Write Away e-bulletin

March 2011

In the first of our special issues, we find out how using insights from psychology can give your business writing the edge. Discover from the latest research how you can use email to influence how others judge you. You can also find out why putting pen to paper can boost your capacity to learn and how writing can improve performance when it comes to any high-pressure situation.

With writing being such a powerful tool, it’s important to get your message across effectively. Our mini grammar workshop offers three vital rules you need to know, while we look at novelist George Orwell’s rules for effective writing – six golden tips that will give your reports extra clout.

Finally, our 'Bad education' article focuses on the growing problem of typos in CVs – especially in graduates’ applications – and highlights solutions to the main problem areas.

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• Judged by email: how are your recipients reading you?

  The way we write emails has a major impact on how others view us – and we’re not always perceived as we hope to be. But fear not: there are strategies on hand to control how your reader judges you …

• Mind the traps: three grammar pitfalls to avoid

  Making grammatical mistakes can give your colleagues and clients a poor impression of you, but our three top tips will show you how easy it is to get it right …

• The write road to brilliant public speaking

  High-pressure situations – such as public speaking – certainly get the adrenaline pumping, but they can also compromise performance. Writing about your worries just before the event can help you rise to the challenge …

• The easy way to boost your brain power

  Step away from the keyboard and pick up a pen. That’s the latest scientific advice for everyone who wants to improve their capacity to learn …

• Banish bad writing to Room 101

  Novelist George Orwell’s campaign to save the English language produced six golden writing rules that the best business writers hold dear to this day …

• Bad education: is your CV up to the job?

  Recruiters say grammatical sloppiness is depressingly common among young job seekers – but could you do any better? …