First impressions are crucial; you may be bright, attractive, and articulate but if your written communications fail to deliver your message, you may sabotage your career.
The following tips will enhance and develop new skills that will add professional zing to all your written communications.
1. Dust off your word processing manual and learn how to use your software. Work on a different function each day or establish a goal to complete one chapter a week.
2. Update your computer skills. Develop proficiency in either a word processing, database, presentation, or spreadsheet program.
3. Become familiar with fonts. Learn the difference between sarif and sans sarif fonts. Try using different fonts in your written communications to give your documents a professional edge. 4. Learn the elements of the full block, semi block, and semi-block indented business letter formats. Choose the one you like best and use it for every piece of business letter correspondence. 5. Improve your spelling. You can find list online of the most frequently misspelled words. Set a goal to memorize five of those words a week until you have mastered the list.
6. Make a list of the words you use most frequently and establish a goal to expand your vocabulary. Buy a thesaurus or synonym dictionary and locate at least three synonyms for each frequently used word. Keep the list at your computer and add these words to your written text.
7. Purchase a reference manual to improve your punctuation, grammar, and word usage. Keep it close to your computer and refer to it daily.
8. Try using full justification and see if the neat appearance appeals to you more than the jagged edge in left justification.
Even small improvements can add pizzazz to your written communications. Make this the year to enhance your writing. Happy New Year!
Send questions or comments to: rkaplan@job-resources.com
Copyright © Robbie Miller Kaplan. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 15, 2004
.