ENGL301

Unit Four of this course was an instrumental turning point in my learning journey. With a focus on enhancing my business writing skills and mastering the art of formal report writing, this unit was essential in helping me complete the formal report, application package, and WebFolio. To conclude this final unit, I devoted myself to conducting extensive research, organizing data, and analyzing information to deliver a polished and insightful report. The process of producing this report allowed me to hone my critical thinking and analytical skills, and further refine my ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner. I also curated a comprehensive application package for the position of a Legal Assistant at GVR Law. This involved updating my resume, crafting a compelling cover letter, and compiling relevant documents and references. Through this process, I was able to showcase my skills and qualifications in a professional and persuasive manner, positioning myself as a strong candidate for the role.

Creating a WebFolio

The process of creating a professional WebFolio was undoubtedly challenging, as it required a significant amount of time and effort to write using a professional tone, and I found myself revising my work multiple times to ensure that it met the high standards expected of me. Despite these challenges, the experience of curating my WebFolio has been incredibly fulfilling. Being able to display my past work and achievements in a professional and polished manner has given me a sense of pride and accomplishment, and has helped me to further establish my professional brand and reputation. One of the most rewarding aspects of the WebFolio project has been the opportunity to reflect on my growth and development as a writer and researcher. By comparing my original assignment posts with the revised versions, I have been able to see firsthand the progress that I have made thanks to the feedback from my instructor and peers. This has been a valuable learning experience that has helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses and to continue to improve my skills. Overall, while creating a WebFolio was certainly a challenging endeavour, the end result has been well worth the effort. Through this process, I have developed important skills and gained a deeper appreciation for the value of presenting oneself professionally in the digital world.

Self-Assessment

I am a highly motivated and driven individual who is constantly seeking new opportunities to learn and grow. I recognize that every term presents unique challenges and expectations, and I am eager to adapt to different working environments and acquire new skills to help me succeed. One area in which I am particularly focused on improving is my communication skills. I recognize that effective communication is critical in the workplace, both in terms of collaborating with colleagues and in building strong relationships with potential employers. By honing my communication skills, I am confident that I will be able to better articulate my ideas, work more effectively in team environments, and build strong, lasting connections with others. Throughout my academic and professional career, I have demonstrated a strong ability to work collaboratively with others. For example, while working with the Writing Team SJGG, I was able to contribute to the team’s efforts by providing constructive criticism and feedback. I believe that this ability to examine others’ work critically, while remaining positive and constructive, is essential for effective teamwork and is a skill that I will continue to develop in the future.

Overall, Unit Four was a transformative experience that allowed me to further develop my business writing skills and gain valuable experience in formal report writing. Through my dedication and hard work, I was able to produce high-quality work that reflects my commitment to excellence and sets a strong foundation for my future endeavours.

Unit Three was a pivotal point in my learning journey, as it was dedicated to enhancing our business writing skills and mastering the art of formal report writing. Throughout this unit, I devoted myself to conducting thorough research, organizing data, and analyzing information to deliver a polished and insightful draft for the upcoming final report.

Writing the Formal Report Draft

The subject of my report was the voter turnout among first-year students at the University of British Columbia (UBC). To obtain data for the report, I conducted surveys among students at UBC, which was an insightful and enriching experience. During the survey process, I discovered that a significant reason for low voter turnout among this demographic was due to lack of information and time constraints. These concerns motivated the initiative for this report to educate and engage young voters, which will, in turn, create a more inclusive and representative democracy.

Despite the challenges that arose during the drafting process, I was determined to produce a report that was well-structured, concise, and informative. This endeavour helped me to develop my research and analytical skills, and taught me how to organize and synthesize data effectively. Additionally, receiving feedback from my peers during the peer review process was an invaluable part of the journey, as it enabled me to learn from their writing and improve my own skills.

Reviewing a Partner’s Formal Report Draft

To conclude this unit, I assessed my peer’s Formal Report Draft.  Working in partnership with Junelie Guevarra provided me with a valuable opportunity to gain fresh insight into my own work, but through the perspective of a reader, rather than the writer. In reviewing Junelie’s work, I was impressed by the depth and clarity of her research, which was both meaningful and well-structured. The benefits of peer review were readily apparent, as it allowed me to identify some minor mistakes in her writing that I might have otherwise overlooked in my own work. This served as a helpful reminder to be vigilant in avoiding similar errors in my own work. In addition to highlighting areas for improvement in my own writing, Junelie’s work also provided valuable suggestions for enhancing my own Formal Report Draft. Her insights and suggestions were thoughtfully presented and provided me with a fresh perspective on my own work.

Ultimately, Unit Three provided me with an opportunity to refine my writing skills and acquire a deeper understanding of formal report writing. I am thrilled to continue building on these skills in future units and further apply them in my career endeavours.

Encl: Formal Report Draft

In Unit Two of the ENGL 301 technical writing course,  a memorandum on LinkedIn best practices and several documents for a formal research proposal were completed. Although these were intensive assignments, I was able to challenge myself to complete them.

Researching LinkedIn Best Practices

Although the objective of this assignment was to inform my colleagues about LinkedIn and the best practices to optimize its uses, I found myself taking much of these useful techniques to my advantage as well. In this digital era, social media is a valuable tool to build a professional network and expand one’s reach, and LinkedIn is a testament to that. Through the execution of this project, I understood the power social media holds, and how to leverage the platform to form interactions to stay connected with my network. What I found most informative from this project is the importance of expanding and optimizing my network and connections. In forming meaningful conversations with other professionals, by simply commenting, sharing, and digitally connecting with other profiles, I am simultaneously promoting your profile as it will appear on a wide range of searches and feeds.

Writing the Research Proposal and Outline

This assignment made me realize that the first step of any task is always the hardest. On a personal level, I realized that I need to uphold a high level of interest in my research topic to fully commit to a such a rigorous and comprehensive project. While many topics sparked my interest, I chose one that pertained to my undergraduate degree, Political Science.

By choosing a research topic that I was particularly interested in, while also advancing my learning in my field, I was able to remain motivated. Many articles aligned with my hypothesis that most first-year university students who are newly eligible to vote in a General Election or by-election are too overwhelmed to practice this civic duty. The process of practicing this civic duty can certainly be time-consuming, confusing, and difficult, which discourages many first-year university students to vote. My natural curiosity to the topic made it easy to generate questions and prompts for the research proposal.

Reviewing a Partner’s Proposal

Partnering with Junelie Guevarra put me in the position of a reader to a research proposal. Junelie demonstrated a work that is both meaningful and well-structured. The benefits of peer review is clear as it allowed me to notice some minor mistakes in her writing, which reminded me to avoid similar mistakes in my own writing. On the other had, her work provided suggestions to improve my work.

Revising My Proposal

Revising my research proposal after reading my peer review from Junelie allowed me to read my work through another lens. The suggestions from the peer review pointed out several errors that I am certain I would not have noticed without guidance. In fact, both Junelie and Prof. Pateron provided the same feedback, which I promptly revised.

To conclude this unit, I can attest that the process was highly rewarding. I have built a foundation of thoughtful planning, optimizing my work, and accepting critiques, which I intend on applying to my upcoming assignments.

First Draft Process

For this assignment, I selected a technical term used in a specific field or academia and provide a definition for a non-technical audience. As a Political Science major and Law and Society minor, I chose to define the term Judicial Review, which is the power of the ultimate level of the judiciary branch – the Supreme Court – to declare the actions of the legislative and executive branches unconstitutional. I learned how to write three different types of definitions and distinguish each of them by their particular purpose. A parenthetical definition is a brief definition that is put in parentheses to help clarify a term when used in a sentence. I found it difficult to generate a small set of words to define my term as I tend to elaborate more than I should while writing. On the other hand, a sentence definition is a full sentence which describes the term and its distinguishing features. Lastly, the expanded definition provides a more elaborate explanation of the term through various methods such as, describing its history or how it is applied. Overall, I found the process of defining a term to a non-technical audience challenging as it required me to simplify more concepts that I used in order to define Judicial Review. Concepts such as the “dual court system” and “”separate but equal” legal doctrine are not commonly known; therefore, it was imperative that, as I was writing, I was being considerate of my audience and their scope of knowledge.

Peer Review Process

At this stage of the assignment, I assessed a team member’s technical definition of an Agonist. It was outstandingly perceptive and enjoyable being on the opposite end of the process as a non-technical audience. Beyond learning about what an Agonist is, I was able to dissect and critique the work overall. By going through the peer review process as a non-technical audience, it was interesting how often I found words that needed further defining, simply because I am not well-versed in the field. Additionally, I learned that, while there are many methods that can be used for the expanded definition, some might be better than others, depending on the term. For example, it is beneficial to compare and contrast an Agonist to an Antagonist; however, the method of comparing and contrasting would pose a lesser significance to my term, Judicial Review.

Revision Process

The final step of this assignment was to look over the feedback from the peer review provided and make the necessary revisions. Overall, I was appreciative of the feedback I received because I was able to understand my writing opportunities in a clear manner. As previously mentioned, I often find it difficult to write briefly as I tend to elaborate more than I should while writing, and the feedback I received was parallel to that. I learned that certain aspects of an assignment require more detail, such as the scenario section, whereas others may require more concise and brief explanations. As a result of this process as a whole, I learned how to apply that principle onto my forthcoming assignments.

Revised Definition: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl30199c2022w2/2023/02/14/revised-defining-judicial-review/

Peer’s Review: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl30199c2022w2/2023/02/13/peer-review-gabriella-generoso/

To: Gareth Yuen

From: Gabriella Generoso

Subject: Invitation to Writing Team

Dear Gareth,

I have reviewed your application as a potential member for the writing team. I am impressed by your academic background and I am certain that your skill set in this field will provide the excellent technical and professional results that this writing team demands. Furthermore, I believe that you can offer a multicultural background that is unparalleled from many candidates, which will optimally welcome a new and different perspective for business and professional manners.

I would like to formally extend an invitation to you to join my writing team. I have attached my application letter for your reference. Should you have any questions or concerns, kindly contact me at ggener@student.ubc.ca.

Encl: 301 Gabriella Application Letter

—
Kind Regards,
Gabriella Generoso (She/Her)
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science & Law and Society Candidate
University of British Columbia

To: Salma Ismail

From: Gabriella Generoso

Subject: ENGL301: Invitation to Writing Team

Dear Salma,

I have reviewed your application as a potential member for the writing team. I believe your work as a Settlement Counsellor with the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House will provide the hard work, commitment, and excellent results that this writing team demands. Additionally, your refined and articulate abilities presented in your application is certainly a reflection of your experience in professional writing. With my unwavering experience in working as both a team member and leader, I believe our skillsets will compliment each other well.

I would like to extend an invitation to you to join my writing team. I have attached my application letter for your reference. Should you have any questions or concerns, kindly contact me at ggener@student.ubc.ca.

Encl: 301 Gabriella Application Letter

—
Kind Regards,
Gabriella Generoso (She/Her)
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science & Law and Society Candidate
University of British Columbia

To: Junelie Guevarra

From: Gabriella Generoso

Subject: Re: ENGL 301: Invitation to Writing Team

Hi Junelie,

I have received your email and I would like to extend my gratitude in considering me for your writing team. Your leadership in taking the initiative to reach out is a reflection of your outstanding experience as a leader as a Learning Club tutor at John Oliver Secondary and a Homework Club Facilitator at the SVNH. Additionally, you certainly possess the strong writing capabilities that this writing team demands, through your unsurpassed work in proofreading scholarship applications, drafting emails, and managing a professional social media account.

As such, I am pleased to confirm my position in your writing team and look forward to working with you further. Should you have any questions or concerns, kindly reach me at ggener@student.ubc.ca.

—
Kind Regards,
Gabriella Generoso (She/Her)
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science & Law and Society Candidate
University of British Columbia

To: Erika Paterson

From: Gabriella Generoso

Date: January 25, 2023

Subject: Confirmation of Application Letter Posting

As you requested, I have posted my application letter for the position of a Professional Writing Team Member in English 301, which can be found on my Student Blog.

In the letter, I have included the following information:

• An overview of my professional work experience, highlighting specific strengths.
• A summary of my academic standing, faculty of study and previous team project experience.
• An area of weakness in my writing ability.
• My learning philosophy.

Thank you for taking the time to review my attached application letter and I look forward to your feedback.

Encl: 301 Gabriella Application Letter

January 25, 2023

English 301 – Technical Writing Class
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

Dear Class of English 301:

I am writing this application letter in the hope of joining a professional writing team to work with this semester. I am a passionate third-year Political Science and Law and Society student at the University of British Columbia, and a part-time Retail Manager. I believe that the optimal balance between my academics and professional field can provide the dependability, commitment and excellent results that this position demands.

With four years of experience in retail and sales – between positions as a Style and Service Advisor in stores, to a Concierge Associate in office, to my current role in the Store Management Department – I have developed strong collaborative skills by working with and leading a team of like-minded individuals with an optimal balance of business and people relations at a micro and macro level. Day-to-day operative responsibilities include opening and closing the store, meeting business sales goals, and building loyal client relationships. Greater responsibilities include hiring and retaining quality talent, understanding and working on employee schedules in accordance to business objectives, and navigating different personalities and sensitive situations with successful collaboration.

Over the past three years, I have also been attending university to obtain my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Law and Society, where I anticipate to attend law school preceding graduation. My elaborate work with research essays, competitive debates, and group projects through my course in university, has also deepened my breadth and depth of understanding in independent and group work. In Particular, I took part in a course-long collaborative project among ten members, which involved researching for, writing and presenting proposals, briefs, and reports leading up to an eight-hour First Ministers Meeting simulation at the end of the term. Thus, through being a part of this team, I seek to leverage strong teamwork, strategic thinking and research skills.

I am certain that partaking in the opportunity to participate in a professional writing team with contributors from broad backgrounds will provide me with the meaningful experience to enhance my technical writing skills – particularly in my ability to identify and put forth formal edits – for my future.

Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you. I can be reached via email at ggener@student.ubc.ca.

Sincerely,
Gabriella Generoso
English 301, Student

Encl: 301 Gabriella Application Letter

Soon to be my reflections, reviews and assignments.