Write It Right: One Word or Two?

Some of the trickiest word choices involve the age-old question, "Is it one word or two?" In a few cases, the one-word versions aren't words at all. Take a look at the following examples.

a hold — means "in one's grasp or possession." You've really got a hold on me.
ahold — not a word. Don't use.

a lot — an informal phrase meaning "many." The audience had a lot of questions.
alot — not a word. Don't use.


Not to be confused with:
allot — means "to give or apportion something as a share or task." Let's allot our time carefully.

all right — means "good." We'll be all right if we stick to our plan.
alright — a questionable word at best. Some dictionaries list it with the same meaning as "all right," but Pinnacol's communications "bible" — The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook — says to "never" use. We agree with the AP recommendation.

all ready — means "ready"; the word "all" is often unnecessary. I'm (all) ready to go.
already — means "by now" or "prior to." We've already completed that project.

all together — means "together in a single group." Let's sing it all together now!
altogether — means "completely" or "in all." The concept was altogether ridiculous.

any one — means "any single thing or person." Any one of our ideas would have worked.
anyone — means "any person." Did anyone remember to turn off the lights?

any way — means "any manner or method." I don't see any way to finish the proposal.
anyway — means "regardless." Let's try to finish it anyway.

every day — means "each day." He's been late every day this week.
everyday — means "normal or routine." He's also been slow to learn his everyday tasks.

every one — means "every single thing or person." I could have tried every one of those desserts.
everyone — means "all the people." Is everyone ready to begin?

Thanks to Collin, our senior communications specialist, for suggesting this month's topic and to Michelle who every month puts together the "Write It Right" series.

A Winter Wonderland

For our readers in Colorado who woke up to a surprising amount of snow and ice on the roads for the morning commute it was anything but a Winter Wonderland, although I did marvel at the physics in operation as I watched an RTD bus sliding down a slight incline on one of our major roads just missing several cars trying to pass.

You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief as people successfully arrived at whatever location they were heading for. So with all that going on I almost didn't avail myself of my lunchtime exercise. Pinnacol actively encourages employees to be physically active during the work day. I could easily have been tempted to opt for the on-site (and inside!) fitness center, but with the sun just barely starting to peak through the clouds at our location at lunch I threw on the coat and headed out into the elements.

At first I questioned the wisdom (or was it lunacy?) of braving the cold and wind but the Lowry community in which our headquarters is located  offers some very nice walking paths, trails and parks near our building. Its always nice to get out and get some fresh air and today I made first snowy tracks on some of the trails that would normally be filled with walkers, joggers, and cyclists. Arriving at one of the local parks I stopped for a moment to just enjoy the equisite silence of a snowy January day. Looking around I appreciated how different the landscape looks under a mantle of white, and with the clouds coming and going overhead even the whiteness was taking on various hues and textures.

I don't normally take pictures during these excursions but for those of you dreading the commute home this evening I thought I'd share a cell phone shot I captured as I returned to the office. I know our commute home won't be much more fun than it was this morning, but with all of that, the world is still a very beautiful place.

Pinnacol Foundation Scholarship Program now accepting applications!

The Pinnacol Foundation provides scholarships to the children of Colorado’s injured workers and is now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year with an application deadline of March 31, 2012.

Since its inception the Pinnacol Foundation has provided scholarships to children whose parents have been killed or seriously injured in work-related accidents. The scholarships can be used for vocational training or college, including graduate school.

“We are proud to have awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to Colorado students since 2000,” said Carole Sumption, chair of the Pinnacol Foundation. “These are students who have faced significant obstacles in their pursuit of post-secondary education because of the loss or serious injury to a parent. Through the Foundation, these individuals will have the opportunity to maximize their talents and achieve their educational goals.”

Last year the Pinnacol Foundation awarded $579,000 to 136 Colorado students for college or vocational training. Scholarships are funded through the donations of Pinnacol stakeholders and other friends of the Pinnacol Foundation. Award amounts vary, but the average scholarship is approximately $5,000 for each school year.

To qualify, students must be the natural, adopted, step-child or full dependent of a worker killed or seriously injured in a compensable work-related accident while employed by a Colorado-based company, regardless of insurance carrier. Students must be between the ages of 16 and 25 at the time of application.

If you know of someone who might qualify and benefit from the scholarship please have them visit www.pinnacol.com/foundation or call 303-361-4775 for more information.

How to complete an application in our new system...

At the start of January we brought online a new application system for candidates interested in being considered for positions with our company. I thought I'd share some insights and helpful tips for folks interested in submitting their application in the new system.

The first step is to simply review the list of current openings on our company website (http://www.pinnacol.com/careers/current-opportunities). Here you will see the title of the position and a brief synopsis of the position.

If you see a position you are interested in applying for you will click on the application link (https://rew11.ultipro.com/PIN1003/JobBoard/ListJobs.aspx) which will take you our on-line job board where you will actually complete the application.

Click on the title of the position you are interested in and it will bring up more detailed information including the full job description. From this page you can click on APPLY ONLINE to submit your application or SEND THIS JOB TO A FRIEND to forward the job announcement to someone you know.

When you click on APPLY ONLINE it will ask you to create a new account, or simply sign in if you already have an account. When you first create your account the system will ask you to copy and paste your resume and then will gather some additional basic information. The online system will retain your information so you will need to enter most of it only one time.

Once you have created your account, click on the NEXT button at the bottom of the page to continue to fill out the application. The next screen begins the true application. My recommendation is to completely answer every question asked and I can tell you from reviewing thousands of applications each year it always raises red flags when questions are left blank.

Clicking on NEXT takes you the screen which asks about education.

After this, the next screen asks about any Licenses or Certifications you might have. From there its on to the real heart of the application - your employment history. Don't make the mistake of assuming that because we have your resume you can fly through this page! I've blogged about this before, but everyone understands that resumes are sometimes embellished as they are really your personal advertisement, but what you enter on the Employment History screen should be 100% accurate and complete. We ask for 10 years of employment history. For folks just entering the job market (recent grads for example) we know you may not have 10 years experience. That's fine - just detail what you do have.

The NEXT screen will ask about additional specific skills you have (typing, computer software, bilingual etc.). The last question on this page asks you to describe any other skills, education, or experience that might help qualify you for the position you are applying for. This is a golden opportunity to sell yourself in your own words - so don't pass up on the occasion to do so!

Still with me? Good, because you are almost done! The next screen is going to ask you to list references - 3 people, preferably current or former supervisors - who will put in a good word on your behalf. This screen also asks you to list any of our current employees who know you, and yes, we do circle back with them to get their thoughts on why you would be a good fit for Pinnacol.

Clicking NEXT brings us to the third to last screen that will ask you to verify that the information you have given us is true and complete. Simply type in your name and date  and you are just two quick screens away from being finished!

The next screen will ask you how you heard about the position (were you referred by one of our employees, saw us on the internet, saw a job ad, etc.). Then you are on to the final screen which asks for voluntary self-identification (gender, military service, and ethnic background). You don't have to give us this information but we appreciate it when you do. This information is confidential and is not viewed by those reviewing your application for the position you are applying for.

At the end of the application when you are finished you should see the following screen pop up indicating  that your application has been received.

Done!

We know the new application takes a little longer than our old system but it really does give our hiring managers more complete information as they review candidates for their open positions. Thank you for your patience in completing our application and for your interest in our company!

Happy New Year!

And welcome to 2012! 2011 proved to be an interesting year, but in 20/20 hindsight what year doesn't?

We have several opportunities open already as well as a system change in how we accept applications from candidates. First the current openings:

• SIU Investigations Assistant. This position provides assistance to our Investigators as they investigate allegations of fraud and is responsible for conducting records research and obtaining documentation from courts, law enforcement agencies, and state and local entities. This position also obtains driving records, registrations, photo identifications, and driver's license applications, and conducts background investigations. The successful candidate must be assertive, thorough, and diligent in conducting the research necessary to obtain the required information. Two years in worker’s compensation insurance, investigations, or paralegal/legal/records research experience is preferred along with strong PC/software skills. This is an ideal entry level opportunity for recent graduates in Criminology. Travel within the state via personal vehicle is required so candidates must possess a valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance.
• Business Services Representative. Our BSR'smust be exceptionally customer-oriented as they provide administrative support to underwriters, claims adjusters, nurses, other team members while interacting with Pinnacol customers via the phone. This position often leads to promotional opportunities within our company. A High School diploma or GED is required, and candidates with some college or a college degree are also encouraged to apply. The position requires strong PC/software skills, math aptitude, excellent communication and customer service skills and be able to type 35 wpm.
• Software Quality Analyst. We are looking for an experienced Software Quality Analyst to test business intelligence software applications and other systems using defined quality control and quality assurance methodologies to ensure a high level of software quality. This position is part of our Decision Support team and will measure quality and identify defects, using a variety of testing techniques in accordance with pre-developed test plans. Documents and logs all defects using Pinnacol’s systems for quality assurance, work management, and project management and performs risk analysis for assigned projects and develops test cases, including the selection of testing techniques, to mitigate risks. The position requires Bachelors Degree in computer science, information technology, or related field, or equivalent experience on a year-for-year basis along with 3+ years in testing and QA. Work with SQL and a solid understanding of relational database concepts is also needed and experience in automated testing is a plus.
• Business Intelligence Programmer. This position develops, maintains, and assists in the design of our business intelligence systems including, but not limited to, ETL scripts, html and java interfaces in Microstrategy and our mobile device applications. Position codes, maintains and assists in the design of data mart/warehouse tables, queries and metadata, tunes data mart/warehouse queries and other programs as required, and works with our Application Services and Data & Network Services teams to create and maintain interfaces between data marts/warehouse, information tools and production systems. Candidates must be able to establish and maintain strong relations with Decision Support Services staff and internal customers. Position plays support role in DSS-related portions of IS Application Development projects, company-wide strategic initiatives, and business-focused initiatives. Candidates should possess expertise in, and the ability to mentor, SQL, PL/SQL and SQL*Plus, as well as have expertise in ETL practices, html and Java. Also required is a high proficiency in advanced SQL tuning, table creation, indexing and links along with proficiency in data warehouse theory and applications, and star schema (Kimball Model). Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience; computer science degree/MIS, business/economics or statistics preferred. Experience with Oracle and/or other relational database management systems, the use of database query tools using SQL, working with data warehouse design, 3+ years related experience in Programming is required.

That's quite a mix of opportunities, from investigations, to business team support, to business intelligence and all in the first week of the year!  Something else that happened this first week of 2012 is that we switched our Candidate Application system. The new system will streamline our getting candidate information in front of hiring managers for their review which is a good thing for all concerned! It will also streamline the process for candidates by allowing all applicants to complete an actual application that will now be stored and can be edited as you apply for different positions with our company.

One important note: we are asking candidates who have applied in recent months by completing an application in our old system and are interested in being considered for our current openings to please complete an application in the new system. If you have feedback on the new system from a candidate's perspective I'd love to hear it. Let me know your thoughts at david.mabry@pinnacol.com. As always, you access to our job openings and the application though our company website at www.pinnacol.com/careers.

So, we are off to a busy start. Here is wishing everyone a bright and successful new year!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Pinnacol Assurance!

Pinnacol is strongly committed to giving back to Colorado. As a part of that, we provide our employees time off in which they can volunteer in the community. From Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the National Sports Center for the Disabled to Volunteers of America and Junior Achievement, as well as with many other organizations, Pinnacol employees volunteer thousands of hours every year giving back to the communities we serve and in which we live.

At this time of the year some of our employees visit local assisted living centers and serenade their residents with songs of the holiday season. I thought it would be fun to catch up with these folks and share some of what they do with you!

Write It Right - Keep It Simple!

Michelle of our communications team this month focuses on eliminating obfuscating buzzwords from everyday conversations. She probably wouldn't approve of my use of the word obfuscating, as she might feel it unnecessarily confuses things, but oh well... So in the spirit of KISS - keep it simple... - here goes:

When in doubt, just use plain English!

It happens every few years: A new set of business "buzzwords" starts cropping up in meetings, emails and everyday conversations. Here are some that simply need to go.

1."Capitalizing": This can mean "make money from," "make the most of" or a number of things. Be specific instead of relying on the buzzword.

2."Deploy": Even if the project seems important, it's probably not equal to sending troops into battle. "Start" or "begin using" work just fine.

3."In brief": Keeping things concise is great! So, why not eliminate these two unnecessary words as well?

4."Mission critical": See #2. Unless you work at the Pentagon or NASA, this is fairly pretentious. "Important" works well, or simply "critical" if the situation seems dire.

5."On the same page": But heavens, what if we’re on different paragraphs? Seriously, just use “agree.”

6."Ramp up": "Increase." Enough said.

7."Spearheaded": See #2 and #4. "Led" will usually work just fine.

8."Streamline": Does this mean to make something "faster," "simpler," "easier to use" or many others? Again, be specific — and use plain English.

9."Think outside the box": Ironically, using this hackneyed phrase is the opposite of original thinking. Instead, just ask for some "fresh ideas."

10."Utilize": Please, just use "use."

Thanks Michelle for some great tips. On a similar vein, the Harvard Business Review recently had an interesting blog about eliminating meaningless words that you also might want to check out.

And finally, from a piece attributed to one of the masters of the written word - Mark Twain (though there is some debate as to whether he actually penned these words himself) - I'll leave you with his plan for improving the English language...

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all.

Generally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeiniing voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x"— bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez —tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivili.

Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.