Have you ever found it challenging to craft essays or statements which successfully achieved your intended objective?
Ms Jacqueline Stansilas, a professional writer with over seven years of writing experience under her belt, recommends five points that can be easily incorporated into writing to ensure the final product is an impeccable, standout piece.
Held on Thursday, 4 March 2021, Scholarship Guide organised its first interactive webinar of the year. The event attracted over 120 registrations on the topic of “Professional Communications”.
The speaker commenced her presentation by sharing her career journey and humble beginnings as an aspiring journalist. Her presentation was focused on academic and career-related writing which included crafting scholarship essays, personal statements and cover letters for prospective job offers.
Keeping it professional yet personal, Ms Stansilas introduced tried and tested tools and techniques for effective written communication. These key tips comprised knowing your audience, making a clear point, knowing your unique selling point, addressing the three key appeals and checking your work thoroughly.
Ms Stansilas elaborated on the importance for students to identify their target audience, as well as, understand their demographics, preferences and professional/cultural background. When one knows their audience, he/she is able to tailor information which targets to meet the needs of the reader. This also allows for the appropriate tone, formality and voice to be used in the communication process.
Next, she highlighted that “less is more” when it comes to writing. Each word should contribute to your purpose and each paragraph should focus on one idea. All these parts should form a complete message. By keeping the text specific, succinct and respectful, one is able to achieve the intended purpose when communicating. Ms Stansilas advised participants to start strong by summarising “the catch” in the introduction. This is pivotal as it either keeps your reader’s attention and encourages them to continue or to shift their focus elsewhere. She also shared a foolproof list of “Do’s and Don’ts” when it comes to stellar writing. Some of these included the use of credible sources and the elimination of abbreviations, lingos and slangs when writing.
Addressing the attendees, Ms Stansilas asked: “What is your unique selling point?” Knowing your unique abilities and what you can bring to the table is highly valuable in any setting.” She also noted that when it comes to scholarship essays and job applications, it is pivotal to showcase oneself in an authentic and unique light. Using the example of her sister’s career in Early Childhood Education, Ms Stansilas shared that its requirements went beyond simply having a passion for children and teaching. The skill set expanded to include event organising for concerts and open houses and liaising with various vendors for budgeted materials, amongst others. She added that unique abilities such as resourcefulness and bargaining are equally important and should not be discounted.
As humans, there are three key appeals which create a connection with individuals. These are known as Ethos (which appeals to character), Logos (which appeals to logic) and Pathos (which appeals to emotion). Identifying which appeals would most likely strike a chord with the target audience will ensure that a message is communicated effectively. For example, using a job interview to best illustrate this, Ms Stansilas explained when one utilises the ethos approach, they should present themselves as trustworthy and credible. This may come in the form of honest feedback from learnt experiences but most importantly, not at the expense of slandering another person to appear good. In the logos approach, one should come armed with statistics, evidence and concrete examples. It is important research and be level-headed during the discussion. As an interviewee, one should sound promising but not over-promising. In the pathos approach, Ms Stansilas encouraged students to find common ground with their audience. By being authentic, and sharing what they genuinely admire and appreciate about the company they are applying to, it demonstrates deep care and interest for the job.
The presentation concluded with the emphasis on revising, editing and proofreading one’s work. It was noted that this process is often overlooked or limited to a general scan. In a work setting, many rounds of approval is undertaken to improve accuracy and effectiveness in any piece of work. Ms Stansilas instructed students to rope in a reputable second pair of eyes as people can often overlook errors in their own writing, no matter how meticulous they are. By taking time to tidy a written piece and ensuring that the objectives are met, owners can be confident of their work and ability to communicate effectively.
Closing with a light-hearted piece of advice, Ms Stansilas reminded participants: “Writing is a way to express yourself and showcase your personality. Do not get caught up with the little details that you miss the big picture, which is to make an impression and a point.”
A question posed by the floor was: “How can you remain professional and friendly at the same time?”
Explaining that it is about maintaining a respectful posture when addressing those in higher ranks, Ms Stansilas responded: “We should choose the appropriate settings to engage in friendly discourse. For instance, I would address my boss by title and ask for his opinions on recent non-controversial events during monthly staff birthday gatherings. This helped to establish rapport and promote personable exchanges while still maintaining a respectful demeanour.”
Another asked how to stand out through their resumes. Ms Stansilas highlighted that it would be to identify their own unique selling point before crafting the resume. By bringing something different to the table and offering a niche ability, potential employers will recognise this as a competitive advantage which will be value-add to their team. Ms Stansilas encouraged attendees by reminding them that everyone is born unique and hence, by simply being yourself and leveraging on your strengths, one is able to outshine peers even on paper.
Concluding on a high note, the webinar was a successful one, having garnered an increased measure of interaction in comparison to previous events. Scholarship Guide is definitely looking forward to hosting more of such webinars in the coming months.