Judy Chern

Unit 3 was a challenging one for me as I was unsure of where to start for my research, since mental health is a difficult topic to measure empirically. Therefore, part of my paper relies on the opinion of an expert on my topic (mental health) and anecdotal information from interviews with my former co-workers. However, I was able to derive some statistics from my survey via more quantitative, or “cut and dry” questions (eg. on a scale of 1 to 10, how comfortable would you be with bringing up mental health issues with your manager?) that allowed me to structure my material more like a research paper.

I was surprised with how many survey respondents were willing to take the time to explain in detail the choice of their answers. This allowed me to give a more human element to my empirical data; instead of just listing statistics, I was able to connect them with direct quotes as well as paraphrased thoughts and opinions from the people polled.

Prior to writing my draft for my formal report, I was unsure if I had enough material for 5-10 pages. After all, I only had one survey with less than 50 responses, a couple interviews with former coworkers, and one short email interview with an expert.

However, the process of writing the draft enabled me to find patterns in my data that I could analyze and interpret — for example, many survey respondents expressed that mental health could be seen as a sign of weakness in the workplace. I was surprised at this commonality between respondents from different organizations. Realizations like this provided the structure for my paper, allowing me to flesh out my findings in a cohesive manner.

Reviewing my peer’s report further allowed me to realize the importance of cohesion — I noticed that some parts of his paper were difficult to read / comprehend because of gaps in the writing. Not all statements were fully supported, and while the writer may feel that these connections are implied or obvious, the reader may not.

The process of creating a LinkedIn profile was nothing new to me; being a second-degree student I have been using LinkedIn for years. However what I did find useful was researching strategies for making the most out of LinkedIn and applying it to my profile. Social networking platforms are constantly changing due to trends and new features, and it’s important to stay on top of communication channels in your industry (for example, specific keywords, industry news).

The process of brainstorming and preparing my proposal and outline was intuitive once I had a clear grasp of what I was trying to achieve with my research. My report’s focus on mental health in organizations is something that is also personal to me, having struggled with anxiety and panic attacks in the past. I believe that the personal aspect of my report is an advantage as it will give me a sense of purpose and drive to complete it. I will be glad if it can give some insight into improving mental health initiatives and support networks in organizations.

I am a bit nervous about how my report is going to come together —  if I can schedule interviews in time, or if I will have enough access to information in an organization I formally worked at. How much are people willing to disclose? I am depending on my reputation from doing reputable work as a co-op, and amicable relationships I have maintained since completing my work term as keys to getting the information I need to conduct a thorough analysis.

I have learned from reviewing my team’s writing that it is important to be explicit instead of making broad, vague statements. It is too easy to fall into the trap of writing abstract sentences when trying to express concepts and ideas instead of fully developing the idea and supporting it with examples. This is an issue I have come across in my partner’s writing as well as my own. In addition, I realized that even though proposals are sort of a broad outline of an idea, it is important to make sure that all components of it are connected in a logical manner — for example, my partner wanted to explore the difference between business software used for a dispensary and a regular mom-and-pop store, but did not explain why he wanted to. It would have been helpful to explain why and connect it to the overall goal of his research.

ENGL301ResearchProposal-JudyChern

Review of Albert’s Proposal

As someone who is no stranger to writing for both academic and professional purposes, I am always surprised at how each piece of writing still has its own challenges. I found that giving a written definition by using a structured format helped make my writing much more effective and useful.

I enjoyed the peer review process as it gave me the chance to use what I learned so far from this course, as well as draw from my other experiences as a writer. In addition, I was able to recognize the impact of using the active instead of passive voice for many situations. I have been guilty of overusing the passive voice as I falsely believed it would make me sound more academic, formal or technical, not realizing that it actually distanced the reader and made my sentences harder to decipher.

In my assignment as well as my peers, I recognized that there is a common tendency to be too wordy, especially in an academic context. As I have learned, one of the most difficult parts of writing is being able to condense one’s sentences without sacrificing meaning.

For the revision of my definition assignment, I received feedback from Albert that a more detailed explanation of what my target audience (a program manager) does on day-to-day basis would be helpful. I ended up rewriting this section almost completely and provided an explanation of a program manager’s job by using my example of the testing framework. I realized that using the same example I use throughout the document would provide a clearer picture of why the manager would need to know the definition of framework for his / her job.

Along the same lines, I found the feedback from Albert to add examples of different types of frameworks a good suggestion, but given my audience this might not be necessary, and it may be more effective to focus on defining the word within the context of testing automation.

Rewritten definition assignment

Peer review of my assignment

To: Erika Paterson

From: Judy Chern

Date: May 24, 2017

Subject: Application Letter Posted

I have written and posted the application letter for finding writing group teammates on my blog, along with an attached word document.

Here is my application summarized:

• Experience working in a team as a software developer
  • Ability to listen and learn from teammates
  • Need to work on being more vocal about own ideas
• Learn best hands-on, tackling a task from all angles before asking for assistance
• Experience writing for technical and non-technical users
• Background in marketing and public relations writing for a large range of audiences

Thank you for your time and please feel free to review my application letter at your convenience. Attached is a copy of my letter.

Best,

Judy Chern

301_JudyChernApplicationLetter

Dear ENGL 301 classmate:

I am writing to apply for the position of professional writing team member with your group. I am in my second year of the Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) program, and have a background in marketing and public relations.

As a computer science student I am interested in user experience and user research. With my training in developing user empathy during my recent co-op term as a business intelligence software developer, I realize the importance of determining your audience as a writer and tailoring your writing accordingly.

During my co-op, I had the opportunity to develop a project from start to finish in a team environment. I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could from my teammates, never hesitating to clarify or ask questions whenever there was uncertainty. However, it was my personal philosophy as a student to spend time tackling a problem and exhaust all possible approaches within my knowledge before asking for assistance. I also solicited feedback from my coworkers and manager, and am well aware of what I need to work on as a team member — keeping the momentum going on a project by being more vocal about my ideas.

I also provided the documents necessary to present my project to higher management, as well as technical documents for deploying the project to other teams and for technical and non-technical users.

My work experience as a software developer is supplemented by my time in marketing and public relations, during which I oversaw advertising campaigns for a recruiting firm and produced press releases for a number of different organizations.

I am certain that my experience in both technical and non-technical writing, as well as my skills in working with a team will be an asset to your writing group. I look forward to hearing from you. You can reach me at chern.judy@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Judy Chern

301_JudyChernApplicationLetter