Formal Report Proposal and Progress Report with Surveys

Formal Report Proposal

To: Dr. Erika Paterson

From: Benson Lin

Date: June 22, 2022

Subject: Proposal for Improving Awareness of Library Resources for Career Opportunities for UBC Students at the Surrey City Centre Library.  

Audience

The intended audience for this proposal is addressed to Mitchel Prost, the Student Services Manager of the AMS.  

Introduction

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, many people have lost their jobs or are contemplating changing careers. Moreover, jobs are increasingly becoming more reliant on technology as evident by the increase in remote jobs. The process needed to change careers, find a job, or learn new skills can be daunting but can lead to a higher salary and better work-life balance.   

Statement of the Problem

The library has many resources for career development and self learning to help students find jobs,  change careers or learn new skills. Students may not have access to the internet at home or have access to a computer. The library provides free computers and Wi-Fi to access emails, job boards and online learning platforms. People will not access these resources if they are not aware that they are available for free or at low cost at their local library  

Proposed Solution

One possible solution to this problem is to create a monthly newsletter that can be emailed to those who are interested. This newsletter can include upcoming career related events and useful resources such as books, job boards, and other online resources. The newsletter will notify those who are interested and they can attend these events or access other related resources. 

Scope

To assess the feasibility of a newsletter to increase awareness of library resources, I plan to pursue the following areas of inquiry:

  1. What are the current needs of people for career related resources?
  2. How many people are aware of library resources besides books and DVDs?
  3. How many people are currently seeking a new job or are contemplating changing careers?
  4. What career related programs are in place at the library?
  5. What is the current attendance at career related events hosted at the library?

Methods

The primary source of data will be an anonymous online survey aimed at UBC students to answer some of the questions detailed in the scope section. I will also interview library staff to ask about the current career related programs at the library. Observations at the library will gauge how well career related resources are advertised at the City Centre branch. 

My Qualifications

I am a UBC Computer Science student who is near the end of my own career transition from lab work to software engineering. Also, I was a part of the Science Co-op program at UBC and have completed three separate co-op terms in which I had to build my resume and cover letters, interview with different companies, and apply for job openings. Also, I have been going to the City Centre library for some time, and I just want to inform more people about the resources that the library offers.   

Conclusion

As the job landscape evolves, people will need to learn new skills to keep up with the changing requirements that employers are looking for. The public library system has the resources to help people become lifelong learners and advance their career or transition to a new career. By answering the areas of inquiry mentioned above, I can determine the feasibility of implementing a newsletter to inform job seekers of the resources from the public library system. If I receive approval, I can begin my research.   

Progress Report

MEMORANDUM

To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENGL301 Professor

From: Benson Lin, ENGL301 Student

Date: July 8, 2022

Subject: Progress on the Formal Report

Dear Dr. Paterson,

The purpose of this email is to provide a progress report on my formal report. Below I have addressed the concerns detailed in the assignment requirements. 

  1. Audience for the report
    1. The formal report is addressed to Mitchel Prost, who is the Student Services Manager of the AMS.
  2. Purpose of the report
    1. To increase awareness of library resources that are related to career advancements and job search so that UBC students will be able to find work during or after graduation. 
  3. Significance of the report
    1. With the awareness of library resources UBC students will have the resources that will help them gain the skills to find jobs in more technology reliant job markets. The AMS could send out newsletters to students to lead them to these resources that are available to them outside of campus.  
  4. Research plan
    1. Identify what students are currently aware of in terms of career and library resources
    2. Primary sources
      1. Give a survey to UBC students
      2. Interview library staff about current career and job related resources 
    3. Collect and compile results of the survey
    4. Identify feasibility of the solution given the survey results
      1. Compare what the current students know and what the library offers to determine whether a newsletter from the AMS would improve the preparation of UBC students in finding a job.  
  5. Writing schedule
    1. July 11 to July 21 – Gathering of data from surveys and interviews and writing of the initial draft of the formal report
    2. July 22 – Formal Report Draft
    3. July 27 – Peer Review of Formal Report Draft
    4. July 28 to August 1 – Editing Formal Report Draft
    5. August 2 – Final Revision of Formal Report 

Thank you for your time and please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to your feedback on my progress report. 

Link to the survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8kwYHS4UjM6c19Q 

Survey Questions

I am an undergraduate student at UBC engaged in a technical writing project. The purpose of this survey is to obtain primary data for an analysis and investigation that aims to provide recommendations for improving your awareness of library resources for career advancement and job search process. The final formal report will be addressed to Mitchel Prost, who is the Student Services Manger of the AMS. Together with interviews from library staff, the data I gather from this survey will determine the feasibility of a email newsletter to raise awareness of library events, books and other resources related to job search and career advancement for UBC students. The survey contains 7 questions, and it should take about than 5 minutes of your time. Your responses are voluntary and anonymous. Thank you, I appreciate your generous participation in my survey.

Q1: In general, when invited for a job interview, UBC students are:

  • Very Prepared
  • Prepared
  • Somewhat Prepared
  • Not Prepared

Q2: In general, UBC students use the public libraries for help with job searching and application packages:

  • Frequently
  • Sometimes
  • Rarely
  • Never

Q3: Resources available at the library are:

  • A textbox was provided for students to input their answers

Q4: Writing resumes and cover letters is:

  • Very Easy
  • Easy
  • Difficult
  • Very Difficult

Q5: Find a new job is:

  • Very Easy
  • Easy
  • Difficult
  • Very Difficult

Q6: In general, UBC students are seeking a new job:

  • Frequently
  • Sometimes
  • Rarely
  • Never

Q6: In general, UBC students are interested in changing careers:

  • Very Interested
  • Interested
  • Somewhat Interested
  • Not Interested