READING

An average college student reads between 150 and 250 words per
minute. A good reading speed is around 250 to 400 words per minute,
but some people can read even 1000 words per minute. Four basic steps
to effective reading are:-

1. Figure out the purpose of reading a particular text.

2. Spot the parts of the text relevant to the identified purpose and ignore
the rest.
3. Choose the appropriate reading strategy that suits your purpose.
4. Test or assess your comprehension during reading and also when the
reading task is completed.
ART OF LEARNING SUB SKILLS OF
SKIMMING:
Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information or
‘gist’ from the document or novel that you read. For this, you should
make your eyes run over the text; you should make your eyes run over
the text, noting important information. You may also go through the
content of the chapters rapidly, picking out and understanding the key
words and concept. For example, while reading the newspaper in the
morning, you quickly try to get the general news of the day and discover
which article you would like to read more.

SCANNING:
Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information. In this type of
reading you allow your eyes to run over the text, looking for the specific
piece of information that you need. You use scanning when you go
through your schedule meeting plan, look for specific advertisement or
specific information in a book, etc. This is the most effective way of
getting information from a magazine- scan the table content or index and
turn directly to interesting articles to achieve to the specific information.
Inferencing / Guessing word meaning:
While reading a comprehension passage, it is quite important for us to
understand the given text both lexically and contextually. Interpreting a
text lexically suggests understanding its meaning, while inferring it
contextually suggests discovering its underlying meaning in the context.
For example, While we come across a remark such as ‘…that is how the
cloud of ignorance obscure our view and does not allow us to
transcend…’ We are required to look at the expression ‘cloud of
ignorance’ both lexically and contextually. Now, we all know what
‘cloud’ lexically means mass of water vapor that floats in the sky. But
here in this context it means some obstacles or barriers that impedes
clarity and obfuscates people. Therefore we need to understand both
lexical and contextual meaning of the text.
Using appropriate speed for various kind of reading:
Purpose of reading Number of words perminute
Reading for memorization Fewer than 100
Reading for learning 100-200
Reading for comprehension 200-400
Skimming 400-700
Actually most adults are able to increase their reading rate significantly
and rather rapidly without lowering their comprehension. There are three
main factors involved in improving reading speed.

• The desire to improve.

• Conscious efforts in using newly acquired techniques.
• A motivation to practice.
Correction of Reading Faults of Eye –fixation:
While reading, when someone unable to progress well beyond a
thought, expression or word, it is regarded as eye fixation. When we
know that there is no escape from reading, we need to cultivate an
active interest in our reading assignments. Gradually our
concentration begins to improve if we consciously start taking interest
in reading activity.
Regression:
When we are unable to understand an idea, we habitually go back to
the past where it occurs in a passage. This is called regression. This
happens due to lack of training. For efficient and artful reading, you
should make your eye, move over at least two three words in one go.
Since reading is an intensive process if trained well, the eye quickly
moves to assimilate text.
Finger pointing, Sub vocalizing and reading aloud
Often we mothers telling their lids to read aloud so that they can also
finish their kitchen work while they help their kids improve their
reading skills. This however, leads to poor concentrations while
reading, as their primary objective in such reading becomes proper
articulation of certain words and expression.
 Similarly finger pointing, moving or gliding a pen, through the text
are also not worth imbibing. Reading and comprehension tends to
affect your understanding of the concept. Ideally our eyes should see
our mind should read the text before us.
Sub vocalizing is when you utter or form word or sound with the lips
silently or with barely audible sounds especially while memorizing
something and talking to oneself.
Indiscriminate use of Dictionary:
Some damage to reading habit is also done because of lack of
guidance about proper utilization of the dictionary. Dictionary is used
to understand meaning of all such words and their specific usage, and
the word similar and dissimilar to them. It has to be followed by using
all such words in your speaking or writing task.
Another misuse of dictionary is the tendency to refer to it the moment
one come across a word one find difficult to understand. This is result
in loosing spontaneity while reading assignments without taking such
breaks. Mark the word and expressions you are unable to understand.
Once you have finished the entire assignment turn to the dictionary to
understand words. Try to learn its pronunciation, identify its class, its
singular and plural form, its different meaning and usages and the
words which are similar or dissimilar to it.
THE WRITING PROCESS
GUIDELINES FOR COMPOSING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS
MESSAGES
Today’s world of business is replete with various kinds of written
communication, which is a convenient way for any business to reach
across to people within the locality and the neighborhood and also to the
customers and prospects in the other cities. Business message are so
much part of the everyday message that one cannot think of a business
without related business messages.
Well written business message create your image as professional and
strong. In other words, a sharp business writing skill is a key to rising to
the top.

1. DETERMINE YOUR PURPOSE

It’s crucial you know what your aim is. There will be times when you’re
simply giving information, but often you’ll be seeking to influence and
persuade – to get the recipient to take some kind of action. Being as
clear as possible about what your goal is will allow you to formulate key
messages that achieve it.

2. CONSIDER YOUR RECIPIENT/S (KNOW YOUR READERS)

What do they know already about your subject – and what do they want
to know? What are their concerns? What’s their attitude? Do they want
lots of detail or just an overview? What will they be doing with the
information you provide?
3. KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE
People are busy and don’t have time to read long documents. Getting
your point across concisely increases the chances of them reading what
you have to say and acting upon it.
4. HAVE A LOGICAL STRUCTURE
Make what you’re writing is easy to follow by structuring it well. Have
one point flow naturally into the next. Spend time planning your
structure when you start and you’ll save time at the writing stage – and
the result will be better.
5. BREAK IT UP
Use paragraphs, sub-headings and bullets to break up your writing.
Large slabs of text rarely get read thoroughly because they look
impenetrable (impossible to get in) and uninviting.
6. FORMAL AND ORGANISED
Reports tend to be Formal and organized. Organize the data and put it in
right order and with proper arrangements while you are composing any
type of business communications, whether a business e-mail, memo,
letter or a report.
7. MAKE IT EASY TO READ
Use simple and concise sentences. Avoid long, complicated sentences.
Go for an average length of 17 words – with some much shorter. Use
simple words and phrases (‘use’ rather than ‘employ’, ‘now’ rather than
‘in the present situation’).
8. USE COMPELLING LANGUAGE
Use ‘Power Talk’ (“I’m confident you’ll find our proposal of interest”)
not ‘Wimp Talk” (“I hope you’ll find our proposal of interest”). Put your
main point at the end of the sentence where it will have the most impact.
Writing with conviction and certainty will enhance your credibility and
make the recipient feel confident about what you have to say.

9. AVOID GRAMMATICAL AND SPELLING MISTAKE

People who care about such things care a lot. If you make mistakes in
your spelling and grammar – such as using ‘they’re’ instead of ‘their’ or
‘less’ when it should be ‘fewer’ – they’ll start to doubt the content of
your communication as well.
10. RECHECK OR PROOFREAD THOROUGHLY.
Print the document out – it’s easy to miss things when doing a final
check on screen. Read everything twice: once for meaning, once looking
for errors. Get someone else to read important documents as well.
They’ll spot things you missed.
Persuasive messages/ Influential message
These messages try to motivate readers to agree with the senders to
make them act in a desired way. As a business person you may need to
influence your superior to adopt a particular proposal, your supplier to
replace a defective product or a customer to buy a product.
Example: An advertising firm sending a proposal in respect to the
demand from a bank for a nationwide advertising campaign.
A persuasive message is the central message that intrigues, informs,
convinces, or calls to action. Persuasive messages are often discussed in
terms of reason versus emotion. Every message has elements of ethos, or
credibility; pathos, or passion and enthusiasm; and logos, or logic and
reason. If your persuasive message focuses exclusively on reason with
cold, hard facts and nothing but the facts, you may or may not appeal to
your audience. People make decisions on emotion as well as reason, and
even if they have researched all the relevant facts, the decision may still
come down to impulse, emotion, and desire. On the other hand, if your
persuasive message focuses exclusively on emotion, with little or no
substance, it may not be taken seriously. Finally, if your persuasive
message does not appear to have credibility, the message may be
dismissed entirely.
In general, appeals to emotion pique curiosity and get our attention, but
some attention to reason and facts should also be included. That doesn’t
mean we need to spell out the technical manual on the product on the
opening sale message, but basic information about design or features, in
specific, concrete ways can help an audience make sense of your
message and the product or service. Avoid using too many abstract
terms or references, as not everyone will understand these. You want
your persuasive message to do the work, not the audience.
Structure of a persuasive message

The four parts of a persuasive message are shown in Table 4.7.1.

Four parts of a persuasive message

Part Description

Attention Use humor, novelty, surprise, an unusual fact, or a

statement (or question to get the attention of your audience.
hook)

Build interest by appealing to your audience’s needs and

Introduction wants and include a purpose statement to set up
expectations.

Explanation Establish credibility and build your relationship with

your audience, discuss attractive features, and compare
with competitors addressing concerns or potential
questions before they are even considered.

Call to Sum it up and offer solution steps or calls to action,

action motivating your audience to take the next step. The
smaller the step, the more likely your audience will
comply. Set up your audience for an effective closing. It
should be clear what your audience should do, by when,
and how.
 Your persuasive message will compete with hundreds of other messages
your audience receives and you want it to stand out (Price, 2005). One
effective way to do that is to make sure your attention statement (or
hook) and introduction clearly state how your audience will benefit. For
example:

• Will the product or service save time or money?

• Will it make them look good?
• Will it entertain them?
• Will it satisfy them?

Regardless of the product or service, the audience is going to consider

first what is in it for them. A benefit is what the audience gains by doing
what you’re asking them to do and this is central to your persuasive
message. They may gain social status, popularity, or even reduce or
eliminate something they don’t want. Your persuasive message should
clearly communicate the benefits of your product or service (Winston &
Granat, 1997).

Strategies for persuasive messages

Your product or service may sell itself, but you may want to consider
using some strategies to help ensure your success:

1. Start with your greatest benefit. Use it in the headline, subject line,
caption, or attention statement. Audiences tend to remember the
information from the beginning and end of a message, but have less
recall about the middle points. Make your first step count by
highlighting the best feature first.
2. Take baby steps. Promote, inform, and persuade on one product or
service at a time. You want to hear “yes,” and if you confuse the
audience with too much information, too many options, steps to
consider, or related products or service, you are more likely to hear “no”
as a defensive response as the audience tries not to make a mistake.
Avoid confusion and keep it simple.
3. Know your audience. The more background research you can do on
your audience, the better you can anticipate their specific wants and
needs and tailor your persuasive message to meet them.
4. Lead with emotion, and follow with reason. Gain the audience’s
attention with drama, humor, or novelty and follow with specific facts
that establish your credibility, provide more information about the
product or service, and lead to your call to action.

These four steps can help improve your persuasive messages. Invest
your time in planning and preparation, and consider the audience’s needs
as you prepare your messages. Figure 4.7.1 provides an example of a
persuasive email message.
Sample persuasive email
In this message, the writer has combined emotion and reason and
reinforced their credibility in order to create interest in their service,
hopefully leading to a sale.

Good will / Good news Messages:

The message that convey positive information that mirrors your good
will (offering adjustment, expressing appreciation, sending a note of
thanks, expressing sympathy, etc) in order to keep alive the business
relationships.
Examples: The CEO of an MNC sending an appreciation letter
congratulating an employee for having been selected in national
football team,
The president of a business is writing a note of sympathy to
communicate with the deceased employee’s family.

Bad news Messages:

These messages deliver information that is undesirable or
disappointing to the readers. Messages revealing contract denial, job
rejection, refusal of a request for adjustment some in this category.
Examples: A manager sending a message to the candidate revealing
his rejection for a job.
A manager of a bank is refusing loan to a university student.
Routine Messages:
These messages have higher importance than the positive messages,
but the emotional content and involvement is low. Inquiries, personal
evaluation request for credit information comes under this category.
Examples: A manager of a large corporation sending a memo
notifying employees, a change in policy.
A sales manager is sending a weekly report to the head office.
Rules of Netiquette:-

• Reply immediately:
The mails we receive as a professional are answered immediately as
soon as possible.

• Avoid circulating e mail to everyone:

A tendency to circulating the copy of mails to everyone who are
hardly concerned irritates busy professional. Send the copy of mail to
those who have something to do with the mail.

• Avoid attaching unnecessary files:

• Answer all queries:
Answering all queries generates a sense of gratitude in the
readers and strengthens a professional image and adds to the
goodwill of organization we work for.
• Avoid reference to particular gender
It was a general practice to refer to everyone with a masculine
pronoun ‘he’ in earlier times. Now we write in a tone and style
that is suggestive of both gender.
• Be aware of email jargon:
 Jargon refers to the technical language used in a particular field
of study. Like every other domain, email writing also has
developed a jargon of its own. We need to be acquainted with
the common jargon used by email writers so that we are aware
of the meaning of the terminology applied. Some jargon
commonly used in email are:
Bot: A part of software that acts on behalf of a human
Mailbot: A peice of software that automatically replies to an
email
Listbot: A peice of software that manages the distribution list.

Bio data Resume Format

If you are creating a bio data to apply for employment, you may want to
include the following sections:

• Objective: Let the recipient know your overall career/life

objective, and why you should be considered for the position.
• Personal Details: General information such as your name, postal
address, date of birth, gender, parents’ names, religion, etc. Also
list your hobbies, interests, passions, strengths, characteristics, and
anything else that helps the recipient understand who you are and
what you want to accomplish in life.
• Educational Background: List, in chronological order, your
academic profile and achievements, particularly those that are
relevant to what you are applying for.
• Experience: List, in chronological order, your occupational
history, as well as skills obtained, awards received, and other
professional achievements.

For an employer, the bio data format serves as a personal and

professional profile summary. It is a window into the life of the
individual that gives the reader a better idea of who they are. From the
information included in the bio data, the recipient will be looking to
answer questions like:

• Is this candidate a good fit for the position?

• Does this candidate have the personal and psychological
characteristics to work well with other team members?
• Does this candidate have the personal qualities to be successful?
• Do they have the potential to grow and enhance their skill set?

Some companies have very specific guidelines for how the bio data
format is structured. In some cases, they will even provide their own
pre-printed form for you to fill out during the application process. If you
are not given a set format guideline, you can use any of our free general-
purpose bio data templates provided below.

Bio data vs. Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

While bio datas, resumes, and CVs are all used in certain settings to
apply for employment, there are some distinct differences between
these formats.

Resume is a French word meaning “extract” or “summary”. The focus of

a resume is on education, previous employment, skills, hobbies, and
interests that are relevant to the specific job you are applying for.
Though some biographical information is included, a resume does not
list all the details you would typically find in a profile biography.

Curriculum Vitae is a Latin word meaning “course of life.” A CV is

more detailed than a resume, and it lists, in chronological order, jobs,
positions held, degrees obtained (e.g., bachelor degree, master degree,
PHD), skills acquired, professional affiliations, achievements, published
works, and awards. CVs are widely used in academia. In a corporate
setting, they can be useful in showing a prospective employer your
career path in detail.
A Bio data focuses on personal particulars in addition to educational
and professional experience. It typically includes detailed personal
information such as date of birth, gender, religion, race, nationality,
marital status, residence, parents’ names, names of your children and
siblings, languages spoken, etc. Some formats even call for a photo, as
well as information about your physical characteristics, such as height,
weight, hair and eye colour, and complexion.

In various regions of South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka,

Bangladesh, and India, a bio data is used instead of a resume. In other
settings, a bio data may be used as a supplement to a resume or a C.V.
when the employer is seeking more detailed personal information about
the applicant.

Three major differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the
purpose and the layout. A resume is a brief summary of your skills and
experience over one or two pages, a CV is more detailed and can stretch
well beyond two pages. The resume will be tailored to each position
whereas the CV will stay put and any changes will be in the cover letter.

A CV has a clear chronological order listing the whole career of the

individual whereas a resume’s information can be shuffled around to
best suit the applicant. One might say the main difference between a
resume and a CV is that a CV is intended to be a full record of your
career history and a resume is a brief, targeted list of skills and
achievements.

What is CV?

CV is a long application document and may be even 5 pages long. It

covers in-depth all information including academic background,
research experience, awards, honours, publications, teaching,
volunteering experience and other specific accomplishments.

Commonly it is used to apply for some academic, educational,

governmental or scientific positions. CV is used when applying for
grants, scholarships, internships and fellowships. It will come in handy
for people working in medical field as well.

CV is also required for overseas job openings. If you want go

international, employers from Europe, Asia and Middle East will
certainly require a CV instead of a resume.

What is resume?

On the contrary, resume is the most common document required from

job applicants.

A resume is a brief summary of your skills, abilities, qualification, work

history and educational background of a candidate. It might be
customized to the specific job opening and may contain only relevant
information to the current position.

There are 3 main resume formats:

• chronological resume format

• functional resume format
• combination resume format

In addition, you may write a creative resume and include graphics, pics
and non-standard resume fonts for it.

Also, it has differences in its structure, for ex., you may mention your
biggest professional achievements, or include objective/summary section
in a resume.

Traditionally, resume shouldn't be longer than two A4 pages. It’s

intended to be short, as a recruiter spends only around 8 seconds to skim
applicant’s resume.

It’s important to adjust a resume to a specific position in order to fit the

needs and requirements. If you think that some of your past career
experience won’t make any difference to an HR — erase it.
So, to conclude, as was stated, three major differences between CVs
and resumes are the length, the purpose and the layout. A resume is a
brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages, a
CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages.
 How to Set Up the Chronological Resume

Contact Information: Your contact information should go at the top of

your chronological resume. Include your name, phone number, email
address, location (city, state, and zip code), and LinkedIn profile URL.
Make it easy for recruiters to contact you for an interview.

Work Experience: List your work experience in reverse-chronological

order, with your current or most recent job first. Be consistent in the way
you list each position. Each position should contain the following
information in the sub-heading:

• Company name
• Job location (city, state)
• Your job title
• Start and end dates

Use the same formatting style for each new listing. For example, if your
start and end dates are “04/2014-09/2016” on one job, don’t switch to
“May 2012 through January 2014” on another. If you’ve had
promotions, make them clear in this section. There are different ways to
format your promotions.

Education: List education in reverse-chronological order as well. At

very least, your education section should include:

• Name of Institution
• Degree
• School Location
• Years Attended
High school experience is not typically required on a resume unless you
have recently graduated. Focus on collegiate experience if applicable. If
you are a recent graduate or in a field that puts a greater emphasis on
higher education (like legal or medical), move your education section
above your work experience. Recent grads can also expand this section
to include GPA (if it’s above 3.5), relevant coursework, extracurricular,
and other information a recruiter might find valuable.

2. Functional resume format

The functional resume format offers creative solutions for job seekers
whose experience isn’t best represented by a traditional format. In fact,
the functional resume format is essentially the opposite of the
chronological. On a functional resume, work history is listed without
elaboration at the very bottom of the resume. Instead of focusing on
specific jobs, this format offers expanded sections for qualifications,
skills, and accomplishments. These sections are flexible and can be
mixed and matched based on your work history and preferences.

Job seekers with large gaps in their work history tend to like the
functional resume format because it minimizes work experience. Career
changers like this format because it allows them to focus more on
transferable skills rather than less relevant companies and job titles.
However, some recruiters dislike the functional resume format because
it takes skills out of context. Furthermore, ATS are unlikely to
accurately parse this format because it doesn’t categorize information
under standard headings.

A functional resume format could do more harm than good for your job
search. Only use this format if you haven’t had success with the
chronological or hybrid formats. Because recruiters see this format as a
way to hide shortcomings, work extra hard to make sure your skills and
accomplishments are communicated clearly and in context.
What a Combination Resume Is

A combination resume lists your skills and qualifications first.

Your employment history is listed next, in reverse chronological order
(beginning with your current or most recent job and then working back
through earlier positions). When you use a combination resume you can
thus showcase the skills you have that are relevant to the job you are
applying for while also providing the work history that employers expect
to review.

There are several benefits to this resume format. The layout first
captures the attention of the employer or recruiter by highlighting key
skills and capabilities of the applicant in a “qualifications
summary,” and then supports this introductory section with an account
of prior work experience. It can be especially effective, in this format, to
divide the descriptions of your work experience into “Related Work
Experience” and “Additional Professional Experience” sections. This
allows you to focus your reader’s attention on your most relevant
experience while at the same time providing a complete work history.

Business report

Business report is an organized presentation of information to a specific

audience for the purpose of helping an organization achieve an
objective.

Importance:

• A business report conveys information to assist in decision

making.
• Some reports might present the actual solution to solve a
business problem.
• Some serves as historical records to make future decision.
• Report is an essential skill in business.
 • A report may analyze a business history, operations, problems,
competitions and goals, followed by a number of possible
solutions.

Characteristics

Clarity: Since it is the main purpose of the report is presentation of facts,

the language and factual presentation should be clear, readable and
precise.

Conciseness: The entire report should be told with the fewest possible
words by omitting the irrelevant details. But give enough information to
enable the readers to understand clearly what you are explaining. Make
your report brief and comprehensible.

Continuity: Report should tell you complete story as logically and

interestingly as possible.

Objectivity: Report should be objective. Honest to the readers and give

them a convincing conclusion.

Major Steps involved in writing a business report:

1. Planning (Determining the scope and target audience)

2. Researching, organizing, evaluating and analyzing your information

sources.

3. Drafting the body section

4. Devising conclusion, recommendation based on findings.

5. Further drafting and editing/ Proof reading

Structure/ Layout / Format of Report:

There are three ways report can be organized.

Memorandum/ Memo Form

Letter form

Manuscript Form

MEMO REPORT:

It is also known as interoffice memorandum. It sends useful information

within an organization. It is more informal in style as compared to letter
reports. It is not more than three typed pages. A memo report deals with
minor problems, provides facts of routine nature, give an account what
has been done and required, describe important findings and
recommendations.

Head/Memo

To:

Date:

From:

Subject:

Introductory paragraph: References, Authorization, Objective

Main Text: Such as the findings or details of conference, significance

Concluding paragraph: Formal closing

Signature
Letter Report

The business letter format is very important for communicating formally

in and outside an organization. Whether it is finding from major R&D
project or a list of individual recommendation for it.
i