Category: Academic Writing

The Benefits of Writing across Different Surfaces

Dan McCormick, Consultant

Some writing happens all at once and on only one “surface”—a text, a to-do list, an email, or a short-answer response on a biology test. You have an idea, you write, and then you’re done. But lots of writing happens on more than one surface. A reporter might take notes on a pad during an event, and then refer to those notes as she types her article at a computer that afternoon. A magazine writer might type notes as he researches, write an outline of ideas in a notebook, and refer to both as he writes his feature. A novelist might jot down ideas in a moleskin notebook (or on cocktail napkins), type out character sketches and plot summaries on the computer, and write notes to herself in the margins of printed drafts.

Writers sometimes think that a piece of writing is supposed be only one piece—one document, one computer file—but’s that’s not the case. There’s no rule that says writing has to happen in isolation from other writing. After all, most student writing is in direct response to a specific piece of writing: the assignment prompt. Why not take advantage of the same variety of surfaces that professional writers use?

For myself, I find it helpful to have different writing in different places, on different surfaces—all for one piece of writing. I typically write down ideas in a notebook, write little margin notes in books and articles as I research, type notes and outlines in a Notepad file, and (as I refer to all of these) type my “paper” in a Word file. What’s helpful about all this different writing is having different empty surfaces where I can focus on different aspects of my writing—the ideas, the organization, the research. I can then guide my attention while I write by putting different surfaces in front of me. As I write this post, I’m switching back and forth between a Word file, where I type the post itself, and a Notepad file, where I’ve typed out an outline of ideas and examples.

I’m fascinated by the way these different surfaces do different things for my writing. Paper gives me a certain feeling of freedom (the “empty page”) and of permanence. Digital media give me the ability to re-arrange my thoughts and, of course, to copy and paste from my typed notes. And scribbles in the margins of books and articles—marginalia—let me compose mini-thoughts as I read or review, putting ideas in my own words while giving me quick access to where in the text those ideas came from.

It’s natural to think of these other surfaces as “process” and the final document itself as “product”—but I don’t think that’s necessary. Certainly these different individual surfaces can build up into one—but I don’t think the process is totally separate from the product. Writing notes on a pad, or in the margins of a book, requires thought and volition, just as writing a “full piece” does. And ideas change between these different surfaces, not only because time passes but also because each surface supports a slightly different way of expressing those ideas. So the final document that is turned in for an assignment or for a scholarship application or for publication is, in a sense, one more iteration of ideas and language that has developed out of other ideas and language. You might say that process turns into product only when you decide it does.

How I Write: James Ramsey — University President

Our “How I Write” series asks writers from the University of Louisville community and beyond to respond to five questions that provide insight into their writing processes and offer advice to other writers. Through this series, we promote the idea that learning to write is an ongoing, life-long process and that all writers, from first-year students to career professionals, benefit from discussing and collaborating on their work with thoughtful and respectful readers. The series will be featured every other Wednesday.

This week we are pleased to feature James Ramsey, president of the University of Louisville. Before assuming UofL’s top post, he served as senior policy adviser and state budget director for Kentucky and senior professor of economics and public policy at UofL. He has served as vice chancellor for finance and administration at both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Western Kentucky University. He has been associate dean, assistant dean and director of public administration in the College of Business Administration at Loyola University and research associate for the University of Kentucky’s Center for Public Affairs. Dr. Ramsey is a tenured professor of economics.

A frequent national speaker and writer on economic issues in the public sector, Ramsey has received a number of honors and awards including the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award in 2012, Greater Louisville Inc.’s Silver Fleur-De-Lis Award in 2011, Louisville Advertising Federation’s Louisvillian of the Year Award in 2010, Western Kentucky University Distinguish Alumni Hall of Fame in 2010, Louisville Defender Outstanding Community Service Award in 2010, Business First Business Leader of the Year in 2007, University of Kentucky College of Business and Economics Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004, the Governor’s Association’s Outstanding Public Service Award in 2001, Kentucky’s Distinguished Economist of the Year in 1999 and the Fern Creek High School Hall of Fame in 1998.

How I Write: James Ramsey

What type(s) of writing do you regularly engage in?

At this point in my professional career, most of my writing is of a professional nature:
a. Communications to various members of the university family including Board of Trustees, Board of Overseers, University of Louisville Foundation, Alumni, etc.; Legislators and public policy makers; Donors;

b. Policy papers;

c. I still try to do a bi-monthly newsletter to several different groups, both university and non-university, on the state economy and the state’s economic outlook.
When/where/how do you write?

I need silence to write. While I can close the door to my office, there are always interruptions, either in person or telephone. Also, there is the constant allure of checking the latest e-mails, etc. I do most of my writing in the car. At an earlier point in my life, my family and I lived 2-1/2 hours from my place of work. While I would generally leave home early on a Monday morning, I would try to come back one or two nights during the week for our kids’ school events and then home on the weekend. The point is, I had a lot of time in the car and I became accustomed to dictating all kinds of communications from responses to e-mails, letters, and in some cases professional economics papers. I continue that practice. My home is 20 or so miles from the office so I can often dictate 15 or 20 minutes coming in to work – I’m actually dictating my answers to these questions now as I am on a trip out of town and will be in the car for 3 hours.

My best time to write is early in the morning – fresh, brain working (late afternoon/evening – brain dead).
What are your writing necessities—tools, accessories, music, spaces?

When I am writing and not dictating I need a yellow pad and a number of pencils with erasers. I rarely type other than short cryptic answers – not very proficient at typing.
What is your best tip for getting started and/or for revision?

It depends to some degree on the type of communication but generally I will first think through key messages to convey or points I want to make. I jot those down and identify data sources or research needed to support the points to make. I generally have an outline, very topical but from beginning to end and I try to work through it to ensure that my writing has a logical consistency and flow. Depending on the type of communication I frequently go through multiple revisions; I struggle over almost every word and go back and forth. In fact, at some point I generally have to say enough is enough or, more realistically, I reach a deadline and the 18^th draft, for example, becomes the final version. I like to have others read my writing that will be presented or communicated to larger groups for a) typos, spelling, grammar; and b) logical consistency.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received:

a.       Try not to use any words that are not needed;
b.      Have others proofread;
c.       Develop an outline with themes that you are trying to communicate.

Finally, I would love to write a book sometime – not about my profession of economics or higher education administration (I’ve done special chapters for books, etc.) but rather a book that deals with real world experiences. On two different occasions I have started dictating ideas – one was based on a dog we had for 15 years, telling our family story from her perspective. The last several years of the dog’s life she was deaf so I thought I’d call it, “I Saw It All … And Heard Some Of It.” There wasn’t anything particularly amazing that happened in our lives and that’s why I probably never pursued the project – rather the dog would relate family experiences, especially difficult situations like death, tragedy, etc. but from the dog’s perspective. At one time I thought I would have someone transcribe all this to see how bad it was but …

Learning to Break Rules

Rick Wysocki, Consultant

Recently, I was working with a client in the Writing Center who asked:

“Why does this have so many rules? I wish I could just write the way I wanted to.”

The student was talking about a specific genre of professional writing that had strict guidelines regarding language use and formatting. He was frustrated—he thought the conventions were over the top, and he didn’t enjoy writing that way.

Since then, I’ve been thinking about the rhetorical choices we make in our academic and professional lives—about the “rules” that we technically have the choice to accept or deny but which have strong institutional pressure behind them. During my session with that student, I said something along the lines of, “Well, yes, there are a lot of rules, but your audience expects you to follow them.” I’d like to expand that response, and talk a bit about how we interact with these conventions masquerading as rules.

First, it’s true that some conventions do have an incredible amount of institutional backing. If you turn in a paper to your biology instructor containing so-called “colloquial” language referring to “little molecular dudes,” you might get points taken off your essay (I’m never letting that go Mrs. Hull). On the other hand, if you write a literacy narrative for your composition course completely avoiding first person, your teacher hopefully wouldn’t lower your grade, but might ask you to rewrite it in a more personal voice. Keep in mind that these conventions don’t always come from outside—I, for example, neurotically add a references page to every document I write that cites sources, regardless of whether it’s required or asked for.

That said, the guy in my head who still loves punk music, even though he’s now a fully functioning cog in the academic, cite-your-sources-or-else machine, is still annoyed by your rules, man. Both he, and the client mentioned above, are completely justified in feeling this way. We’re told constantly that writing is about expression, and with all these conventions writing can sometimes seem like somewhat of a bummer. I’d like to offer a little advice I find helpful in dealing with these situations.

Know the rules. Seriously, get to know what’s expected of you in the writing contexts you’re engaged in. If you’re in your biology class there’s no shame in asking the teacher about the genre of science writing, checking the library for sources on the topic, or coming into the Writing Center for help. Even though conventions can be frustrating, you still need to learn them—especially if you’re planning on breaking them. Which leads me to—
Don’t break conventions for no reason. If you’re annoyed about having to go to the trouble of doing APA format and, in response, just do the whole paper in MLA, that a) doesn’t make any sense and b) deprives you of learning a new skill.
If you want to break rules, know why. When you’re consciously going against the conventions (that you learned in step 1), of your writing context, imagine explaining to your instructor why you did so. Better yet, go talk to your instructor about the assignment. Making your case early on let’s you at least find out what the consequences might be of, say, writing in third person instead of first. Keep in mind that your instructor may disagree with you—in that case, you have to weigh whether or not third person is worth having to rewrite your paper or getting a reduced grade.

What I’m trying to stress is the importance of breaking rules consciously, and with the appropriate information about the rules themselves. Put simply, it’s only cool to break the rules if you know you’re doing it. So learn those generic conventions. If you need help, the Writing Center’s here for you.

From Talk to Text: Why Conferencing Helps Your Writing

Daniel Ernst, Consultant

If someone were to ask me what I do, I’m not really sure what I would say. I could provide nominal answers—I “help students with their writing,” or I “tutor”—but these fail to capture my full experience at the Writing Center. As I think back on all the conferences I’ve had with students, it’s hard to pin down with any precision one thing I can point to and say “that! That’s what I do.” And that’s just how writing is; it’s idiosyncratic, personal, complex, weird, and procedural, and our job as consultants is to meet with students at any stage of this weird process of any type of writing. So this imprecision is expected (and even welcomed).

But, there is at least one thing that happens at every conference: we talk. Now, let’s wax philosophical about this fact. It seems obvious and like sort of a letdown, right? “Of course you talk; it’s a conference.” However, I am increasingly convinced that this action of “talking about assignments” cannot be emphasized enough. And as I think back on my conferences, it becomes clear that meeting one-on-one with students to “talk” about assignments it not simply one of many components of consulting on writing; rather, the one-on-one talk is the realm in which all the other components of writing instruction take place. Conversation is the medium, the form, through which any kind of instruction or advice or conference works. So what? What does all this mean? To make it more concrete, here are three reasons why I think talking about your writing is hugely beneficial:

It will clean your intellectual house. Assignments are hard. Not only are they designed to prompt a synthesis of your knowledge on a subject, but also they sometimes contain confusing vocabulary. For instance, what does it mean to analyze, compare and contrast, or construct an argumentative, thesis-driven analysis? After all, these things don’t always mean the same thing to everyone. One of the best things to do when facing a complex writing prompt is to spitball, to just talk and think out loud, and it’s especially helpful when you do it with someone else. An audience, even one consisting of a single writing consultant, can provide valuable feedback or counter points to help hone your ideas. You can talk out those minor issues like “what does a reflective paper do?” and move onto seriously crafting your ideas.
You’ll use language in new ways. It’s easy to forget that writing is just one type of language use—we also talk and think using language. Each medium—speech, writing, and thought—uses language in special, conventionalized ways. But I would argue that, of the three, writing depends the most on the other two. Obviously, we must engage in critical and intense thought when writing, but we should also talk about these thoughts both before and during the writing process. Have you ever tried to explain something orally that you have written? Undoubtedly you changed the language in some way, and that’s because the two media operate differently within language. Encountering multiple language mechanisms is instructive; it will allow you to see your topic from new perspectives and challenge you to write more clearly and effectively.
Your ideas get a test run. I don’t know about you, but my ideas always sound a lot better in my head than when I voice them or write them down. Talking through your ideas with a consultant gives you the chance for a dry run with an audience. The sharing of ideas is my favorite part
of the job, but it also reflects important and foundational academic principles. Sharing, debating, and challenging ideas and knowledge is truly what education is about. Talking through your ideas with someone will automatically make you not only a stronger writer but also a stronger thinker.

So, for your next assignment, come to the Writing Center and let’s talk.

5 Tips for Productivity: The Secret to Success

Arielle Ulrich, Consultant

Now that we’re nearly a month into the semester, you’re hopefully starting to get the hang of your classes. You’ve gone to a few classes, you’ve turned in some assignments, and you’ve probably just taken your first exam or written your first paper. This is the point in the semester where I typically lose steam because, after all, the end of the semester seems so far away. It’s not until later in the semester, when I’m struggling to write three papers at the same time, that I realize how much time I wasted at the beginning of the semester and wish I could go back in time and slap myself.

However, instead of starting to work on that time machine, I recommend something a little more practical (and doable): invest some thought into raising your productivity level. As a graduate student, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of utilizing your time in an efficient way. If you’re struggling to get all your school work done, it’s not enough to simply work harder, you also need to work smarter. Hence, I’ve put together some tips that should get you started and hopefully serve you well throughout the semester as you plan for success.

Be honest with how you’re spending your time. Take a few days to track how you spend every hour of the day. By finding these gaps in your day and filling them instead with productive activities, you’ll get more done in the day without changing anything else in your schedule. I recommend using this sheet to track your time throughout the day: http://getbuttonedup.com/tools2/free_printable_time_management_sheet_template.pdf
To-do lists are a must. However, sometimes to-do lists can be easy to ignore if you add too many tasks onto it. I recommend a to-do list that separates your tasks into quadrants based on importance or necessity. Throughout the day, you work through the quadrants, starting with tasks that are urgent and important, and eventually move down to tasks that are neither. Using this method, you are sure to complete the most important tasks of your day without wasting time on busywork.
Use a scheduling tool like Google Calendar to remind yourself of exams, due dates, and meetings. By adding these events to your phone immediately, you’ll be able to schedule reminders so that you’re sure to remember the important deadlines for the semester.
Don’t forget to take breaks! I often try to work for 30-60 minutes at a time, and then I take a 10 minute break to let the information settle in. Breaks not only give your brain a chance to rest, but they also increase productivity by ensuring that you don’t overwork yourself. If you don’t have a timer, you can use software to remind yourself to take breaks. Try a website like http://www.pomodoro.me/ that can give you desktop notifications.
Lastly, seek help when necessary. If doing your homework takes hours and you’re still failing, seek out a tutor who will be able to give you study tips. REACH offers a range of tutoring opportunities as well as workshops on other college survival techniques. If you never seem to be able to start a paper, schedule a Writing Center appointment for brainstorming tips or to go over a draft. Never forget to ask other people how they stay productive!

I hope you find these tips helpful as you go into the rest of the semester. Happy writing!

5 Strategies for Picking a Paper Topic

Alex Clifton, Consultant

It’s never too early in the semester to start thinking about paper topics. Trust me, it’s much easier to write your essays in March or April when you’ve already thought about and researched a topic over the course of weeks, rather than deciding to write about something three days before it’s due. I’ve done the latter, and it’s produced some sleepless nights and shoddy writing—something you definitely want to avoid! However, it can be difficult to determine what exactly you want to write about. The following strategies will, hopefully, jumpstart some thought and give you ideas for any classes you’re struggling in!

Make a list. If you look over the syllabus of a course and realize that nothing quite “speaks” to you immediately, make a list of subject areas you know you’re interested in. Are you into feminist theory? Do you enjoy researching murders in South America? Are you more interested in the political or economic aspects of the Russian Revolution? These questions sound silly, but if you think about things you’re interested in, a paper topic might spark from that. I once took a course on the Civil War and did not find myself enamoured with the books on the syllabus. However, I knew I liked writing about gender and children’s literature, and ended up writing a fun paper on children’s stories during the Civil War! Reminding yourself what your interests are will also help you come up with a topic that you will be far more invested in—which will make your final paper a lot more fun to write.

Preliminary research. It might sound boring, but typing in keywords into the library’s database (WorldCat, located here) can provide a wealth of information and ideas. Not only is it a good way to find scholarly and reliable sources, but those books can also give you an idea of the scholarship out there! WorldCat has a really handy feature where you can click on a book and it will tell you the chapter/essay titles within the book. If you’re trying to do a paper on Arctic exploration, you might end up finding an essay on John Rae, a Scottish doctor who discovered the grisly fate of the doomed Franklin expedition from 1848, that focuses on his skills with snowshoeing, which might spark some interest in nineteenth-century Inuit methods of snow travel. Yeah, it’s an extreme example, but WorldCat is such a great resource and you don’t even need to have a defined paper topic to use it!

Talk it out. If you’re really struggling to come up with a paper topic, it might help to brainstorm verbally with some friends. If you talk to a friend or two from your course, you might discover new ways of looking at the subject material that may trigger some interest. Maybe one of your friends is writing on Bosnian familial structures, and somehow their own thoughts inspire you to look up Bosnian recipes for a paper in a course on Bosnian culture. Sometimes, it also helps to talk to a friend from outside your course, as they may act as an impartial observer to your thoughts and can ask probing questions. If you don’t want to ask your friends for help, try talking to your professor. I have yet to have a professor at UofL who has been totally unwilling to help students, especially when it’s clear that the student is making an effort. (If you’re asking for help about brainstorming a paper topic way before it’s due, that shows you’re making an effort!) Some professors may seem scary and unapproachable in class, but I’ve found that they are less likely to bite during office hours. Your professor might also be able to look at your academic interests and help guide you towards a topic that they deem suitable and you’ll find interesting, a win-win for all!

Freewrite. Yeah, nobody wants to think about writing when they’re working on finding a topic to write on. It’s a dirty secret of research that you’re going to have to do a lot more writing than you ever planned on in order to come up with that glorious final paper. It sometimes helps to just write down things you’ve considered researching and listing ways you could flesh out each topic. Sometimes, seeing your own ideas out on paper can help make paper topics more concrete, rather than just thinking about what you might write about—it makes your ideas far more concrete, and puts you down the road for academic success!

Come in to the writing center. Last, but not least, if you’re really struggling with starting on a paper, come in to the writing center and talk to one of our consultants. Everyone has different strategies for working on papers, and they’ll be able to give you some useful tips. Talking to someone who works with writing might be beneficial in ways that talking to your friends aren’t: if you can talk to one of our tutors about your writing style and methods, then they might be able to find a way to help you figure out how to pick and start working on a paper topic.

I hope some of these tips help you find whatever it is you want to write about this semester! And, as always, feel free to stop by the Writing Center with whatever you’ve got of your paper. Whether it’s just ideas floating up in your head or a full-on draft, we’ll help you work with it. Happy brainstorming!

Graduate Students: We’re Here to Help You With Your Coursework, Too!

Meghan Hancock, Assistant Director for Graduate Writing

Here at the U of L Writing Center, we work with a lot of graduate students on their master’s theses or dissertations. These are always fun for us, as they give us the chance to not only hone our own skills in helping students with larger projects, but also the chance to learn about the up and coming research of U of L graduate students across the disciplines.

You don’t have to wait until you’re working on your culminating project, though (and in this context I’m talking about master’s theses or dissertations), to come to us as a graduate student. The writing you do during your coursework can be challenging as well, and we’re here to help!

As a fellow graduate student myself, I know how difficult coursework can be. We’re often juggling coursework with responsibilities as TA’s teaching several courses at once, with our work as research assistants, with our time in a work-study position, or sometimes even balancing coursework with a full time job while taking care of our families. In other words, we have a lot on our plates. Finding the time, then, to dedicate to weekly seminar course preparation as well as the time needed to research and write toward a seminar paper due at the end of a semester can be difficult. Not only this—sometimes (when you’re a new graduate student especially) you might be encountering some of the writing genres expected of you for the first time. I remember, for instance, how lost I felt when I had to write my first seminar paper. Was it the same as the research papers I had to do as an undergraduate, or were there differences that I didn’t know about?

This is where consultants at the Writing Center can help. We’re familiar with those genres. Your coursework (while often thought of as something to get out of the way before you begin your degree’s culminating project) is the time when you learn how to write within your discipline and enter the scholarly conversation others in your field have begun. Coming to the Writing Center to work on things like seminar papers, then, might give you some insight on your writing as a graduate student that will help you when it comes time to write your thesis or dissertation. Many of the elements of a typical seminar paper, like a short review of relevant scholarship, critical engagement with sources, and a semi-original argument that contributes to your chosen field in some way, will also be expected in your thesis or dissertation. It helps to start working on these skills sooner rather than later. In other words, it’s never too late to try the Writing Center if you’re a graduate student!

On Early Writing Advice

Jessica Winck, Assistant Director

This week’s feature was adapted from an earlier post on Jessica’s blog Daily Inventions, which focuses on writing, teaching, and the teaching of writing.

As I work on finishing my M.A. project, I’ve been thinking about how my views on writing were shaped when I was younger. After studying rhetoric and writing for the past two years, I’ve become more conscious of how some of my own views, behaviors, and habits suggest something I learned early on that stayed with me. In other words, I’ll become aware of something I’m doing, and I’ll say (sometimes out loud), “Where did that come from?”

Throughout my teens I saw myself as a fiction writer, and the writing of fiction was Writing to me – so people who wrote it were Writers. I got a sense of this in so many of the books about fiction writing that I read. There was a sense in these books – this discourse – that good writers have a gift. Certainly they work hard, but they have an indefinable quality, so at best, advice about writing for people who don’t have this gift can only help them artificially replicate what gifted writers possess naturally.

Now I see this as a flawed assumption, but I bought into it when I was younger. When I was 20 or 21 I showed a short story to a guy I worked with who also wrote fiction. His initial response was, “Well, you can write!” On one hand, that’s just stating the obvious. On the other hand, that’s not what he was talking about at all. He meant I had some kind of ability beyond competence.

There were consequences for this kind of view of writing and writers. Though my undergrad curriculum consisted of several creative writing workshops, collaboration wasn’t a major priority – in fact it was discouraged because it was seen as a distraction. Someone once told me that writers who work at coffee shops or with others just want distractions because they aren’t committed to their craft. Real writers toil alone, if not for concentration’s sake, then because their gift for writing – all that genius – leads to bad social skills or neuroses. The Writer/Suffering Genius was a persona more than anything else, and my peers and I all desperately ached toward it.

Clearly I disagreed with these “truths” to some extent, otherwise I wouldn’t have been so frustrated by their limitations at the time. But they weren’t my only influences. When I was in high school, I read two important writers: Peter Elbow and Natalie Goldberg. Something distinguished them from the other people I read during that time and later in undergrad: they didn’t tolerate the view of “Writing” that I’ve elaborated here. For them, improving as writers is first a matter of writing more and being more methodical about how you use your writing time (ie., scheduled or timed writing). Though I read Elbow and Goldberg early on, they stayed on my shelf all through undergrad as I worked through developing an identity as a writer. I thought that improving as a writer couldn’t possibly be a matter of persistence, which is available to everyone.

As I work on my Master’s project now, I’m realizing in really profound ways that at a fundamental level, apart from other factors and forces that bear down on me in this process, that I will finish my project in a reasonable amount of time if I just persist methodically. This isn’t to say that challenges won’t come up, or that I won’t ever feel like it’s hopeless, but it’s to say that there is plenty of evidence that says I should have faith in this process.

There are also benefits for teachers and writing consultants to examine early influences on our views of writing. This is a view of writing that leads us to assume that everyone can write, as Peter Elbow suggests, and that doing well and “being successful,” however defined, is a matter of persisting, not of innate talents or gifts.

The Etiquette of Thankfulness: What (Not) Sending a Thank You Note After a Job Interview Tells a Potential Employer

Jennifer Marciniak, Assistant Director of the Virtual Writing Center

While Thanksgiving reminds us to show appreciation for those around us, it’s also a good time to consider how we communicate this appreciation. From my own experience, I can tell you that just saying Thank You means a lot. I have Thank You notes from students pinned up on my corkboard in my office. The colorful, handwritten cards are from students who I helped in the writing center when I worked as a face-to-face consultant as opposed to my now cyber existence in the Virtual Writing Center. One card, from a student I worked with on a few different projects all semester says, “You have really helped me write well and reduce stress. I appreciate your enthusiasm and enjoy working with you.” Another, from a student whom I helped with her personal statement for a graduate program, says: “You helped me rediscover my voice . . . for that I will be forever grateful.” The meaning behind these notes is personal. It tells me that what we have done together mattered, that I have affected their life somehow, and, in turn, theirs mine. Sometimes we need these little tokens to remind us of our value.

Thank you notes are nice to get, but they can also be essential to give. It is important to remember what saying Thank You can do for you professionally. In the fast-paced world of online job applications and telephone/Skype interviews, sometimes remembering to send that traditional note of appreciation after meeting the hiring manager and/or job committee gets lost in the shuffle. Thank You notes resonate with potential employers. And if there is any doubt about that statement, consider recent results from job search firm surveys. According to a CareerBuilder 2011 survey of hiring managers, about 22 percent are less likely to hire a candidate if a Thank You note is not sent, even if that candidate is one of their top contenders. The survey also found that 88 percent of hiring managers say that the lack of a Thank You note shows a “lack of follow through,” and 56 percent say that not sending a Thank You Note suggests the applicant is “not serious about the opportunity.”

Who would have thought those two words – Thank You – would pull so much weight in an already overly competitive job market? Apparently most employers, according to Amanda Augustine, a job search consultant for The Ladders, a job match service for career professionals. In an interview with Forbes Magazine about after-interview etiquette, Augustine maintains that it is a mistake to think the job interview is over once you step out the door: “Based on my decade-long experience in conducting interviews, I can attest first-hand that failure to follow-up can be the deciding factor in rejecting a candidate who is otherwise a great fit.”

With the knowledge that Thank You notes may make or break your chances for a job, there are many decisions to make about content, as well as whether to send them via email or through the mail. A survey of hiring managers by Accountemps, a staffing company for accounting and financial professionals, revealed that 87 percent believe an e-mailed Thank You note is considered appropriate. However, this also depends on the culture of the company, according to Forbes contributor and career coach Lisa Quast. If the company is a bit more traditional, a hand-written note, usually sent within 24 hours of the interview, is best. Heibling and Associates, an executive consultant staffing firm for engineering, real estate, and construction companies, says it is in the candidate’s best interest to send an email and a hand-written note. This is advised because a handwritten note “gets more attention” than an email note, but if the hiring process is moving quickly, “you will want to expedite your Thank You and send an email.”

Some more interpersonal forms of appreciation are warned against. A telephone call is an option, but not recommended. According to the Accountemps survey, only 10 percent of hiring managers find it suitable to send a text message as a Thank You note. Quast says that while texting is convenient, it is just not professional etiquette: “Thankfully, I’ve only had this happen once, when a candidate texted, ‘Thx for the intrvw!’”

In terms of content, most staffing firms agree on one major component — make it personal. Address the hiring manager by name. Also, if the hiring committee is more than one person, write a Thank You note to each individual member. Include in the note the position you interviewed for and the date you applied. Also, personalize the note to the position and the company. This jogs their memory, according to HCareers.com, a search firm for hospitality professionals, especially if the same committee is hiring for multiple positions. These tips are taken directly from HCareers.com:

Show Gratitude Basically, you want to thank the employer for his or her time at the job interview. This will grab the interviewer’s attention and make the person realize that you are a warm and considerate person—this goes a long way in the hospitality industry.

Confirm Your Interest Mention something specific that you are excited about (i.e. “I really love the idea of working at a four-star hotel and am confident my skill and expertise would help maintain the hotel’s excellent reputation.”).

Show You Were Listening You don’t want to recount the entire conversation, but it’s great to mention one or two specific things that came up in the interview, especially things that are relevant to the position for which you interviewed.

Point out Some of Your Strengths Don’t be afraid to add in a little self-promotion! Employers want their prospective hires to be confident and assertive. This is a great place to explain a few of your skills and share how your background and relevant experience will help you succeed in the job. You don’t want to go into too much detail here, but reminding the interviewer of why you are a strong and qualified candidate can go a long way.

Suggest a Follow Up End on a positive note by saying thank you again, and then, depending on how you left it in the interview, mention that you are available to talk again in person or over the phone in order to answer any questions the interviewer might have.

In addition to the many tips for what to write in Thank You notes, there are also many warnings against what not to write. Some of these may be common sense, but search firms feel they need to be asserted. Some of the most common “don’ts” for Thank You notes are mentioning salary or waiting too long to send the note. Some other big ones include:

Penmanship and Errors Typos and misspellings tell your potential employer that you wrote the note in haste, which may cause the manager to doubt your interest in the job, according to Miriam Salpeter, job search and social media consultant for USNews. Write out your note on a separate piece of paper first. If you are sending an email, write it out on a Word or Pages document first. Make sure to check for all spelling and grammar errors.

Don’t Be Generic “If you can’t sound invested in the position and take the time necessary to write an interesting note, you may be wasting your time,” says Salpeter. While you may think you are saving time and energy by sending the same Thank You note to 10 different employers, you aren’t. Employers can tell if you are being generic. Salpeter advises candidates to read their note before sending it and ask “Could someone who didn’t even participate in the interview have written this?” She says if the answer is yes, “it’s back to the drawing board, or you’ll risk leaving the interviewer unimpressed.”

Sending a Gift Sending flowers, food, or gift cards can be seen as a “desperate, inappropriate candidate,” and can possibly make the employer uncomfortable, says Salpeter. Diane Gottsman, founder of The Protocol School of Texas, says in an interview with Forbes that it can be seen as a bribe. “Sending, or receiving, a big box of steaks on ice is not the right way to secure a job position.”

Researching the etiquette of thankfulness for this blog reminded me of my past life as a job search consultant. Before my journey into academia I recruited, interviewed and hired (or not) for two different large companies. I can attest that the ones that actually took the time to send Thank You notes made an impression. To me, taking the time to hand-write a Thank You card showed thoughtfulness and practicality – two skills that most employers find very valuable. Thank You emails are also thoughtful, but hand-written cards, because of their personal nature (picking out the card, taking a pen to paper, sealing the envelope, stamping and sending), demonstrate that the candidate delegates time and energy to the little things. And a lot of the times those little things are the ones that really matter.

Below are links to templates and tips for writing solid post-interview Thank You notes:

Job Seekers: No, the Interview Thank You Note is Not Dead

Making Post-Interview Thank You Notes Worth Your Time

Write a Post-Interview Thank You that Actually Boosts Your Changes to Get the Job

How I Write: Jeffery L. Hieb — Engineering Professor

Our featured writer this week is Professor Jeffery L. Hieb. Dr. Hieb teaches in the Engineering Fundamentals and Computer Engineering and Computer Science departments in the J. B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville. Although he has a range of research interests, one area of specialty for Dr. Hieb is information assurance and security.

How I Write: Jeffery L. Hieb

Location: In my office or my office at home

Current project: A technical report on the availability and effectiveness of currently available industrial control system cyber-security technology for the Dams Sector.

Currently reading: What the Best College Professors Do, Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

What type(s) of writing do you regularly engage in?

a. Conference and journal papers
b. Technical reports
c. Letters of recommendation
d. Grant and research proposals
When/where/how do you write?

a. In my office or in my office at home.
b. Almost any chance I get
What are your writing necessities—tools, accessories, music, spaces?

a. I write on my notebook computer, and since I have it with me most of the time I can write almost anywhere. I usually like to have a cup of coffee next to me when I write.
What is your best tip for getting started and/or for revision?

a. When I have trouble getting started I like to stand up and talk about the subject matter to an imaginary audience. Usually after 10 to 15 minutes I want to start writing down something I have said.
What is the best writing advice you’ve received?

a. The best advice I ever received was from Dr. David Shaner, my philosophy professor when I was an undergraduate. He once told me: “Just throw up on the page, you can clean it up later”. I have always found that helpful when starting to write something, it takes away the pressure of getting it right at the beginning, and acknowledges that rewriting/revising is part of the writing process, not what you do to fix or correct something you got wrong initially.