude. What went wrong?
- Challenge: Be slow to click “send.” Think through your message. If you’re angry, wait while you “count to ten” (or higher!). In high-stakes situations, triple-check your facts. Also, if Roger had simply gone to speak with his boss, he would have discovered that the rumors were false. Sometimes e-mail is not the right medium for effective communication.

Chapter 5 includes a number of company-related assignments. Here is one more:

Imagine that your company is planning an open house for the public. You have been put in charge of publicity. Create an e-mail to your boss (or another responsible party) in which you explain how you plan to publicize the open house.

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Chapter 6: Memos

Because e-mails have taken over much in-house business correspondence, the idea of the memo, the subject of Chapter 6, might be new to some students. It is worth your while to study memos, however, because they are still used and because their form echoes (and reinforces) that of formal e-mail.

Carefully explain to students that the memo is used for correspondence within a company: between supervisors, between supervisors and workers, and between co-workers. A business letter is used for correspondence with those outside the company: customers or clients, job applicants, agencies, suppliers, and other outside entities. Try asking your students whether a memo or a business letter would be more appropriate in each of the following cases:

You write to your boss, recommending the purchase of a particular brand of decking for a construction project. (memo)
You write to a potential customer, explaining why you are the bookkeeper she needs. (letter)
You write to co-workers, organizing the Fourth of July company picnic. (memo)
You write to the person who closes out the cash drawer at work, suggesting a change in procedures. (memo)
You write to clients as you prepare to retire, thanking them for their past business. (letter)

You might want to talk to students about “good-news” vs. “bad-news” memos: When a memo shares good or neutral news, the key point appears in both the subject line and the first paragraph. When a memo delivers bad news, the subject line is neutral, and the key point shows up after the first paragraph, which serves as a buffer. The assignment below walks students through a bad-news memo:

You are in a supervisory position at your company. Demand for your product or service is low (temporarily, you hope). Write a memo to an employee, Leon Schmidt, informing him that he is being laid off:
- Subject Line: Refer to the slowdown, not to Leon directly. (You could use something like “Consequence of Recent Slowdown.”)
- Paragraph one: Thank Leon for the good work he has done for you. (He has been a good worker!) Include specifics—how long he’s been there, what he’s done that’s been exemplary.
- Paragraph two: Break the news. (You’ll need to transition from the first paragraph with words like “however,” “although,” or “unfortunately.”) Explain to Leon that it’s not his fault; it’s the economy (or whatever).
- Paragraph three: Give him some hope. Will you consider re-hiring him if things pick up? Are you willing to write a letter of recommendation? Tell him.

For one more company-related assignment, try this rather generic one:

Create a memo from your specific position at your company (your current position or the position you may soon hold). Your subject could involve materials, a process, personnel, facilities, and so on. Remember to use a courteous, professional voice.

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Chapter 7: Business Letters

Business letters connect with people outside of the company while providing a written record of the communication. Chapter 7 addresses this important form of business communication.

Consider asking your students to design letterhead stationery for their companies and to use that letterhead to write one or more of the assignments for this chapter.

Give students the following special instructions:

Don’t include your name and title in the heading.
Include the date.
Use a courtesy title (“Ms.”) in the salutation.
Don’t use the customer’s first name in the salutation.
Place a colon, not a comma, after the salutation.
Be indirect when breaking bad news.
Capitalize only the first word of the complimentary close.
Include a typed last name and title in the signature block.

Additional company-based assignments for this chapter follow:

Your company is providing a new service or product. Write a letter to a customer or client giving the details. This is a “good-news” letter, so begin the letter directly with your good news.
A customer or client of your company has asked for something you cannot give (a refund, a free sample, etc.). Write a letter from a representative of the company politely explaining why you have to deny the request. This is a “bad-news” letter, so begin with a buffer before launching into the bad news.
Your company is considering buying a service or product. Write a letter to a potential supplier requesting information. Be specific about what you need.
Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. The letter could
- Protest an action taken by the city council that could adversely affect your company, the local economy, the quality of life in the community, and so on.
- Praise local citizens for taking part in a charity event (for instance, a 10-kilometer walk, or a fund-raising fair) sponsored by your company. Be sure to portray your company positively.

Review the company challenge(s) you specified in your company profile (see page 6). Write a letter in conjunction with a company challenge.

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Chapter 8: Summaries

Summaries of written documents efficiently explain main points. A busy professional may rely on content from the summary only, or may use the summary to decide whether to read the entire report. Make sure students understand that summaries are more than school exercises; they are very useful in the workplace. Here are three examples of workplace summaries:

A researcher for a pesticide company writes a review of the articles she has found about organic methods of controlling corn borers.
A production manager for an electric motor manufacturer provides a summary of her department’s annual meeting to corporate heads.
A nurse attends a conference about the prevention of macular degeneration and writes a summary of what he learned to share with his supervisor and co-workers.

Chapter 8 addresses three types of summaries: summaries of documents, summaries of meetings (minutes), and summaries of experiences (conferences, sales calls, and so on). As a sidelight to this chapter, consider asking students to investigate professional organizations and conferences in their fields.

Assignments related to students’ companies might include those listed below:

Find a short article about a technological development that is affecting your company. Write a one-paragraph summary of the article similar to the summary on page 88.
Write minutes for a meeting you actually attend or for a hypothetical meeting you might attend for your company. Review your company profile (pages 5–6) for possible agenda items. Include several points of discussion, at least one of which addresses a problem your company is facing.
Write a summary of a conference you actually attend or of a hypothetical conference you might attend for your company. To do this, first research a specific topic in your field, noting authorities who might contribute to a conference about this topic. Pay attention to their points of view. Make up the date, location, and other information needed for your summary.

If you’d like students to tackle a longer summary, try this assignment:

Find a long article (three or more pages) about a topic of your choice. Write a one-page summary. Use the first paragraph to identify the article, magazine, date, page numbers, and author, and to state the main idea. Provide details in the body paragraphs, and end with a satisfying conclusion.

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Chapter 9: Instructions

Chapter 9 guides students to produce clear written instructions. You may want to underscore the fact that instructions, like summaries, are not simply school assignments. Workers often find themselves writing instructions for fellow employees and for customers. Read the examples below to suggest some of the many ways instructions come into play.

In business, instructions help employees produce goods and services safely and efficiently. For example,

A mechanic leaves instructions for workers starting up and shutting down a machine.
A secretary posts simplified instructions to help staff using the copy machine.
A head nurse distributes revised instructions to nurse’s aides for recording patients’ temperature and pulse.
An employee services manager e-mails instructions for signing on to an optional pension plan.
A telephone-solicitation organization provides its solicitors step-by-step instructions for speaking to customers.

Instructions also help customers use those goods and services productively. For example,

Young parents spend Christmas Eve putting together a bicycle according to manufacturer instructions.
An elderly couple pores over a Medicare manual before submitting insurance forms.
A college student studies set-up instructions that came with his new computer.
A quilter follows directions in a book when piecing together a new quilt block.
A library patron reads instructions about how to use the library’s electronic databases.
A car owner consults her car’s operating manual for maintenance schedules.

Instructions that are written well help organizations run smoothly and successfully. Instructions that are written poorly can lead to frustration and errors, or even injuries and lawsuits. On the surface, writing instructions seems simple: just tell the reader what to do. The fact is, however, writing instructions is often not easy. Instructions tend to be the worst written business documents out there.

If students have difficulty thinking of a subject for the assignment on page 99, encourage them to write instructions explaining how to do an activity related to a hobby they have (fingerpick a guitar, replace an engine part, attach a waistband, clean a fish tank, transplant a flower, and so on) or for performing a skill they recently learned about in school. Do not allow them to write a recipe for this assignment.

Company-related assignments for this chapter might include the following:

Write instructions that a worker at your company might use to perform a task related to his or her job. Consider using pictures and/or diagrams.
Write instructions that a customer or client of your company might follow to use goods or services you produce. Consider using pictures and/or diagrams.

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Chapter 10: Reports

Chapter 10 addresses reports. Businesses use reports for many purposes. Explain to your students that, for example, reports can be used to examine results, progress, and options:

Share results: A board of directors of a local charity might study a report describing clients served at a homeless shelter.
Monitor progress: A sales representative might be required to turn in a weekly report of sales figures.
Evaluate options: A police department could review a report describing several makes of cars suitable for police vehicles.

In addition, as the chapter explains, reports can take many forms.

The workplace report assignment on pages 110–113 helps the student create a report related to his/her company. Be sure to send students back to their company profiles (pages 5–6) as they brainstorm topics for this assignment.
If the scope of your class includes documented research, you will appreciate pages 114–119, which provide the basics of MLA and APA documentation style. Even if research documentation is beyond the scope of your course, you might spend a few minutes talking about these pages in order to help students better understand professional literature that they might read.

Further company-based report assignments could include the following:

Interview someone who works for an organization similar to your company. Does that person write reports? If so, find out what types of reports he/she writes, how often they are due, and what form they take. If possible, get samples. If not, ask whether other people in the company write reports. Who are these workers, what reports do they produce, and what formats do they use? Is there a relationship between the level of responsibility given to a worker and the expectation that he/she will write reports?
Review the sample incident report on pages 108–109, which describes a dangerous situation involving a worker. Notice how this report is carefully organized: the incident is described, probable causes are considered, and recommendations are made. Notice also how the subheads and the numbered and bulleted lists make this report very readable. Imagine a dangerous incident that could potentially take place at your company. Follow the format on 108–109 to write an incident report. Make up the details, or base them on a real incident. Use memo form.

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Chapter 11: Proposals

A proposal looks to the future. It is a force for positive change—suggesting, recommending, or stating an intention. For example, the proposal “let’s get married” suggests a plan for the years to come. Chapter 11 looks at written business proposals. The six examples below suggest the range of documents that can count as proposals:

A dental receptionist writes up her suggestion outlining a more convenient procedure for making appointments.
A tree service creates a bid for treating a customer’s blighted pine trees.
A restaurant owner, applying for a small business loan, describes her plans for expanding to a new location.
An employee at a car dealership sends his boss a memo suggesting free popcorn in the customer waiting room.
A facilities manager writes a proposal detailing how a college can add a needed parking lot while, at the same time, preserve wetlands next to the college.

Chapter 11 walks students through a company-based writing exercise in which they propose a solution to a problem (pages 124–125). In order to help students identify a topic for this proposal, suggest that they each brainstorm a simple list of proposals that might be written by various employees to improve their company’s performance. Have them share their lists with classmates, discussing which topics they should choose.

For a more generic assignment, ask each student to think of a real-life situation that could be improved at work, at school, or in the community.

Who could make a difference? What could be done? Require students to research statistics, budgets, and other information as needed. Each student should then write a proposal to the appropriate person(s) justifying his/her suggestions. This assignment is most effective if proposals are actually submitted. Students may discover that they can be agents for true change.

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Section III: Communicating in the Workplace

Chapter 12: Basics of Workplace Communication

Chapter 12 lays the foundation for Section III of Write for Work, which focuses on speaking and listening skills. If you want to apply this chapter directly to students’ companies, consider using pages 142–143 (“Saying the Right Things”) as a template from which students could write good examples of introductions, apologies, and so on that might take place in their workplaces. They could then orally share these examples with partners or with the entire class.

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Chapter 13: Listening

Listening, the subject of Chapter 13, is an essential workplace—and personal—skill. A good way to begin a discussion of listening is to encourage students to think seriously about their own listening skills. Try asking them to write answers to the following questions:

Are you a good listener? How do you know?
Under what circumstances, or with what people, do you do your best listening?
Under what circumstances, or with what people, do you do your worst listening?

If you like, you could carry this personal introduction to listening further by assigning one or both of the exercises below:

While answering the questions above, you probably thought of several specific listening incidents. Choose one of those incidents and write a one-page description of it. Include details: What did you say or do? What did others say or do? What do you think made the communication episode effective—or disastrous? Share your written story.
Using a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 meaning “extremely poor” and 10 meaning “outstanding,” how would you rate your overall listening ability? Is there room for improvement? What would you like to do better? Create a brief list of specific, personal listening goals.

For the “Listening for the 5 W’s and H” assignment on page 147, you could make up a potential class assignment—or you could ask students to write verbal instructions for a task at their company. (Either way, make sure the instructions cover all six areas listed on page 147.) If students create the instructions, they could then give them to classmates and evaluate the level of listening.

The most valuable information in Chapter 13 is found on page 148 where students are taught that good listening often involves restating content, verbalizing the speaker’s emotions, or asking open-ended questions. Ask each student to think of a problem to discuss with his/her supervisor (in real life, or in the student’s company). Then have students write at least one response for each of the three categories. For example, if a worker asked about the possibility of taking a particular week off, the supervisor might reply as follows:

“So, you’re saying that you need to take vacation the week of July 1.” (restating content)
“It sounds like you’re really looking forward to that camping week with your family.” (verbalizing the speaker’s emotions)
“How many days did you say you needed off?” (asking open-ended questions)

Explain to students that an angry or sarcastic tone of voice—or non-empathic body language—will erase the benefit of these listening responses, but calm, attentive delivery of any of the three responses will increase listening, understanding, and memory. They are powerful listening tools.

If time allows, you might require students to research good listening skills and report to the class about what they find. Such reports could take the form of essays, posters, skits, videos, or class presentations. Consider dividing the class into groups of three or four to present their findings; if you do so, you could use the experience to analyze group participation when you study Chapter 14.

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Chapter 14: Workplace Dynamics

Chapter 14 addresses workplace interactions including giving and receiving instructions and criticism, resolving conflicts, and working in groups.

Have students think of a recent group project that they participated in. (If you assigned a group project on listening while studying Chapter 13, students can examine that experience.) Students should then answer the following questions about the project, referring to pages 154–156:

How did your group make decisions (authority, minority, majority, or consensus)?
Which of the group activities (decision making, brainstorming, problem solving, informing), if any, was difficult? Why?
Rate each group member as a listener using the definition of active listening on page 156 and the positive listening responses on page 148.
How did members of the group handle interruptions and disagreements? Give specific examples.
How effectively did this group function overall? What went well? What could have gone better? Be specific.

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Chapter 15: Communicating by Telephone

Competent telephone skills, addressed in Chapter 15, are important in the workplace. Polished phone skills suggest a capable company.

As you discuss recording a voice-mail greeting (page 160), you might ask students to do some research about appropriate voice-mail greetings. One example is given below:

Hello. This is Janelle Smith in Human Resources. I will be out of the office until Wednesday, August 3rd. If you need immediate assistance, please call my associate, Dave Gordon, at 412–555–6662. Or leave a message and phone number, and I’ll get back to you when I return.

In addition to the exercises provided in this chapter, you could ask students to practice telephone skills by completing the following alternate assignments:

With a partner, write a script for a workplace phone call that follows the guidelines on page 158. (Use a real-life situation with which you are familiar, supplying necessary details.) Act out the script twice, exchanging roles the second time.
Call an actual company or organization asking for information. After the call, write a critique of the answerer’s phone skills (see page 158).
Actually record (1) a greeting you might use for your voice mail at your company, and (2) a message you might leave when calling a supplier about a missing shipment at work. Use the suggestions from page 160.

Additionally, you might like to discuss how to deal with an angry caller using the example and guidelines below:

Shavonne had been working at Certi-Care, a dry cleaner, only three days when she took a phone call from an upset customer. The customer’s sequined dress had been damaged in the cleaning process; sequins were missing. The customer was understandably angry, and she began screaming at Shavonne over the phone. What should Shavonne do?

Even in this situation, Shavonne must remain professional. Obviously, Shavonne cannot promise on her own to replace the dress. She can, however, promise to talk to her supervisor about what can be done.

In the meantime, Shavonne should follow these guidelines for dealing with an angry caller:

Stay calm. Allow the customer to vent feelings. Don’t take anything personally.
Have the caller explain the problem, and listen (take notes, ask questions, repeat key points).
Use the person’s name, and share your name.
Apologize in a general way, and empathize. (“I can only imagine how upsetting this must be.”)
Be patient. Put yourself in the person’s shoes.
Without going beyond your authority, establish what you can do for the caller.
Be sure the person understands your plan for solving the problem. Follow up later to see that the customer is satisfied.
Thank the caller for bringing the matter to your attention.

If you choose to discuss dealing with angry callers, consider adding the following assignment:

Imagine a situation in which someone calls you at work, angry about something. Write a script in which you handle the call while following the guidelines above.

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Chapter 16: Presentations

Your students may doubt that they will ever need to give a business presentation. However, if they advance very far in their careers, they will probably be called upon to speak to a group at some point. Presentations, the topic of Chapter 16, can take many forms ranging from one-minute impromptu talks to hour-long formal reports using presentation software.

Engage the class in a brainstorming session in which they name possible business presentation scenarios. Use examples like those in the list below:

A sales representative explains database software features to a medical staff.
A human services officer reviews a new health insurance program with workers.
A committee member takes ten minutes of a staff meeting to introduce the office “wellness challenge.”
A vice-president shares the annual report with shareholders.
An assistant honors his boss at a retirement party.

As students work through this chapter, they will prepare a presentation honoring a company retiree. If you want students to give a second presentation, you could require them to choose another topic that they might present in a business setting. The brainstorming session above should help them think of a topic to pursue.

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Section IV: Landing a Job

Chapter 17: Career Plans

Successful people often owe their success to very specific goals. What if a person set out to build a house but didn’t bother using blueprints—or even drawing an initial sketch? He or she would probably be disappointed in the results. Surprisingly, many people take this no-blueprint approach to their careers. They have a hazy idea of goals and plans, but fail to plan specifics. However, real career success usually requires

knowing where you want to go, and
knowing how you plan to get there.

Goals help us make decisions. They also help us manage our time.

In Chapter 17, students will create personal career plans that focus on their job goals, qualifications, and connections. They will break their career “plan of action” into realistic steps.

At some point in Section IV (Chapters 17 through 21), consider inviting a guest speaker who can share expertise on the hiring process (career counselor, local employer, etc.).

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Chapter 18: Job Applications

Chapter 18 discusses how to complete both paper and on-line job applications. If you have access to actual job application forms from real companies, those would lend a real-life context to this topic.

A fun job-application assignment is to ask students to advertise a position in their company and to create a job application form applicable to that position. Classmates can then apply (as themselves or as fictional characters), and students can critique the filled-out applications and choose whom to hire. Warn students, however, not to share private information (social security numbers, phone numbers, and so on).

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Chapter 19: Résumés

You will probably have students in your class who have never created a résumé. Explain that as a person moves up the job ladder, the résumé becomes increasingly important. Chapter 19 provides detailed help in résumé creation.

Explain to students that employers often look for certain keywords (for example, supervisor, programmer, laboratory, radiology). To know which words are significant, study the job listing if one is available. Some employers scan résumés electronically, looking for those with the terms key to their needs.

Also point out the importance of action verbs in résumés. Items in résumé lists frequently begin with such verbs. An Internet search for “résumé action verbs” will pull up lists for students to use.

The action verb at the beginning of items in a résumé list is only one way in which résumé lists make use of parallel structure. Make sure students understand the idea of parallelism by asking them to identify the non-parallel element in each of the following lists:

(Headings of résumé sections):
- Job Objective
- Education
- Experience
- Things I Have Achieved (should be “Achievements”)
(First words in a list of computer skills)
- Retrieve
- Copy
- Enter
- Importing (should be “Import”)
(First words in a listing of previously held dental hygienist jobs)
- Registered Dental Hygienist
- Oral Hygienist
- Backow Dental Clinic Reception (should be “Receptionist”)
(Words that begin a list of qualifications for a firefighter)
- Physically proficient
- Administering first aid (should be “First-aid certified”)
- Experienced in maintaining firefighting equipment
- Familiar with city street layout
(Words/phrases that begin a list of job duties)
- Project manager (should be “Managed”)
- Prepared
- Developed
- Created

Students who are in college or have recently graduated from college might want to obtain the college’s official curriculum description for their programs as they gather information for their résumés. The program description and course list included on such a document can be a valuable résumé-writing aid.

Impress on students the value of obtaining feedback on their résumés. If possible, require each student to have the résumé critiqued by a professional in his/her field.

When they have finished Chapter 19, students will have a completed résumé. Even if they are not looking for jobs at the moment, they can save their résumés and update them later.

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Chapter 20: Job-Related Letters

Chapter 20 includes models of four types of job-related letters: a cover letter, a letter expressing appreciation for an interview, a letter accepting a job offer, and a letter declining a job offer. Students will study each model and then practice writing each type. As they compose their own letters, students should remember these two points:

Letters should focus on the reader, not the writer. For example, think about what the employer needs in an employee, or consider how you can help if you are hired.
Letters should be concise, neat, and correct. They should use high-quality paper that matches the résumé, should be designed with plenty of white space and balance, and should be carefully proofread.

In addition to the exercises provided in this chapter, you could also assign students to do the following:

Collect examples of cover letters written by friends or family members, or sample cover letters posted online. Analyze them. Do they use specific names of people in each company? Do they focus on company needs? Do they employ a polite, confident tone? Are they clearly organized? Could revision or proofreading improve them? How?
Imagine that you are applying for your dream job five (or ten) years from now. Write an application letter that shows you as a professional with high-quality skills. (Make up dates, names, addresses, the position title, and so on. Include specific skills and experiences.)
Imagine that you have just interviewed for your dream job. Write a letter of thanks for the interview. (Make up names, addresses, and so on. Refer to specifics from the interview.)
Imagine you’ve been offered your dream job. Write an acceptance letter. (Make up names, addresses, and so on. Do an Internet search to include a reasonable salary offer.)

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Chapter 21: Interviews

The final chapter in the “Landing a Job” section addresses the job interview. This is another excellent subject on which to engage an outside speaker—particularly a human relations employee who actually conducts interviews and is involved in hiring employees.

Even if you don’t invite a guest speaker, students will have their own job-interview experiences to report. A good way to approach the subject of interviewing is to ask students to share good—then not-so-good—interview experiences they have had. If you would like to relate this chapter to students’ companies, you could require practice interviews to be for hypothetical positions at those companies.

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Section V: The Proofreader’s Guide (Chapters 22 through 30)

There are several approaches to using the Proofreader’s Guide. You can choose to teach it directly and completely, or you can choose to focus on problem areas as they arise in class writing. The sample course calendar on pages 6–8 of this Instructor’s Resource Manual uses the first approach, targeting some of students’ greatest areas of challenges (for example, sentences) first and eventually reviewing much of the section.

Not included in the sample course calendar are Chapter 25 (Grammar), or Chapters 28–30, which address challenges for English language learners.

As always, you will need to tailor the class to fit the needs of your students and the focus of your course.

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