Monthly Archives: April 2019

As the semester has now come to a close I find myself looking back on English 301 and feeling very grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of such an informative program.  I will be graduating with a minor in English Literature, and I have always felt like I am a strong writer, however, English 301 challenged me in new ways, and because of this I am a better writer now than I was coming into the semester.

When I came into this class I did not know what to expect, but I quickly understood just how important the curriculum was, not only for my education but also for my professional career outside of university.  Now that the semester is complete I am coming away from this course with a much better knowledge of how to conduct myself professionally in written form and through an online platform.  However, even though I am coming away from this course feeling confident about the skills I have acquired, it should be mentioned that I did face a number of challenges throughout.  These challenges were welcomed, as I am always eager to be pushed out of my comfort zone in order to learn a new skill.

Building an online professional profile is something that I was not familiar with coming into the course, which was ultimately the biggest hurdle I had to overcome.  Setting up a blog, a LinkedIn profile, and contributing to my Team Forum, are all online platforms that I am not very familiar with.  Getting the hang of things was a little difficult at first.

The great thing about working online with a group of like-minded professionals is that ideas can be shared and critiqued constructively by our peers, which in turn makes us better writers and professionals as we moved through the course.  The sharing of our posts and ideas, and the peer reviews we did for one another are all ways in which we networked and connected with each other over the course of the semester.

Undoubtedly, the skills that I have acquired after completing English 301 will transition nicely into the professional career I am currently in, as well it will help me in my future endeavors too.  I plan on submitting an application to a graduate school very soon, and I will be applying a large portion of what I learned through this course to my application package.

The Web Folio package assignment is an extremely important assignment for anyone who wishes to present themselves as a professional in online world.  Because of the multitude of connections that are made online in today’s business and social world, having a strong platform that represents yourself professionally goes a long way for anyone looking to advance in their career.  In total the Web Folio consists of my blog, biography, application package, LinkedIn profile, online resume, and my best works.  All of these categories help me ground myself in the business world, and they act well in creating a sort of home base for all of my important documents that potential employers or graduate school admissions offices might be interested in.

One at a time each category was worked on, and even though the Web Folio was once just a jumble of files in a folder, they have all come together quite well on my website.  I found it incredibly helpful to see exactly what is needed in order to begin to establish myself in a professional role.  Perhaps the most eyeopening assignment for me throughout this process was the LinkedIn profile.  I had always heard of LinkedIn, but I never thought I needed one.  This Web Folio assignment has allowed for me to see how building an online profile is beneficial, as making connections online has never been easier.

Before working through this project I thought it was going to be quite easy, as I have made resume’s and cover letter’s before.  However, this assignment teaches us to focus on the small details, for example using the You Attitude is important when trying to impress a potential graduate school or employer.  This package also taught me to always conduct myself professionally, unless both parties agree to speak casually.  Because the internet is so accessible and so easy to use, for most people, it is also easy to become too relaxed.  One must remember that because of there are millions of people coming in contact with each other online everyday, it has become more difficult to make an impression.  That first impression you do leave on a potential future employer or an admissions office is everything.