Five Tips for Writing Your About Page,James Chartrand 

If you're going to put your words on public display, it's your job to make that content compelling, intriguing, entertaining or informative. If it's boring... well. Suffice it to say that very few readers are going to be interested.

That's why your About page has to be just as good as every other piece of content on your site....

Consistently Stylish

...

Put Yourself Out There

Welcome to Generation X and Y, where millions of people crave personality, transparency and honesty. Gone are the days of About pages listing the year of company founding and boring credentials. Now people want to see who you are, how you came to be here and what your favorite color might be....

That doesn't mean you should use your About page to tell your life story, reveal your deepest, darkest secrets or go on about unrelated traumatic events. Keep the content relevant and concise. Just add a personal touch and give people a taste of who you are. List a bit of 'you' trivia. Talk about how you got started. Show a little of the face behind the online mask.

Don't Forget the Credentials

While About pages should tell an honest, interesting story, they should also still have those credentials in there. Mention your experience, your education or your skills - just do it with style. Note how long you've been in business (if it's been a while), and indicate any accomplishments that make you stand out. You can also list associations you're involved in, distinguishing factors, or organizations you support. Do you do volunteer work or donate funds? List that too, because it helps show people what you stand for....

Tell a Good Story

Everyone likes to hear a story, and every single person in this world has a story to tell. A bland description isn't going to interest people, but a story hooks them in every single time. ... Stay sharp and concise, with a hook intro, a nice build up, a climax and a wrap.

People like to know the story of what brought you here and how you became interested in what you do.

Image source: Flickr, What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging, 2007.

Personal Branding in the Age of Google:
 
Everything you do now ends up in your permanent record. The best plan is to overload Google with a long tail of good stuff and to always act as if you're on Candid Camera, because you are.
Seth Godin

Go to the following website to build a personal mission statement: Live with Purpose.

Or approach your mission statement the old-fashioned way with a five-step program:

The Five-Step Plan for Creating Personal Mission Statements by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Step 1: Identify Past Successes. 

Try to identify whether there is a common theme -- or themes -- to these examples. Write them down.

Step 2: Identify Core Values. Develop a list of attributes that you believe identify who you are and what your priorities are. The list can be as long as you need.

Once your list is complete, see if you can narrow your values to five or six most important values.

Finally, see if you can choose the one value that is most important to you.

Step 3: Identify Contributions. Make a list of the ways you could make a difference. In an ideal situation, how could you contribute best to:'

• the world in general
• your family
• your employer or future employers
• your friends
• your community

Step 4: Identify Goals. Spend some time thinking about your priorities in life and the goals you have for yourself.

Make a list of your personal goals, perhaps in the short-term (up to three years) and the long-term (beyond three years).

Step 5: Write Mission Statement. Based on the first four steps and a better understanding of yourself, begin writing your personal mission statement.

Mission Statement PowerPoint

 

The following video is a large media file that I uploaded to my Pass Space:


What did you find most helpful?
Choose two fonts for your resume? How will you use them?
Choose font size for your title/name; H1, H2 and text.
Choose font family and size for your cover letter and explain your choice.
What is your favorite font/font family and why?
What font should you avoid when composing professional communication?

Thanks.

To:
From:
Subject:
Date:

The purpose of this memo....

Summary

Job Description

Audience Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis

Recommendation

Extra Credit if you turn in a References Page!

I.  Read assignment page
2. Markel Chapter 15
3. Interactive Online Exercise
4. Read through additional blog entries
5. Test sample resumes
6. Indeed.com research positions

 

June 11th--
1. Writing Cover Letters
2. Writing Memos
3. Planning Worksheet
4. Interactive exercises
5. Workshop resumes
6. Read Weblog Assignment
7. Tag, complete and comment on entries

Resume 1 - Industrial Engineer.pdf

Resume 2 - Graphic Designer.pdf

Resume 3 - Marketing, Fashion Publishing.pdf

Resume 4 - Software Programmer.pdf

resume 5 - Environtmental Engineer.pdf

Resume 6 - Financial Analyst.pdf

Resume 7 - Marketing.pdf

Resume 8 - Jr. Accountant.pdf

Resume 9 - Nurse.pdf

Sometimes your resume can hurt you more than help you.  Joe Turner (Yahoo) The following information is adapted from Joe Turner's article posted on Yahoo, "The Three Rules."

1. Less is more.

A good resume should leave the prospective employer with a desire to know more.

(Don't tell too much. Your resume should read like a billboard, not an encyclopedia. Thus, they will be likely to call and phone-screen you.)

·         Save the details for the job interview

·         List one or two important duties for each job

·         Skip personal information

·         Avoid mind-numbing detail


2. Use more keywords

You want the search engines to flag your resume for closer examination. Do this by including several keywords that are relevant to your job and your job skills, as well as specific industry words that may be appropriate.

Here are some examples of keywords: International Standards (ISO), Flash, MBA, copy edit, CPMs, medical device, Dreamweaver, and search engine marketing (SEM).

Some candidates add a separate "keywords" section at the bottom of digital-format resumes, or others list keywords as part of a "skills" section. These are possible catch-all areas specifically for the search engines to recognize.

3. Be specific.

Don't just tell them what you did; tell them the benefit of your accomplishments.   Identify measurable results and use numbers.

Emurse is one way to build a professional resume. This online service will help you build/make and create your resume. It's free.   

Don't Crowd Your Resume

•    Use standard size paper in white or cream
•    Use headings and spaces between sections
•    Use bullets or brief, to-the-point phrases
•    Always allow at least a 1/2 inch border margin all the way around the resume
•    Avoid the words "I", "me", "mine", or "resume"
•    Avoid unnecessary or distracting punctuation, borders or graphics
•    Avoid complete sentences
•    Keep phrases short

Understanding the 10-Second Rule
 
The recruiter will spend 10 seconds to find the following information:

•    Who you are, where you live, and where you work?
•    What education, training and college degrees you have?
•    What were your two or three most recent job titles?
•    How many total years you have worked in this field?

This information must be on the first page.
Jumbled resumes are discarded.

Understanding the 30-Second Rule

If you pass the "10 second rule", next you must pass the 30 second rule. This is where more subjective information is sought:

•    Do you seem to be professional?
•    Do you seem to be honest?
•    Do you seem to possess the key characteristics or personal traits needed?
•    Do you seem to be hardworking, loyal, and dedicated?
•    Do you seem to be likeable?
  

Common Issues to help you move from proposal to article:

Don't use bullet lists!
Make sure that you have both content/body paragraphs and transitional paragraphs----
I found very few transitional paragraphs.
Begin your technical description with a one-sentence definition
Standardize your bib---take out the annotated part for your article---MLA
Bullet bib.
Garner a story-telling mode and tone----
Take out the "I" voice
Strive to include an outside voice for every paragraph
If you use headings, make them creative and a part of your story

Sample Resume #1.doc

Formality

Charateristics by role

 

Dept Name

Development, high

 Support, high

Marketing, medium

Finance,low

C-level, low

Use the same language that your audience uses--

 

  Familiarity with the product varies between departments.

 

Needs  Key Words

Developing Personas---how would we develop one for the PA Center for the book

Formality Index Jan Cleland

Assign a score from 1-10 for three questions. 1 means a strong no

10 mans a strong yes

1. Do you know your target readers well and personally? 1-10

2. Are they below you in "rank"? 1-10

3. Is the subject of your communication good news? 1-10

Informal flyers, newsletters, notes, margin notes, sticky notes, emails

Formal letterson letterhead, proposals, legal doc. brochures, email attachments

formality of style: informal

refer to people bytheir first names

acronyms

use relaxed sentence structures

avoid letter

Formality of style: formal

last names, avoid acronyms,  adhere to academi stand, large margins, sincerely, sign both first and last names, assume no previous knwledge on your readre's part.

formality of tone: informal

create empathy with words, to sound uret stress deadlins or cons

formality of tone: formal

use the imperative, use a logical progression.

calculate the formality index...

U.S. Mint
Anti-skin aging
Baldwin locomotive
bat research
hydraulic fracturing
yellow fever
artificial heart
lincoln highway
general spaatz


Use a formal block-letter format.
Include at least 5 images, not links, images.
Develop full paragraphs.
You must have headings.
Fully developed technical description.
See grading rubric on Proposal page for more info

We'll go through this PowerPoint! yikes, during class. Be prepared to follow along and take notes in the form of  comments to this entry.

Markel8e-Ch10-1.ppt

thanks

Chapter9_holidaysquares(4).ppt

For object and mechanism descriptions

• What is the item? You might start with a sentence definition.
• What is the function of the item? If the function is not implicit in the sentence definition, state it: "Electron microscopes magnify objects that are smaller than the wavelengths of visible light."
• What does the item look like? Include a photograph or drawing if possible. (See Ch. 13 for more about incorporating graphics with text.) If not, use an analogy or comparison: "The cassette that encloses the tape is a plastic shell, about the size of a deck of cards." Mention the material, texture, color, and the like, if relevant. Sometimes an object is best pictured with both graphics and words.
• How does the item work? In a few sentences, define the operating principle. Sometimes objects do not "work"; they merely exist. For instance, a ship model has no operating principle.
• What are the principal parts of the item? Limit your description to the principal parts. A description of a bicycle, for instance, would not mention the dozens of nuts and bolts that hold the mechanism together; it would focus on the chain, gears, pedals, wheels, and frame.
• For process descriptions:
   

• What is the process? You might start with a sentence definition.
• What is the function of the process? Unless the function is obvious, state it: "The central purpose of performing a census is to obtain current population figures, which government agencies use to revise legislative districts and determine revenue-sharing."
• Where and when does the process take place? "Each year the stream is stocked with hatchery fish in the first week of March." Omit these facts only if your readers already know them.
• Who or what performs the process? If there is any doubt about who or what performs the process, state it.
• How does the process work? "The four-treatment lawn-spray plan is based on the theory that the most effective way to promote a healthy lawn is to apply different treatments at crucial times during the growing season. The first two treatments--in spring and early summer--consist of...."
• What are the principal steps of the process? Name the steps in the order in which you will describe them. The principal steps in changing an automobile tire, for instance, include jacking up the car, replacing the old tire with the new one, and lowering the car back to the ground. Changing a tire also includes secondary steps, such as placing chocks against the tires to prevent the car from moving once it is jacked up. Explain or refer to these secondary steps at the appropriate points in the description.

 

Tristan B. Technical Description

For perfect attendance during each project, earn up to 5% extra credit added to your grade for the project.

Don't forget, when you attend, daily writing/quiz points are also acquired during class.

Attendance is important.
Missing class might mean missing a pop quiz or in-class writing assignment.

Image source: Flickr,
attendance, 2008.

1.  Locate books on your topic with:
1. The CAT
2. Google Book Search
2. Databases:
1.  Encyclopedias
2. Journal and newspaper literature:

                                                              i.      ProQuest

                                                            ii.      JSTOR

                                                          iii.      LexisNexis Academic

3. Websites:
1. Official website
2. Google U.S. Government
4. Finding images:

a.                               Institutional digital archives: Penn State, Pitt, Penn

b.                              Wikimedia Commons, Flickr, Google Images

c. AP photos

d. Library of Congress

5. Citing sources:

 

1. Library citation guides

 

2. KnightCite citation generator

 

6. Career Resources:

 

1. Library Career Resource Guide

 

http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/featureideasandclaims.html

The Topic Suggestion Page for Technical Subjects (202C) is at:

http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/FeaturesTechnical.html

The Topic Suggestion Page of General Subjects (202D) is at:

http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/FeaturesGeneral.html

See you there!

You must  complete an annotated bibliography of at least twenty-five sources. Each annotation should answer the following questions:

• Describe the quality of the source?
• What is in it (content, scope)?
• How is the information relevant and useful for my topic?

Use a broad range of sources for this assignment. Going on location, taking photographs and interviewing people will add to the complexity of your writing. In addition, take careful notes during our library lecture. Not all sources should be web-based. If you find a source that has a hard text original, cite the original source. Alan would like his readers outside of the university community to be able to access your sources through library loan. Citing the original document will make this possible.

Number of Sources: Begin writing with close to twenty-five sources on hand; at least five of your sources can be images for the final article.

Kinds of Sources: The majority of sources must NOT be web material. They should be journal articles, newspaper articles (contemporary to the action in the piece when possible), books. Interviews with experts are great. 

Wikipedia is not to be cited; it can be used, however, to backtrack to original, good sources. Similar sources (answers.com and others) are also out of bounds. Patent documents, etc are excellent when appropriate. The one kind of website that would work best is if the location being written about has it's own website; the student, however, must strive to bring outside material so the piece doesn't sound like a press release, etc. Within the piece the student writes, he/she needs to quote or at least summarize and attribute outsidevoices. These can be book reviewers for writers, analytical articles for engineers, etc. Pieces without these "outside voices" are unlikely to be accepted.

• Artificial Hearts - Philip Hudson (C)
• U.S. MINT- Michael Thompson (C)
  
• Anti Skin Aging - Hannah Nowotarski (C)
• Wilbur Chocolate- William Noggle
• Germ Warfare- Marwah Alsenan
  
• PA School for the Deaf - MaryJoy Gregory (C)
• Baldwin Locomotive - Andrew Catherine (C)
• Iron Industry - Ryan Moore (C)
• ENIAC - Eric Frazier (C)
• Pennsic - Nick Peters (C)
• Spinal Regeneration - Tyler Sweeney (C)
• Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 - Sam Gum (C)
• Hydraulic Fracturing - Rustum Khawaja (C)
• American Philosophical Society - Ryan Murphy (C)
• Lincoln Highway - Craig Ricketts (C)
• Breyer's Icecream- Bineta Diouf (C)
• Col Spaatz - XinyunWang (C)
• Whoopie Pie - Hasib Hussain (C)
• Sulfuric Acid - Jason Dunham (C)
• TV Guide - Eric Andrews (C)
• Avondale Coal Mine Disaster - Aruna Dias (C)
• Bat Research - Carolina Villalobos (C)
• Hydrolic Fracturing  - Rakan Almutairi (C)

University Libraries Research Page - this is where you begin


Digitized Collections **** a number of useful digitized collections

PA's Past--Digital Bookshelf Collection --great resource for many topics

Pennsylvania Geology - oil?

Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography juried magazine sources!

Western Pennsylvania History - limited by geography-western pa


University Libraries Databases next place to go

Proquest-great to begin a general search, you can limit your search to full articles and scholarly work

New York Times Historical Newspaper --1851-2006



Access World Newsbank (178 Pennsylvania newspapers)

1978 Philadelphia newspaper
1990 Pittsburgh  newspaper

America's Historical Newspapers 1690-1922

American Periodical Series 1740 -1900

American National Biography Online