Coming into unit two, I felt more confident about my writing abilities after reviewing the textbook and receiving feedback from the instructor for the previous unit. This part of the course focused on developing a formal report proposal, creating a LinkedIn profile and becoming a better peer reviewer. The formal report proposal is an ongoing assignment and will also be discussed in future reflections.
Formal Report
I was intrigued by the opportunity to tackle a formal report outside of a traditional work setting. That being said, I struggled to come up with a topic for exploration that was both engaging and insightful. Originally, I had planned to address an issue at my former workplace, only to abandon that notion once I realized that I had to keep that information to myself as outlined in my confidentiality agreement. I finally settled on something that I had knowledge and passion for, and that was addressing mentorship program participation rates within the Arts Co-op Student Association (ACSA).
Since I had previously volunteered with this organization, I felt that I had a good deal of insight to offer. While brainstorming possible solutions to the problem I was tackling, it came to mind that there was more than one way I could approach the current situation. By narrowing my focus to one specific area of research, I was able to to properly outline the reasoning for my investigation. Breaking down the report process helped me understand the potential and limitation of my research. With a clear research schedule, I will be on track to complete the assignment well before the deadline.
Peer Review Process of Formal Report
As someone who is not an expert in sports, I learned quite a bit about the discrepancy in opportunities between women and men in sports. While peer reviewing my partner’s proposal, I was able to contextualize the requirements of the assignment better. Additionally, whenever I came upon a statement that I did not fully understand or where I would question its relatability to the rest of the proposal, this gave me pause. In assisting my peer close the gap in her proposal outline, I was able to better understand the shortcomings of my own work.
Once my partner submitted her peer review of my proposal, I could immediately see the areas where I could have done better. Being able to review my submission days after its completion and through the eyes of my peer was immensely helpful in the process to refine my work. I recognized that I needed to make my statements more concise in certain areas and clarify certain arguments. I was grateful for the review that my partner sent me, as she obviously spent a great deal of time looking over my proposal.
LinkedIn Profile
The first portion of the LinkedIn assignment required that I researched best practices for creating a profile. As a new user to the networking profile, I appreciated the opportunity to sit down and examine the most effective ways to create an engaging profile. Some of the tips that I discovered were pretty self explanatory and seemed fairly obvious to me (e.g. include a profile picture, etc.) That being said, somethings were far less obvious like joining groups and customizing the URL in order to engage with potential employers more easily.
Through providing feedback to my peers on their LinkedIn profiles, I garnered ideas about how to make my page more appealing. For instance, I included a background picture in order to compliment my profile picture. I also learned to appreciate the value in extracurricular activities and volunteer roles when marketing my talents to potential employers. Taking into consideration the feedback that I had received, I was able to make small, but strategic edits to my profile that served to make my writing more accessible to a general audience.
Conclusion
The opportunity to make revisions based on peer feedback is one that is often underappreciated, despite the fact that it is vitally important for professional growth. In my opinion, the time and commitment that it takes to self-reflect on one’s work is a very useful transferable skill to have.
Revised Proposal: 301-Eugenia Fasciani-Revised Formal Proposal
Peer Review Report: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99a-2020wa/2020/10/21/assignment-2-1-peer-review-of-eugenias-formal-proposal/