Leah K. Guidelines for Writing Technical Instructions

The title, Guidelines for Writing Technical Instructions, sounds scary, right? Well it doesn't have to be. Chances are someday you might have to use this stuff someday! One of the most common and one of the most common uses of technical writing is instructions. Remember all those step-by-step explanations of how to do things like creating something, operating something, and fixing something. I sometimes have been infuriated with poorly written instructions, causing more harm than good! That is the result of horribly written technical instructions. I would hate for any of my readers to fall into that fate. Let's jump right into the guidelines!


1. Determining Preliminaries
-This includes defining your audience and readers. Determine if you consider them experts, technicians or non specialists. In other words, if I were writing instructions for using facebook for a group of elderly people, I probally would have to start with "press glowing button to turn on computer."
-An important consideration is how many tasks there are in the procedure you are writing instructions for. Some instructions have only a single task, but have many steps within that single task. I have put together a desk where there was over 50 steps! A nice way to handle this is to group similar and related steps into phases, and start renumbering the steps at each new phase.

2.Common Sections of Instructions
Rather than writing it all out, you can see exactly how the sections should be lined up! Enjoy!


3. IntroductionThe first section needs to indicate a few things to the readers.
-The specific task that will be explained.
-The level of expertise the reader needs.
-General idea of what the process accomplishes.
-Indicate when the instructions should not be used.
-Provide general warnings. (Ex: assembly of a electric fence might indicate a shocking factor.)

4. Equipment and supplies
Most instructions include a list of materials and equipment you will need to complete a task. I, like most people, skip over the materials and right to the procedures. I usually find myself having to run to the store in the middle of the project for missing materials!

5. Choose A Step Style
Fixed order steps are steps that need to be presented in the order they need to be performed. Those are my favorite. Variable order can be performed in any order. Nested steps are lengthy processes that need to be broken into subsets using letter and numbers. Every once in a while I run into "stepless" steps where the information is scattered everywhere.

6. Make it Easier for the Reader
Use graphics and picture to guide the readers! We all know that a picture is a thousand words, and a picture is the best suggestion I can give anyone on writing technical instructions. Also, format your instructions with bolding to provide emphasis on certain important notices.

This is an example of a person using interactive media to create technical instructions on Micrsoft Word.

Could technical writing be any easier? Well now it is easy for you and your readers!


http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/instrux.html

Jessica T's Job Skills Checklist

A job skills checklist is a group of skills that are listed out, making it easier for someone to be able to come up with skills. Then you circle all the skills that apply to you & put down some examples of how you used the skills you circled. The skills that are listed on the checklist are put into categories by job description.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6aXkyqzDMY

Job Skills Checklist
Company Name:
Open Position:
E-mail:
Phone Number:

Seeking/ Filling
Sales
Marketing
Operations Management
Consulting
Other

Professional Skills
Consulting
Bar code Implementation
Design Specifications
Field Service Technician
Network Configuration

Product Experience
Motion control
Robotics
Motor Drives
Network Products
PLCs

Design/ Drafting Tools
Rebis
RSWire
Via
SolidWorks
CimLogic

Languages
Chinese
English
French
German
Spanish

Ryan S presents; Sample Letter of Acceptance for a J.O.B.

The day's are winding down, we are signing up for commencement (have you?!) and have hopefully began are job search (months ago!). In the past few week's a few students have written some great blogs on such matters as. "Job Interview Tip's" by Leah, and Jessica decided to be "Super Student" one week and submit not one, but two blogs "Preparing an Effective Resume", and "Preparing an Effective Cover Letter." way to go CHAMP! ;)

So what do you/we/me/her/him do next, once a job offer has been presented/offered to you? Well write an "Acceptance Letter" of course. Below is an example of a proper acceptance letter.

As one can tell this is a very clear, short, and to the point Acceptance Letter. It should be noted that when writing an Acceptance Letter to re-state clearly the following...

1. Thanks and appreciation for the opportunity
2. Start date
3. Agreed upon salary
4. Any benefits, bonuses etc
5. And any other promised/agreed upon terms

Why you might ask? Because an Acceptance Letter is, in a way, a contract between two parties (you and your future employer), informally. If one party should fail to deliver on, one or more said, promises then one has reason to seek possible legal action. Does this type of thing happen often? No, at least I would say 99% of the time it doesn't (that's my own random stat). Could it happen, yes.

For instance it happened to me once. I'll spare you the whole messy details and skip to the short of it. I took a job offer, and I and my future company both agreed verbally that a curtain amount of money would be provided for a car allowance after six months of employment. Once the six months came around they tried to back track and say something different and since I never had it formally in writing I was pretty much S.O.L. Eventually I received what was promised to me, but in the long-run the damage was done and I left the company. This all could have been avoided if I had proof of what was agreed upon before working for this company, one way would have been within a "Formal Acceptance Letter".

So when the day come's to accept your first real "Big Girl/Boy" job remember that an "Acceptance Letter" is good business etiquette. If nothing else it's to reinforce agreed upon terms and conditions for your sake!

References:
http://www.quintcareers.com/sample_accepting_letter.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/careeradviceresources/qt/jobaccept.htm
IMG: http://campusapps2.fullerton.edu/Career/images/jobsearch/letter_06_accept.gif

Daniel R's What the letter looks like if you get rejected

Sample Rejection Letter to Job Applicant

Date:

Name of Applicant
Address

Dear (Name of Applicant):

We appreciate you applying for the position of (specify) at ABC Company.

Unfortunately we interviewed many applicants in the job search process and hired another individual whose credentials and qualifications were better suited for our needs.

Thus we will not be offering you the position, but thank you for your interest.

If a need arises for us to contact you in the future, we will do so and you have our continued good wishes.

Very truly yours,



HR Professional



A rejection letter entails a few things. It should first of all include the applicants name and what they were applying for. The letter should be written to let the applicant down nicely so that is not rude. When writing a rejection letter try not to write anything that can be taking the wrong way. The letter should be clear though so the applicant is clear whether they have received the job or not. If possible you can include something to help out the applicant in the future or leave it on a good note; like in this one. Rejecting some one on a good note helps keep a friendship between the applicant and the employer.

Resources:
www.acadweb.wwu.edu/HR/.../SAMPLEREJECTIONLETTER.doc
http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-forms-contracts/business-forms-contracts-a-to-z/form1-15.html

Leah K. Tips on How to Write Correctly

I can admit it, we all can admit it. When any type of writing assignment is due, the first thing we all do is run to our computers and start hammering away (granted all of our necessary research is finished). I'll even admit right now I am typing directly into the blog post box with out even thinking twice about grammar. While normally this is acceptable, it is not always professional. Here are the important points to tune into for the next time you start tapping the keys at record speed.

1. Don't trust the spell checker
I always do, and it usually comes and bites me in the behind. A spell checker just can not catch everything. Computers are getting smarter and smarter, but nothing can beat the power of a friend proof-reading allowed...I mean aloud. Good thing I re-read this and caught that! Phew!

2.Learn how to use their, there and they're correctly
It seems silly, but many of times this is a huge pet peeve of teachers. I would assume in the workplace it is not difference. Using the wrong their, they're, or there makes anyone seem...well...ignorant. Quick lesson: their is used in possesion, there is a location, they're is used for they are. That's all that needs to be said.

3. Follow Capitalization Rules
We have all been there... typing away and suddenly forgetting punctuation rules. Do I capitalize principal? Proper nouns, a person's title when preceeding a name or following it, and direct addresses are all capitalized. An example of a direct address would be, "How are you, Doctor."
Quiz time on Capitalization!
Which is correct capitalization?
A.The governors, lieutenant governors, and attorneys general called for a special task force.
B.Golden gate bridge
C.Ms. Haines, chairperson
D.Will you take my temperature, doctor?

The correct answer is A, capitalize the titles of high-ranking government officials when used with or before their names. Do not capitalize the civil title if it is used instead of the name.

4.Remember the commonly confused words
affect vs. effect
Use effect when you mean bring about or brought about, cause or caused.
Example: He effected a commotion in the crowd.
Affect is used as a noun to mean emotional expression.
Example: She showed little affect when told she had won the lottery.
You can find an entire list of words on the website http://www.grammarbook.com/homonyms/confusing-words-1.asp.

5. Write Effectively
I thought this writing stuff was so simple, turns out there are so many mechanics to it. Effective writing pertains to writing more concrete sentences versus vague ones, keeping the tenses all the same. So many times have I switched up my tenses and not realized it till my teacher pointed it out.

With these tips, everyone should be just fine tapping away.




http://www.grammarbook.com/