Oops! from Ragan’s PR Daily

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We all make mistakes, but there are some that writers should never make.

Though the casual tone of blogging has allowed us to be less formal with the written word, it doesn’t mean we can simply ignore the fundamental rules of writing and grammar. The occasional typo can be brushed off as an innocent oversight, but there are some writing errors that are just plain unforgivable.

These blunders can ruin your credibility as a writer.

1. Fewer versus less

Unforgivable: There are less days in February than in March.
Correct: There are fewer days in February than in March.

Use fewer when referring to things that can be counted. For example, “She ate fewer cupcakes tonight than she did last night.” Use less when referring to volumes or to things that cannot be counted: “The cupcakes had less frosting yesterday.”

2. Affect versus effect

Unforgivable: Our services will have a positive affect on your business.
Correct: Our services will have a positive effect on your business.

Although affect and effect can each be used as either a noun or a verb, the more common usages are affect as a verb and effect as a noun. In the example above, the effect is the result of the services. In the sentence, “Our services can affect how customers see your business,” affect is to produce an effect upon, or to influence.

3. Pronoun/antecedent disagreement

Unforgivable: If you hire a professional copywriter, make sure they know how to write.
Correct: If you hire a professional copywriter, make sure she knows how to write.

In the above sentences, copywriter is singular. So the pronoun should be singular, as well. Many people avoid gender-specific pronouns, but all too often, that just leads to bad grammar. The correct choices include using “he or she”—pick one and stick to that gender—or using a plural antecedent (which is the noun to which the pronoun refers): “When hiring copywriters, make sure they know how to write.”

4. Misspellings

Unforgivable: Are you on Goggle+?
Correct: Are you on Google+?

Be sure to proofread your work. Misspelling the name of a company, a website or a person is a sign of sheer laziness.

5. It’s versus its

Unforgivable: The pizza became famous for it’s unique flavors and toppings.
Correct: The pizza became famous for its unique flavors and toppings.

This is a common mistake because technically, it’s follows the rule of using an apostrophe to convey possessives (for example, the pizza’s flavor). But an apostrophe is used for the contraction of it is or it has: “It’s the best pizza ever!”

6. Misuse of the semicolon

Unforgivable: I love to write; but I hate using semicolons.
Correct: I love to write; I hate using semicolons.

Semicolons can get confusing. Rather than make an unforgivable mistake, I tend to avoid them whenever possible. Use a semicolon to connect two related independent clauses without a conjunction (the example above), or within a complex series: “I’ve lived in Waukegan, Ill.; Alameda, Calif.; and Bartlett, Tenn.” Do not use a semicolon with a conjunction (and, but, for, or, so, nor, yet).

7. Alot versus a lot

Unforgivable: Alot of people make this mistake.
Correct: A lot of people make this mistake.

Alot is not a word!

8. Inconsistency

Unforgivable: His favorite colors are red, blue, and green. My favorite colors are yellow, purple and pink.
Correct: His favorite colors are red, blue and green. My favorite colors are yellow, purple and pink.

Each of the above sentences is structurally fine, but the top two are inconsistent with each other, because the first sentence uses the Oxford comma and the second does not. Don’t use the Oxford comma in one sentence and leave it out the next. Don’t spell out ten in the first paragraph and write 10 in the last. Writing rules change depending on what style of writing you follow (Chicago Manual or Associated Press), but whichever style you use, be consistent throughout your copy.

9. Poorly cited stats and quotes

Unforgivable: Women make up 97 percent of Pinterest users.
Correct: According to AppData, women make up 97 percent of Pinterest users.

Back up statistics and quotes by letting your readers know where you got the information. If you can, provide a link back to the exact Web page where you found the data. Failure to prove where you got your facts will weaken your content.

10. Then versus than

Unforgivable: I enjoy sitting much better then running.
Correct: I enjoy sitting much better than running.

Than is used for comparisons, although then is used to refer to a point in time or “in addition to.” For example: “Back then, I was strong enough to run a marathon. Now, my legs and lungs are in worse shape than they used to be.”

11. Lose versus Loose

Unforgivable: If you loose your keys again, I’m not letting you in.
Correct: If you lose your keys again, I’m not letting you in.

Lose is a verb, and loose is most commonly used as an adjective. Use loose when referring to something that doesn’t fit or isn’t secure, such as loose pants or loose attachments. Loose can also be used as a verb—for example, “loose a knot”—but in these cases, loosen is a more common word.

12. Stolen content

Unforgivable: Always.
Correct: Never.

This one isn’t really a mistake, but rather just plain wrong. Never steal and use content that isn’t yours and play it off as your own work. Not only is that theft, but it’s also copyright infringement. Write original, informative content, and always proofread your work.

Any common writing mistakes that you think are simply unforgivable?

Jacqui MacKenzie is a writer for Straight North, an Internet marketing Chicago firm that provides social media services, SEO, and more. A version of this story first appeared on the 12 Most blog.

This story first ran on PR Daily in April 2012.

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Tips to Succeed:Making the best impression on your audience

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This is Tip 178 from The ABCs of Strategic Communication. Check it out on www dot larry litwin dot com.

1. Always be prepared – Audiences quickly detect lack of
preparation.
2. Make others comfortable – If you are comfortable, your audience
will be, too. Comfort, on your part as the sender, exudes
confidence.
3. Be committed – Commitment is crucial. Audiences can detect
lack of commitment or sincerity.
4. Be interesting – An interested audience is more apt to receive
your message as it was intended to be received.

Roger Ailes and John Kraushar – Authors – You Are The Message

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10 Job Sectors in Decline

 

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From Yahoo! hotjobs

http://career-advice.comcast.monster.com/job-search/company-industry-research/ten-job-sectors-in-decline/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=comcast800

10 Job Sectors in Decline

What to Do If Your Industry Is on the Way Out

By Margaret Steen, for Yahoo! HotJobs

People in almost every profession may feel like jobs are scarce right now. For many industries, this is a temporary situation. But jobs in some fields are expected to continue disappearing even after the economy picks up.

Is your industry on the decline? The federal government projects that a number of industries will continue to lose jobs thru 2018.

“You can’t sit around and wait for news to come out about what’s going to happen to your industry,” said Alexandra Levit, author of New Job, New You. “You have to be proactive about this.”

Disappearing Jobs

Here’s a list of the top 10 industries expected to lose the most jobs by 2018 — and what to do if you’re working in one of them:

  • Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing: Projected to lose 18.6 percent of its 544,000 jobs.
  • Department Stores: Projected to lose 10.2 percent of the 1.56 million jobs they had in 2008.
  • Semiconductor Manufacturing: Projected to lose 33.7 percent of the 432,000 jobs it had in 2008.
  • Postal Service: Projected to lose 13 percent of the 748,000 jobs it had in 2008.
  • Printing and Related Jobs: Projected to lose 16 percent of its 594,000 jobs.
  • Cut-and-Sew Apparel Manufacturing: Projected to lose 57 percent of its 155,000 jobs.
  • Newspaper Publishers: Projected to lose 24.8 percent of its 326,000 jobs.
  • Mining Support Jobs: Projected to lose 23.2 percent of its 328,000 jobs.
  • Gas Stations: Projected to lose 8.9 percent of its 843,000 jobs.
  • Wired Telecom: Projected to lose 11 percent of its 666,000 jobs.

Semiconductors are one of several manufacturing industries on the declining list. Because so many different types of manufacturing jobs are disappearing, it will not be easy to simply get another manufacturing job. You may need to develop some completely new skills.

Levit suggests beefing up your resume with volunteer work so you can show skills that will be applicable in other industries. For example, helping a volunteer organization deal with its members can show that you have client-service skills.

She also recommends being innovative to keep your job. “You need to be front and center with management, giving them suggestions for how they can remain competitive.”

Are You Affected?

What should you do if your industry is on this list? First, don’t panic. The job declines in these industries are projected to take place over a decade. And many jobs — a majority in most of these industries — will remain even after 10 years.

Still, it’s good to start thinking about Plan B. Build your savings and start researching what other industries might be able to use your skills.

If you’re nearing retirement and had been planning to move into a different field, you might want to make the move earlier. And if you have many years of work ahead of you, you should consider seriously whether it’s feasible for you to stay in your industry for the long term.

“Start sharpening your transferable skills,” Levit said. These include project management, budgeting and customer service. “You want to be developing a resume that showcases the skills you have in all those areas.”

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15 of the most avoidable language errors

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This is reprinted from Ragan’s PR Daily. It is written by Kevin Allen

Chances are, if you made it through college and are now employed as a professional communicator of some sort, grammatical errors drive you insane.

Especially these:

• Your vs. You’re
• Its vs. It’s
• Their/There/They’re

With social media now an all-encompassing part of our lives, we are forced to see which of our friends are total idiots by their misuse of the above.

For those friends (and other grammatically challenged individuals in your life) Copyblogger offers this handy infographic:

More on Crisis Communication

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Three Rules of (Damage Control) Crisis Communication

1.Get information out early.

• Respond within 2-4 hours (quicker, if possible) – if only as an acknowledgment that you are on top of the situation.

2.Get it out yourself.

• The spokesperson should be a high profile representative of the organization.

3.Get it out on your own terms – control the message.

• Tell it First

• Tell it Fast

• Tell it All

• Tell it Yourself

Whether the crisis is the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, child sex-abuse at Penn State University or some less visible organization, or a mass shooting at a school or movie theater, a major charity executive embezzling funds, the (seven) Tylenol-related deaths in 1982, or a space shuttle tragedy, the public wants and deserves answers. As J. William Jones says, those answers must be based on accurate information and should be given by “unflappable” professionals who know what they are talking about. The need for crisis management policies has become a major priority for many corporations and other organizations. Thanks to effective planning, victim organizations can control a crisis through rapid systematic dissemination of information – being proactive rather than reactive – so long as that information is factual. Strategic counselors and reporters alike agree there is no substitute for believability (truth) and credibility (trust). Once lost, they are nearly impossible to regain. Avoid any instincts to minimize or cover up bad news. If not totally truthful and trustworthy, the media will eventually discover your unprofessional approach. What ever trust you once had will be gone forever. Keep in mind, when dealing with a crisis, the goal should be more than just “damage control.” If the crisis communication plan is carried out properly and successfully, the damage control will take care of itself. When a crisis hits, your publics want to know: what happened; how it will affect them; what is going to be done about it.

Communicate Early and Often

•Contact the media before they contact you.

•Communicate internally first, then externally.

•Put the public first.

•Take responsibility.

•Be honest.

•Never say “No comment.”

•Designate a single spokesperson.

•Set up a central information center(staging area).

•Provide a constant flow of information.

•Be familiar with media needs and deadlines.

•Monitor news coverage and telephone inquiries.

•Communicate with key publics.

•Be accessible.

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Top jobs for college and high school grads

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before getting into high-paying jobs for high school grads, let’s look at college communication major.

The 7 Top-Paying Jobs for College Graduates in 2014 and Beyond

These degrees help students get the biggest financial bang for their education buck

By Mary Patrick (U.S. News and World Report)
Posted 2014

The 7 Top-Paying Jobs for College Graduates
The 7 Top-Paying Jobs for College Graduates

Going to college and obtaining the knowledge to become an expert in a specific field is a worthwhile goal in its own right.

But let’s face it: everyone also knows that earning a degree typically leads to more money.

A report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows clearly how much a college education can be worth. According to the study, a person with a bachelor’s degree makes $1,066 a week, far more than the $652 a week made by those with just a high school diploma.

Those with a master’s degree make $1,300 weekly, while doctoral degree holders make $1,624, according to the BLS.

But which occupations can maximize the earning potential of a college degree?

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) recently released its annual salary survey, which includes salary figures for the disciplines that offer the best starting salaries.

It’s worthwhile to note that across all disciplines, the average starting salary for college graduates in 2013 was $45,327, a 2.4% increase over 2012, according to the NACE report.

Engineering Degrees

The salaries for engineers continued to be the best among all disciplines for college graduates, with an average starting salary of $62,062.  In specific fields, two stood out in the report. The starting salary for bioengineering majors jumped 10.1%. Also, the highest starting salary of any major studied in the report was petroleum engineers, who start at $96,200.

Computer Science Degrees

As a whole, computer science degree earners saw their starting salaries dip by 2.5% in 2013. Still, the resulting average starting salary – $58,547 – was enough to make those with computer science degrees the earners of the second-highest starting salary. The dip came primarily in information sciences, where the average starting salary fell about half a percent.

Business Degrees 

The chief business of the American people is business, according to former President Calvin Collidge, and the starting salaries show that. In 2013, the average starting salary for business degree holders increased 7.9%, the largest increase of any discipline. Business degree holders made an average starting salary of $55,635 in their first year on the job. Within the business category, finance majors (at 10%) and business administration majors (at 6.7%) saw the largest increases.

Communications Degrees 

Communications majors actually saw their salaries increase in 2013 by 3.7%, making the average starting salary $43,835. On the downside, advertising majors saw their salaries fall a little less than 1% to $47,300, according to the NACE.

Math & Sciences Degrees 

Overall, the starting salaries for those with degrees in mathematics and science increased by less than 1% in 2013. However, within this category there were some areas that saw bigger increases, including architecture majors (2.7%) and biological science majors (2.2%).

Education Degrees 

Those who earned a degree in education saw an overall increase in their starting salaries, going up 3.2% to $40,337. Also, according to the NACE report, the overall starting salary for all the individual education fields also increased. Those increases ranged from 7% for pre-elementary education graduates to 1.7% for physical education majors.

Humanities and Social Science Degrees 

Many of those with degrees in the humanities and social sciences saw increases in their starting salaries, according to the NACE. Those ranged from a 10.8% increase for sociology majors (to $37,000) and a 8.1% increase for criminal justice majors (to $34,800). The lowest increase was for social workers, who went up 2.3% to $36,000. Those with visual and performing arts degrees actually saw their starting salaries drop to $35,600. Overall, those with degrees in humanities and social sciences saw a 2.6% increase in their salaries, to $37,791.

Susan Ricklerof CareerBuilder wrote a column on “High-Paying jobs for high school grads:

Here is a summary:

1. Commercial pilot = $98,410

2. Claims adjuster, appraiser, examiner and investigator = $59,850

3. Construction and building inspector = $53,450

4. Elevator installer and repairer = $76,850

5. Fire inspector and investigator = $53,990

6. Farmer, rancher and agricultural manager = $69,300

7. Line installer and repairer = $58,210

8. Postal service and worker = $53,100

9. Power plant operator, distributor and dispatcher = $68,230

10. Railroad worker = $52,400

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The Communication Audit — Tips to Succeed

[ From M. Larry Litwin’s The ABCs of Strategic Communication — see www larrylitwin dot com]

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1.What is a communication audit?
It is a complete analysis of an organization’s communication
program – a picture of its goal, objectives, strategies, tactics
and evaluations.

2.What is the scope of an audit?
The scope of an audit may be as broad and as deep as the
size and complexity of the organization’s demands. The audit
can measure the effectiveness of communication programs
throughout an entire organization, in a single division or
department, or within a specific employee group.

3.What does the communication audit provide?
It provides meaningful information to members of management
concerned with efficiency, credibility, and economy of their communications policies, practices, and programs. It also provides valuable data for developing or restructuring communications functions, guidelines, and budgets, as well as recommendations for action tailored to an organization’s particular situation as uncovered by an analysis of the collected data.

4.When should an audit be conducted?
Generally, an extensive audit should be conducted every five to
seven years. In the interim, reliable feedback techniques should be obtained periodically through the organization’s routine communication function.

5.What subjects are covered?
Typically an audit covers such areas as:
• Communication philosophy
• Objectives and goals
• Existing communication programs
• Existing vehicles and their uses
• Personal communications
• Meetings
• Attitudes toward existing communications
• Needs and expectations

Credit: Joseph A. Kopec – Kopec Associates Inc., Chicago, Illinois
Read more at www.prsa.org/_Resources/resources/commaudit.asp?ident=rsrc3

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How did you find your favorite/best job?

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This comes from a USA Today “Snapshots”:

Personal connections = 42%

Social network = 21%

Online job board = 20%

Classified ad = 19%

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, here is the unemployment rate for college graduates ages 22 to 27:

Engineering = 5%

Education = 4%

Health = 3%

Math/computers = 6%

Architecture/construction = 8%

Sciences = 6%

Social sciences = 7%

Business = 6%

Liberal arts = 8%

Communication = 6%

Technology = 6%

Agriculture/natural sciences = 5%

Leisure/hospitality = 4%

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Tips to Succeed: The elevator ‘speech’

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This is Tip No. 114 from The ABCs of Strategic Communication by M. larry Litwin, APR, Fellow, PRSA and is available on www dot larrylitwin dot com.

The “elevator pitch” is a short description about your company that
you can convey in the time it takes to ride an elevator. And not an
elevator in a skyscraper, either.Your elevator pitch must be clear
and concise and show that you understand the core aspects of
your business.
Because it must be short, you have to decide what facets of your
company to leave out.Often, these can be the things you’re most
excited about – a new technology, a great location, outstanding
customer service, etc.
But if they’re not central to the core or success of your business,
they don’t belong in an elevator pitch.
You should touch – very briefly – on the products or services you
sell, what market you serve, and your competitive advantage.
You must be brief and clear.Unless you’re in a highly technical
field, your neighbor or grandmother should be able to understand
your business well enough to describe it to someone else. After all,
you want grandma marketing for you too, don’t you? People you
meet need to quickly understand the nature of your business if
you want them to send business your way.
Make sure your employees, investors, even vendors know your
company’s elevator pitch. Have your employees practice your company’s
elevator pitch so they’re able to network for you as well.
It’s often a good idea to use an analogy, especially if you’re in a
new or difficult-to-grasp field.“We’re the Google for car buyers” is a
good shorthand way to say that you’re trying to create a search
engine for people wanting to purchase an automobile.
Think in these terms (sort of like a mission statement):
• This is who we are;
• What we think about ourselves;
• What we want to do;
• Why we deserve your support
You’ll find you use your elevator pitch often – in e-mails to
prospective customers and investors, to introduce yourself at
organizational meetings or when running into an old friend at a

ballgame.Who knows? You may even use it if you meet a potential
customer in an elevator.
So go out and find a three-story building with an elevator, ride up
and down and practice your pitch.That way, you’ll be prepared the
next time some one asks you,“What do you do?”
Rhonda Abrams – Gannett News Service
M.Larry Litwin, APR, Fellow PRSA – Author – The Public Relations Practitioner’s Playbook

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