1.
Business Writing and
Professional Communication
Facilitated by:
Brandan Oates and Sarah Roth
Honors Professional Development Night
Wednesday, March 23, 2016

2.
Tonight’s Workshop
Topic Facilitator(s)
Requests for Letters of Recommendation Sarah
Professional Emails Brandan
Getting Started with Résumés and Cover Letters Sarah
Scholarship Application Tips for Success Brandan
Questions and Handouts Sarah & Brandan

3.
Requests for Letters of
Recommendation
Facilitated by: Sarah Roth

4.
Don’t Do This…

5.
Do This Instead!

6.
Tips for Success
• Give your recommender 2 weeks’ notice
• Provide name of award/scholarship/position/etc.
• Incorporate links associated with the opportunity
• Scholarship description
• Company website
• Include your resume

7.
Tips for Success cont.
• Describe preferred type of letter
• Hard copy or electronic attachment
• Include submission instructions and mailing address, if needed
• Some may feel uncomfortable giving the student the letter
• Provide final due date needed for opportunity
• Include preferred date to you
• Send a polite reminder, as needed

8.
Additional Considerations
• If the letter needs to be mailed, it’s generous to provide a stamped envelope
• A handwritten thank you note is a nice touch
• So, did you get it?! Keep your recommender posted!

9.
Professional Emails
Facilitated by: Brandan Oates

10.
Email Expert Activity
Backstory:
You are the email expert. You have worked at a
variety of companies during your career and
have encountered a plethora of situations,
especially when it comes to email
communication.
Instructions:
• Mark each of the given emails as “Good” or
“Poor”.
• If you mark an email as “Poor”, provide at
least one reason for justification.
• You have two (2) minutes.

11.
Purpose of Email
• Communicate information quickly, when a telephone or
conversation is not necessary*
• Send a file/document
• Inquire**
• Send non time-sensitive information
• Deliver information to a large group of people
• Have a written record
*Information should be concise and clear
**Question to consider: Can you find the answer yourself?
Professionalism Tip √
If the email’s content is:
• Long and/or complicated
• Can be easily misinterpreted
• Confidential
…consider a different communication medium.

12.
Know Your Audience
Relationship with Recipient Formality Requirement
Unknown Recipient (Never met) Formal
Professional Relationship Formal
Casual Colleague or Peer Formal-Casual
Casual (Know well) Casual or Formal-Casual

13.
Tone of an Email
• Written communication → feelings are hard to express
• Tones to avoid
• Demanding
• Offensive
• Angry
• Blame
• Use “please” and “thank you’
• Reminder: Email ≠ Conversation
• Never send an email on impulse
Professionalism Tip √
If you have doubted the tone of an email, it is NOT fit to be sent.

14.
Email Format
 Left-aligned
 Font: Times New Roman,
Arial, Calibri, or company
default
 Color: Black is safest (red is
okay for emphasis)
 Keep font consistent
 Proper punctuation
 Standard language – avoid
abbreviations
 Remove “Sent from my
smartphone” signatures
Greeting / Salutation
Examples:
• Dear [Name],
• Hello,
• Hello [Name],
• Hello everyone,
• To Whom it May Concern,
• Greetings,
• [Name],
*Use a comma after the greeting!
*Address the recipient with the appropriate
title (highest title or the best fit based on
context)
*Spell the recipient’s name correctly
Content
Emails should cover only one main
topic/idea
Paragraphs and lists are welcome, but
should be clear and concise
Closing
Examples:
• Best,
• Best regards,
• Regards,
• Respectfully yours,
• Thank you,
• Best wishes,
• Sincerely,
Examples to avoid:
x Yours Truly,
x Cheers,
x See you around,
x Be well,
x Thx,
Other Closings to Avoid:
x Have a wonderful bountiful lustful day,
x Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
x This email is off the record unless otherwise indicated,
x Waiting to hear your reply, with best regards,
x Snuggles,
x TTFN
x A smiling face is miles more attractive than just a pretty one.
x Thanking you in anticipation,
Email Signature
Full Name
Title/Position
Company/Organization
Contact Information*
*Phone Number,
Email Address,
Mailing Address,
Website
**Modify settings in your email client
to automatically insert your signature
at the bottom of every email
Subject Line
Always include a subject line
when sending an email!
Subject lines should reflect the
main idea of the email, not be
the email itself.
RE: = Reply of an email
FW: = Forwarded email

15.
Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)
Step 1: Click “Mail”
1

16.
Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)
Step 2: Click the gear icon 2

17.
Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)
Step 3: Click “Options” in the settings menu (after clicking the gear icon)
3

18.
Set Your Email Signature (Office 365)
Step 4: Click “Email signature” in the left pane
Step 6: Compose and format
your email signature!
SAMPLE FORMAT 2:
Full Name
Title/Position
Company/Organization
Contact Information
SAMPLE FORMAT 1:
Full Name
Title/Position
Major
Institution
Contact Information
Step 5: Check the “Automatically
include my signature on new messages
I compose” option
4
5
6

19.
More About Email…
When to Send
Do not expect a response outside of
normal business hours (Mon-Fri 8:00-
5:00)
Remember: you are not always
available!
Quantity
One is best!
Excessive emails decreases their value
and can annoy the recipient
Reply, Reply All, Forward
Reply: To one user
Reply All: To all original recipients
(avoid unless necessary)
Forward: Copy to new recipient
Cc and Bcc
Cc: Carbon copy – send to recipient
who is indirectly affected by email
Bcc: Blind carbon copy – same as Cc,
but addresses do not appear (avoid in
most cases)
Last Minute Check √
Be sure to double-check:
• Recipient emails
• Subject line
• Attachments
• Punctuation/Grammar

20.
Getting Started with Resumes
and Cover Letters
Facilitated by: Sarah Roth

21.
Don’t Do This…

22.
Do This
Instead!

23.
Cover Letters: An Introduction
• Cover letters serve multiple purposes:
• To demonstrate that your qualifications fit the requirements of the position
• To show that you have done your homework on the position and organization
• To demonstrate you have the ability to write well
Source: http://careercenter.illinoisstate.edu/student/resume/

24.
Cover Letter Outline
• Paragraph 1: How I heard about the job
• Paragraph 2: Why I want the job
• Paragraph 3: Why I’d be great for the job
• Paragraph 4: How I’m going to follow up about the job
Source: http://careercenter.illinoisstate.edu/student/resume/cover_letters.shtml

25.
Utilizing Your Resources
• “Resume Record” template Honors website
• Use before you have a resume and/or “on the fly”
• Career Center
• Free resume paper, resume printing & business cards
• Walk-in resume critiques vs. Resume review
• Career Resource Guide
• Resume Basics, pgs. 4-8
• Cover Letters, pgs. 9-10

26.
General Recommendations
• Leave adequate time to update your resume/cover letter
• Customize them to the opportunity
• Connect your personal skills to the posting/description
• Utilize their key words (e.g. flexibility, teamwork)
• Demonstrate knowledge of their terms/lingo
(e.g. Honors Learning Experiences)

27.
Scholarship Applications:
Tips for Success
Facilitated by: Brandan Oates

28.
Applying to Scholarships
1. Read and understand the criteria
2. Prepare and plan ahead
3. Ask questions (if needed)
4. Check, double-check, and check again
Source: https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2015/03/scholarship-basics-make-application-shine/

29.
The Essay
Know the Prompt Organize & Edit the Draft Utilize Past Work
o Reread the prompt
o Align statements with
the donor’s hopes and
intentions
o Include specific
examples
o Make sure all parts of
the prompt are covered
o Utilize standard essay
structure
o Proofread! Have another
person also double-
check spelling, grammar,
and punctuation
o Enrich your sentences:
simplify and vary
o It is okay to reuse parts
of previous scholarship
essays
o Double-check that the
award name is correct
o Consider a new
approach for previously
unsuccessful essays
Source: https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2015/04/scholarship-basics-write-winning-essay/
Distinguish
yourself!

30.
Personal Anecdote

31.
Scholarships: Final Thoughts
√ Start gathering application materials early!
√ Letters of recommendation, transcripts, résumé, etc.
√ Ask questions if anything is unclear.
√ Utilize the ISU Scholarship Resource Office:
http://financialaid.illinoisstate.edu/scholarships/
√ If you meet the criteria, APPLY! Smaller, local scholarships can add up quickly.
√ Ensure the application is complete at time of submission.

32.
Questions?
Speakers will also be available for questions during
tonight’s networking reception from 7:45 – 8:30pm.

33.
Tonight’s Event Schedule
Event Time
Check-In 5:15pm – 5:35pm
Keynote Speaker 5:30pm – 6:10pm
Session I 6:20pm – 6:45pm
Session II 6:50pm – 7:15pm
Session III 7:20pm – 7:45pm
Networking Reception 7:45pm – 8:30pm
Honors Professional Development Night
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
5:30-8:30pm