Web Portfolio

Check out my final web portfolio.

Classroom vs. Internship

I visited a former professor the other day with no intentions of talking about my internship. After asking if I would graduate in May, she immediately asked how I liked my internship. I explained how I like the job, but more importantly that I have learned a lot. She simply nodded her head like she knew exactly what I meant.

I expect that most people consider their first internship to be difficult in some way. In their article about moving beyond the academic world, Anson and Forseburg talked about the three stages most first-time interns go through. The first is idea shock, the second is frustration, and the third is resolution. I want to focus on the first stage. I have actually been thinking about this idea of idea shock since I started my internship. Of course I anticipated what my work day would be like, and I wasn't exactly right.

The major difference is the classroom vs. internship setting. Academic vs. professionalism. Student vs. employee. Teacher vs. boss. Grade vs. money (ideally anyway). So many contrasts come to mind. Not that I expected the exact same atmoshpere when I transitioned from school to work, but somehow I failed to make expectations about the differences.

In class, I listen to my professor explain a project and provide some additional information. Then, I work on a project and turn it in to my professor for a grade, which may or may not come with an explanation. Also, I might peer review with my classmates, which is an activity in which I rarely actually say what I'm really thinking.

At work, I may receive a document with a post-it-note message from my boss' secretary (my boss, by the way, is not in the office at the time) asking me to start a new project. I have no guidance and I work alone. When I finish, I may sit down with my boss while he reviews the document, but I will more likely get an e mail or an edited copy in which I adjust the changes. Anyone who looks at the document voices their opinion because more is at stake than just a grade.

Learning to write with a 'there's-more-at-stake-than-a-grade' mentality is very difficult. People I work with have been writing at the work place several years and have lots of experience in this area. I will miss the detailed explanations and soft peer reviews, but I have learned not to expect them in the future.

Reflection

My expectations definitely prepared me to begin my internship, but I did not realize how different it would be from my classes. People in professional, work settings have very practical goals and, as a result, treat assignments differently. When we peer review each other in class, most of us are some degree of reserved. At work, no one can afford to reserve themselves because money is most likely on the line. Motivation changes and the work output is much greater. I've had to change my work schedule. I used to like to write during the evening or night, but as I mention before, working in the morning around coworkers forces you to listen to others' ideas and not focus on just your own. Revision is good. I've learned that I'd rather revise 20 times than make an error simply because I'm being stubborn. Sometimes, a particular task may take longer than a day, and I may have to devote entire days to that one task. Everything I mentioned in an earlier post is still true, but I have definitely expanded on these skills and experiences since then.

First my writing habits stand as always. When I write during the day (usually just when I have time or get the urge), I am definitely very coherent and employ complete ideas. Like one of the students in Portfolio Keeping, I often expect my readers understand what I'm saying without fully explaining myself. I usually don't have to revise my logical writing more than once or twice. However, I write more meaningfully at night. I anticipate the audience's questions and focus more on the message than the means in which I'm sending it. While I think this type of writing is more persuasive, I usually revise up to 5 or 10 times (and sometimes more). Which mode of thought is more effective depends on the assignment.I've found myself being too cautious about writing in my internship. I become unmotivated because I'm unsure if I'm doing something the correct way. My hesistance could be due to the flexibility of my work. However, lately I've been very motivated to finish projects because midterm has passed. Now that I feel pressured by time, I'm trying new programs and processes and just revising later. This is working and I hope to continue pushing through my work instead of leaving it for later. Working on every aspect of a project at once is not working either. I've started focusing on one aspect of a document per day (since my time is limited). For example, one day I will research topics, the next I might work on organization or visual design.Looking back, I realize that I thought revising many times was bad practice. In fact, depending on the type of writing, several revisions may be necessary. I hope to move forward with this thinking and to continue focusing on one aspect at a time.

Personality Tests are like Horoscopes

I was thinking about how different personalities suit different jobs and remembered the personality test we were talking about in class the other day. I graduate in a little more than a month, so like a horoscope, I figured it wouldn't hurt. I was very pleased with my results. Apparently, I am an idealist:

Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self -- always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey. Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials.
Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the "not visible" or the "not yet" that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things.
Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a "soulmate," someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds.
Idealists are relatively rare, making up no more than 15 to 20 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers.
Your beliefs are the arbiter of your actions, even if you cannot articulate those beliefs specifically. You hold a strong, clear sense of the way the universe works, what's "right" and what's "wrong," and what your purpose is in the overall scheme of things. In your ideal job, you can embody those beliefs in your relationships with other people. Because you likely have a talent for de-escalating situations and can almost always find just the "right words", you often significantly improve the morale of organizations to which you belong.

When I think about my future career (I just got into law school a couple weeks ago), I really like the idea of being a professional. I really have a strong desire to help people, and writing has always been a my means of doing so. I do consider myself to be very loyal to myself and a few others; and I'm very passionate about figuring myself out. I definitely hope for the possibilities and am determined to pursue them.

More meetings

WVU enrollment climbs every year. During my undergraduate career here at WVU, I have wondered why more people from all over the country come to WVU and why more students are staying here. I learned a lot about this subject at the second ROSS meeting I attended last Wednesday. Actually, many people spend a lot of time searching for solutions to retention problems.
This meeting was largely about new ideas, including a new commuter lounge, facebook commuter profile, and commuter handbook (that I am working on). When Brian first asked me if I would like to attend the meetings, I was somewhat hesitant. I wasn't sure if I could make any relevant contributions, but I now realize that my contributions aren't necessarily important. The 'big picture' is about listening to others' opinions and learning what's going on in your department.
Aside from hearing new ideas about retention, the members of this committee had previously looked over the commuter handbook and gave me several helpful suggestions. In PWE courses, we peer review each other's work all the time; however, this situation is different. My reviewers had very practical comments and did not make stylistic suggestions.
Aside from communication, I observed a valuable skill in this meeting: learning to listen. The setting does not have to be a conference room. I can imagine applying this skill in an office talking to a coworker or on the phone with a client.

WPG Tasks: Developing the pages of a web portfolio

I'm still not sure of the organization I want to choose for my website yet. I know that I want my portfolio to look professional since I want to design a showcase of skills I acquired at the PWE program. My web portfolio tasks are here.

• (Home)
  Writing
• Design: Tattoo Project, Instruction Set
• Professional: Resume Packet, Project Proposal, Commuter Handbook, Commuter Risks
• Editing: Project, Project
• Technical: Tech Description, Usability Test

I want my portfolio to project a specific image of myself: professional and personable, dedicated and flexible. The focus of my portfolio will be not only writing itself, but all the roles that writers play. As a writer, I not only write, but I also research, edit, revise, design, and much more. I am still unsure of the layout; I don’t know whether to make skills or different classes as the main pages. I will not use bright colors. Through my design, I hope to show that I develop in my writing through reflection and organization.

WPG Tasks: Planning for the Portfolio

TASK 2: ANALYZING STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS

While the final web portfolio is an academic assignnment for my capstone course as professional writing and editing student, he has given us the option of choosing between creating an academic or professional portfolio. The portfolio is a single project as a required assignment for English 491A that anyone in the PWE program might view. The only concrete content requirement is twenty pages of polished writing. Whatever writing I need to include in my portfolio to prove that I have developed my ideas about individual writing projects and collaborative writing with colleagues at my internship is to my discretion. I must post my portfolio on the web and post teh link on my blog by 12 p.m. on Friday, May 1. The standard for my portfolio is to prove the argument I make in my portfolio with evidence of my work.

TASK 3: ANALYZE PURPOSES AND GOALS

In my portfolio, I plan to show

1. the variety of skills I learned, including researching, writing, editing, designing, etc. All considered audiences (Dr. Wible, people associated with the PWE program, future PWE students, potential employers, peers) have an interest in learning what skills PWEs employ in a professional setting.
2. my development as a professional writer by posting drafts and final documents. Professors and employers value people who not only produce valuable work, but can also recognize their flaws and work harder to improve.
3. my ability to complete independent projects. I need to be able think creatively and discipline myself enough to finish a polished document.
4. communication skills. Being able to communicate with colleagues, bosses, clients, or whoever is an essential skill of writers. If I can't determine what I'm writing, why I'm writing it, and to whom I'm writing then my document will surely fail.
5. my ability to work with others. Listening to others and maintaining a professional relationship is key to working in a professional setting. Treat others with respect and they may not only value your opinion and work more but also be more willing to assist you with advice or another point of view in the future.
6. that I can consider critcism in a professional manner and apply other another professional's advice to my work. Understanding that people with more experience often give valuable advice is important to new writers like myself. With others' opinions, I can view all angles of my work.

TASK 4: ANALYZE AUDIENCES

Potential audiences include:

1. Dr. Wible (internship coordinator): needs to give me a grade for the class and is interested in what I learned. You will expect to see evidence of my goals. You would not be happy to see only finished documents. I would like for you to think that my work is professional, I chose my documents carefully, that I have clearly developed as a writer, and that my portfolio is visually appealing.
2. Potential employers: reviewing my skills. They expect to see evidence of my skills. They would not be happy to see unfinished materials or offensive materials. I would like for them to think that my work is professional, I chose my documents carefully, that I have clearly developed as a writer, that my portfolio is visually appealing, and that I would be a great employee.
3. Future PWE students: curious about what PWE students do at their interns. They will not know what to expect to see. I know I didn't when I looked at PWE internship posters. They would not be happy to see a large amount of work or that my work was miserable. I would like for them to think I show evidence of skills that I learned, I portray a variety of documents, and that my portfolio is professional.
4. Anyone associated with the PWE program: curious to what PWE students have accomplished recently. They will expect to see my finished documents. They would not be happy to see anything that would hurt the PWE program's reputation.
5. Classmates: professional interest in colleague's work and curious to what work others produced. They will expect to see drafts and finished documents. They would not be happy to see that my portfolio is better than theirs. I would for them to think that my portfolio is well put together, visually appealing, includes a variety of documents, and that I worked diligently.