Language Arts Lesson 5-5 Instruction, last page

As we continue our discussion of the two kinds of prose -- exposition and narrative -- we come to one of the most common forms of expositional writing: the technical document. Technical writing is different from fiction in that its whole purpose is to communicate information. Did you ever wonder who writes the instruction manuals that come with products? Or who writes the stuff you read online? Technical writers, that's who. Technical writers are like teachers. They help people understand how to use a product or do something. The needs of the audience determine the purpose of a technical document. And that combination of purpose and audience determines the document's tone.

Fiction writing, on the other hand, is intended to entertain. Fiction writers invent characters, situations and settings. Fiction has much to teach us about people, morality and life -- but its primary purpose is not to inform us, it's to entertain us. The difference between technical and fiction writing is like the difference between the efferent (informative) and aesthetic (emotional) stances, which we learned about in Instruction 5-2.

When you write a lab report for science class, that's a technical document. Memos, business letters, job applications and resumes are technical documents. Of all these documents, the ones you're probably most concerned about now are job applications and resumes.

When you apply for a job, you will be asked to fill out an application. So go prepared. Have your social security number, your personal information and your list of references with you. If you have worked before, even part time, be sure you have the names, addresses and phone numbers of all your employers and the exact dates of your employment. Give some thought as to how you are going to describe what you did. If there's room on the application, go into detail. If you sold sweaters at Belk's Department Store, for example, don't just write "Sales Clerk," describe your job like this:

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Sales Associate, Belk's - Apparel Department:
helped hundreds of customers each week with their sweater selections, operated the cash register, processed returns, stocked shelves, participated in weekly sales meetings, maintained the attractive appearance of department. On several occasions, had the highest weekly sales figure of any Belk's Associate. Voted Employee of the Month in July.

You will almost never be the only applicant for a job, so you want to stand out from the crowd. What your prospective employer is interested in is what you can do for him or her -- so make yourself sound as intelligent, responsible, ambitious and successful as possible (without lying, of course).

If you've never had a job other than baby sitting or yard work, that's OK -- list those jobs. Again use detail. Instead of just writing "babysitting," explain what you did, like this:

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Care of two infants in their parents' home:
prepared meals, fed and bathed infants, read bedtime stories, put them to bed. On one occasion notified parents of medical emergency and contacted 911. Used CPR and kept infant alive until paramedics arrived.

Even if you've never worked outside your home, think of things you've done at school that show you can take responsibility. Let's say you helped out at the gym before basketball games. That's a "job," which could be described as follows:

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Pre-game assistant, men's locker room. Gave out and collected towels, made sure all needed supplies were available for athletes and coaches. Kept locker and shower room clean. Locked up after games and made sure no one remained in gym or locker room.

Don't lie -- but be creative. The more information you give and the better it makes you sound, the more likely you are to get the job.

The same holds true for your resume, too. Don't just list your job title, tell what you did. And make it specific to the job you're applying for -- which is easy to do on a computer. Sometimes just changing a word or two can make all the difference.

The first is called the Reverse Chronological Format. In it, you list your jobs and experience chronologically, putting your most recent position first and working backwards. This is the kind of resume most employers are used to seeing, but if you have very little work experience, it may not be right for you.

The second is called the Functional Resume Format. This is the one to use if you have very little professional experience but good classroom experience, life experience and skills.

The third is called the Combination Resume Format, which combines elements of the first two.

To see an example of each of these kinds of resumes, and for general help in preparing a resume, click:

As we said earlier, technical writing is also used in memos and business letters. In our last Instruction, we talked about persuasive essays. That information will be helpful here too, since many business situations involve trying to convince somebody of something.

Although you're probably not going to be writing business letters or memos just yet, you may have to write a cover letter to go along with your resume. So here are a few hints about business writing in general.

Write simply --don't use a lot of extra words or figurative language. Get to the point -- state why you're writing in the first paragraph. Decide what you want the result of your letter to be and write to achieve it. Put yourself in your reader's place. Address your reader by name so your letter seems more personal. Be positive. Don't use angry words -- your anger may fade but your letter won't. And make sure the letter looks neat and businesslike -- even if it's well written it won't work if it looks messy.

No matter what kind of job you eventually take, if it involves writing you'll be judged on how well you write. Writing is an extension of your interpersonal skills at work. Good writing tells your audience that you can think logically and communicate your thoughts clearly. Poor writing does just the opposite.

There's been a lot to digest in this lesson, but it's important. Unless you win the lottery, you'll probably have to work. And your writing ability will affect your job performance. Work on it!

You have now completed this Lesson and are ready to do the Problem and Test sections.

You may wish to review any or all of the topics before answering the questions that follow. You may also want to obtain more information from the links below before answering the questions.