Monday, November 17, 2008

Textspeak

Is textspeak sabotaging younger job seekers?

The answer to this question, in my opinion, is an absolute yes. If you walk into a job interview, and do an amazing job at presenting yourself, your goals, your strengths, and what you can do for this company, then turn around and reply to an email with horrible grammar and punctuation, you're proving yourself nothing less than an idiot.

A quote from this article reads “We don’t feel emoticons have a place in any formal communications… It’s not professional” And why should it? Animated smiley faces do nothing for your credibility, and they do nothing in the way of getting you hired. So you’re happy, good! With a smile on your face, call the place of business, and thank them for giving you their time. Do not send an email with abbreviations like OMG and words such as Thanx, tell me- how much more difficult would it be to add the K and the S?

If you are unable to communicate with the professional world, go back to elementary school. In all the twelve years you spent complaining and abusing your right to an education, one would think this generation of teens could have picked up something useful. You go through at least four years of a basic English class alone in your public high school (not to say the strenuous classes in a private school), wouldn’t you think these theories would be permanently repeating in your head every time you sat down to write a letter or email?

To conclude my ranting, all I have to say is that the way American teens speak to one another is disgustingly common, and to use that way of communication in a professional atmosphere is a bad way of showing your maturity and Independence. If the belief that you’re an adult is so profound, then show it. Speak properly, write properly, make an effort to make yourself a better person.


I found this image at: www.core77.com/blog/images/sbt2.jpg