ENGL 420: Business Writing

I have never really enjoyed any writing classes until now, mainly because they have seemed somewhat pointless. The resume project we are currently working on now has already given me online sources for jobs and new ideas for changes in my current resume. I am glad that I do have to take this class because it will help me with formal communication as a project manager in the field. So far we have not had any large assignments but I do feel semi-confident that I can do well in this course. I received an A in English 106 but I do not consider myself a very strong writer.

I have so far kept up with assignments in this course. I am glad that this course is showing me how to apply for internships/jobs because it is a skill I will use several times in my life starting with the summer after my Junior year. After doing the Job Ad Analysis I realize how much research needs to go into a position and how much tailoring really goes into a resume. I amm not sure how to reply to a postion asking for decision-making, analytical, communication, or organizational skills.

My progress on Project 1 has been very steady and smooth up to this point. I have found this project to be very helpful in more ways than i thought it would be. The different readings describing the rights and wrongs of a resume have been very helpful in giving me new information. The only problem I have had up to this point was searching for an actual job that i would want to apply for after I graduate. This was difficult for me because as of right now I have no idea exactly what kind of job or what I want to do after I graduate.

Up to this point, I have been able to keep up with the first project. However, I did find that the interactive worksheets for planning did not apply to a resume or cover letter in a lot of ways. For a few parts, it was rather difficult to figure out how some of the questions/categories could be used to plan the writings. Also, it was a little difficult to find job posting relevant to my career field: aviation management. Most of the job search engines only returned jobs such as baggage handler or service agent. I really had to did to find jobs that I would not be over qualified for.

I really like project 1 so far. I am excited about the job I have chosen and I plan to actually apply for it. It is a full-time accounting position with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service which is part of the Department of Defense. I really like what I have learned so far about the organization and its culture and I think I am a good fit for the job.

When I first accepted to be in this class, I wasn’t really sure what business writing was. I am really going to enjoy all the things that we are going to learn in this class. As far as progress goes I am keeping up, but I do believe that I will mature a lot in my writing as the class goes on. I think that the job project is an excellent way of getting college students prepped for the real world. I am really enjoying the “dos” and “don’ts” of writing.

It has only been one week working on Project 1. I have chosen to look at internships, because I do not have the qualifications for the job I really want. The internship that I have chosen is achievable at my educational and skill level. It is a really competitive internship only accepting seven students. Even though at this time I do not expect to go through with sending the resume, it will be a challenge to try to put together a really awesome resume that would be picked out of hundreds of students that have taken the same classes and have done the same extra-curricula activities.

I am coming along pretty well so far in this class. As far as the project goes, it was very easy for me to find a job to apply for because of the BCM website. The only thing that may concern me is that the article may not be long enough with enough information about the position. I am excited for this project though because the BCM career fair is coming up and it will be good for me to have an updated resume to hand out to the companies there.

So far the class is going pretty smooth. I was unsure of what we would all be doing in this class, but have come to find out that there seem to be some things that will really help further my writing. As far as the current project goes, I am still in the beginning stages. However I can say this, I have done some things in past classes for putting together resumes and have even listened to a speaker on it. But that was well over a year ago and have not looked at it since. I believe this project will help we even more with my resume and make it fuller.

I understand the reasons for doing this project, and I think it's a great experience that could really help us in the future, but I'm making it harder for myself than it needs to be. The project could be a lot easier for me if I just picked any old job to apply for, but the extra stipulation I added in myself is that I want this to tie directly in to an internship I can get this summer. I already have contacts with two people who working at Northwest Airlines, and we have discussed summer internship opportunities at the Detroit airport.