Happy summer, everyone! You know what I think of when I reflect on fun summer activities?
That's right...improving my vocabulary and grammar usage!
haha...Okay, so maybe that's not quite at the top of the list, but it is a productive use of time. As an added bonus, a better grasp of language will help you communicate effectively with future employers (and anyone else, for that matter!)
Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducts a survey asking employers to rank the top skills they look for in new college hires. What tops the list? You guessed it - communication. In fact, it's so important that verbal and written communication get seperate mentions on the list.
Why, then, do students come to Career Services with resumes and cover letters full of typos and grammatical errors? Aren't these "assignments" just as important as the ones given by professors?
While some errors can be attributed to carelessness (and fixed with a careful review of the draft), others may benefit from a better understanding of English grammar and usage - which rules should be obeyed and which ones can be broken.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know all the rules; I use too many commas and wonder when it's okay to split an infinitive.
Enter a helpful resource that I'd like to recommend: Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O'Conner, now in its 3rd edition.
I often refer to this book in meetings with students. For instance, when reviewing a cover letter, I might draw attention to the use of unique (e.g. "My unique contributions to the class...") As O'Conner points out, "If it's unique, it's the one and only. There's nothing like it - anywhere. There are no degrees of uniqueness, because the unique is absolute." Thus, is a contribution unique or is another word more appropriate?
Sound nit-picky? Perhaps. But I can't tell you how many times I've heard an employer say, "Candidate X talks about being detail-oriented in her cover letter, but look how many errors it has!" (The same could be said of personal statements for graduate school.)
Even emails, while casual, offer a chance to make a good impression. Here's an excerpt from O'Conner's book regarding email etiquette:
This may come as a shock to some of you, but email (or other cyber-writing) is no excuse for lousy English. Yes, it's often informal, but informal doesn't (or shouldn't) mean incoherent.
The things we like about email - its speed and its breezy style - can lead to misunderstandings. So email unto others as you would have them email unto you. Here's how.
That's right...improving my vocabulary and grammar usage!
haha...Okay, so maybe that's not quite at the top of the list, but it is a productive use of time. As an added bonus, a better grasp of language will help you communicate effectively with future employers (and anyone else, for that matter!)
Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducts a survey asking employers to rank the top skills they look for in new college hires. What tops the list? You guessed it - communication. In fact, it's so important that verbal and written communication get seperate mentions on the list.
Why, then, do students come to Career Services with resumes and cover letters full of typos and grammatical errors? Aren't these "assignments" just as important as the ones given by professors?
While some errors can be attributed to carelessness (and fixed with a careful review of the draft), others may benefit from a better understanding of English grammar and usage - which rules should be obeyed and which ones can be broken.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't know all the rules; I use too many commas and wonder when it's okay to split an infinitive.
Enter a helpful resource that I'd like to recommend: Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O'Conner, now in its 3rd edition.
I often refer to this book in meetings with students. For instance, when reviewing a cover letter, I might draw attention to the use of unique (e.g. "My unique contributions to the class...") As O'Conner points out, "If it's unique, it's the one and only. There's nothing like it - anywhere. There are no degrees of uniqueness, because the unique is absolute." Thus, is a contribution unique or is another word more appropriate?
Sound nit-picky? Perhaps. But I can't tell you how many times I've heard an employer say, "Candidate X talks about being detail-oriented in her cover letter, but look how many errors it has!" (The same could be said of personal statements for graduate school.)
Even emails, while casual, offer a chance to make a good impression. Here's an excerpt from O'Conner's book regarding email etiquette:
This may come as a shock to some of you, but email (or other cyber-writing) is no excuse for lousy English. Yes, it's often informal, but informal doesn't (or shouldn't) mean incoherent.
The things we like about email - its speed and its breezy style - can lead to misunderstandings. So email unto others as you would have them email unto you. Here's how.
- Be specific in the subject line. And be sure it doesn't sound like spam!
- Get to the point. The guy at the other end doesn't have all day.
- Watch your English. If you write to Aunt Agatha and she cares about grammar and spelling and such, then you should too.
- Go easy on the cybertalk. Use emoticons and acronyms only if Dr. Chomsky will get them - and welcome them!
- Don't forget to use the shift key. Writing that's ALL CAPITALS or all lowercase is hard to read.
- Say what you're replying to. The reader might have a short memory.
- Check your facts. The internet is full of misinformation, so don't spread it around.
- Read it again before clicking send. You'll be surprised at what you find.
Thinking about brushing up on your grammar and vocab? Consider this book, and check out Patricia O'Conner's blog at http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/.
