This semester, we covered diverse topics from punctuation and formatting to team building and getting a job. You learned how to produce letters, memos, and e-mail. What were your favorite topics? What did you learn that you are applying? How have your skills and thinking changed? In short, what are your takeaways from class?
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Dona J. Young is a teacher, facilitator, and writing coach who believes that writing is a powerful learning tool that shapes our lives and careers. In addition to teaching professional writing online, she designs and facilitates corporate training programs on effective writing and communication.
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Hi All,
I would have to say my favorite topics have been e-mail formatting, cultural sensitivity, and the chapter on feedback. I have learned so much more about the way I write and how I interact with people.
One of the most important points I have taken away is understanding other peoples cultures. That will determine how they will interact with you and can ultimately make or break any deal that you may have going. At the end of the day it is all about respect if you treat others with respect and talk in a tone that they are accustomed to you are much more likely to sway them into your way of thinking.
As to e-mailing, I have learned how to properly arrange a message in order to get my point across quickly and get the response I desire. This class has definitely changed my outlook on my writing and how I interact with others. I know in the future I will be able to better communicate with my fellow professionals as well as have them respond in a manner that I expect.
All the Best,
Lauren
Hello,
The semester is almost over and not that I am reflecting on what I have learned and how I have applied it, I am extremely impressed with how much we learned. My a few of my favorite aspects were learning how to correctly format everything from memos to letters, compose different types of documents, punctuation, and also brushing up on APA formatting. So far, I have been able to apply a little bit of everything we have learned in this class, to my everyday communication.
I am taking so much away from this class. I now can compose and format E-mails, letters, memos, and resumes. Not only can I compose and format, I can confidently know they will be correct! I also learned how to take others into consideration when communicating. You must take their culture, attitude, and feedback in order to have good professional communication skills.
Have a great day,
Megan Lesniewski
Hello Everyone,
This semester was full of valuable information. You can never learn enough about writing. These are the skills that I enjoyed learning.
In business your writing can build or break relationships. It is helpful to know the purpose of your writing and your audience.
Various styles of communications:
• Persuasive
• Sensitive towards Cultures
• Direct versus indirect
• Informal versus formal
Various written formats:
• E-mails
• Business letters
• E-memos
• Presentations
Remember that personalities vary. Being able to adjust your style of communication will make it easier to reach your intended audience.
These are valuable skills that I will apply in the future.
All the best,
Nancy
Dear Class,
During this class I took more out of it than I have in any other class. This class is going to help me so much in my future as I enter the business world. My favorite topics were formatting, resume, and being concise. I liked formatting because, it plays such a huge part in writing. Formatting is so simple, but I’ve been doing it all wrong this whole time. The resume was one of my favorites to because we all need to know how to do it, and I’m glad I got to learn it on my own through this class. Being concise was one of my favorites because I always added words and sentences to make it sound like I knew what I was talking about. Once we had the concise lesson my writing improved the the most. I’m already using what I have learned in my life. I’ve been having to write e-mails to my hygiene professor in Indy, and I was proud of myself for how well I wrote it! I’ve taken so much from this class, and I can’t wait to use it in the real world!
Have a great day,
Tori Louviere
Without a doubt in my mind, the best takeaway from this class will be learning proper formatting. We all have heard of cover letters, memos, emails, business letters, and resumes; but I have never learned how to properly write them. Instead of teaching myself on some website I have been taught in a structured curriculum how to write these documents. I am forever grateful for this opportunity. Impressing employees and employers with my skills will be something that I will value for the rest of my endeavors.
Best of luck to everyone in their promising futures!
April VanMilligan
I have a lot of takeaways from this class. The biggest one would have to be punctuation. I was never extremely confident with punctuation, but after the exercises that I had to do in class, I feel much more comfortable. Another benefit is that I now have the resources at my disposable to help me if I get confused. Another valuable takeaway from this course is the correct way to format various documents. This has been extremely useful in my current role as student and I know it will continue to benefit me in the future.
I have enjoyed every aspect of this course. The skills that I’ve learned and practiced have helped smooth out some of my rougher edges in professional writing. Thank you all for helping in my learning process.
Best wishes,
Lauren
Hello everyone,
Having finished this class I can honestly say that I have learned a lot. My favorite topics were learning the different writing formats to use in different situations.Now I know how to structure my letters and memos, giving only the useful information to the reader.
Through this course I also learned how to be more concise and effective in writing. The principles that we discussed throughout the course helped me be more critical of my work, evaluate based on the clarity of the presented information and how it is received by the audience. This has been a valuable course, because it provides practical knowledge that can be applied to other academic areas.
Before,I did not know how to write formats and outlines of professional letters and memos. Now, I feel more comfortable writing letters to recipients I don’t knowAll the writing exercises we did really helped my writing skills.
All the Best,
Liz
Hello Everyone,
We have covered a several topics, so it’s hard to choose just a few favorites. Cultural sensitivity was a very informative topic. It gave us insight on how all cultures may not react the same, to such things as body language. The topic I found to be resourceful was business communication which included business letters, e-mails and memos; more specifically what material should be included as well as how to organize it.
There was a lot of information to digest at first, but after being giving the summer to practice it became easier to retain. The information that was provided has already been implemented into my normal life. I have more recently responded to e-mails in the proper and professional manner. Since then my feedback has become more positive and communication has progressed more efficiently. I will most definitely stay conscious of body language in a speech or presentation. I continue to find this course’s tools making its way into my daily life. I also enjoy having had practice making business letters, memos and resumes. This practice will help me get my foot in the door for a job and supplement my employment.
I feel like my skills have changed for the better. Previous to this class I didn’t not have the slightest clue on how to construct a resume. Also, before this class I would never include a closing on an e-mail. Another improvement I made was learning to give and take constructive criticism. A great skill I’ve picked from this class was making myself marketable, with the use of core values.
Have a great day,
Eric Lara
Hi Everyone,
I have learned a lot over this semester; much more that I thought I would. This class really has given me the tools to not only be a better writer but a better communicator.
One of the important concepts I learned, was being aware of what I am saying. The chapter on postive feedback and constructive critisism was very helpful. It made me realize how a few little words could change the whole attitude of what you are saying. Knowing and understanding this is extremly important in the professional world, as we will be working with others that come from different backgrounds.
I also felt all the document formats we learned was very important. Memos, letters, and e-mails each have unique things about them that I never knew. As we live in a world where everything is sent electronically, this knowlege is really beneficial.
Best wishes,
Stacey Glaser
Hello everyone,
I can’t really pick a favorite topic. They all were interesting.
I learned about formatting, punctuation, comma rules, and how to speak to people in my writing, whether it’s direct or indirect. All of these skills are usable on a daily basis in my pursuit for a degree.
My skills have definitely changed. My writing has become more professional and it could only increase my opportunities. I do tend to focus on editing and revising more now than in the past. I try to concentrate on patience with my writing now. I am always afforded the opportunity to change what needs to be changed after reviewing my work.
I have to work on my use of pronouns and commas. This has been ailing me since the beginning of the semester. I will practice and practice until it becomes second nature.
Best regards,
Martin