Each semester, the Jones White Writing Center offers a Business Writing Credential,* which is open to all Â鶹ÊÓƵ students. This program offers a free certificate in effective workplace, business, and technical communication and can be added to your résumé.
According to Challenger, Gray, and Christmas (2019)† and the Forbes Human Resources Council (2022),‡ proficiency in written communication is one of the twenty-first-century skills that employers are looking for, but those new to the workforce are less prepared for. Earning your Business Writing Credential can develop your written communication skills and make you more marketable in the future.
To earn your Business Writing Credential, you need to:
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Attend at least four of our Business Writing Workshops in fall 2024 or beyond
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Visit with a tutor to work on your résumé, cover letter, or other business writing-oriented document (online or in person, schedule through My Â鶹ÊÓƵ > Academic Support > Writing Center: Schedule a writing tutorial)
We offer multiple opportunities to attend the Business Writing Credential workshops each semester. You do not need to complete your credential in one semester, but can take multiple semesters to do so.
For questions about the Business Writing Credential, please write to JT Heslop, business writing coordinator, at fjhcc@iup.edu.
Spring 2026 Business Writing Credential Workshops
All Business Writing Credential workshops will be held in a hybrid format. Students may attend in person at the Writing Center computer lab (210 Stabley Library) or online, .
NEW! CV Workshop* – February 4, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Graduate and Undergraduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
This workshop introduces students to developing the content and designing an effective CV. We explore effective CV samples, how to frame experience to diverse audiences, and the different content that goes in a CV. Students can also learn new features in MS Word that will make their CVs distinctive. Students can get started on one during this workshop, or polish what they’ve already written.
NEW! Personal Statements, Statements of Purpose, and Other Narratives Required for Applications Workshop – February 11, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Graduate and Undergraduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
This workshop introduces students to writing an effective personal statement. After reviewing models of successful personal statements, we’ll discuss the purpose of the personal statement, how to tailor a personal statement to fit a specific application, and how to highlight relevant experiences. Students will get a chance to draft a personal statement for intended applications.
Résumé Workshop — February 18, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Graduate and Undergraduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
This workshop introduces students to developing the content and designing an effective résumé. We explore effective résumé samples, how to frame experience to diverse audiences, and the different content that goes in a résumé. Students can also learn new features in MS Word that will make their résumés distinctive. Students can get started on one during this workshop, or polish what they’ve already written.
Cover Letter Workshop — February 25, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Undergraduate/Graduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
This workshop introduces students to writing an effective cover letter. After reviewing models of successful cover letters, we’ll discuss the purpose of the cover letter, how to tailor a cover letter to fit a specific job, and how to highlight relevant experiences. Students will get a chance to draft a cover letter for intended positions.
Writing and Designing Your Poster Presentations Workshop — March 18, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Undergraduate/Graduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
This workshop covers creating professional poster presentations appropriate for conferences, including the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Scholars Forum. Students attending this workshop will learn how to plan, design, and write their poster presentation in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, business, or professional fields. This workshop covers software options, readability, scannability, and audience awareness to create effective poster presentations.
Writing with Statistics: Data Visualization, Storytelling, and Persuasion Workshop — March 25, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Undergraduate/Graduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
Twenty-first-century workplace contexts require effective communication skills, and in the digital age, these skills include using statistics and numbers to tell stories to potential customers or the public. This workshop explores the importance of data visualization, shares strategies and suggestions for effectively and ethically presenting statistical data in both written and visual formats, and explains how to use these effectively for informative and persuasive purposes.
AI in College Writing Workshop — April 1, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Undergraduate/Graduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
This workshop helps students understand how to work effectively with AI tools in their academic writing. Students will learn when and how to use AI writing assistants appropriately, following academic integrity guidelines. The workshop covers practical strategies for using AI as a brainstorming partner, draft reviewer, and research assistant. Students will also learn how to properly disclose AI use in their work and maintain their authentic voice and authorial agency while using AI tools. This workshop is ideal for students in any class.
Words that Work Workshop — April 8, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Undergraduate/Graduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
A workshop based on the book Words that Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear by Frank Luntz. This workshop explores the principles of Words that Work, including simplicity, brevity, credibility, novelty, and speaking in an aspirational tone, and gives students a chance to practice each of the principles. The workshop concludes by exploring how the strategic choice of words can be an asset in professional communication.
Word Beyond the Basics Workshop — April 15, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: Undergraduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
Many people use only a fraction of the many useful features in MS Word, the most widely used word processing application on the planet. This workshop focuses on features that are easily overlooked or hard to find, such as renumbering pages, hanging indents, modifying internal margins, inserting a table, chart, or table of contents, and other features that improve usability, such as split screen and outlining modes.
Clarity and Conciseness in Business and Professional Writing Workshop — April 22, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Level: undergraduate/graduate – counts toward Business Writing Credential
This workshop explores the critical importance of clarity and conciseness in a variety of writing contexts (including in academic and professional settings). Specifically, the workshop introduces students to the paramedic method, which can be used at the sentence and paragraph levels to make writing more direct, active, and precise. We’ll also explore purpose and audience-driven strategies for clarity and conciseness that can be used to reduce wordiness and provide clarity.
*A credential is a non-credit-bearing cocurricular training at Â鶹ÊÓƵ.
†Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, Inc. (2019). “”
‡Forbes Human Resources Council. “?” May 17, 2022.