Kolin, P. C. (2023). Successful writing at work (12th ed.). Cengage Learning
Discussion 1: (400 words minimum) Due 9/4
Read Part 1: Backgrounds Chapter 1 – Getting Started: Writing and Your Career, pages 2-32 (Intro & Sections 1.1 – 1.5) and write responses to the Topics for Critical Thinking and Writing Assignment.
TOPICS FOR CRITICAL THINKING AND WRITING – Questions refer to Chapter 1 in our textbook but do not require reading the chapter.
NOTE: Provide an analysis of the writing skills that are required at your place of employment as you answer the questions below. If you are not currently employed, think of a business where you have worked and use that example to answer the questions. (If you have not been employed at a business, interview someone about the writing tasks required at their place of employment. Use that information to respond to the questions.) You could also write about how writing will be used in a future place of employment.
- The section in our reading for today entitled The High Cost of Effective Writing says, “The National Commission on Writing estimates that American businesses spent $3.1 billion annually in training employees to write” (Kolin, 2023, p. 3). In addition, it states that an Associated Press (AP) survey showed that companies identified writing “’as the most valuable skill employees can have’” and “indicated that 80 percent of the workforce needed to improve their writing” (Kolin, 2023, p. 3). How important do you feel writing skills are at your place of employment?
- Chapter 1 in our textbook states that writing is “an essential job skill” (Kolin, 2023, p. 2) in the workplace. It lists the following common tasks requiring writing that workers are expected to perform. Choose 1 of the following tasks that you perform in your workplace. Be specific about what you do and how clear and concise writing is required in that process.
- Assess a situation, a condition, a job site, etc.,
- Research and record the results accurately,
- Summarize information concisely and identify main points quickly,
- Work as part of a team to collect, to share, and to evaluate information,
- Tackle and solve problems and explain how and why you did this,
- Display cultural sensitivity in the workplace,
- Network with individuals in diverse fields outside of your company and across the globe,
- Answer customer questions and meet their needs,
- Post to your company’s social media site to get information out about its brand,
- Prepare and test instructions and procedures,
- Justify financial, personnel, or other actions and decisions,
- Make persuasive presentations to co-workers, employers, and clients. (Kolin, 2023, pp. 2-3)
Discussion 2: (400 words minimum) (Cite References)
- Chapter 4 talks about the important role that email has in business. An article published by CNBC in 2019 said, “When software company Adobe surveyed over 1,000 American workers for its annual email usage study, they found that people on average spend more than five hours per day checking their email” (Hess, 2019).
Respond to the following discussion suggestion:
How important is email for your work situation? How do you manage the emails that you receive and send each day? Is email the primary means of communication or are there other methods that you use more or as often? Has the pandemic affected your use of work-related emails?
Source: Hess, Abigail, J. (2019, September 22). Here’s how many hours American workers spend on emails each day. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/22/heres-how-many-hours-american-workers-spend-on-email-each-day.html
Discussion 3: (400 words minimum) (Cite References)
- Chapter 7 focuses on how to obtain employment. What approaches to finding employment have worked for you? Are there certain online sites that you have found to be helpful? Are there other resources (not online) that you recommend? What advice would you or do you give to someone who is searching for employment? Feel free to address any of these or other issues related to the reading for this week. Asking questions is also fine. Write an entry that says something substantive about the topic.
Discussion 4: (400 words minimum)
- The assignments focus on compiling documents for a job/internship application, with an emphasis on writing the résumé and letter of application. For this discussion, share some of your experience of completing the documents needed to apply for employment: writing a résumé, letter of application, writing a follow-up letter, or you can choose to discuss the interview process.
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You might discuss which type of organization for a résumé works best for you at this point in your career: chronological or function/skill area. Have you been asked to submit a scannable résumé? If so, explain that process. You could discuss whether your applications for employment thus far have required a letter of application.
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You could also write about your experience with interviews. What worked well in the interviews or didn’t work so well? You could write about the different types of interviews you have had. For example, was there one interviewer? Were there several interviewers? Did the interview take an hour or all day? Share what you have learned from these experiences.
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Feel free to address any of these or other issues related to the readings. There are many options, so focus on one or two of these subjects in your entry. Asking questions is also fine. Write an entry that says something substantive about the topic/s.
