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Envious? Jealous? Do you use these words interchangeably? Or do you make a distinction between them? Test your understanding by filling in these blanks: I am _______________ of my neighbors’ gorgeous backyard. Rob feels _______________ when he sees Carlos talking…
"As someone who has interviewed probably thousands of job candidates in my career, I’ve long been surprised by how many people don’t ask good questions when their interviewer gives them the opportunity. A surprising number of candidates don’t have many questions at all, or simply use the time to try to further pitch themselves for the job. To me, this is crazy — after all, this is a job that you’re considering spending 40 or more hours at a week, a job that might have a huge impact on your career and your quality of life for years to come. You should have questions!"
"Below is my email proofreading checklist. Use it as a tool whenever your email contains details that must be correct."
I want the best in dentistry–not business writing–from my dentist. But I’m still disappointed when I receive a pointless, error-filled email like the one below. In it, I have changed the name of the dental practice to “Your Favorite Dentist.”…
"In my area of specialization, better business writing, I often hear that people are doing a poor job of writing something. Maybe they can’t write good contracts or grant proposals or call reports."
"Well, the interesting thing is that right now I can’t write good contracts, grant proposals, or call reports either, and I teach writing.
"I know how to write well. I would be bored and frustrated if I were sent to more training. No, if writing any of those pieces were one of my key job responsibilities, there would be something lacking in my environment.
"What would be lacking are models and job aids. I don’t have a model contract, grant proposal, etc., to use as an example. Neither do I have any guidelines on how to write them. Nor do I have a series of steps to follow, a checklist, a template, or a resource person to call with questions. What I need is a writer’s tool kit."
Read the full article by Lynn Gaertner-Johnston (photo, left) ...When is the last time you sent a card or note to a business associate? If it’s that long, read on for a nudge and some inspiration. The Case for Tangible Messages Thousands of unread messages fill my email inbox,…
"The World Economic Forum's 2018 global competitiveness report ranks the labor forces of different countries based on skills."
Image from Cult of Pedagogy
Here is a client question received today, which I often hear in business writing courses: