March 2010 Newsletter from Shelly Rosenberg

Editing, Proofreading & Resume Services
March 2010 – Newsletter
from the desk of
Shelly Rosenberg
www.shellyrosenberg.com

Greetings…..

In this issue of my newsletter I will be sharing the following information that should be of interest to you.


• Writing Styles
• Writing Standards – APA Version Six Changes
• Some Less Obvious Tips for the Job Seeker
• Interview Coaching


Writing Styles

The style of writing used in a technical thesis should be quite different from the style used on a music website. When you are writing, keep in mind the makeup and attitude of your audience and write for that audience. Just as you would probably dress differently when attending a symphony from the way you would dress when going to a theme park, your language and writing should fit the occasion.

One technique might be to just write your paper to get the ideas recorded and in the proper sequence. Then, go back specifically to adjust the language to be appropriate for the target audience. You could also have a friend, or someone representative of your “audience” read your paper just to see his or her reaction and then revise it where necessary.

When sending me a paper for a specific audience, be sure to let me know the audience so that my editing can reflect that.


Writing Standards – APA Version Six Changes

If your thesis or dissertation or college paper must follow APA version six standards, there are some important changes to keep in mind:
• For version six there should be two spaces after the period at the end of the sentence. In my opinion, this is a step backwards. But, it is not a difficult change to make using MS Word.
• The other significant change is the heading levels. There are five levels of headings, each with its own standard format. And, you are not to skip a level. In other words, if you are using four heading levels, you must use levels one, two, three and four. In previous versions this was not the case.

I am well versed in the APA standards and can assist you with complying to these standards in your papers. Just be sure to let me know what version you are required to follow.


Some Less Obvious Tips for the Job Seeker

Here are some clever tips I have come across for the job seeker:

• Start a blog about your area of expertise. When a potential employer “googles” you, he or she will come across your article or blog and realize your dedication and knowledge.
• Use social media sites to search for jobs. LinkedIn has groups of all sorts. Find groups in your area of work and network to find out where jobs exist. Jobs and job leads are also posted on LinkedIn. You can find other members of these groups who work for companies with posted positions. Some insight into the company and the posted position will give you an added advantage.
• Many companies have “employee referral plans.” These plans give a monetary bonus to employees who refer a job candidate who eventually gets hired. Use the social media sites to meet these company employees. An employee referral gives you a better chance of getting an interview than just sending your resume to the company. And, the current employee might get handsomely rewarded. Try it.

Interview Coaching

Some of you for whom I have written resumes have asked me to do some interview coaching. I have done this on an informal basis several times but would now like to offer this as a regular service. Please let me know if you are interested in interview coaching. We can then work out the details.

Future Newsletter Topics…

• New types of interviews being used today…
• Some common grammatical errors…
• Topics suggested by you…

Shelly Rosenberg

“My goal is to enhance your text in a way that makes it clear and error free so that it is ready to be read by your professor, your readership, your clients, your future employer, your current employer, your agent or your publisher.”