GRAMMAR REVIEW 1: FRAGMENTS

The text below is taken from The Star newspaper entitled “Personal branding: Make your first impression

your best impression”. The excerpt contains 10 errors in fragments. Identify the errors and correct them

as shown in the example below:

Line no. Error

Correction

Example 1

also need it. To project also need it to project

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Branding is not just for companies and products. Professionals also need it. To project the right impression to colleagues, bosses and customers. Personal branding is the business of marketing the brand called YOU. Personal branding is a way of communicating. What makes you different and special. It is about understanding your unique attributes — strengths, skills, values, and passions — and using them to separate yourself from your competitors or peers. However, do bear in mind that your brand is not your logo. Your brand is not your company name. Your brand is not your product. In reality, you do not own your brand. Your brand is owned by your customers, the people you work with, and anyone else. Who has an impression of you. Your brand is other people’s perception of what it is like to do business with you, work with you. Or be with you. Your brand is really a collection of perceptions in the mind of others. If a client wanted a full branding makeover. The first step is to have the right mindset. The client needs to have positive mindset to embrace change, to grow as an individual and to move forward. Your thoughts are everything. They form your moods, attitudes and habits. The second step is your packaging. Your packaging or Personal Branding Toolkit must convey the same message as your brand. This includes: Your wardrobe, business card, websites, Facebook, blogs, Twitter, email address, etc. The third is consistency. Once you have established your own style and your brand. Stick to it. Walk your talk. Make the effort to ensure you gain a reputation for saying what you mean. And meaning what you say. Wendy Lee, president of the Malaysian Association of Brand & Image Consultants (MABIC), said that in her years of experience as an image consultant, she has had clients coming to her for various reasons. These are people who recently got promoted, who are now coming out to the workforce, who have not bought any clothes in ages. Or who just simply want to learn something new. When potential employers call or e-mail. You must have your “elevator speech” ready. The term “elevator speech” was probably coined from the idea. That we sometimes meet the important people in our lives in elevators. The odd situation we encounter in most elevators is that nobody speaks or looks at anyone else, and yet we have a captive audience for that short period of time. Very few people are ready to interact in case someone does speak. The idea of an “elevator speech” is to have a prepared presentation that grabs attention and says a lot in a few words. Who you are, what you do, who your clients are, and what happens as a result could be part of your “elevator speech. The proverb goes “Do not judge a book by its cover,” but really, in this day and age, do we even have the time to delve deeply into a person’s psyche before making a decision? Your outward — physical as well as cyber — appearance can and will make an impact on how the world perceives you. With so much hinging on your ability to present yourself in the best and most appealing way. Are you sure you can afford to take personal branding lightly?

Source:

http://mystarjob.com/articles/story.aspx?file=/2012/2/3/mystarjob_atwork/20120203104216&sec=my

starjob_atwork

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GRAMMAR REVIEW 2: RUN-ONS

The excerpt below is featured in the column Work@able tips in The Star newspaper. There are10 run-on

errors in the excerpt. Identify the errors and correct them as shown in the example below:

Line no. Error

Correction

Example 2

itself, it is Itself. It is

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Mingling with people over snacks and drinks should not be underestimated as it is a skill in itself, it is through such connections that one builds a chain of business associates and friends. Networking is one of the most important and useful assets to have for any young executive or for those who are about to enter the job market with Generation Y (Gen Y) being so adept with working the social media, using it to build networks for their profession should just be a breeze. There are really no hard and fast rules on how you network, it certainly means going beyond telling the other person your name or standing around nursing a drink at functions. Effective networking is about a conscious effort to make sure the people you meet remember your name and know what you do, regardless of whether the person you meet is a corporate magnate or otherwise, you have to offer some information about yourself and the business or profession you are in and take an interest in his or hers. In order to do the latter, you need to have sufficient knowledge in general to carry out a conversation that might be of mutual interest or learn how to take an interest in the other person by asking questions without being intrusive or a pest, while networking can be a more effective way to build relationships as it takes place on a less formal platform, your informal behaviour can sometimes send the wrong signals. There are many avenues where you can begin building your network it does not necessarily have to be at cocktail functions. Some of the popular places where businessmen network are at breakfast meetings, non-profit organisations like Rotary Club and Lions Club, pubs and of course, at the golf course, however, it need not be confined to these alone. In short, networking is about getting to know as many people who will have their name and basic biodata in your PDA (personal digital assistant) or in your head and you, on theirs, your relationship with them should be on a level where they will pick up your telephone calls instead of ignoring them. An employee with a useful network of acquaintances and friends relevant to the profession has an edge over those who do not, however, one has to be reminded that networking is not about collecting names you can drop to gain personal benefits and privileges in the company. Those with an extensive network are deemed to have the potential to help the company raise its profile and get new businesses they are also expected to gather business intelligence and help the Human Resources department “head hunt” for potential employees. It is important to remember that a network is not built overnight, building a professional network requires a lot of homework.

Source: Kam, P.( February 12, 2012). Weaving the network. The Star

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