[How about this book] "How far have you written a report?"... Writing for 'Seuljiksaeng'

'God of Documents' Baek Seung-kwon Releases <Office Literacy>
Published to Help MZ Generation Struggling at Work

Whenever I have to write a report, I struggle with how to start. I try to fill in the content by referring to reports written by seniors, but I feel lost about what to write and what to avoid. When I ask about the meaning of the report's table of contents, there is no one to teach me. During face-to-face reporting, I get all kinds of scolding like, "What on earth does this mean? Is this the best you can do?" My self-esteem feels like it has sunk to the ground and even below it.

The author diagnoses, "The issue lies in communication skills and literacy through speaking and writing, which span both work and human relationships," adding, "Without proper literacy, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results in work and interpersonal relationships."

However, literacy is something that no one finds easy to teach. Senior employees have mostly learned by observing over the shoulder, so it is difficult for them to explain clearly to juniors.

This book covers the essentials of business writing, the essence of literacy, and various report writing techniques essential for workplace life, including meetings, conferences, presentations, reports, proposals, press releases, emails, and text messages. It is a secret notebook of office literacy that carefully organizes even the small parts that senior employees have not fully conveyed to junior employees.

The author, Baek Seung-kwon, CEO of Communication Consulting & Clinic Co., Ltd., a business writing specialist company, worked as an administrative officer in the Blue House's Office of Public Relations during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, handling presidential reports and messages. He has conducted over 200 business writing lectures and workshops annually at corporations, government agencies, public institutions, and universities. He is the top expert and a 'star instructor' in the domestic business writing field. He has appeared as the 'Document God' on EBS 'Workplace Literacy & Writing' and tvN .

This book is an essential guide to workplace life for the MZ generation, delivered by CEO Baek. The author recalls, "When I first joined a media company, I struggled with unfamiliar media terms," and says, "I wrote this book to help the MZ generation who are still having difficulties at work."

"If literacy levels are further subdivided by age group, different results from media diagnoses can be confirmed. According to a 2020 survey by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute for Lifelong Education of 10,429 people aged 18 and over, literacy levels were divided into four stages by generation. 95.3% of people in their 20s belonged to the highest level, stage 4 or above. The proportion of stage 4 or above by generation was 91.5% and 82.4% for middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s, respectively, and significantly lower for seniors in their 60s, 70s, and 80s at 64.4%, 41.1%, and 22.9%, respectively. This shows that the literacy of the older generation is at a more serious level than that of the MZ generation."

-From PART 02. How Is Your Literacy?

Above all, summarizing texts yourself greatly helps develop the ability to grasp the core. I recommend choosing texts that are not too long, such as newspaper columns or essays. Newspaper columns are about 10 manuscript pages in length, making it easy to see the overall structure and content at a glance. They are densely filled with the writer's knowledge, experience, and insight, making them culturally enriching. Especially since they often deal with current affairs topics, they help build the background knowledge necessary for business writing.

-From PART 03. The Essence of Literacy

One of the common concerns when writing emails is whether to keep it brief with just the business matter or to start by asking about the recipient's well-being. Emails serve the convenience of business communication but also have the character of letters. It is good to not only convey business matters through emails but also lightly add emotional touches to build rapport between the sender and the recipient. This way, regardless of the email content, the sender creates a favorable impression with the recipient.

-From PART 04. Literacy Key Points by Type

Office Literacy | Written by Baek Seung-kwon | EBS Books | 284 pages | 17,800 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.