Unit 2 Reflection Blog
by sdutta06
LinkedIn Best Practices Assignment
For this assignment, we were asked to research and study best practices for professional networking on LinkedIn and then share our findings with our writing team. I thought this was a very useful and practical task because as we step further into the digital era, it has become increasingly more important to have a robust online presence. Having a comprehensive understanding on how to utilize professional social networking sites like LinkedIn will be an essential tool for building an online presence to expand our professional network, showcase our personal brands, or find new job opportunities. Although I already have a basic LinkedIn profile prior, I was not using the platform to its fullest potential. For example, I already have a professional profile picture, and a summary of experiences and achievements. My network consisted of mainly friends, classmates, and colleagues that I know in real life. This assignment has made me realize that I should be networking and building relationships with other professionals and potential employers in my industry with the same values, so we can exchange insight and potential opportunities for each other. There are several built-in LinkedIn tools and features that can help with networking, such as LinkedIn groups and events, which will allow you to connect with like-minded professionals to share knowledge and further expand your network. Overall, the new knowledge that I have gained from this assignment has alleviated some feelings of intimidation on how to grow an online presence, and I now feel more prepared and excited about creating a professional social network profile.
Report Proposal and Outline
For this assignment, we were asked to investigate, analyze, and create a recommendation on how to act upon an inefficiency in a public setting that we have recently been a part of, such as a workplace, a volunteer or a community organization. I had a very easy time brainstorming for an idea because the inefficiency that I decided to examine – the lack of ergonomic setups at UBC study areas – was something that has been on my mind even before this assignment. As someone with a background in Kinesiology and physical therapy, this is a topic that I am extremely passionate about, since I have had first hand experience working with patients with musculoskeletal injuries as a result of improper ergonomics at work and/or school. Therefore, preparing for my report proposal and outline was not too challenging as I have some background knowledge of the problem that exists, and can systematically come up appropriate scope and methods in formal report proposal to conduct my investigation. In terms of the progress of the report, the completion of a formal report outline, and a memo addressing the progress of the formal proposal has given me a lot of clarity and structure on how the final formal report will come together. I feel prepared to carry out my research plan, as I feel like I have taken into account all areas of the inefficiency that needs to be analyzed and addressed. Moreover, with the writing schedule that I have established, I am able to pace myself throughout the month to complete the assignment without stress.
Peer Review Process
In the peer review process, I was able to review the formal report proposal of one of my writing team’s member, Tanya. I thought she did a great job and it was very beneficial for my own learning and understanding. Firstly, her proposal is very well-structured and was able to clearly convey the intent of the proposal and the problem that is to be addressed. This made me double check my own proposal to make sure it was just as well-structured and I was able to clearly identify an issue and the steps on how to address the issue. We had a very similar way of organizing our document, so it was good to read someone else’s work and double check that I also have everything that the other person has. I also suggested that Tanya should carefully consider who her target audience is, because she was addressing the proposal to UBC students, when it should’ve targeted towards someone or an organization that has more power to act upon her recommendations. Again, while I was giving this feedback, I was able to double check that I had an appropriate target audience for my own proposal.
Tanya was also able to provide review and feedback for my own formal report proposal. She suggested that I should make some revision to my scope, by simplifying redundant questions, and giving more details on how the scope will be carried out. I really appreciate her feedback because it’s would have gone unnoticed by me. I realized that sometimes I lack detail in my work and I should more clear about what I am trying to convey. Overall, the peer-review process was very beneficial to me as I was able to compare my work to others, and also get exposed to other perspectives that can help me strengthen my writing. I feel confident about completing my final formal report based on the peer-review that I have received.