Writing for Results

About the Badge

In today’s world, often the first impression you make is a digital one, such as an email, a career site profile, or a cover letter. Your writing skills are a reflection of your image: good or bad, it makes an impression. And that doesn’t stop once you’re hired. In most jobs today, being able to express yourself clearly, correctly, and persuasively matters more than workers initially realize, yet many people find themselves at a loss in this area, creating problems in first impressions and daily work interactions.

That’s where our Writing for Results badge can help.

• Take our course on Nuts & Bolts to strengthen and hone your skills in spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation, so that the written impression you make is a polished and competent one.
• Take our course on Writing as Process in order to learn how to extract information from multiple sources, reformulate and restate ideas clearly, and draft several types of business writing, from memos to reports and emails.
• Take our course on Storytelling and become adept at the mechanics of storytelling, learning how to use stories in a business context to motivate, persuade, and connect with coworkers, customers, or superiors—or all three.

Courses from this badge can be taken singly or in any order, though we do recommend that those who need to brush up on the fundamentals of writing start with the Nuts & Bolts course before proceeding to the others.

Below is a preview from one of our 2020 mini-courses on writing skills, taught by Dr. Sara Brown:

Time and Equipment Requirements

Each of the three courses that comprise the Writing for Results badge is 4 weeks long. That means you can complete the entire badge in only 12 weeks! Each week during a course, you will have two 1-hour sessions of live instruction, and then 1-2 hours of homework.

That means a total time commitment of no more than 12-16 hours per course. This length of time allows students to fully explore the course topic and develop strong foundational skills without having to commit to a lengthy training program. 

Plus, you won’t need any fancy equipment to participate. As long as you have a computer and an Internet connection, you can be a Signum Path student.

Our program uses GoToWebinar conferencing software for live class sessions. Through the GTW interface, you can ask questions and submit comments to your instructor. The instructor can also allow audio for individual comments or group discussions, depending on the needs of the course. Video sharing is also available for demonstrations, presenting assignments, and other interactive elements.

The courses in the Writing for Results badge will also use a Google Classroom that you will access through a Signum-provided email address. In that classroom space, you can view and submit assignments, check the course schedule, and discuss ideas with your instructor and fellow participants.