Writing on the Job: Best Practices for Communicating in the Digital Age

(Paperback)

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A practical and compact guide to writing for professionals

Writing is an essential skill in todays workplace. From messaging platforms and social media to traditional forms of communication like memos and reports, we rely on words more than ever. Given how much reading we do on mobile devices, being able to write succinctly is critical to success. Writing on the Job is an incisive guide to clear and effective writing for professionals.

Martha Coven begins with the basics, explaining how to develop a professional style, get started on a piece of writing, create a first draft, and edit it into a strong final product. She then offers practical advice on more than a dozen forms of writing, from emails and slide decks to proposals and cover letters. Along the way, Coven provides a wealth of concrete examples and simple templates that make the concepts easy to understand and apply.

Based on Covens popular writing classes and workshops at Princeton University as well as her decades of experience in the public and private sectors, Writing on the Job addresses the real challenges professionals face in todays digital age, and shares essential practices that can improve the performance of any organisation.

'Writing clearly and succinctly is an essential skill that is far too rare. Martha Covens book offers keen insights and practical guidance for effective communication, no matter the audience or mission. Writing on the Job lays out a commonsense approach to writing with uncommon clarity.' Jacob J. Lew, former US Secretary of the Treasury

'Coven smartly and concretely gives readers a road map for turning ideas into action in the twenty-first century workplace. Writing on the Job shouldnt be on your bookshelfput it on your desk beside your mouse or trackpad for reference, early and often.' Melody C. Barnes, executive director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia, former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council

'Every page of this slim volume has a wealth of real-world experience distilled into actionable and sage advice. Note to those early in their careersdo yourself a favor and read this book now and carefully. It will return that modest investment several times over.' Ashvin B. Chhabra, author of The Aspirational Investor: Taming the Markets to Achieve Your Lifes Goals

Reviews

"Crisp writing and clear examples guide readers through drafting and editing documents, creating resumes, delivering criticism, presenting statistics, constructing slide decks, and even deciding when to use emojis. . . . [C]ompact and readable chapters for all who text, blog, craft memos, and otherwise communicate online." * Library Journal *
"Easy to read and served up in bite-sized chunks, this book is an excellent how to manual for clear communication."---Terry Freedman, Teach Secondary
"By tackling real challenges professionals face, Coven offers practical tips that can improve the performance of any organization." * Princeton Alumni Weekly *

Author Bio

Martha B. Coven is the John L. Weinberg/Goldman Sachs & Co. Visiting Professor at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the founder of Coven Consulting. She has been writing on the job for more than twenty-five years, in the White House and for members of Congress as well as in the private sector.