2.

Writing Skills
Structure and presentation of different types of writing – Resume writing / e-correspondence /
Technical report Writing / Portfolio writing – organizing data / tools / analysis – improving one’s
writing.

Objectives
 To equip with necessary writing skills in order to face the corporate world.
 To strengthen the writing skills of the students and help them document their progress in
writing.
 To sharpen their communication skills towards writing a persuasive resume and effective
job application letters.
Introduction
Writing is a skill and which, like other skills need to be learnt with special efforts. Writing
involves the complete participation and involvement of the writers in order to produce the best.
Writing involves the transfer of thoughts into language and also a process where thinking is used
for appropriate usage of words and sentences. Writing is an excellent way of stimulating mental
development. It is writing which makes vague ideas become concrete. Thinking is the
prerequisite for writing which enables the writer to generate ideas on the given topic by
answering the fundamental questions like , what is the purpose? and who are the audience? In
the act of writing the effort to express ideas and the constant use of eye hand and brain comprises
a unique way of reinforcing learning and discovering new ways of expressing ideas. The close
relationship between writing and thinking on one hand and reading and writing on the other hand
is a valuable part of any language learning and skill acquiring programme. All effective writers
avoid ambiguity. Clear and legible writing is a bridge between the minds of the writer and the
reader.
As students of Engineering need good technical writing skills and as it is the need of the hour ,
there is a stress on technical writing skills. The three important factors are purpose, audience and
tone. The process of technical writing involves three stages- pre-writing, writing and re-writing.
In this unit students are introduced to portfolio writing resume writing report writing and e-
correspondence.

Theory:
There is no one set structure or framework that covers all possible forms of written
communication, except perhaps that writing should start with an introduction and finish with a
conclusion.
Written communication is like a bridge between writer and reader: like a bridge, its performance
and efficiency depend on its materials and structure. A good structure enables a powerful
message to be conveyed with minimum use of words. In section 4 appropriate structures for
popular pieces, essays, literature reviews, experimental write-ups, dissertations, professional
reports, academic papers and memos are suggested. This sub-section presents general principles
of structure. The overall structure of a piece of written work has blocks or sections of more-or-
less homogeneous material, arranged in order.
Sequencing is the skill of organizing textual material deciding the priority, the focus of the
different points and consequently the order in which it should be presented in a paragraph.
Sequencing is also about linking about ideas and concepts. Some of the common linkers are: in
addition to further, apart from, although however, in spite of etc.
Often the first section describes the problem, the second section collates the facts, the third
discusses deductions from and implications of the facts, and the last draws conclusions about
relationships (in scientific writing) or about desirable courses of action (in management plans).
Factors that contribute to clear, fluent and effective writing are:
1 Purpose: the reason for writing
2 Audience: the readers
3 Writer’s process: getting ideas, getting started, writing drafts and revision
4 Mechanics: spelling, punctuation
5 Grammar: rules of verb, agreement, articles, etc
6 Syntax: sentence structure, stylistic choice
7 Content: relevance, clarity, originality, logic
8 Word choice: vocabulary, idioms , tone etc
9 Organization: paragraphs, topic, cohesion and unity
This unit will be conducted in four sessions. First session deals with Portfolio writing , second
session deals with Resume writing, third session deals with Technical report writing and fourth
session deals with e-correspondence and organizing data tools

I -SESSION

Resume writing
Syllabus : Difference between Curriculum-vitae and Resume, types of Resumes, format and
components
Introduction:

In session two resume writing will be taken up. The purpose of a resume is to disclose one’s
qualifications and accomplishments to the admissions/ interview committee. The strategy should
be to emphasize the experience and the skills that a particular organization is looking for.
Resume is also an example of one’s communication and organizational skills.
Objectives:
 To empower students in writing skills in order to prepare a persuasive resume.
 To help students learn the nuances of resume to achieve their career goal.
Theory:

A Resume is a selective record of an individual’s back ground. It is a professional employment

seeking document that presents a summary of an individual’s education, professional training,
experience, skills , achievements and references etc. A well written persuasive resume tailored to
a specific job position immediately grabs the attention of an employer . There are three types of
resumes, i.e, Chronological resume, Functional resume and Combination resume. The design of
a resume largely depends on a person’s back ground, employment needs, career goals and
professional conventions in the area of specialization. The standard parts of a resume include the
heading, position sought, career objective, education, work experience, specific skills,
achievements, accomplishments and references.
Resume Design :

The design of a resume largely depends on a person’s background, employment needs, career
goals and professional conventions in the area of specialization. A resume should be original.
Although resume writing software may be used to design a resume or it may be written by a
professional resume writer, it should be designed according to individual needs. Keeping a
resume job specific gives it the required focus and makes it more effective.

Parts of a Resume :

The standard parts of a resume include the heading, position sought, career objective, education,
work experience, specific skills, achievements, activities, interests and references.

Heading :

The heading of a resume includes contact information, which contains the applicant’s name, full
postal address with pin code, telephone number with area code, fax number, and e-mail address.

Position Sought :

If applying for a solicited job position, the position sought should be mentioned so that the
employer is able to distinguish the application from those who might have applied for other
positions available in the company / organization.

Career Objective :

It should be a specific one-sentence focused statement expressing the candidate’s career goals in
relation to the targeted position. It should convey his / her motivation and interest in the job he /
she is seeking.

Example : To work as a product architect in innovative software company where I will be able to
use my experience in the areas of product and system architecture with expertise applications.

If you are just exploring a job position by sending an all-purpose resume, you may use a general
statement as your career objective. It should tell the potential employer the sort of work you are
hoping to do.

Example : 1. Seeking a suitable position in design / project management.

2. Challenging position in maintenance of computer printers and peripherals.

Profession Summary :

Some resumes may include a professional summary in place of career objective. It is a one-
sentence statement listing the applicant’s most important qualifications, his / her essential skills,
and his / her key work experience.

Example : Six year experience in providing customer support to users of the industry’s leading
network routing, switching, security, and VOIP technology as a CCNA professional at
CONVERGYS.

Education :

In this part of the resume, specific details regarding the applicant’s education and professional
training have to be included. The name and location of the school / college / university / institute
attended, dates of attendance, major areas of study, degrees / certificates received should be
mentioned. Relevant training programs, special courses, seminars and workshops that the
applicant might have completed, attended or conducted should also be included. Reverse
chronological order is used to list educational information.

Work Experience :

This part of a resume should provide a brief and specific overview of the applicant’s work and
professional experience.

Work experience should be given in reverse chronological order, by listing the most recent
employment first. Title of the position, employer’s name or name of the organization / company,
location of work, dates of employment, and important job responsibilities, activities and
accomplishments should be included. Emphasis should be placed on those aspects of the
applicant’s experience that illustrate his / her capabilities and positive personality traits.

Special Skills, Abilities and Aptitudes :

In this part of a resume, the applicant’s special skills, abilities and the aptitudes that are of
significance and of direct relevance to the job applied for are listed.

Activities and Interests :

Extra-curricular, Co-curricular, Professional activities, and hobbies and interests must be

mentioned. These activities must show that the applicant is a dynamic and energetic person who
can accept challenges.

Achievements / Accomplishments / Honours :

This part should include scholarships, fellowships, awards, distinctions, certificates or any thing
that shows achievement or recognition. These distinguish the candidate from the rest.

References :

Some employers need references from persons who know the applicant’s work or professional
competence through formal and professional interaction with him / her. When applying for a
solicited position where the employer wants references, the names of three persons who can give
letters of recommendations or references should be mentioned. These persons may include the
applicant’s previous employer, teacher, immediate supervisor, research guide, colleague,
subordinate and so on. The name of the reference must be mentioned, his / her designation, and
full contact address should be given.
Sample Resume

Combination Resume

VIBHOR SAXENA

A-25/31, Sector-60, Noida – 201 301.

Email : [email protected]

SKILLS

 Conversant in structural steel design and fabrication

 Have sufficient exposure to project management methodologies
 Competent in managing construction activities of large scale
Heavy Engineering Project
 Proficient in MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Excel, and Word 98
and 2000
 Good problem-solving skills
 Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
 Competent in speaking French

EXPERIENCE Project Leader, Dharampal Premchand Ltd., Sector-60, Noida-201

301 December 2001 to present
 Complete civil projects within or ahead of the schedule through
strict planning, monitoring, and control while maintaining the
best construction standards
 Supervise erection of auxiliary facilities like water treatment,
ETP, cabling, piping and other utilities
 Maintain customer relations through effective presentation of
technical expertise
Assistant Project Manager (Civil), Subhash Projects and Marketing
Ltd, Park Street, Kolkata
December 1998 to November 2001
 Assist in the project management of various civil works being
executed at site
 Coordinate with Head Office, sites, various departments and sub-
contractors
 Maintain close liaison with clients

EDUCATION Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry

B.Tech in Civil Engineering, July 1998
Institute of Information Technology, Mumbai
Certificate in Computer Programming, December, 1998
ACTIVITIES

 Member, Institution of Engineers, New Delhi

 Member, National Cadet Corps, 1994-1996
 Secretary, Society for Promotion of Science, New Delhi
INTERESTS

 Badminton, Football, Cycling

 Classical Music, Movies, Fiction
Practice
During practice session, students go through SWOT analysis to have clarity
in preparation of resume. They also go through the soft ware related to the
topic, i.e, K-VAN solutions and other sites like www.education.world,com,
Jobsearch.about.com, jobaccess.gov.au. As the students become adept in
format and design, they prepare their own resume and submit to the teacher
concerned.

ExerciseStudents prepare their own resume according to the notification given in

news papers and submit to the teacher for evaluation. They also submit an eminent
personality’s resume on the given profile in the next lab session.
Assessment
Resumes are assessed on the following parameters: a) type of resume, b)
focus on skills, c) parts of a resume, d) design-job specific