Saturday, December 3, 2005

Memo Assignment -- New Policy (Bad News)

Create a company in your imagination and pretend that your distribution list of students in our class is a list of your employees. Plan and write a memo of considerable length to your employees, explaining a new policy that you will be implementing soon. Be sure to give the most important information first. Use a pleasant tone even though the policy may be an unpopular one. Check the text once again for procedures and techniques in developing this memo. At the bottom of the memo, type IN CAPS the name of your imaginary company and give it an address. Send the memo to your list.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

C19

Know your readers
KEYS FOR SUCCESS
Know your readers
Promote your cause-not quarrel
Be reasonable
Be reasonable
Non debatable
Select a topic
Non debatable
Debatable
Personal experiences
Personal ideas
CHAPTER 19 PERSUADING READERS TO ACT
KEYS FOR SUCCESS
Know your readers
Promote your cause-not quarrel
Be reasonable
TOPICS TO CONSIDER
Personal experiences
Personal ideas
Communit concerns
National or international affairs
"No comment" topics
PERSUADING READERS TO ACT
Select a topic
Non debatable
Debatable
Choose and analyze your readers
Narrow your focus and determine our purpose
Generate ideas and support
Organize your thinking
Write your first draft
Share our essay
Revise
Edit/proofread
Prepare and publish essay
National or international affairs
PERSUADING READERS TO ACT
Select a topic
Non debatable
Debatable
Choose and analyze your readers
Narrow your focus and determine our purpose
Generate ideas and support
Organize your thinking
Write your first draft
Share our essay
Revise
Edit/proofread
Prepare and publish essay
"No comment" topics
Write your first draft
Share our essay
Revise
Edit/proofread
Prepare and publish essay

Chapter 18 Outline

Explore all positions
KEYS FOR SUCESS
Explore all positions
Go beyond pure opinion
Take a measured stance
Take a measured stance
Select and narrow a topic
Take stock
Get inside the issue
Refine your position
Traditional pattern
Current affairs
Blatent confession
Burning issues
Organize our development and support
Traditional pattern
Blatent confession
Delayed gratification
CHanged mind
Winning over
CHAPTER 18 TAKING A POSITION
KEYS FOR SUCESS
Explore all positions
Go beyond pure opinion
Take a measured stance
TOPICS TO CONSIDER
Current affairs
Burning issues
Dividing lines
Fresh fare
GUIDELINES
Select and narrow a topic
Take stock
Get inside the issue
Refine your position
Organize our development and support
Traditional pattern
Blatent confession
Delayed gratification
CHanged mind
Winning over
Write your first draft
Opening
Development
Closing
Title
SHare our position
Revise
Edit and proofread
Prepare and publish essay
Dividing lines
CHanged mind
Fresh fare
GUIDELINES
Select and narrow a topic
Take stock
Get inside the issue
Refine your position
Organize our development and support
Traditional pattern
Blatent confession
Delayed gratification
CHanged mind
Winning over
Write your first draft
Opening
Development
Closing
Title
SHare our position
Revise
Edit and proofread
Prepare and publish essay
Opening
Development
Write your first draft
Opening
Development
Closing
Title
Closing
Title
SHare our position
Revise
Edit and proofread
Prepare and publish essay

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Cell Phone Etiquette from Ask Yahoo

Dear Yahoo!:

What is the etiquette for using a cell phone?

Christina
Hartford City, Indiana

Dear Christina:

The etiquette for cell-phone usage follows the same principles as all good manners -- be considerate of others and keep your surroundings is mind. The sites we found by searching on "cell phone etiquette" and flipping through the Cellular Telephone Etiquette category in the Yahoo! Directory all echoed this basic sentiment.

On a safety note, Tom and Ray from NPR's Car Talk show advise you to just say "no" to phone chatter while driving. Talking on a cell phone when you're driving can be as dangerous as driving drunk. If you must make or receive a call in the car, pull over. You'll be doing yourself and everyone else on the road a huge favor.

Aside from safety, cell-phone users must realize that their private conversations often take place in public, and they need to modify their behavior accordingly. CellManners.com and PhoneyBusiness.com list the essentials of cell-phone etiquette:

Speak softly. Cell phones are usually more sound sensitive than regular phones, so you don't need to yell to make yourself heard. And no amount of shouting will improve a bad connection.

Respect the personal space of others by taking your conversation 10 or more feet away from people. Ideally, take your phone call into a private space. Refrain from using your phone in a place where others can't escape your conversation, such as in an elevator or on public transit.

Do not interrupt a face-to-face conversation to take a cell-phone call. The person you are actually with takes priority. If you have a phone conversation in front of that person, you're showing that he or she is unimportant to you.

Keep private matters private. Nobody wants to hear you fight with your spouse over your cell phone. If you use the phone for business, you could leak company-confidential information when talking in public.

Turn your cell phone off during weddings, funerals, movies, live performances, sports events, business meetings, classes, and dates, and in places of worship, restrooms, restaurants, libraries, museums, and doctor or dentist waiting rooms.

Another tip -- be wary of novelty ring tones. Not everyone will appreciate hearing the latest Britney Spears tune or Beethoven's Fifth every time you receive a call. Try using your phone's "vibrate" function instead of the ringer in public.

Wondering how your cell-phone manners rate? Try this cell-phone etiquette quiz to see how polite you are.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Assignments

Assignments:

Chapter summaries and maps (see syllabus and schedule)
Objectives for taking class
Letter formats
Letters:

Introduction
Recommendation
Cover letter
Persuasive/Sales letter

Resume
Logo -- ViaSyl
Letterhead -- ViaSyl
Data presentation (chart)
Memo report
Midterm Portfolio
Final Portfolio

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Assignment for Text Chapters

According to the weekly schedule, for each text chapter do the following:

1. Create a graphic organizer ("mind map") of 3-5 main ideas and supporting elements in each chapter. You may use MS Word's drawing tools, the Freemind software, or another tool of your choice
2. Write a summary paragraph using your mind map as guide.
3. E-mail your assignments as attachments to me at drsylviasf@gmail.com

Saturday, November 12, 2005

APA Format from Gallaudet University

	Search this site:

APA Style General Guidelines

The following guidelines are based on information found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Ed.

Paper Format	In-text Citations	Multiple Authors	Personal Interview/Email	Works with No Authors
	Secondary Sources	Electronic Sources	Quotes of 40 Words
References Format	REF: Books	REF: Articles	REF: Electronic Sources	REF: Nonprint Media

Paper Format

Always check with your instructor to see if he or she has any different requirements or specifications for your paper.

Margins should be at minimum of 1" (one inch) on all sides.
Preferred typefaces: Times New Roman, 12pt; Courier, 12pt; all serif typeface.
Pages are numbered 1, 2, 3... starting with the title page, and including the reference page.
Each page must have a header consisting of one or two words of your title and the page number in the top right-hand corner.
All lines including titles and subtitles must be double spaced.
The only time a triple space is used is directly after the running head.
In-text citations of more than 40 words should be indented 10 spaces without quotation marks.
Do not give the first line an additional indent.
Order of the paper should be: title page, text (body), and references.
For more complicated paper, please visit English Works! for further assistance.

In-Text Citations

Citations for Most Written Sources

APA guidelines require that the writer give credit for ALL information whether it be a direct quote or a paraphrase. Generally, you are required to give the following information: author, year of publication, and page number for any direct quote. For paraphrases, you are only required to give the author and year of publication, though it is suggested that you also provide the page number. You should use p. (or pp. for multiple pages) before the page numbers in in-text citations.

Direct Quote	"Apes can gesture, but do not understand the grammatical structure of American Sign Language" (Smith, 1994, p. 345).
Paraphrase	It has been shown that apes do not actually understand the syntax and structure of ASL (Smith, 1994, p. 345).

If there is no publication date, cite the author’s last name followed by a comma and n.d. (for no date).

Direct Quote from a source with no publication date

"Doctors have been prescribing a new drug to treat social anxiety" (Geraldi, n.d., p. 24).

If you include the author's name as part of the sentence, just give the year in parenthesis directly after the author's name, and put the page number in parenthesis after the quote.

Direct Quote with author's name in the sentence	According to Jack Gannon (1988), "The protest provided a wonderful opportunity for those interpreters to assist the deaf community" (p. 94).
Paraphrase with author's name in the sentence	Jack Gannon (1988) explained that the DPN protest gave interpreters a chance to help Gallaudet's deaf community (p. 94).

If you include the author's name and date of publication as part of the sentence in which you use a direct quote, you should put the page number in parenthesis after the quote. If you include the author's name and date as part of a paraphrased sentence, you don't have to put anything additional in parenthesis. You can, if you chose to, provide the page number after the paraphrased information, but the page number is not required.

Direct Quote with author's name and date in the sentence	In 1988, Jack Gannon explained that "the protest provided a wonderful opportunity for those interpreters to assist the deaf community" (p. 94).
Paraphrase with author's name and date in the sentence	In 1988, Jack Gannon explained that the DPN protest gave interpreters a chance to help Gallaudet's deaf community (p. 94).

If you refer to the same text more than once within one paragraph, give the author's name, date, and page number only the first time you cite the source. After the first time, just give the author's name and page number (if it is different from the prior page number). If you cite the same text in two different paragraphs, you need to include the full reference information in both paragraphs.

First reference to a source	"Gallaudet's Deaf community earned the respect of deaf communities around the world during their 1988 DPN Protest" (Harding, 1988, p. 86)
Later reference to the same source (in the same paragraph)	"Deaf people deserve the right to determine their own leaders, just as hearing people have the right to chose theirs" (Harding, p. 87).

If you are using several different works to illustrate one point, you may find it necessary to cite two or more works written by different authors with different dates. In that situation, organize the information alphabetically by the authors' last names, and separate each block of information with a semicolon. Put all the names inside one set of parenthesis.

Citing several different works by different authors at one time

Several studies (Burna, 1980; Geraldi, 1988; Kesser & Morals, 1990) indicate that the cure for the common cold is just around the corner.

Multiple Authors

When a source has two authors, you should give both last names. Within the parenthetical citation, use & between the authors' names. If you use their names in the sentence, just write out and between their names.

Source with two authors	The Oxford English Dictionary was written "specifically for learners of English as a foreign or second language" (Hornby & Ruse, 1976, p. 82).
Source with two authors -- with authors' names in the sentence	Hornby and Ruse (1976) explain that the Oxford English Dictionary was designed to be used mostly by new English users (p. 82).

When a source has three, four or five authors, cite all the authors’ last names and the year the first time the reference occurs. For later references to the same source in the same paragraph, cite only the first author’s last name followed by et al. You do not need the year if it is in the same paragraph as the prior reference. If it is a repeated reference in a separate paragraph, cite the first author's last name followed by et al. and the year

Source with 3-5 authors, a first reference	"Scientists are tying to find a cure for the common cold" (Juneston, Craig, & Carter, 1993, p. 220).
Same source, a later reference, same paragraph	"There are thousands of different viruses that cause what we refer to as 'the common cold'" (Juneston, et al., p. 223).
Same source, a later reference, different paragraph	"Most of these viruses are not treatable with current antibiotic medications" (Juneston, et al., 1993, p. 223).

If a source has 6 or more authors, use the first author's name, et al., the date and page number.

Source with 6 or more authors	"U.S. Congressmen are obsessed with getting re-elected and not concerned enough with making a real difference for their constituents" (Harris, et al., 1997, p. 76).
Source with 6 or more authors -- with the author's name in sentence	Harris, et al. (1997) argue that the United State Congress is too focused on getting re-elected and not focused enough on meeting their constituents' needs (p. 76).

To cite a group author (e.g. association, organization, or government agency) you should spell out the full name for the first reference, give the abbreviation that you will use in brackets ([ ]), then use the abbreviation for later references.

Group author -- first reference	"Some people have adverse reactions to the flu shot, such as vomiting, fever, and rashes" (National Institute of Health [NIH], 1999).
Group author -- later reference	"The flu shots can only protect people against last year's strand of flu viruses" (NIH, 1999).

Citations for Interviews and Personal Communication

Personal interviews and personal communications (email, group discussions, electronic bulletin boards, telephone conversations) are NOT mentioned at the end of the paper on the list of references. However, they are cited in-text throughout the paper.

For personal communication, you should give the author's full name (first and middle initials followed by last name), the kind of communication, followed by the date of communication.

Personal Communication 1	Survivors of the accident gave credit to the team of trained dogs for their rescue (K.L. Myers, personal interview, April 18, 1994).
Personal Communication 2	"Parental involvement in a child's education is invaluable" (J. Meyers, TTY conversation, June 14, 1989).
Personal Communication 3	"Parents should always know what their child's homework assignments are" (T. Geoffreys, personal email, September 18, 2000).

Citations for Works with No Authors

If there is a work with no author named, cite the first few words of the title. Use quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter; italicize the title of a book, brochure, or report.

Unsigned Article	Many students become sick their first year of college, as they are introduced to entirely different germs ("Test Results," 1982, p. 63).
Unsigned Book	"Students will hopefully be able to form a bond with their first year roommate, as this can be a friendship that lasts them through life" (College Bound Seniors, 1979, p. 47).

If the author is listed as "Anonymous," cite the word Anonymous followed by a comma and the date.

Source by Anonymous

Many people who are affected by stress are not even aware of the impact it has on their life (Anonymous, 2000).

Secondary Sources

If you are reading one source, and it refers to something from another source, you need to reflect that in your in-text citations. For example, if you read a book by Greenwood, and Greenwood referred to a study by Breen (but you did not read Breen's study yourself), then you need to cite your source as follows:

Work discussed in a secondary source

Breen's study of early childhood language acquisition (as cited in Greenwood, 1998) shows that important language learning happens before the age of five.

(Note: On your reference page, you only need to reference the work that you actually read).

Electronic Source Citations

For in text web citations, follow the author/year format, if the author and date are available. For quotations, give page numbers or paragraph numbers (where there are no page numbers). Use either ¶ or para. as an abbreviation for paragraph. If page or paragraph numbers are not available, they can be omitted from the in-text citation.

Electronic Sources -- direct quote (1)	"Allergies may be caused by dust, dust mites, pollen, or mold" (Kendal, 2000, ¶ 4).
Electronic Sources -- direct quote (2)	"Allergies may be caused by dust, dust mites, pollen, or mold" (Kendal, 2000, para. 4).
Electronic Sources -- paraphrase	People with allergies are usually affected by dust, pollen, or mold (Kendal, 2000).

Quotes of 40 Words or More

If your quote is more than 40 words, indent 5 spaces on a separate line and then begin the quote. Continue the double space rule. Do not use quotation marks.

Gallaudet University received a lot of publicity during the 1988 DPN Rallies. It was a time when deaf people learned about the strength of their community. According to Jack Gannon (1989):

The student protest that shut down Gallaudet University the week of March 6-13, 1988, accomplished far more than just the selection of the world's first deaf university president. It proved, convincingly, that deaf people could band together effectively for a common cause and succeed. The protest experiences taught deaf people about the needs and values of being more assertive. (p. 15)

It also reaffirmed that the deaf population has a voice worth listening to, and that they will fight to be heard by Gallaudet's Board of Trustees.

Reference Format

You can check for more information about listing references on pages 215-282 in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Fifth Edition, 2001). To see an example of an APA style reference page, visit our APA Style Sample References.

Placement of the List:
Your reference list should be on a separate page, numbered sequentially with the rest of the paper. It should come after Notes pages, if there are any.
You should title the reference list page, References.

Spacing and Organization:
Each entry should start on a new line.
The references must be listed in alphabetical order, by author's last name, or by first significant word of the article title (if no author).
Do not indent the first line, but the second line, and thereafter must be indented five spaces. (In a word-processing software such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect, you can use what is commonly called a "hanging indent" under 'Format, Paragraph'.)
Use one space after a colon, comma, semicolon or period. Use one space after any sentence-ending punctuation.

Information and Punctuation:
When writing authors' names, use the author's last name, first initial, and middle initial, if any.
If there is more than one author, use an ampersand (&) before the last author's name.
Place date of publication in parenthesis after the name information (If there is no available date, put n.d. in parenthesis after the name information).
For book and article titles, capitalize only the first word of the title, and the first word after a colon.
Italicize the title of longer works, like books, magazines, newspapers, periodicals or journals that contain the cited articles.
Include volume numbers as part of the title. (If you cannot italicize, use underlines.)
Do not underline, italicize, or put quotes around titles of shorter works, like article titles.
Do not abbreviate publication months; write out the full month name.
Use the abbreviation p. or pp. before newspaper page numbers only. Do not use p. or pp. before page numbers for magazines, journals, or books.
List all pages used, even if they are not continuous (32, 46-47).

References for Books

For books, there are four main parts to the reference:

author
(year of publication)
title of the book
publication information (place of publication: publisher).

Each of the four parts ends with a period followed by a space. The second line (and subsequent lines) of each entry is indented 5 spaces. (Also you can use the "hanging indent" feature in your word-processing software.)

Book, one (1) author	Clone, J.E. (1991). Learner’s grammar review. Washington, DC: American Educational System.
Book, two (2) authors	Carrey, A., & Hollis, F. (1989). Fish and underwater life. Boston: Big Press.
Book, three (3) authors	Carrey, A., Hollis, F., & Katerdunk, S. (1990). Early water experience. New York: Howard Press.
Book, more than 3 authors	Elliot, C., Harvey, K., Silverman, E., & Mudd, J. (2000). Fighting the winter blues. Philadelphia: Made-Up Press.
Book, no author named	Writing strategies for first time writers (6th ed.). (1998). Springfield, IL: Writers Association.
Edited book	Giblets, K.N., & Homey, J.N. (Eds.). (1993). Children behaviors: Behavior modifications and interventions. San Francisco: Jonessy-Blithum.

References for Articles

Citations for periodical articles have four main parts:

author.
(date of publication). -- most magazine and newspaper articles, you should use the year followed by a comma and the month. If it is a daily publication, you should also include the day.
title of the article.
publication information. -- (generally the periodical title, volume number, and page number). The volume number should be a part of the periodical title. Use pp. or p. before the page numbers for newspaper and encyclopedia articles only.

Journal Article	Buman, J.A. (1993). Finding ways to overcome college stress. Stress Reliever, 24, 12-16.
Magazine Article	Posher, N.I. (1992, October 24). How to budget your finances wisely. Money Wise, 432, 13-17.
Newspaper Article	Celtan, B. E. (1996, Spring). Gas prices expected to increase. Washington Outlook, 14, pp. 4-5.
Newspaper Article, no author	Diet rites. (1997, August/September). Health Wise Editor, 3, pp. 1-2.
Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry	Statton. B. (Ed.). (1983). Idioms. The dictionary of deaf culture (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 142-156). Washington: Deaf Press.

Electronic Sources

The rules surrounding electronic media are still developing. You should check with your professor to be sure he/she will accept the following format. APA format currently requires that you make a "retrieval statement" that identifies the date of retrieval and the source (DIALOG, WESTLAW, Electric Library), followed by the name of the specific database used and any other information that is necessary to find the article. For World Wide Web sites, you should give the current URL address that points to the website.

For most articles from electronic sources, there are six main parts to the reference:

author -- write the last name followed by a comma, then the first and middle initials each followed by a period
(date of publication) -- for most electronic sources, this should be the date it was made available on the internet, including year, month and day (if available)
title of the article.
title of book, magazine, newspaper, periodical or journal (if applicable)
publication information -- this generally includes the city of publication and publisher

If there is a city of publication, but no publisher, simply write "Author" for the publisher name.

retrieval information -- (date of retrieval, world wide web or database address)

Internet article, one author, with city of publication and publisher	Harris, P.K. (1998, July 14). The young generation. Seattle: Coastal University. Retrieved June 5, 2000, from http://www.coastaluniversity.edu/younggen
Internet article, one author, with city of publication, no publisher	Pruzzles, T. P. (1999, October 12). Farewell J.F.K., Jr. Washington, DC: Author. Retreived October 1, 2000, from http://www.inmemory.com/~pruzzles/jfkjr.html
Internet article, no author, with city of publication and publisher	Juror’s perceptions of the justice system. (1999, November 19). Washington, DC: American Justice. Retrieved June 9, 2000, from http://www.armericanjustice.org
Internet article, group author, with city of publication, no publisher	Central Intelligence Agency. (2000, March 14). Keeping our computers safe. Cryptology. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved June 10, 2000, from http://www.cia.com/cryptology
Internet article, group author, no city of publication, no publisher	The International Cooking School. (2000, April 5). High protein meals, 13, 1202-1273. Retrieved September 14, 2000, from EFTWORK database.
Internet article, one author, no publication date, no city of publication, no publisher.	Fisher, H. (n.d.). The best way to entertain your cat. Cats are fun. Retrieved August 4, 2000, from http://www.catsarefun.com/entertain

Nonprint Media Sources

For most nonprint media, there are six main parts to the reference:

writer/director/producer's last name followed by a comma, then the first initial followed by a period.
in parenthesis, write the person's title (producer, director, writer) followed by a period.
(date of publication). -- this should be the year it was produced and released to the public.
title of media [type of media].
publication information. -- this generally includes the city of publication and publisher.

Film (Motion Picture)	Redford, R. (Director). (1980). Ordinary people [Motion Picture]. Los Angeles: Paramount.
Television Broadcast	Holdt, D. (Executive Producer). (1997, October 11). A River at High Summer: The St. Lawrence [Televison broadcast]. Boston: Public Broadcasing Service.
Cassette	Lake, F.L. (Author and speaker). (1989). Bias and organizational decision making [Cassette]. Gainesville: Edwards.
Musical recording	Barber, S. (1995). Cello Sonata. On Barber [CD]. New York: EMI Records Ltd.

You can visit the following links for more information:
Web Extension to American Psychological Association Style (WEAPAS)
APA Style.org

Updated April 18, 2003
Copyright© 1997-present by English Works! at Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.
TTY: (202) 651-5832 -Comments and questions- email us

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Quotations References -- Explore for Starters

The Quotations Page - Your Source for Famous Quotes

Your source for quotations from famous people and literature. Search or browse over 22000 quotations from thousands of authors. Includes the popular Quotes ...
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Famous Quotes by Subject - Random
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quoteland.com - Quotations on every topic, by every author, and in ...

Literary Quotations Beautiful quotations from works of literary art. Quotations by Author The master list of all authors quoted on this site. ...
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Bartlett, John, comp. 1919. Familiar Quotations, 10th edition

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Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Searchable quotations site, provided in electronic format by Project Bartleby at Columbia University.
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Quotations for Creative Thinking

Quotations for Creative Thinking (Creative Quotations) lets you search 50,0000 famous quotations and provides biographical information (and quotes) for 3000 ...
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The Quotations Archive

A database of quotations. Contains a special section on love and marriage, useful for wedding toasts.
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Mathematical Quotation Server

A collection of mathematical quotations culled from many sources. You may conduct a keyword search through the quotation database.
math.furman.edu/~mwoodard/mquot.html - 6k - Nov 8, 2005 - Cached - Similar pages

Quotations in the Yahoo! Directory

Search sites featuring famous quotes, sayings, quips, phrases, and proverbs. Find quotes by a particular person, for a special occasion, or on themes such ...
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The Quotations Home Page

Quotations Home Page, containing approximately 25000 quotes in 30ish indexed collections.
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Famous Quotations Network - Quotations, Quotes, Proverbs

A vast collection of searchable famous quotations and proverbs, sorted by categories and subjects, including authors biographies, and quotes citings, ...
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Sunday, November 6, 2005

10 Step to Creating a Dynamic Resume -- from Skyline College

Skyline College Career Center

10 Step to Creating a Dynamic Resume

Step I. Define your Target Job (Job Objective)

Before you can begin writing a resume, you must know what type of job you will be preparing a resume for. Clearly, your job objective will guide your entire resume. This will tell the employer which type of job you will be applying for. It will also allow you to focus on identifying those skills for which the job is calling for.

Step II. Research what specific skills, knowledge, and relevant experience is needed

for the target job.

Now that you have decided which job you will be applying for, you will need to research the specific skills, knowledge, or experience, you will need for this job. The closer your skills and experience fit the “need” of the job, the greater the likelihood that you will have of obtaining an interview for this job. One way to identify the specific skills, etc. needed for the job is to review the description of the job for which you are applying. It will tell you specifically what the employer is looking for in an employee.

Another resource is the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. The Dictionary of Occupational Titles, published by the Department of Labor, is a book with a listing of over 17,00 job titles in the United States. The DOT descriptions could provide you with the following information for each job title listed: specific job duties, interaction with data, people, and things; education; and strength requirements. Use the DOT to get ideas on language that you could include in your resume. In addition, Eureka Computer Information System also offers detailed information on job descriptions and characteristics.

Step III. Identify and list three or four of your strongest skills, abilities, and specific knowledge

that makes you a good candidate for the job.

To begin this process, write down all of your skills, abilities, and specific knowledge (regardless of whether they fit the requirements of the job or not). Consider clustering (and identifying) your skills in the following three ways: Occupational Skills, Personal Skills, and Transferable Skills. For more information on skill identification, go to www.smmcd.net/skillscan to obtain a detailed skills profile that will assist you in identifying your skills.

Step IV. Select from your key skills, accomplishments from your past work history that illustrate that you are a good candidate for the target job.

Take a minute to review your personal Skillscan profile completed in Step III. Locate those skills that best “fit” what the employer is looking for. Hint: Use the job description (if you have it handy) to match what the employer qualifications for the job and compare those to what you have.

Step V. Describe each accomplishment in a simple action statement that emphasizes the results, which benefit your employer.

When listing accomplishments, use action statements that show results. Hint: Don’t fall into the trap of just listing what you did while on the job; show results by using action words and quantifying your results. For example, instead of saying your efficiency in delivering of newspapers to customers resulted in increased newspaper sales, say by how many customers you increased your distribution list by. (See list of Action Words on Resume Guide).

Step VI. Make a chronological list of the main jobs you have held (Include unpaid work which fills a gap or that demonstrates you have the necessary skills for the job).

Remember that experience does not necessarily have to be paid experience. Be sure to include volunteer work/internships. A good tip to remember is to list every job you have held by jotting down duties and responsibilities held at the job site. Do not leave anything out, whether you think it is small or menial. Don’t make the mistake of discarding activities that you did in your job, volunteer, or internship site. Doing so will only limit your work experiences, not clearly representing your skills and abilities to the employer and limiting your job opportunities. Delete work experiences that are not relevant to the targeted job, only after you have completed your entire list and have exhausted the possibilities of everything you have done!

Step VII. Make a list of your education and training relevant to the new job objective.

When listing your education, remember to think of the courses that you took, or are taking in college. You probably have learned some great skills in college that can easily be applied to a job at this very moment. Hint: Take out your syllabus from your classes (Another Hint: Keep all your class syllabi). They are a great resource when writing resumes and trying to recall what you have learned!). Scan your syllabus for skills you have learned or projects that you have completed, which could easily be transferred to a job for which you are applying.

Step VIII. Select a resume format that best highlights your individual skills and accomplishments.

Refer to the Resume Formats described in the Job Search site of the Career Web Page.

Step IX. Arrange your action statements according to the format you chose.

How you present the information on your resume will depend on the resume format you choose. Again, refer to the resume formats on the Job Search site of the Career Web page.

Step IX. Summarize your key points at or near the top of the resume.

You have probably seen this summary called: Summary, Summary of Qualifications, Highlights of Qualifications. What you call it is up to you. Be creative but follow the following guidelines when writing your summary.

Friday, November 4, 2005

Interviews -- from MarketWatch, Inc

Job interviews can get personal, so be ready
Marshall Loeb
MarketWatch, Inc - October 5, 2005

(Editor's note: This is an update of a Sept. 27 story to clarify where discrimination on the basis of sexual preference is illegal.)

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Once it was considered a faux pas for recruiters to ask about your family life or political affiliation. But today, as many more jobs are filled through social networking -- friends setting up other friends -- it's more common to be asked about those or other personal topics during a job interview.

It is illegal to discriminate based on gender, race, national origin, marital status, sexual preference (in 16 states and the District of Columbia), religion, age or disability. Interviewers usually avoid asking questions on those subjects and other topics that are not directly work-related because it opens up the chance that an applicant turned down on qualifications can claim he or she was discriminated against.

But personal topics do arise, especially if they may affect your ability to do your job. A recruiter might ask about your family, for example, if the job in question requires extensive travel or long hours. He or she may ask about your physical health if the job requires heavy lifting.

Be careful what information you volunteer. Remember that any personal details you give become fair game for questions. Before the interview, think about what information you would mind sharing versus what you would not.

If the interview veers into the realm of your personal life, steer it back to a job discussion. Try to turn any personal information you've given into assets that would help your being hired.

If you've mentioned living in a foreign country, for example, and have picked up a second language, explain how this increases your efficiency at work. But if you are asked something personal, ask some questions of your own such as, "Is this something that's important to your hiring decision?"

Be polite, and don't get aggressive. Keep in mind that the recruiter may have a valid reason for asking a question. No matter why you're being asked, a nasty response will only serve as a mark against you.

Evaluate the interview as you would a first date. If you are treated poorly or made to feel uncomfortable during an interview, it's a reasonable indication of what you could expect on the job.
(c) 1997-2005 MarketWatch.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

HotJobs.com - Company Profile

About HotJobs:
Company Profile

As a leader in the online recruiting industry, Yahoo! HotJobs (www.hotjobs.com) has revolutionized the way people manage their careers and the way companies hire talent. Yahoo! HotJobs' tools and advice put job seekers in control of their careers and make it easier and more cost-effective for employers and staffing firms to find qualified candidates. In addition to its popular consumer job board, Yahoo! HotJobs provides employers, recruiters, and staffing agencies with progressive recruiting solutions and hiring management software. Job seekers voted Yahoo! HotJobs the (2002, 2003) "Best General Purpose Job Board for Job Seekers," and recruiters voted Yahoo! HotJobs the (2003) "Most Recruiter-Friendly General Purpose Site" in a survey conducted by WEDDLE's.

Wednesday, November 2, 2005

General Form for Electronic References from apastyle.org

General Form for Electronic References

From the 5th Edition of the Publication Manual (© 2001)
Note: Some elements of the 5th edition's style guidelines for electronic resources differ from previously published guidelines.

Electronic sources include aggregated databases, online journals, Web sites or Web pages, newsgroups, Web- or e-mail-based discussion groups, and Web- or e-mail-based newsletters.

Online periodical:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2000).
Title of article. Title of Periodical, xx, xxxxxx.
Retrieved month day, year, from source.

Online document:

Author, A. A. (2000). Title of work.
Retrieved month day, year, from source.

Detecting Tutor's Hand in Applicant's Essay-- from NY Times

Detecting Tutor's Hand in Applicant's Essay -- from New York Times

By KATE STONE LOMBARDI

Published: November 2, 2005

It is the bane of college admissions officers: the highly polished, professionally edited personal essay that barely reflects the thinking or writing, let alone the personality, of a 17-year-old high school student.

"If it sounds like it was written by a 42-year-old attorney, chances are it was written by a 42-year-old attorney," said Lee Stetson, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.

Now colleges have a new tool to help them discern how much help students are getting on their applications: the SAT.

Since March, the SAT has included a 25-minute essay section. When reviewing an application, colleges can easily download the test essay from the College Board, obtaining a sample of the student's unedited writing. Many colleges say they plan to do so, at least in cases where there are questions about a student's writing aptitude.

In a survey of 374 top colleges and universities conducted by Kaplan, the test preparation company, 58 percent said they would use the SAT essay to evaluate whether students had received outside help on their application essays in cases where there appeared to be discrepancies in the applicants' writing levels. Thirteen percent said they would compare the essays for all applicants.

"What that is saying is, 'We know there are a lot of cooks in the soup on these application essays, and we want to make sure that the writing that you are able to produce on your own can keep up with that polished writing,' " said Jennifer Caran, national director for SAT and ACT programs for Kaplan.

Dan Saracino, the assistant provost at the University of Notre Dame, said that when the first batch of the March SAT's became available, he went online to look at the writing samples.

"I did compare the online written essay and the personal essay, and you can see the connection, and you can see when it's a forced style that's been taught by a tutor," Mr. Saracino said.

At Notre Dame, not every applicant's SAT essay will be reviewed, but the test may well be downloaded when there are questions about writing ability, Mr. Saracino said.

Given the volume of college applications, the two writing samples will not be routinely compared at most schools. But in an increasingly competitive market, the essays of borderline students are more likely to be reviewed.

"We will use them on an individual basis as we need to use them," said Marlyn McGrath Lewis, director of admissions at Harvard College. "If we wanted to get a better sense of how somebody actually expressed something in his or her own words, we certainly know where we could go to extend our understanding."

Harvard is aware that some applicants get much more help than others on their applications, Ms. McGrath Lewis said.

"At Harvard, we try very hard not to over-reward extra preparation," she said. "We try not to base the admissions decision on someone being the perfectly buffed-up applicant."

Margit A. Dahl, the director of undergraduate admissions at Yale, said the university had no intention of reviewing 20,000 SAT essays. But in instances where there is a question about writing - for example, if a personal essay is well written, but the writing score on the SAT is low - admissions officers may download the SAT essay.

"You can certainly tell if there are serious grammatical glitches in the essay that was written in 25 minutes, and that means that without help, this student has some real trouble with writing," Ms. Dahl said.

Some argue that comparing the two essays is unfair. A student has far more time to polish an application essay than to burnish a 25-minute response. But educators make the case that basic writing and organizational skills should be consistent between the two samples.

"Schools recognize that this is a first draft and not polished work," said Ms. Caran of Kaplan, a former English teacher. "They want to get a sense of the students' innate writing abilities, to understand the students' thought processes and ability to express themselves, and whether that expression of thought is compatible with what they are saying in the application."

Complex sentence structure, the proper use of advanced vocabulary and clear expression should all be consistent between the two samples, she said.

But even a student's work on an SAT essay can be coached, as Ms. Caran points out. Students can be taught how to write a persuasive essay under time pressure, using organizational tips and practice, she said.

But admissions officers say they can see through that, too.

"You can see the canned responses," said Mr. Saracino, of Notre Dame. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to identify that this is a pat response that is a result of Kaplan."

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Strategies in the Job-Search Process

Chapter Objectives

Upon completing this chapter you should be able to conduct and effective job search; compose effective cover messages, résumés, and follow-ups; and prepare for interviews. To reach these goals, you should be able to:

Develop and use a network of contacts in your job search.
Assemble and evaluate information that will help you select a job.
Identify the sources that can lead you to an employer.
Compile traditional and electronic résumés that are strong, complete, and organized.
Write targeted cover messages that skillfully sell your abilities.
Explain how you can participate effectively in an interview.
Write application follow-up messages that are appropriate, friendly, and positive.
Maintain your job-search skills.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Writing a Process Essay-- Literary Education Online (LEO)

LEO: Literacy Education Online

Writing a Process Essay

What to consider when writing a process essay

A process paper either tells the reader how to do something or describes how something is done. As you write your process essay, consider the following:

What process are you trying to explain? Why is it important?
Who or what does the process affect?
Are there different ways of doing the process? If so, what are they?
Who are the readers? What knowledge do they need to understand this process?
What skills/equipment are needed for this?
How long does the process take? Is the outcome always the same?
How many steps are there in the process?
Why is each step important?
What difficulties are involved in each step? How can they be overcome?
Do any cautions need to be given?
Does the process have definitions that need to be clarified?
Are there other processes that are similar and could help illustrate the process that you are writing about?
If needed, tell what should not be done or why something should be done.
Process papers are often written in the second person (you), but some teacher prefer that you avoid this. Check with your teacher.

Your responses to these questions and statements should enable you to write an effective process essay.

A Sample Process Essay

Kool-Aid, Oh yeah!

It has been said that Kool-Aid makes the world go 'round. Let it be advised, however, that without the proper tools and directions, the great American beverage is nothing more than an envelope of unsweetened powder. There are five simple steps to create this candy-tasting concoction.

Picking the proper packet of flavoring is the first step in making Kool-Aid. Check the grocer's shelf for a wide variety, ranging from Mountain Berry Punch to Tropical Blue Hawaiian. If it is a difficult decision for you, knock yourself out and buy two. The packets usually run under 65 cents.

After choosing the flavor that best suits your taste buds, the second step is making sure that your kitchen houses some necessary equipment for making the Kool-Aid. Find a two-quart pitcher. Plastic is nice, but glass pitchers allow the liquid to shine through and add festive coloration to any refrigerator shelf. Next, find a long-handled wooden spoon, a one-cup measuring cup, a water faucet that spouts drinkable water, usable white sugar, and an ice cube tray full of ice. Then, you are ready to mix.

Third, grab the left edge of the Kool-Aid packet between your thumb and index finger. With your other hand, begin peeling the upper-left corner until the entire top of the envelope is removed. Next, dump the contents of the envelope into the pitcher. Notice how the powder floats before settling on the bottom of the pitcher. Then, take the measuring cup and scoop two cups of sugar into the pitcher as well. At this point, adding the water is a crucial step. Place the pitcher under the water faucet and slowly turn on the cold water. If the water is turned on too quickly, powder will fly all over when the initial gusts of water hit. After the pitcher is filled within two inches of the top, turn the water off and get prepared to stir. With the wooden spoon submersed three-quarters of the way in the liquid, vigorously stir in a clockwise motion until all of the powder is dissolved. Taste it. If the Kool-Aid is not sweet enough, feel free to add more sugar.

Fourth, when you are finished seasoning the Kool-Aid to your liking, rinse off the spoon and the measuring cup. Take a glass from the cupboard. An eight-ounce glass is usually sufficient. But stronger thirsts might prefer a 32-ounce mug. Add ice and then fill the glass with Kool-Aid. Find a comfortable chair, put your feet up, and drink away. After all, Kool-Aid makes the world go 'round.

Return to the Write Place Catalogue

For questions and suggestions, please e-mail us at leolink@stcloudstate.edu.

This handout was written by Heidi Everett and revised for LEO by Judith Kilborn, the Write Place, St. Cloud State University. It may be copied for educational purposes only. If you copy this document, please include our copyright notice and the name of the writers; if you revise it, please add your name to the list of writers.

Last update: 28 September 1997

URL: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/process.html

One time	Transition		Another time
	TIME
	After a few hours,	Immediately following,
	Afterwards,	Initially,
	At last	In the end,
	At the same time,	In the future,
	Before	In the meantime,
	Before this,	In the meanwhile,
	Currently,	Last, Last but not least, Lastly,
	During	Later,
	Eventually,	Meanwhile,
	Finally,	Next, Soon after,
	First, Second, Third, etc.	Previously,
	First of all,	Simultaneously,
	Formerly	Subsequently,
	Immediately before,	Then,

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