Journal #5 eng 240

In this journal I will be discussing my plan of action based on what I learned from my career research project. 

The first thing I need to do is find different internships that will allow me to get experience within the field of Human Resources. By interning within the field of Human Resource Management, I will learn if this is the job I would like to do for the rest of my life. Before I can apply for an internship I need to boost up my resume. By this I mean I need to use my previous work experience in a way that shows I can handle Human Resource job responsibilities. 

Since beginning this class, I have learned how to tailer my resume and cover letter to meet the job I am applying for. I think if I continue to write cover letters and alter my resume with the action words, I will continue to improve my writing skills that I have struggled with before this class.

Journal #4 Eng 240

In this journal I will be reviewing three cover letters that are written to a specific ad, a generic letter, and a referral. 

Response to a specific ad:

1. The Audience of this cover letter is the principal of the school that is offering the position. The principal manages the school and hires new teachers when there is openings. 

2. The first paragraph states how this candidate found out about the position and what is enclosed. The second paragraph states his qualifications and experience with teaching. The third paragraph he says what he will do if he gets hired at this school. The last paragraph is asking for a reply in response to the job and his resume. 

3. He highlights the fact that he can adapt to different situations with ease and that he has gotten positive reviews from superiors and parents. 

4. The writer makes their main appeal with credibility by saying “I have had the opportunity to function in a variety of educational settings making it easy to adapt to new situations and faculty concepts. This is showing that he does have a sense of adaptability within a school. He also says, “with over 10 years of experience in teaching various subjects,” shows that he is very marketable and can do almost any teaching job that may be required. 

5. The writer addresses the audience a few times throughout the cover letter in the first and last paragraphs. He also steers how he can contribute to the school throughout the middle paragraphs. I do not think this candidate personally knows the employer but he has done his research on what the school is expecting from their teachers. 

6. I would improve this cover letter by making the last two paragraphs into one and removing the line that says, “ I look forward to a favorable reply. He should also reread his cover letter since there is a spelling error in the last sentence.

Unsolicited:

1. The audience of this letter is Jolyn McKensie, the principal of Education Learning Academy. From this letter I would assume that the principal is in control of hiring candidates. 

2. The first paragraph states what job the candidate is interested in and the experience that she has. The second paragraph is her first classroom teaching experience and volunteer work. The third paragraph is her student teaching experience and what she has done. The last paragraph she is asking for the job by saying she will contact them next week. 

3. The accomplishment that she demonstrates is her experiences working with students. 

4. She makes her appeal with both credibility and emotion. She uses credibility by saying, “ I have student teaching experience on the first and third grade level.” She uses emotion by saying how she likes working with “at-risk” student’s and why. 

5. This writer does not address the audience at all. This shows that this is a generic cover letter that was most likely sent to more than one employer. How often does the writer address their audience? How well do you think they know this potential employer? 

6. I would improve this cover letter by making it more personable and addressing the audience more. 

Referral:

1. The audience for this cover letter is Matthew Broderick and he is the hiring partner for the Law offices of Ferris and Bueller. This cover letter just states that he is the hiring partner and that this candidate was referred by Carrie Bradshaw.  

2. The first paragraph is the referral from someone who is known to the hiring partner. The second paragraph shows the credibility of this candidate and some of the accomplishments that she has had. The third and last paragraph is asking for the interview at this company and thanking the audience for reading the cover letter.

3. This candidate has chosen to highlight the fact that she is having a piece published in the Florida State University Law review. 

4. This writer makes their appeal by using credibility. She uses credibility by saying she had the “opportunity to clerk with Smith and Catalano, an Orlando firm specializing in tax law.” She also says how she is a “third-year law student at the Florida State University College of Law.” 

5. The writer addresses the audience by stating that she was told to contact this specific person because she would be a good candidate for the job. I think they know this employer fairly well since they were recommended for this job and they have background in working with law. 

6. I would improve this letter by explaining the credentials and experience that she has since it is very brief. 

Summary #2 Eng 240

In the article “Using Bullet Points and Lists,” Catherine Hibbard differentiates between the type of bullet point to use and when. According to Hibbard bullet points are used to draw attention to important material and cause a certain visual appeal. Hibbard says that there is specific times to use bullets and numbers or letters. The only appropriate time to use numbers or letters is when the list is in order of importance or priority. For instance in a numbered list the reader is able to see what needs to be done before that person can move on to the next task. When there is a group of related items that are all equally important then regular bullets or graphics should be used. Hibbard also discusses how the information in the lists should be in parallel form meaning they should use the same part of speech, are similar in length, and have a similar format. Like a resume these bullet points can start with action verbs. Hubbard also explains that it is also important to remember not to mix clauses and sentences in the same list and keep the points short and to the point with three to six items in the list. It is important to know when lists should be used and when something should be written out in full. 

Who will read my cover letter?

There are two people who will read my resume that will most likely consist of a human resource representative and a supervisor of the department I am applying for. The human resource representative is in charge of the payroll of employees and the hiring of new eligible employees among other jobs. The supervisor may help to determine if I am the right candidate for the position available.

Journal entry #3 Eng 240

In this journal I will be looking at three sample resumes which I will then use to describe the influence these resumes had on me.

Resume #1:
While using many descriptive words, Amanda Smith, shows how her past jobs will help her in the human resource job that she is applying for.
Resume #2:
Since Farley Suber is applying for a sales or marketing job, his resume displays that he is good at interacting with others and getting the job done.
Resume #3:
Throughout Pauline Jenkins' resume she explains different tasks that she has mastered that would assist her in being qualified for an office management job.

Action words:

• supervise
• format
• received
• posted
• organized 
• answered
• assisted
• tracked
• handled
• produced
• analyzed
• served
• cultivated

How was I influenced?

After reading these select resumes I would recommend all three of these candidates. For the most part all three resumes had action words that drew me into reading more of what they had to say. Each person explained what they did at their past job into tasks that would be useful for the job they are applying for. Looking at how these individuals made themselves applicable for the desired job made me think of different ways I can boost my own resume to make an employer want to read it all the way through. Another thing I learned after reading these resumes is that I need to make mine stand out and make it seem different then the rest. 

Journal Entry #2- english 240

In this journal I am going to discuss two writing skills I need to develop, writing to a specific audience and highlighting the important information, and how I plan to improve these skills. In order for me to improve these skills I need a plan of action for each individual skill. First I will discuss my plan of action for writing to a specific audience.

• The ultimate success of writing to the correct audience would be that my paper is understood.
• how do I get there? 
• figure out who will be reading my paper
• If the person is older or has a higher position or authority I have to make sure I demonstrate a proficiency in the English Language 
• Make the tone of my writing matches the subject of the paper. For instance if it is my boss the paper may be more serious but if it is a peer or someone younger the paper may be more relaxed.
• Since I'm in school now I can make sure the audience is appropriate but asking for assistance from my professors
• To ensure I fully understand my topic I should plan and research before I write the paper, by doing so I can adjust how I write the information.

Next I will say my plan of action for highlighting the important information.

• The ultimate success of highlighting the important information would be that I get straight to the point instead of beating around the bush. In Business writing is brief and to the point.
• How do I get there?
• plan and research before writing the paper
• Figure out what information is necessary and which information can be left out.
• Revise and edit my paper to make sure that I made the important information stand out and let the little things be a filler as they are intended to be.
• I can monitor this by seeing if my writing improves as the semester goes on and if I am showing only what is supposed to be talked about.
• If I need help or I get stuck in trying to distinguish the difference between the facts that I have chosen, I can ask for help in the writing center or from a professor.

Journal Entry #1 eng 240

Everyone has their own style to writing and no style is completely perfect. In every paper there are things that need to be worked on. As a writer I realize there are many skills that I still need to work on such as writing to a specific audience, vocabulary and word choice, and highlighting the important subject matter. In a paper it is important to know your audience and the level of education they have received. For instance, if you are writing to a peer the writing style may tend to be more relaxed but when writing to someone in a higher position then you the tone of the paper is more serious and to the point. As I have learned, the older you get the more words you have to describe and not use the conjunctions that are so common to us today. I also need to work on the vocabulary in tone of my writing. For the most part I use words that most second through fifth graders can recognize. Now that I am in college, I know that I need to use more collegiate words that are found throughout my textbooks. Another thing I need to work on is getting straight to the point. In most of my papers I tend to focus on the small things instead of what is most important. Instead of using useless information I need to emphasize on the information that I need to cover.