Planning to Become. . . -A Border Patrol Agent?

-A Nurse? -A Police Officer?

(etc.)Then you will need

Standard Written English (SWE)

to fulfill your dreams.

Why we write

We write to discover what we want to say.

We write to discover the world.

Why we write

The very act of writing encourages us to be creative as well as organized and logical in thinking.

Why we write

Use writing to demonstrate your knowledge as well as add to it.

Writing confers authority on us; it gives confidence to assert our own ideas, feelings.

Why we write

We generate ideas and connect ideas in systematic ways.

This builds critical thinking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU

Employers’ wish list

The top personal qualities / skills rated by employers

◦ Honesty/integrity◦ Interpersonal skills◦ Strong work ethic◦ Teamwork skills◦ Analytical skills◦ Motivation/initiative◦ Flexibility/adaptability

(2005 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers)

Employers’ wish list

The top personal qualities / skills rated by employers

◦2. Honesty/integrity◦3. Interpersonal skills◦4. Strong work ethic◦5. Teamwork skills◦6. Analytical skills◦7. Motivation/initiative◦8. Flexibility/adaptability

(2005 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers)

Employers’ wish list

The top personal qualities / skills rated by employers◦1. Communication skills ◦2. Honesty/integrity◦3. Interpersonal skills◦4. Strong work ethic◦5. Teamwork skills◦6. Analytical skills◦7. Motivation/initiative◦8. Flexibility/adaptability

(2005 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers)

Written English is a form of power

Many entry level jobs don’t demand exceptional writing skills, but applicants are instantly branded as illiterates if their resumes or letters contain misspelled words.

Written English is a form of power

Once hired, employees create similarly adverse impressions if response to memos, emails, notes for secretaries or brief reports for supervisors are confusing.

Written English is a form of power

However … job applicants who communicate well have an advantage in getting hired, and once on the job, they have an advantage in earning promotions.

Written English is a form of power

Think about what kind of writing is required for the jobs that interest you.

Sample Police Officer Standards and Training entry-level questions

Choose the word or phrase that most nearly has the same meaning as the underlined word.

 1. The witness corroborated the suspect's story.a. verifiedb. contradictedc. added tod. questioned 

Sample Police Officer Standards and Training entry-level questions

2. It was not a very pragmatic plan.

a. plausibleb. seriousc. practicald. sensible

3. The police sequestered the suspect.

a. caughtb. isolatedc. arrestedd. released

Sample Police Officer Standards and Training entry-level questions

In the following pairs of sentences, identify the sentence which is most clearly written.

A. Bullet fragments were gathered by officers in envelopes.

B. Bullet fragments were gathered in envelopes by officers.

Border Patrol entry-level questions

Agent Smith is in charge of all of the canine teams in his sector. Fifteen canine teams are stationed in his sector. Most of the canine teams are located at stations along the border. Several canine teams are located away from the border in large urban areas. All of the teams must be available to travel to any duty station within the sector.

Border Patrol entry-level questions

From the information given above, it can be validly concluded that, in Agent Smith’s sector, A) most of the canine teams are located away from the border in large urban areas B) only teams located along the border must be available to travel to any duty station within the sector C) teams in urban areas do not need to be available to travel to other duty stations within the sector D) none of the teams are exempt from traveling to any duty location within the sector E) few of the canine teams are located at stations along the border

Nursing board exam (NCLEX)

What is the accurate procedure for performing a confrontational peripheral vision test?

A. Both examiner and patient cover the same eye and stare at each other while an object is brought into the line of sight.

B. Examiner and patient cover opposite eyes and stare at each other while an object is brought into the line of sight.

C. The patient is asked to discriminate numbers from a chart composed of colored dots.

D. The room is darkened and the patient is asked to identify colored blocks and shapes when they appear in the visual field

Written English is a form of power

Writing is a skill that helps solve problems, relate ideas, make sense of your experiences, impress your bosses, and influence others. That’s power!