The Importance of Professionalism

Like many things in life, no one is born knowing how to write professionally and in a dignified manner. Yes, you do learn how to write in grade school, but often times it is inadequate or the focus is only on writing essays and other academic papers. When the student graduates and goes out into the working world, they would at least know how to compose a formal text, but perhaps they don't really have the knowledge to write for specific formal settings. Luckily, here at Durham College in Canada where I study, the creators of my program were smart enough to realize -- perhaps from the experiences of their alumni -- that it should include a communications course. The language you should use doesn't just come in an "informal" or "formal" variant, but rather there are dozens of different forms each one with its own intricacies that will give you the best results. For example, giving someone bad news can be a delicate situation. For someone with no training, their instincts are to write from their own perspective, to explain things as they see it and how it relates to themselves. However, on the flip side, the reader's own instincts is also to view things from their own POV. As such, astute writers would use this to their advantage and switch their tone and message to largely focus on the reader. In addition, there are also some handy methods to use for when you want to "land the blow" so to say. In other situations, knowing how to be concise and say your message efficiently is equally as important. Just as tricky as "bad news" though is persuasion since humans by default aren't really looking to be persuaded of anything. The act of persuasion inherently involves entering into someone's space and trying to grab their attention away from whatever they were doing or planning on doing. It requires the same expertise learned by years of psychology and study as bad news messages. However, once you can perfect the techniques, doors will open to you that have never been open to you before.