Steven Binninger Resume

Resume Writing, Steven Binninger

A resume is a statement of qualifications that services your current and future endeavor of employment. A resume should contain all attributes that make you and your qualifications for a specific job stand out as above and beyond the other applicants. A resume often serves as the first impression of an applicant. It is essential to portray your attributes accurately, honestly, as it pertains to your employer’s wants and desires. Additionally, your resume should be displayed as a professional work. It is important to remain consistent with your format, use a layout and design that is attractive and clear-cut, proofread, and verify the accuracy of your information.

When determining what information should be included in your resume, determine the job you are applying for and think of all the information that could be useful in achieving employment. Brainstorm about your background and qualifications.

A resume should include on one page:

· Heading

Should include your name, address, telephone number (home or cell), email address, and permanent or school address. Your name should be visible and clearly distinguishable.

· Objective (optional)

Helps the reader understand what you are trying to achieve. The objective should be 3 or less lines and should be job specific.

· Qualifications

These are established in an effort to persuade a prospective employer that your qualities, skills, and/or experiences are above and beyond and are well suited for the position.

· Education

College attendance should be included in this section. It should include the various universities attended, the degrees attained, honors, and GPA if appreciable. High school can be mentioned, but should only be mentioned if you desire to call upon these experiences, awards, programs, honors, and projects attained during these years.

· Experience

These should appear with your most recent relevant experience to the experience listed latter. These experiences should be related to the position with which you are applying: jobs, internships, volunteering experiences, and military experiences. Each experience should have a description of the position with your job title and the skills attained through this position that you hope to bring to your new organization. A highlight in this area would be to include your accomplishments in your history per position, if applicable.

· Related skills and abilities

These skills and abilities need to pertain to the job you are seeking. If they do not pertain to the position they do not help your future employment and serve as space filler that could have been used for more useful information. These skills could include: knowledge in a foreign language, technical knowledge, mechanical training, computer knowledge, etc.

· Honors and activities

These should be included only if space permits. These are not a number one priority.

· References

Avoid using references unless it is profession specific

· Portfolio (optional)

A portfolio provides samples of your work. Most resumes that desire to call upon their portfolio’s will state their “portfolio is available on request.”

These are some helpful tools in establishing your resume.

I was able to use Brown Universities Template. There are many different templates available. I would recommend using an Ivy League template considering their consistency in producing industry superstars.

Oliu, Walter. Writing that Works . New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2006.

Writing a Complaint Letter (Ervin Garibovic)

It happens to all of us at some point in our life time. When we are out eating, shopping or on the telephone and the service provided is just horrendous. These things can really frustrate us and we get to a point where become very agitated. Many of us a say the magi words “I would like to speak to your manager”. How bout if instead of asking for the manager every time we write a complaint letter.

Complaint letters are used to express concern to business companies that you are writing to. Usually, to describe how poorly the service you experienced was. This happens all the time and it gives business an incentive to improve their customer service skills. If they don’t they are in jeopardy of losing their customers. Customer service is very important to every business company because, without customers their business will not survive. After reviewing an article online, I came across a couple of pointers that I think are very helpful when writing a complaint letter. They are listed below.

1.) Before you write a letter make sure you know who you are writing to. You do not want to write to a company as a whole, try to remember the person name.
2.) Don’t write in anger. No matter how bad the situation was try to stay composed and professional.
3.) Do not wait more than a week. If you wait longer than one week, the person or situation you are complaining about may not be there.
4.)Provide facts. Such as dates and time of the incident. Try to provide as much information as you can because it well help the people in charge get acquainted with the situation.
5.)Get to the point. Don’t get off topic. Write about how you feel and don’t write in an angry tone.
6.) Type the letter don’t write it. Typing a letter is much more professional because it shows that you took time to sit down and express your concerns. Writing a letter is just informal and unprofessional.
7.) Provide contact information. Most manager will respond to your letter by email, telephone, or letter. So the more information you provide the better off you will be.
8.) Thank the person who is reading your letter. Ending on a positive note is very important. This should bring back positive results. Also, make sure you sign the letter.

For more information on how to properly write a complaint letter and to see examples of a written compliant letter visit the websites below.

http://www.essortment.com/all/writingcomplain_repi.htm
http://www.businessballs.com/complaintsletters.htm
http://technicalbusinesswriting.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_write_a_complaint_letter
Picture: (http://center4debtmanagement.com/Gifs/SampleComplaint.gif)

Writing a Contract (Stephen Wickens)

In the professional world there are many steps that take place in order for a deal to take place. Both sides of the transaction must come to terms and agree on what will happen, who will receive what, and when will this all take place. Writing contracts is a very important in order to make sure that people hold up their end of the bargain, and to ensure people do not lose what they have paid for, or what they have been promised. Negotiating the terms of the contract is the most important thing when coming up with a contract but the words that are chosen to be used in the contract are almost just as important. These words will set the tone for the relationship that will be developed through the two parties.

The first thing that must be decided is the particular price and payment schedule that will be taking place between the two parties. With any contract, it will be very difficult to comprehend what one party is trying say, as it will be very open ended. Regardless of these difficult interpretations, any contract is going to include a clear work plan with specific points outlining what the one party will be receiving. Contracts will usually contain what is listed below:

· Title
· Description of project
· Description of services needed
· Detailed list of the services to be provided with projected dates of delivery
· Who is responsible for what
· Communication about progress throughout the project
· Payment schedule
· Ownership of the work products
· How will conflicts be resolved
· How the parties can get out of the contract
· Proper Signature

The contract is not usually used as a legal document, only in certain circumstances are people perpetrated for not following the contract that was outlined. The contract is ways for the two parties communicate between each other, for both sides to understand what each expects of one another. The contract enables the parties to answer difficult questions before the work or job has begun.

For more information on Writing a Contract: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/techplan/archives/page9838.cfm

Identifying Readers Needs by Robert Hunley

Every writer needs to be able to identify their readers needs. One does this so that their message is not misinterpreted and they send their audience the desired message. To be able to properly identify their needs you need to think from many different points of view.

Ask yourself:
- who is reading?
- why are they reading?
- what are you trying to convey and how could this be done best?

Keep things simple and don't beat around the bush. No one wants to read anything more then they have to. Make sure you also know their amount of knowledge so you don't include more information then needed. Summarizing is a great tool to quickly bring someone up to speed on a topic but is not needed if they are already have a great amount of knowledge on the topic.

Sources
- Writing that Works 9e
- http://www.webwriting.neu.edu/how_to_plan_your_site/analyzing_audience/

Internal Corporate Blogging (Sally Vale)

Internal Corporate Blogging

With the increasing demands of daily life, many companies are using the internet as a tool for successful communication. Aside from e-mails and instant messaging, companies, or members of a group within a company, can create blogs in order to produce communication that would have otherwise occurred in person.

Some benefits of corporate blogging are:

-It provides an open area where coworkers can discuss issues relating to their work.

-It reduces the need for face-to-face interaction, giving bloggers more time to focus on other aspects of their work.

-Unlike telephone calls and face-to-face interaction, blogging does not require an immediate response, allowing bloggers to plan out the most efficient way for them to communicate their point.

-It provides a trackable dialogue between several coworkers simultaneously, unlike e-mail, which can only be trackable between two people at a time.

When brainstorming what topics to go over in your corporate blog, just think of the conversations that might occur between you and your coworkers in the office. For example, blogging is a great way to talk about new equipment, to log activity on a project, or to share your experiences in aspects of the company that may be new to some of your fellow coworkers.

As with any interaction in the corporate world, be sure to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. While blogging, keep in mind who has accessibility to your blog. Make sure to write in a friendly, easy to understand manner that will invite others to respond to, or make inquiries about, your posts. While maintaining a professional tone in your blogs is always important, do keep in mind that the internal corporate blog is simply a text-based conversation. Approach your blogs the way you would approach a face-to-face meeting with your peers: in a relaxed, easygoing, and understanding manner.

For more information on internal corporate blogging, check out http://www.betterbusinessblogging.com/

Leading a Team

Be a role model for your team--Being the team leader means you are the designated role model. Lead by example. If you take long lunches or cut corners, they will too.

Don't be afraid to delegate--One of the advantages of having a team around you is that you can delegate some tasks. There's little point in having a team if you don't let them get involved. Giving colleagues responsibility will also help in their own empowerment and self development. However, don't use delegation simply to avoid work that you should be doing yourself.

Give your team clear goals and objectives--Make sure everyone is clear about the team's long term goals and short term daily or weekly objectives. Teams work better when all players knows what they're working towards. Give your colleagues reasonable time scales and deadlines rather than vague statements such as "as soon as possible."

Support your team--Make sure that colleagues are given full credit for what they do. If they do well, praise them to the senior managers. Defend them where appropriate and cultivate loyalty. This should make your team more productive.

Avoid manipulating your team--Discuss everything openly to cultivate an atmosphere of trust. Although keeping knowledge and information to yourself may make you feel more powerful, sharing information will make the team stronger and more cohesive.

Listen to your team--Don't forget to take on board any feedback they give you. Effective team leading is a two-way communication process.

Play to the team's strengths--Although you are the team leader, it doesn't mean you are the best at everything. So allocate tasks to whoever is best suited to the job in hand. And if someone comes up with a great idea, let them run with it and take credit for it.

Be patient--Team building takes time. You may be given a team of people who you wouldn't have hand picked yourself. Don't expect everything to come together instantly.

Tips such as these can be found on the following website:
http://student.bmj.com/issues/03/12/careers/459.php

Professional Writing Conferences 2009-2010, Steven Binninger

Professional Writing, like other types of writing, takes various forms and serves different functions depending on the environment and the audience of the type of writing. The audience is the driving force behind the different forms and styles of Professional Writing.
It is important to understand that the profession based audience, work environment, and content are determining factors in choosing the medium of writing. Each professional community: Healthcare, Education, Engineering, Accounting, and other various professions have their own unique form and style specific to their field.
There are Professional Writing Conferences in 2009-2010 that are profession specific and intensive and also those that are general. Professional Writing is commonly referred to as technical writing.
Below is a list of Professional Writing/ Technical Writing Conferences found globally for 2009-2010
If you have any questions or would like to know more, I suggest going to Society for Technical Communication webpage.

STC-PMC Conference and Workshop

Philadelphia: March 27-28, 2009
• Speaker
• Four Workshops
• Jean-luc Dumont, author of Trees, Maps, and Theorems- Effective

Communication for Rational Minds
Maximizing the Value of Internal Communications

Brisbane, Australia: April 2-3, 2009
• 8 step process in evaluating and enhancing internal communications
• Case studies
• Group Exercises

Technical Communication Summit

Atlanta: May 3-6, 2009
• 100 Speaker Presentations with audio and visual aids.
• Last year, 1300 technical presenters showed up to the event last year.

Business Conference: “Discovery meets Innovation”

Chicago: September 16-19, 2009
• The conference will display the new and improved methods and technologies specific to the business community.
• Those that attend will perform at a higher, faster, and more efficient level than was previously attained.


http://www.astcnsw.org.au/
http://www.stcpmc.org/
http://www.stc.org/
http://conference.stc.org/

Technical Writing in Accounting (Katie Donnellan)

Writing in Accounting
Here are some tips to help you with the various kinds of writing you'll be expected to do in accounting.
What do accountants write? All accountants write internal memos to supervisors, colleagues, and subordinates to request or provide information, letters to clients, agencies, and a variety of readers, technical reports and memos, and narratives of financial statements.

Tips for Effective Writing in Accounting
Content: be sure that the accounting content is correct and complete. Have you addressed all the relevant accounting issues?

Critical Thinking: Think carefully and critically about the issues with which you're dealing. Anticipate questions and objections your readers may raise.

Appropriateness for Readers: Write the document with a particular reader in mind. Check that issues are discussed on a level the reader can understand. For most documents, it is better to focus on practical, explicit information and advice related to the case you are discussing rather than on general accounting theory.

Conciseness: Write as concisely as possible, given the reader's needs and the issues to be addressed.
Clarity: Develop a style that is clear and readable. Choose words that convey your meaning with precision and clarity.
Coherence: Structure the document so that it is coherent. The organization should be logical and the train of thought easy to follow. Summarize main ideas near the beginning of the document, and begin each paragraph with a topic sentence.

Revision: Revise the document so that it is polished and professional. It should be free of all spelling errors and typos; grammatical errors should not detract from the message.

Types of writing in accounting:

Memos and E-Mail. Memos are often used for communication within an organization. Memos may be of any length, from one sentence to several pages. They may be less formal than letters written to people out side the organization, but well-written memos have the same qualities as good letters: clarity, conciseness, coherence, and courtesy. Many memos are now written in the form of e-mail messages. E-mail is especially convenient, so several special considerations should be observed when using e-mail: - Address messages carefully - E-mail may be read by unintended recipients - E-mail can be saved and used as proof of communication - Avoid sending junk e-mail.

Letters. Accountants may write letters to a variety of people including clients, government agencies, and fellow professionals. They may write letters seeking data about a client's tax situation or information needed for an audit. They may also write letters to communicate the results of research into a technical accounting problem. Other letters an account might write include engagement letters and management advisory letters. Effective letters contain correct, complete information, and they are usually written with specific readers in mind. They are also written in an active, direct style. They are coherent, clear, and concise. They are also neat and attractive with a professional appearance.

Reports. A report usually involves analysis of an accounting problem and application of accounting principles to a particular situation. It may also require some research of professional literature or other material. Reports vary in length, but all reports should meet basic criteria: - Accounting content should be accurate - Organization should be coherent - Report should be presented attractively - Writing style should be clear and concise

summarized from May & May, Effective Writing: A Handbook for Accountants (2003)

Found at http://classweb.gmu.edu/WAC/somguide/accounting.htm