Whether it is a cover letter or resume, or general business communication - writing with clarity and purpose isn't always easy. For me, this is always work in progress and something I continuously practice. Before pressing "send" on a follow-up email or sending a cover letter, I review for a few key things: removing "but," and taking out sneaky minimizers like "I think" or "I feel." We all have our favorite go-to phrases and sentence openers, so I also check for repeated words or phrases, or too many sentences in a row that start the same way. While those are helpful steps, there's one tip that will instantly improve your writing. It's easy to remember and might even make you laugh while you're using it... If you can add the phrase "by zombies" to the end of your sentence and it still makes sense, you've used the dreaded passive voice! Changing that to an active verb will instantly create more impact and clarity. For example: "The revised virtual training program for new hires was piloted last month (BY ZOMBIES)." Those darn zombies! Who really did this? Passive voice removes the protagonist from the statement. The sentence is unclear. Try this instead: "Last month I delivered a pilot of the revised virtual training program for new hires." There are any number of reasons the passive voice creeps in. Sometimes we're trying to be more formal. With resumes and cover letters, it's especially important to establish clear and direct credit for the impact of your work! Speaking of credit, I have to come clean - I didn't come up with this tip and now can't remember exactly where I first heard it. It's been so helpful to me over the years, I always pass it on and it usually gets a smile. So keep the zombies out of your sentences and here's to direct and clear writing! What are your best tips for more effective writing?