Comments on: How Packaging Can Change Your Message http://www.hrbuoy.com/how-packaging-can-affect-your-message/ Having Fun with HR & Recruiting Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:29:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Chris Frede http://www.hrbuoy.com/how-packaging-can-affect-your-message/comment-page-1/#comment-74 Chris Frede Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:16:08 +0000 http://www.hrbuoy.com/?p=255#comment-74 Thank you Larry, I appreciate your feedback. This is exactly my point. :o) Thank you Larry, I appreciate your feedback. This is exactly my point. :o )

]]> By: Larry http://www.hrbuoy.com/how-packaging-can-affect-your-message/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Larry Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:53:54 +0000 http://www.hrbuoy.com/?p=255#comment-67 Hi Chris: I totally understand what you are trying to convey, however the question that I would like to ask is: Are people so critical of errors and misspelled words that they let it get in the way of the message that is being delivered? I would suggest to you that no matter how careful someone is regarding proof reading and spelling/grammar checks that some times small errors simply slip through the cracks. Humans make mistakes so as recipients of written communications we should try to be less critical and more understanding when they occur. I have seen far too many recruiters remove otherwise qualified candidates from consideration simply because they had a typo on their resume. In reading your article (please excuse me for being a bit too wordy here but I want to make sure that you understand that what follows is not a criticism of you but rather an example of what I tried to convey above. If I attempted to be “clear and concise” and got “straight to the point” you might think that I missed the point of your message and was simply going for a “got you” moment which couldn’t be farther from the truth). I am certain that you put a lot of time and effort into formulating the content of the advice that you presented. I am equally certain that you proofed it, spelled / grammar checked it, and proofed it again before you published it. However, despite all of your preparation and proofing a mistake slipped through. You wrote: • Before you send an email, open up each attachment and print to make sure it looks good and prints correctly. Check for formatting errors. Nothing is more frustrating then receiving a document and try to print it and it does not print right. An alternative: • Before you send an email, open up each attachment and print IT to make sure it looks good and prints correctly. Check for formatting errors. Nothing is more frustrating THAN receiving a document and TRYING to print it and it does not print CORRECTLY. I only mentioned it because I see “than” and “then” misused far more often than I would care to. Despite our best efforts and preparation, sooner or later mistakes happen to all of us – ironic that it happened here. In any event, I really do appreciate the advice. Larry Hi Chris:

I totally understand what you are trying to convey, however the question that I would like to ask is: Are people so critical of errors and misspelled words that they let it get in the way of the message that is being delivered? I would suggest to you that no matter how careful someone is regarding proof reading and spelling/grammar checks that some times small errors simply slip through the cracks. Humans make mistakes so as recipients of written communications we should try to be less critical and more understanding when they occur. I have seen far too many recruiters remove otherwise qualified candidates from consideration simply because they had a typo on their resume.

In reading your article (please excuse me for being a bit too wordy here but I want to make sure that you understand that what follows is not a criticism of you but rather an example of what I tried to convey above. If I attempted to be “clear and concise” and got “straight to the point” you might think that I missed the point of your message and was simply going for a “got you” moment which couldn’t be farther from the truth). I am certain that you put a lot of time and effort into formulating the content of the advice that you presented. I am equally certain that you proofed it, spelled / grammar checked it, and proofed it again before you published it. However, despite all of your preparation and proofing a mistake slipped through. You wrote:
• Before you send an email, open up each attachment and print to make sure it looks good and prints correctly. Check for formatting errors. Nothing is more frustrating then receiving a document and try to print it and it does not print right.
An alternative:
• Before you send an email, open up each attachment and print IT to make sure it looks good and prints correctly. Check for formatting errors. Nothing is more frustrating THAN receiving a document and TRYING to print it and it does not print CORRECTLY.

I only mentioned it because I see “than” and “then” misused far more often than I would care to. Despite our best efforts and preparation, sooner or later mistakes happen to all of us – ironic that it happened here. In any event, I really do appreciate the advice.

Larry

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