In Unit 2 of English 301, my colleagues and I created or edited our own professional LinkedIn profiles as well as initiated the process of composing formal reports with the purpose of solving problems we identified in local organizations. We reviewed each other’s work, received reviews, and edited our own work. It was a taxing unit, but highly rewarding, too.
The LinkedIn profile assignment was the simplest from my standpoint, because I have maintained a LinkedIn profile for some years now and have familiarized myself thoroughly in the past with the way the website works. For me, this section of the unit was comprised simply of writing a “Summary” section for my profile, researching LinkedIn to deepen my understanding of the network, submitting the required assignments and reviewing my colleague’s work. I found it enjoyable and relaxing, and I’m glad that my profile is now entirely complete. I’m also glad to have discovered the vast online storehouse of walk-throughs and advice articles maintained by the LinkedIn company itself, as I expect to find it useful in the future.
Initiating the process of writing my report was more complicated. I determined before beginning this course that I wanted to use it to further my professional goals in as many ways as possible, so I decided to tackle a large problem within my company’s industry in the hopes of providing for its progress. This meant that I had trouble determining exactly what organization I should be writing for. Thankfully, that was identified by my professor, and her feedback helped me to choose Creative BC. Creating a writing schedule and research timeline for my report was also challenging, as I am not in the habit of crafting time management plans. That said, it was a highly useful exercise, as time management is an area in which I hope to grow quickly. (Note the irony.)
The third component of this unit – reviewing my colleagues’ work – I found fun and easy. I enjoy reviewing others’ work; brainstorming; and providing recommendations for the improvement of works-in-progress, so it was a fascinating process to create a template for the purpose and to use that template for an assignment with real-world implications (to review a colleague’s LinkedIn profile). I have not had the opportunity to review a classmate’s report proposal, as the student I was paired with fell ill at the end of unit one; however I don’t regret the opportunity missed, because I have confidence in the peer reviewing abilities I developed over my four years of post-secondary Creative Writing classes.
This has been a challenging unit, but I have been allowed to use my strengths as well as to develop in my areas of weakness. I feel I have succeeded thus far in embracing both of those experiences; and, with this in mind, I look forward to seeing where the remainder of this class takes both me and my colleagues.
