Communication Skills: Writing

The Recruitment and Employment Commission (REC) says that around half of all

CVs received by recruitment consultants

contain spelling or grammatical

errors. Candidates aged between 21 and

25 are most likely to make these

mistakes and graduates in this age group

are, surprisingly, twice as likely to make

mistakes as those who did not go on to

university.

Even, something as basic as the name of an employer, or an individual recruiter, is

often spelled incorrectly. Research results show that 20% of applicants got the

firm’s name wrong.  Your covering letter is an important part of your job

application, as it demonstrates your writing style better than your CV (which is

usually more brief and factual).

Written Communication involves expressing yourself clearly, using language with

precision; constructing a logical argument; note taking, editing and summarizing,

and writing reports.

There are three main elements to written communication

 structure (the way the content is laid out)

 style (the way it is written)
 content (what you are writing about)

Structure and layout can be relatively quickly learnt but learning how to write good
quality content takes much longer.

Structuring
A good structure will help you to express yourself more clearly, whether in a
dissertation, an essay, a job application letter or a CV. The following tactics may
help you to structure your writing:

 Clarify your thoughts and the purpose of your communication before you

start writing. In business communications, clarity is more important than

style.

 Identify the key points, facts and themes

 Decide on a logical order for what you have to say

  Compose a strong introduction and ending. The first will make an

immediate and positive impression on the reader; the second will remain in

their mind after they have finished reading

 Use short paragraphs and sentences rather than long, rambling ones. Keep

to one idea per paragraph and put your point in the first line, then add the

supporting information.

 Help key points to stand out by the use of headings, sub-headings and

bullet points. This will allow your reader to quickly scan your message for

the main points.

Writing in a style appropriate to the audience

All good communicators should think about their readers:

 How much information and detail will they need?

 Should you use specialist terms or should you “translate” these to make

yourself understood by a generalist reader?

 How formal or informal should your writing be?

For example:

 A scientific paper aimed at an audience of non-scientists would have to be

written in simpler and less e Sun

  A lawyer giving advice to a client would not go into the same amount of

details as to legal precedents and arguments as a law student would when

writing an academic essay.

"A single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half."

A study by the University of Hertfordshire on over 500 companies found that poor

spelling or grammar alienated 77% of the companies surveyed.

The greatest attractors for employers were relevant work experience (46%),

followed by a "good work ethic" (43%).

Emails sent with job applications should be treated more formally than friends

"Bad writers, and especially scientific, political, and sociological writers, are

nearly always haunted by the notion that Latin or Greek words are grander than

Saxon ones, and (use) unnecessary words like expedite, ameliorate, predict,

extraneous, deracinated, clandestine, and subaqueous."

George Orwell

Simplicity:
“The four basic premises of writing are clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity.”

William Zinsser

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on

simplicity.” Plato

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes

and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” 

Chopin

“Hard writing makes easy reading. Easy writing makes hard reading.”  William

Zinsser

“I am sorry for the length of this letter, but I did not have the time to write a short

one” Blaise Pascal.

(In other words writing improves in proportion to the amount of effort put in). 

As a careers adviser, I can tell within 30 seconds if a CV has been worked on for 1

hour or 10 hours!
 Checklist for Developing Effective Writing Skills

Look at a piece of writing you have had to do (i.e. an essay, report or job

application) and check it against the following points.

Structure (the way the content is laid out)

 Is the layout clear and easy to follow?

 Do headings stand out (e.g. are they in a larger font size)?

 Is the information arranged in a logical sequence with a beginning

(introduction), middle, and end (conclusion)?

 Does the introduction clearly state the subject and purpose?

 Does it briefly summarise the content?

Style (the way it is written)

 Does it look neat, and elegant?

 Is it concise, with an exact use of words and economy of style? 

"If in doubt, cut it out!" Learn to be laconic! 

For example instead of saying forward planning, just say planning - there is
 no such thing as backward planning! Words such as very, just, quite,

perhaps, maybe and really should all be removed

 Is it simple, direct and lucid?

For example a bureaucrat would write: 

“Political organisation administered directly via the populace, intended for

the employment of the general community, on behalf of each and every one

of the citizens of the nation.” 

Abraham Lincoln wrote: “Government of the people, by the people, for the

people.”

 Are paragraphs too long? (Paragraphs of less than 10 lines are easier to read)
 Is a blank line left between paragraphs to aid clarity?

 Are sentences too long? A sentence should contain just one idea. Sentences

with more than 30 words should normally be split.

 Is the first sentence interesting/ Does it draw the reader in?

 Have you avoided unnecessary jargon?

 Is the style suitable for the intended audience? 

A scientific report aimed at an audience of non-scientists would have to be

written in simpler and more jargon free language.

 Are bulleted lists used where appropriate?

  Have you used short, concrete, familiar words rather than long, obscure,

complex words?

 Use the active words where possible rather than the passive voice? "It is

recommended ...." should be replaced by "We recommend" as this is simpler

and more direct

 Have you kept wordy phrases to a minimum?

 Have you avoided repetition?

Use single words rather than clichés:

Let us have an end to such phrases as these: "it is also important to bear in mind

the following considerations" .... "or consideration should be given to the

possibility of carrying into effect". Most of these woolly phrases are mere padding,

which can be left out altogether, or replaced by a single word.

Churchill

Some Kent student examples of how not to do it:

 Within the workplace arena = at work 

At this point in time = now

In addition to the aforementioned = also

 Acquainted with = told

Effective practitioner = teacher

Content (what you are writing about)

 Have you carefully checked the spelling and punctuation?

 Have you thought through in advance what you want to say?

 Have you got a clear objective?

 Have you listed the essential points you wish to make?

 Have you made these points clearly?

 Have you developed your argument in a logical way?

 Have you allowed detail to obscure the main issues?

 Is the content positive and constructive?

 Have you shown an interest in the reader by writing with warmth, sensitivity

and friendliness?

 Have you edited it through several revisions, honing the text until it is just

right?

 Have you left it overnight if possible: your mind will assimilate it better and

you will come back with a fresh view.

The writing rules of George Orwell

 Never use a long word where a short one will do.

 If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

 Never use the passive voice (e.g. "Bones are liked by dogs") where you can

use the active voice ("Dogs like bones").

 Never use jargon if you can think of an everyday equivalent.

"Cut every page you write by one third". Hillary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall

Using Language with Precision

Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Use your spell checker but don’t rely on it completely: a spell-checker failed to

pick up the following errors:

 I have all the right qualities to make an excellent manger

 I have a long-standing interest in pubic relations
 I attended a fist aid course with St. John Ambulance
 Studied for an A-level in Art & Design at Canterbury Collage
  In my spare time I enjoy hiding my horse
 I was responsible for sock control
 I hope to hear from you shorty

 "10 Words to Cut From Writing"

 As Mark Twain famously wrote, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I
wrote a long one instead." His point? Strong writing is lean writing.

When you want to make your writing more powerful, cut out words you don't
need--such as the 10 included in this post:

1. Just: The word "just" is a filler word that weakens your writing. Removing it
rarely affects meaning, but rather, the deletion tightens a sentence.

2. Really: Using the word "really" is an example of writing the way you talk. It's a
verbal emphasis that doesn't translate perfectly into text. In conversation, people
use the word frequently, but in written content it's unnecessary. Think about the
difference between saying a rock is "hard" and "really hard," for example. What
does the word add? Better to cut it out to make your message stronger.

3. Very: Everything that applies to "really" applies to "very." It's a weak word. Cut
it.

4. Perhaps/maybe: Do you want your audience to think you're uncertain about

what you're saying? When you use words like "maybe" and "perhaps," uncertainty
is exactly what you're communicating.
5. Quite: When someone uses "quite," he or she either means "a bit" or
"completely" or "almost." Sometimes the word adds meaning; sometimes it's fluff.
Learn to tell the difference--but, when in doubt, cut it out.

6. Amazing: The meaning of "amazing" is causing great wonder or surprise--but

some writers use the word so often that the meaning gets lost. How can something
be amazing if everything is? Ditch this diluted word.

7. Literally: When something is true in a literal sense, you don't have to add the
word "literally." The only reason it makes sense to use the word is when it clarifies
meaning (i.e., to explain you aren't joking when it seems you are).

8. Stuff: Unless you are aiming at informality, don't use the word "stuff." It's
casual, it's generic, and it usually stands in for something better.

9. Things: Writers use the word "things" to avoid using a clearer, more specific
word that would communicate more meaning. Be specific. Don't tell us about the
"10 things," tell us about the "10 books" or "10 strategies." Specificity makes for
better writing.

10. Got: Think of all the ways we use the vague word "got" in conversation: "I've
got to go," "I got a ball," or "I got up this morning." Though it's fine for
conversation, in writing, "got" misses valuable opportunities. Rather than writing a
lazy word, look for clearer, more descriptive language: "I promised I'd leave by 9,"
"I picked up a ball," or "I woke up today," for example.

Whether you've been writing for a few days or for many years, you'll benefit from
evaluating the words you use. Cut the filler to make your writing stronger.