Business Writing Courses

Clear and effective business writing, written either in a first or in a second language, requires a skill-set not necessarily innate to most people. Whether you are an employer looking to better equip your employees or a person simply looking to acquire a better writing technique, ILC has classes customized to fit your specific needs.

Business Writing When English is Your Second Language focuses on helping non-native professionals to develop a firm understanding of English vernacular and reinforce basic principles behind concise and effective writing. Students will learn to define their purpose, focus their thoughts, outline and structure sentences and paragraphs, and edit and revise their work.

Areas of study include grammar (punctuation, confusing relative pronouns, proper usage of articles and prepositions ...), use of language and vocabulary (incorporating phrasal verbs and idioms, avoiding commonly misspelled words, smoothing out choppy sentence flow...) and formatting (paragraph breaks, indentation---when to use numbers versus bullets, what and when to capitalize words...).

Students will learn and apply writing and critical thinking skills to actual work situations. Our teachers are trained to find and isolate specific areas that need reinforcement and will work with you or your employees on creating a curriculum that addresses these needs in a meaningful and direct way. Classes are available in one-to-one or Group settings.

The Art of Professional Writing is designed for native speakers who are simply looking for an edge on their fellow professionals. Clear and effective writing is one of the most powerful tools in business today. There is no substitute for a well written memo, email or letter. This course is built around the premise that clear thinking becomes clear writing and that communicating well yields positive results.

The Art of Professional Writing uses everyday real world examples to demystify the writing process. It's often the smallest details that keep us from writing effectively, details that spell the difference between conveying a thought clearly or leaving the reader with a handful of unanswered questions or confusion. Every lesson reinforces the importance of the principles of effective business writing and the understanding of the subject matter and the intended audience.

In addition to general writing techniques, lessons will focus on (as needed):

• Reports (Progress Reports, Research Reports, Periodic Reports...)
• Letters (Reference, Recommendation, Introduction of Services...)
• Memos & Notes (Case Notes, Thank You Notes, Office Memos...)
• Financial Reports (Yearly Fiscal Updates, Budget Narratives & Assumptions...)
• Marketing Material (Press Releases, Informational Brochures, Marketing Collateral...)
• Recruitment (Position Descriptions, Job Listings, Recruitment Letters...)
• Resumes & Cover Letters

...And many other areas such as writing Proposals and Evaluations as well as keeping track of Minutes and creating Agendas. Classes are taught in both one-to-one and Group settings.

Resume Writing

In today's exceedingly competitive job market, having a winning resume or CV can frequently be the difference between getting a foot in the door and having that door slammed shut on you.

The most interesting aspect to a winning resume is often the author's understanding of his or her own strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. To write a winning resume, we need to create an inventory of our skills, abilities, and accomplishments and match them with the right job. The ILC Resume Writing Course is designed to help you filter out non-essential information so that all your attributes are more clearly seen.

At the completion of this course, you will be equipped with the knowledge and information to deliver a resume that comes directly from you and speaks clearly and effectively to a prospective employer. In addition, cover letters and letters of application will be part of the curriculum.