English 420Y - Business Writing Online

What I really thought was good about the reading was it’s focus on several different types of documents one would see in a professional setting. At first I thought the whole article was going to be concerned which just resumes and cover letters, which is good to know but is something I have been exposed to before as opposed to the other types of documents. It was also good to see what types of documents exist in the professional world, beyond the resume and the memo. I’m in a field that is not stereotypical in the sense that I do not deal with customers or clients. I work in a more technical field and am exposed to documents that resemble the case analysis and the white paper more than the memo or a client focused recommendation report. Sometimes in a field that is similar to mine it may be difficult to understand why you would need a professional writing course, and this article makes a clear point that no matter what your field you will more than likely see some sort of business writing. However, all that being said I still believe it is important to know how many different business documents as you never know when you will be asked to write something new or even when you may have a sudden career change. Even though many people seem to think it is a rather simple task, even writing a resume presents a challenge especially if you have little knowledge on how they should appear. I have even known people with a great deal of expertise and knowledge in their field struggle with creating an appealing resume. Recently I had a colleague with many years experience in the nuclear power field ask me to take a look at her resume and make suggestions, even though I have much less experience in the field. I was more than glad to help, but it made me realize how important a skill like that is to have. The ability to write effectively can give you an edge, even if you are a little less experienced or still a little green to a field.