Letter to Cousin

Dear Nick Gardner,


I find it extremely hard to believe that you are about to begin your journey to Provo, Utah attending college at Brigham Young University. It feels like yesterday I was babysitting you, chasing you around in circles, begging you to get ready for bed before your mom got home. Now, you are about to begin a key step in your life. As I am beginning my third year at Utah State University, I am reflecting on what has happened in the last three years. A key aspect that I never thought about before attending university was technical and professional communication. When I walked into my English 1010 class I had no idea how little I actually knew about technical writing. I was under the impression that this course would not be different from my high school classes. I was wrong. To prevent this from happening to you, I am going to explain to you what technical and professional communication is and how it will apply to you as you transition to this next phase of your life. To start, I will be explaining my personal explanation of technical and professional communication and then I will give you a more fact based description. Overall, I hope I can add some insight before you start college.


Now, I know you know what communication is. I would like to believe that everyone we are surrounded by has a general knowledge of what communication is. What you may not know is how much is actually included in “communication”. There is a time and a place for “slang”. I would be lying if I said I never used slang words. The trick is knowing when it is appropriate to use them. I cannot count on my hand how often I have overheard people speaking to someone of higher authority and using words such as “bro” or “homie”. This, in my opinion, should not be happening. It is important to recognize that how you choose to speak portrays who you are. Each and every thing you say plays a role in what opinion a person will make for you. Using professional words like “sir” or “dr.” when necessary offers respect instantly. Every single day we are connecting with people that become part of our network. We never know when we may need to call on someone within our network for a future opportunity. If that person in your network knew you as disrespectful or lazy, just based off hearing you speak, they are not likely to give you a positive review in whatever situation it may be. Starting now, you are constantly going to be looking for opportunities for your professional career. You want everyone you come in contact with to know that you are professional and that you are capable of showing that. This is just a few of the many roles I have seen throughout my career thus far.


Finally, the facts. Employers are less likely to hire you if you do not demonstrate exceptional communication skills. In 2014 the Official GMAT Blog said, “Our 2014 survey of nearly 600 employers revealed what they want most from new graduate business hires—they want people who can speak well, write well, listen to others, present well, sell ideas to others, and negotiate with others in the course of running a business—in other words, they want communicators, with a capital C.” Writing well is something so key that often gets overlooked. According to Anne Eisenberg, "professional communication is writing or speaking that is accurate, complete, and understandable to its audience—that tells the truth about the data directly and clearly. Doing this takes research, analysis of the audience, and the mastering of the three interrelated elements of organization, language, and design and illustration." That needs to be considered in all your doings. For example, when sending out an email to a large corporation, or clientele, you are portraying the whole company. What you write, how you spell, your grammar, and your punctuation will all be reviewed. You have to do a first draft, a second draft, and a final draft to ensure that you are catching any mistake that might take place. There is such thing as being too casual, this all comes down to knowing your audience. As I mentioned before, there is a time and a place for different types of communication. In the workplace, and to anyone you respect, you must use your professional communication.


I know you are going to have a great experience at BYU and I hope you choose to rely on the things I have taught you.





Thank you,


Jaimee



https://www.thoughtco.com/professional-communication-1691542


http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-blog-hub/the-official-gmat-blog/2014/aug/employers-want-communication-skills-in-new-hires.aspx