Drafting the Formal Report Proposal and Outline
We started the first assignment of unit two with drafting the proposal for the formal report. At first, this looked like a daunting task. It looked to be quite difficult to be able to find a topic where I could acquire primary research data and write 12-15 pages about. However, after brainstorming for some time, I was able to decide my topic.
Writing the proposal was a challenging, but rewarding task as I learned a lot of new concepts about proposal writing. First, I learned how to structure a proposal by introducing the problem, proposing a solution, and defining the scope and audience. I put a lot of effort into writing the introduction to the problem as I realized it is important to define the background of the issue first and then introduce it. This makes the reader more invested and understanding of the issue more as opposed to directly stating the problem first. I found writing the scope of the proposal really helped in terms of guiding my own research direction as well as indicating to the reader the goals of the report. Overall, the first draft of the proposal was difficult, but helped me improve my technical writing capabilities.
Developing my Linked In Profile
Going into this unit, I already had a Linked In profile set up, however I was still able to improve my existing profile from this assignment. Our first task for the Linked In profile was compiling a list of best practices for Linked In and writing a memorandum to the team. Reviewing the list my team and I compiled, I was able to strengthen my own Linked In profile. I learned the importance of making your profile easily shareable through the use of a customized URL. I also learned the importance of connecting with as many people as you know to expand your network and presence on Linked In which ultimately helps get you noticed by recruiters.
We were also given the opportunity to give and receive feedback on our Linked In profiles. These two tasks were extremely useful as it put me in the perspective of how someone would view my profile while receiving constructive criticism. I learned that I should expand on my past work experience to highlight my accomplishments at those workplaces, and use keywords in my headline to get noticed by recruiters. I also received positive feedback on things I did well with my profile, such listing relevant technical skills with completed Linked In assessments. Overall, this assignment helped me improve my Linked In profile which should help in the future for job searching.
Reviewing another Formal Report Proposal
After the Linked In assignment, we were given a chance to review a peer’s formal report proposal. This allowed me to view a proposal from the audience’s perspective and see what areas to focus on in my writing. My peer wrote an amazing proposal about work stress as a teacher and I could tell it was backed with passion from him and his colleagues. Seeing a proposal like this, made me reflect on my own writing to try to incorporate some passion which could help strengthen my report proposal. Again, I am lucky to have excellent team members who have diverse writing strengths so that we all mutually benefit by improving each other’s writing.
Receiving a Peer Review on my Proposal
In this part of the assignment, we were given feedback on our own proposal by our peers. This helped me immensely by showing areas where I could improve my proposal as well as possible topics of exploration that I had not thought of in my initial draft. In my initial draft, I had been focused on trying to force my solution as the narrative. However, my peer had pointed out how I should consider the possible negatives in my proposed solution as a topic to explore. My peer also provided valid criticism on my statement of problem that I should expand on topics such as redundant data. Ultimately, receiving peer review on my proposal was invaluable to improve my proposal and my writing.
Link to my revised proposal: 301-Revised-Proposal-Elton-Kok
Link to Syed Ahmed’s review: 301 Assignment 2:2 Syed Ahmed’s Review on Formal Report Proposal