PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

MODULE 11
THE BLOG
(Finals)

I. LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

a) Differentiate between the journal or diary entry and the blog.

b) Appreciate the benefits of and challenges of writing a blog.
c) Write a blog of at least 500 words on any topic of your choice.

LESSON
What Is A Blog? – A Guide to Understanding the Concept of Blogging

Plenty of people who have heard the term “blogging” fail to understand what a “blog” is or how
creating or reading one can impact or improve their lives. Whether you have absolutely no idea
what these terms mean or you know the basics but want to learn more, this guide provides you
with a thorough breakdown of the topic.

The following sections also provide details about popular blogging sites and how to use one or
more blogs to generate funds for personal and business goals.

So exactly what is a blog?

A blog is an online diary or journal located on a website. The content of a blog typically includes
text, pictures, videos, animated GIFs and even scans from old physical offline diaries or journals
and other hard copy documents. Since a blog can exist merely for personal use, sharing
information with an exclusive group or to engage the public, a blog owner can set their blog for
private or public access.

When a blog is made publicly accessible, anyone can typically find the blog through links
available on the blog owner’s individual or business website, their social media profiles, emails
and e-newsletters and online keyword search engines. Many blog owners also set up blogs on
websites devoted to the creation, storage and sharing of blogs, such as Blogger, LiveJournal,
Tumblr and WordPress.
Blog content can appear as posts on one continuous streaming page or posts on individual
pages reachable through one or more pages set up in a list-style format as post title links,
excerpts and related tags. All posts or links to posts are typically displayed to readers in reverse
chronological order with the most recent content appearing first.

History of The Blog

Blogs started out as a natural extension of the increased use of computers and the creation of
the earliest forms of the Internet as government military, scientific and academic networks.
Before the World Wide Web, communities of people interacted on these networks. Individuals
created content for themselves or others and stored that content on computers that were
connected to the networks. Before blogs became popular, these communities often
communicated and shared frequently-updated content through community message boards.
The term “newsgroups” became coined to describe many of these discussion and information-
sharing areas.

The earliest true blogs started appearing around 1994 or 1995 as open access diaries where
individuals shared updates about their lives, such as personal thoughts and facts about events
related to their families, academic studies, career, travels and other topics. Early online diary
writers include Claudio Pinhanez, Justin Hall and Carolyn Burke. The media and public really
started noticing the content and documenting its formation around approximately 1996 and
1997.

The exact date and year of the first use of the term “blog” is still debated by scholars. Most
believe that it happened in 1999 as the natural truncation of a particular description of this type
of content, “web log” or “weblog,” into the shortened form. Some debate exists on pronunciation.
Obviously, the term describes a diary or log located and accessible on the World Wide Web. As
time passed, some people thought that “weblog” should be pronounced “we blog” to refer to
individuals performing the action of blogging.

Blogs vs Websites – What is the difference?

The primary difference between a blog and a website is that a blog is a specific type of content
displayed on web pages on a website. Confusion often occurs because individuals and
representatives of businesses often use the two terms interchangeably. For example, someone
might say that they visited a company’s blog when in fact the blog was merely one part of the
company’s website. Confusion also occurs because platforms that are devoted entirely to
blogging create the impression that a person’s or company’s blog on one of these platforms is
also their primary website.

To help sort it all out, keep the following in mind: In most cases, non-blogging websites are
updated with new content less frequently then associated blog pages and blog-devoted
websites. Blogs typically receive weekly, daily or even less than hourly updates. Non-blog
websites, such as individual personal interest and biography or business sites, typically only
update their news and blog content at that frequency and then add new pages or update some
content as needed. Blogs also promote discussion. They have comment sections designed to
create online conversations about blog content and blog owners in a similar fashion as
comment sections provided to readers by news media platforms and other publishers under
online articles.

You can use my tutorial to learn how to build a WordPress website.

Blog posts Vs Pages – What is the difference?

Simply put, the blog content that you pull up in your browser appears on a web page. The term
“page” describes the document and the location. It is important to note that the term “blog” is
also frequently used to describe a collection of web pages that specifically share blog content,
especially on blog-focused websites. This usage is similar to how people describe a collection of
pages in a diary, journal or log collectively as the object. As previously mentioned, blog content
is updated frequently. Many websites have non-blog pages that contain content that rarely
changes, such as a company’s history page or contact page. Some web pages have not been
updated beyond a few tiny refreshed and new content changes in years.

Popularity of Blogs & Blogging

A lot of people wonder why blogs and blogging have become so popular. Blogs provide a social
outlet. Many people, by nature, are social animals. They actively seek out other people offline or
online for interaction and sharing of knowledge and perspectives. Even many people who are
anti-social in face-to-face, offline settings enjoy interacting online through social networks using
their true identities or anonymous personas. Since a blog is a social tool, creating or reading
blogs provides them with a better alternative method for interacting with others that did not
previously exist.

Additionally, social and anti-social people use blogs to build new friendships and other types of
relationships and gain a better understanding of the lives of people who they might not likely
interact with on a daily basis. For example, blogs offer them opportunities to interact with people
who are from others cultures and/or live in other geographic regions, people who work in
different career fields and people who have taken up previously geographically-limited and rare
types of hobbies. In these cases, blogs offer content that people could only find in the past
through offline newspapers, magazines, television programs, films, documentaries and special
festivities sponsored by communities, businesses art organizations, local, state and federal
government administrations and academic institutions.
What kind of people blog?

Almost no limitations exist in regards to the types of people who create blogs. Blog creators,
also known as “bloggers,” come from all walks of life and backgrounds from around the world.
As long as a person has access to online tools that help them to create web page content, they
can make a blog and promote it to attract readers. The most common bloggers include
individuals who want to simply share personal information about themselves and/or their
interests and hobbies with the world.
Some people use this web content tool to bring greater awareness to topics they feel are
critically important to the betterment of others like topics related to political news, charitable
organizations, safety issues, pet care and health conditions. Businesses typically use blogs to
improve the lives of their customers in general, teach customers how to safely use
products/services and bring attention to their expertise in a particular industry or their
products/services.

Why do people bother blogging?

People blog for a wide range of reasons beyond those already mentioned. Many people simply
dislike traditional offline diary writing and need an outlet for their thoughts and feelings beyond
that format, face-to-face interactions, phone calls or online chat. Some people love that they can
share their innermost thoughts and information with someone else half-way around the world.
Sometimes this outlet is desired because they have no offline friends or support system and use
blogging to help them deal with stressful life events like acute and chronic health conditions or
grief after the death of loved ones.

Since many other forms of content on various websites do not require frequent updates, a lot of
people, especially business owners, use their blogs as part of their search engine
optimization toolkit to maintain or improve their search engine result ranking and drive more
traffic to their websites. Search engine algorithms rank fresh, valuable content higher than older
content and when a website receives more traffic that site owner has a higher chance of
increasing their revenue.

How Do Bloggers Make Money from Their Blogs?

Beyond improving website traffic by updating content regularly, individuals and

businesses make money off of their blogs by building trust with members of their target market.
They offer content that their target audience finds interesting and useful and that also
establishes them as knowledgeable experts. Consumers often buy new products and services
from individuals and businesses who they trust.
They are also more likely to be repeat, loyal customers to anyone who engages them and
provides them with “free” valuable content. Consumers who trust an individual or business and
start to rely upon a specific website for information are then more likely to recognize a brand,
buy products or services and even provide word of mouth referrals about their positive
experiences to members of their social networks.

Those referrals then often lead to new customers and future sales. Of course, by maintaining
contact with members of their target market through their blogs, individuals and business
owners who sell products and services are able to bring attention to new products and services
and spread news about upcoming sales and deals to people who might not otherwise hear
about these details through traditional advertising methods.

Some blog owners earn money every time someone merely clicks static or dynamic ads or other
embedded links on their blog pages that go to affiliate partner websites or earn a
commission when someone buys a product or service on a partner website after using their link.
Lastly, many blog owners make money by selling their blogs. Blog sales typically happen after a
niche topic blog website starts receiving incredibly high traffic and becomes attractive to an
investor as a potential high volume money-making tool. Some people buy a blog just so that
they can merge it with their existing blog or shut down the purchased blog site entirely because
the competition was driving traffic away from their own blog and/or other websites.
As you can see, a blog provides an individual or business the means to share all kinds of
information and reap all sorts of rewards from their efforts. Blogs can be therapeutic alone or do
double duty by both serving as a social outlet and money generator. If you do not currently have
a blog, review some of the popular blogging sites listed in this guide or check out the blogs of
your favorite celebrities, businesses or hobby associations to give you ideas about what a
successful blog looks like and the elements that go into it. If you do have an online diary but you
have not promoted or monetized it in the ways outlined in this guide, review these methods and
give real consideration to the idea of turning your blog into a secondary income stream.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
Check your understanding of the input by answering the following questions:
Task 1: Comprehension Questions:
1. What is a blog?
2. How is a blog similar to a journal or diary entry?
3. How is a blog different from a journal or diary entry?

SYNTHESIS
1. A blog is the online equivalent of a journal or diary entry.
2. Because of its public nature, a blog has , more visual material and makes use of topics
that are of general interest to the public.

REFERENCES:

• Madrunio, Marilou R.,Martin, Isabel P., Purposive Communication, Using English in

Multilingual Contexts, C&E Publishing Inc. 2018

• Valdez, Suzette F., Dela Cruz, Rommel B., Essentials of Oral Communication Towards
Effective and Responsible Speech
Prepared by:

JANE LUISE G. PASION, LPT

Faculty, CIT

The history of blogging:

1. **Pre-Blogging Era (1990s)**: Blogging's roots can be traced back to online diaries and
personal websites in the early days of the internet. These early weblogs were essentially online
journals where individuals shared their thoughts and experiences.
2. **Emergence of the Term "Weblog" (1997)**: Jorn Barger coined the term "weblog" to
describe the process of "logging the web" while updating his website, Robot Wisdom.
3. **Blogger's Arrival (1999)**: Pyra Labs launched Blogger, a user-friendly platform that made it
easier for people to publish their own weblogs. This was a significant step in the development of
blogging.
4. **Mainstream Popularity (Early 2000s)**: Blogging gained popularity as more people started
using platforms like Blogger, WordPress, and Movable Type to publish their own blogs.
Blogging went from being a niche activity to a mainstream phenomenon.
5. **Blogs as a News Source (Mid-2000s)**: Blogs began to play a role in news reporting, with
some bloggers breaking stories and offering alternative perspectives on current events.
6. **Blogging Platforms and Monetization (Late 2000s)**: Blogging platforms and tools
continued to evolve, and bloggers started exploring ways to monetize their content through
advertising, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing.
7. **Social Media Impact (2010s)**: The rise of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
led to changes in how people shared and consumed content. Many bloggers integrated their
blogs with social media to reach a wider audience.
8. **Content Diversity (2010s)**: Blogging expanded to cover a wide range of topics, from
personal diaries and hobbies to professional niches like travel, food, fashion, and technology.
9. **Video Blogging (Vlogging) (2010s)**: Video blogging, or vlogging, became increasingly
popular on platforms like YouTube, where creators shared their experiences through videos.
10. **The Present (2020s)**: Blogging remains a viable form of online expression, and many
individuals, businesses, and organizations continue to maintain and create blogs. The rise of
content management systems and platforms has made it even easier for people to publish and
manage their blogs.
In summary, blogging has a relatively short but impactful history, evolving from personal online
diaries to a diverse and influential medium for personal expression, information sharing, and
even business ventures.
 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
MODULE 12
THE DEBATE
(FINALS)

II. LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of the module, students should be able to:

a) Discuss the importance of debate in everyday life.

b) Identify and exhibit the different skills involved in being a good debater.

LESSON

What is Debating?

A debate is a structured argument. Two sides speak alternately for and against a particular
contention usually based on a topical issue. Unlike the arguments you might have with your
family or friends however, each person is allocated a time they are allowed to speak for and any
interjections are carefully controlled. The subject of the dispute is often prearranged so you
may find yourself having to support opinions with which you do not normally agree. You also
have to argue as part of a team, being careful not to contradict what others on your side have
said.

Why debate?

It is an excellent way of improving speaking skills and is particularly helpful in providing

experience in developing a convincing argument. Those of you who are forced to argue against
your natural point of view realize that arguments, like coins, always have at least two sides.

The Basic Debating Skills

Style

Style is the manner in which you communicate your arguments. This is the most basic part of
debating to master. Content and strategy are worth little unless you deliver your material in a
confident and persuasive way.

Speed

It is vital to talk at a pace that is fast enough to sound intelligent and allow you time to say what
you want, but slow enough to be easily understood.

Tone

Varying tone is what makes you sound interesting. Listening to one tone for an entire
presentation is boring.
Volume

Speaking quite loudly is sometimes a necessity, but it is by no means necessary to shout

through every debate regardless of context. There is absolutely no need speak any more loudly
than the volume at which everyone in the room can comfortably hear you. Shouting does not
win debates. Speaking too quietly is clearly disastrous since no one will be able to hear you.

Clarity

The ability to concisely and clearly express complex issues is what debating is all about. The
main reason people begin to sound unclear is usually because they lose the “stream of thought”
which is keeping them going. It is also important to keep it simple. While long words may make
you sound clever, they may also make you incomprehensible.

Use of notes and eye contact

Notes are essential, but they must be brief and well organized to be effective. There is
absolutely no point in trying to speak without notes. Of course, notes should never become
obtrusive and damage your contact with the audience, nor should they ever be read from
verbatim. Most people sketch out the main headings of their speech, with brief notes under
each.

When writing notes for rebuttal during the debate, it is usually better to use a separate sheet of
paper so you can take down the details of what the other speakers have said and then transfer
a rough outline onto the notes you will actually be using.

Eye contact with the audience is very important, but keep shifting your gaze. No one likes to be
stared at.

Content

Content is what you actually say in the debate. The arguments used to develop your own side’s
case and rebut the opposite side’s. The information on content provided below is a general
overview of what will be expected when you debate. The final logistics of how long you will
be debating, how many people will be in your group, and how the debate will unfold (ie:
which team speaks first etc.), will all be decided by your tutorial leader.

Case (argument)- the whole

Introduction - The case your group is making must be outlined in the introduction. This involves
stating your main arguments and explaining the general thrust of your case. This must be done
briefly since the most important thing is to get on and actually argue it. It is also a good idea to
indicate the aspects of the subject to be discussed by each of the team members.

Conclusion - At the end, once everyone has spoken, it is useful to briefly summarize what your
group has said and why.

Case (argument)- the parts

Having outlined the whole of your argument, you must then begin to build a case (the parts). The
best way to do this is to divide your case into between two and four arguments (or divide your
case based on the number of people in your group). You must justify your arguments with basic
logic, worked examples, statistics, and quotes. Debating is all about the strategy of “proof”. Proof,
or evidence, supporting your assertion is what makes it an argument. There are a number of ways
of dividing up cases according to groups of arguments (eg political/economic/social or
moral/practical or international/regional etc.) or just according to individual arguments if you can’t
group any together. Under each of these basic headings you should then explain the reasoning
behind the argument and justify it using the methods outlined above. It is usually best to put the
most important arguments first. Here is an example of a case outline:

“The media exert more influence over what people think than the government does. This is
true for three reasons. Firstly, most people base their votes on what they see and hear in the
media. Secondly, the media can set the political agenda between elections by deciding what
issues to report and in how much detail. Thirdly, the media have successfully demonized
politicians over the last ten years so that now people are more likely to believe journalists than
politicians.”

All of the arguments in this case outline are debatable (almost immediately you can see the
counter-arguments), but they give the case a wide range which cover all kinds of issues. The
trick is not to come up with a watertight case, but a well argued one. Think: “Can I argue that?”

Rebuttal – the parts

Arguments can be factually, morally or logically flawed. They may be misinterpretations or they
may also be unimportant or irrelevant. A team may also contradict one another or fail to
complete the tasks they set themselves. These are the basics of rebuttal and almost every
argument can be found wanting in at least one of these respects. Here are a few examples:

1. “Compulsory euthanasia at age 70 would save the country money in pensions and
healthcare.” This is true, but is morally flawed.

2. “Banning cigarette product placement in films will cause more young people to smoke
because it will make smoking more mysterious and tabooer.” This is logically flawed; the ban
would be more likely to stop the steady stream of images which make smoking seem attractive
and glamorous and actually reduce the number of young people smoking.

3. “My partner will then look at the economic issues...” “Blah..blah..blah...(5 minutes later and
still no mention of the economic issues)” This is a clear failure to explain a major part of the
case and attention should be drawn to it. Even better is when a speaker starts with, “to win this
debate there are three things I must do…”. If the speaker fails to do any of those things you can
then hang her or him by the noose by repeating their exact words – by his or her own admission
he or she cannot have won the debate.

Rebuttal – the whole:

It is very important to have a good perspective of the debate and to identify what the key
arguments are. It isn’t enough to rebut a few random arguments here and there. Of course, the
techniques used above are invaluable but they must be used appropriately. There are a
number of things you should do to systematically break down a team’s case:
1. Ask yourself how the other side have approached the case. Is their methodology flawed?

2. Consider what tasks the other side set themselves (if any) and whether they have in fact
addressed these.

3. Consider what the general emphasis of the case is and what assumptions it makes. Try to
refute these.

4. Take the main arguments and do the same thing. It is not worth repeating a point of rebuttal
that has been used by someone else already, but you can refer to it to show that the argument
has not stood up. It is not necessary to correct every example used. You won’t have time and
your aim is to show the other side’s case to be flawed in the key areas

Sources

The information included in the document “How to Debate” was adapted from:

Kidd, A. (2002). The oxford union rough guide to debating. The English Speaking
Union. Retrieved August 26, 2002 from the World Wide
Web: http://www.britishdebate.com/resources/hb_oxfordguide.htm

Formal vs. Informal Arguments

The difference between a formal and an informal argument is in the burden of proof. A formal
argument clearly states the claim or position it argues and presents a well-developed chain of
evidence leading to a reasonable conclusion supporting the claim. The chain of evidence itself
may include a wide variety of elements ranging from personal experience to statistical data and
expert testimony.

Informal arguments contain little or no supportive evidence. "I did the dishes last night" may be
all that's necessary to encourage your roommate to do them tonight but it's hardly an argument
designed to convince or persuade. Its primary purpose is merely to assert, or point something
out, nothing more.

Informal arguments are the stock-in-trade of radio and TV talk-shows, op-ed pages and letters
to the editor. Generally speaking, they're used to instigate discussion among individuals holding
different opinions. Quite often they are used to provoke a confrontation between those who flat-
out disagree with each other (e.g., The O'Reilly Factor and The Jerry Springer Show). Seldom
do they end in a consensus of opinion or a reasonable conclusion.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
Check your understanding of the input by answering the following questions:
1.How is debate related to one’s everyday life experiences?
2. How different is the formal debate from the informal debate?
3. What roles do the other language macro-skills play in a debate?
4. Differentiate formal from informal arguments.

WORKSHEET TASK 16

Read or cut out a sample Letter to the Editor taken from the Philippine daily Inquirer or any
broadsheet that has an Opinion section. React to the issue --- either for or against it. Write
down your arguments below and share them with the class.

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DEBATE TOPICS
Is peer pressure harmful or beneficial to individuals?
Is age an important factor in relationships?
Does the English language measure your intelligence?
Does technology make people smarter or Lazy?
Do you agree that everyone should lean on basic taxation?
REFERENCES:

• Madrunio, Marilou R.,Martin, Isabel P., Purposive Communication, Using English in

Multilingual Contexts, C&E Publishing Inc. 2018

• Valdez, Suzette F., Dela Cruz, Rommel B., Essentials of Oral Communication Towards
Effective and Responsible Speech

SYNTHESIS
1. Debates are used not only in formal contexts but also in informal settings such as the home,
market, mall, church, and the like.
2. Debates can be classified into informal and formal. Whereas informal debates happen
anywhere, formal debates take place in formal settings such as the classroom, the House of
Representatives, and the Senate. Informal debates simply call for an exchange of arguments
without any structure or rules to follow. Conversely, formal debates follow a procedure, have a
structure, and observe a set of rules.
3. Debates use all the language macro-skills: listening, speaking reading, writing, viewing, and
critical thinking. Without one these, a debater cannot argue effectively.

REFERENCES:

• Madrunio, Marilou R.,Martin, Isabel P., Purposive Communication, Using English in

Multilingual Contexts, C&E Publishing Inc. 2018

• Valdez, Suzette F., Dela Cruz, Rommel B., Essentials of Oral Communication Towards
Effective and Responsible Speech

Prepared by:

JANE LUISE G. PASION, LPT

Faculty, CIT
 PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
MODULE 13
WRITTEN MODES OF PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
(FINALS)

III. LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this lesson, Students should be able to:
a) identify the various genres used across professions;
b) show understanding of the structure of various genres used across professions; and
c) evaluate critically a business proposal, a genre used across professions.

LESSON
GENRES ACROSS PROFESSIONS
Different professions use different genres. However, you will note that there are communication
materials that cut across professions. They communicate important information about a certain
organization, event, or individual. Some of these communication materials are the memoranda,
minutes of meetings, business letters, and business proposal. Moreover, with the advent of
technology, there are now new form of communication materials using social media channels
such Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. All these communication materials are considered as
genres and they cut across the different professions and/or disciplines.
BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMORANDA, MINUTES OF MEETINGS
Business letters are a common form of writing in any organization. The traditional parts of a
business letter are:
a. heading
b. inside address
c. salutation
d. body
e. complimentary close
f. signature
Generally, the business letter follows a certain format. When plain bond paper is used, the
conventional heading includes the address of the writer and the date when the letter is written. A
modern heading uses the company's stationery which bears the company's logo, address,
telephone number, and other information. The date when the letter is written is simply indicated.
The heading is followed by the inside address which indicates the name of the recipient of the
letter, his/her designation/position in a company or organization, and the company's address. It
is also possible that the recipient has no business or company affiliation. In this case, the letter
writer merely indicates the recipient's address. This part is followed by the greeting or salutation,
and the body of the letter which is clear, simple, and focused. The body normally has three
paragraphs, the first of which provides the reason for writing. The second paragraph gives more
specific details about the information provided in the first paragraph while the last paragraph
emphasizes the reason for writing and expresses gratitude to the reader for taking time out to
read/review the letter. The next part is the complimentary close and the last is the signature.
The following templates illustrate the parts and formats of a business letter.
Templates of a letter with a conventional heading and utilizing the purely block format:

Templates of a letter with a conventional heading and utilizing the purely block format: The body
of your application letter informs the employer about the position you're applying for,
why the employer should choose you for an interview, and how you plan to follow up. See below
for a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown of the letter's body. The first paragraph of your letter
should explain why you're writing. Mention the job you're applying for as well as where you
found the job posting. You could end by briefly and straightforwardly explaining why you believe
you are the best candidate for the job.
The following section of your application letter should explain what you can offer the
employer. It can be a single paragraph or divided into several paragraphs. If the section becomes
too long, you can use bullet points to break it up. Thank the employer for considering you for the
position at the end of your application letter. Include information about how you intend to follow
up.
Template for a memorandum;
Template of the minutes of a meeting;
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
(Name of Organization)
(Date the meeting was held)
List of Attendees
• Present
• Absent
I. Approval of Agenda
II. Review and Approval of Minutes of the Previous Meeting
III. Business Arising from the Minutes
IV. New Agenda
V. Adjournment

Signature of the one who prepared the minutes/date

Approval of the person occupying the top position in the

Organization

APPLYING FOR A JOB

Before getting employed, one undergoes an application process that involves the communication
skills you have been practicing in the previous lessons. The application process usually begins
with a job advertisement that is made available through various forms such as newspaper
advertisements, radio and/or television broadcasts, and social media posts, as well as through
job placement offices in business and educational institutions.
To apply for a job, an applicant must carefully read the job advertisement to determine if the job
description matches his/ her interests, needs, and qualifications. These advertisements list certain
requirements that applicants must prepare and submit. The requirements usually include an
application form or letter, recommendation letters, school records, and other supporting
documents. After all the requirements are collected and submitted to the employers, depending
on the nature of the job, paper-and-pen tests may be scheduled. Finally, a job interview is
arranged.
The job interview is a vital component of the job application process. Documentary requirements,
which are the written components of the job application, do not give a complete picture of the
applicant. Test results are not totally reliable in providing all the information employers need.
Thus, employers arrange to interview job applicants to determine whether or not the latter possess
the qualities expected by the company or organization. Because each job interview is different
from the other, it is important that applicants prepare themselves well. In this lesson, you will learn
about preparing for a job interview, as well as what to do and what not to do during a job interview.

Dos in a Job Interview

1. Research: Research the company and role thoroughly before the interview.
2. Dress Appropriately: Choose professional attire that aligns with the company's culture.
3. Arrive Early: Be punctual to show your commitment and respect for the interview process.
4. Body Language: Maintain good posture, make eye contact, and offer a firm handshake.
5. Prepare Answers: Anticipate common interview questions and prepare concise, relevant
answers.
6. Show Enthusiasm: Express genuine interest in the position and company.
7. Ask Questions: Prepare thoughtful questions about the role and company to demonstrate your
engagement.
8. Highlight Achievements: Share specific accomplishments that showcase your skills and
qualifications.
9. Tailor Responses: Customize your answers to match the job requirements and company
values.
10. Follow Up: Send a thank-you email reiterating your interest and appreciation for the
opportunity.

Don'ts in a Job Interview:

1. Arrive Late: Being late can create a negative impression of your reliability.
2. Use Unprofessional Language: Avoid slang, jargon, and inappropriate language.
3. Interrupt or Over-Talk: Listen actively and avoid interrupting the interviewer.
4. Criticize Past Employers: Refrain from speaking negatively about previous employers or
colleagues.
5. Rambling Responses: Keep answers concise and focused; avoid going off on tangents.
6. Overemphasize Money: While compensation matters, don't focus solely on salary during the
interview.
7. Lack of Preparation: Showing lack of knowledge about the company suggests disinterest.
8. Exaggerate or Lie: Be truthful about your qualifications and experiences.
9. Neglect Non-Verbal Cues: Pay attention to body language, as it can convey confidence or
nervousness.
10. Forget Follow-Up: Sending a thank-you note is important; neglecting it might affect your
candidacy.

DEEPENING ACTIVITY/TASK
Presume that you are applying for a job. Prepare a letter of application and use either the block
or modified block format.

SYNTHESIS
1. There are many communication materials that cut across professions: business letters,
memoranda, and minutes of a meeting, among others. Other genres are the Facebook, Twitter,
and LinkedIn which are found in social media channels.
2. While traditional genres now have their counterparts in the social media, their structures are
essentially the same.
3. One important genre that cuts across disciplines is the business proposal which has three
major parts: the problem statement, the proposed solution, and the costing or pricing.

REFERENCES:

• Madrunio, Marilou R.,Martin, Isabel P., Purposive Communication, Using English in

Multilingual Contexts, C&E Publishing Inc. 2018

• Valdez, Suzette F., Dela Cruz, Rommel B., Essentials of Oral Communication Towards
Effective and Responsible Speech
Prepared by:

JANE LUISE G. PASION, LPT

Faculty, CIT