Professional Communication

In the ten weeks, I became familiar with how to write persuasive memos, professional cover letters, and business proposals. Although there was learning on how to write these different pieces I have developed a solid understanding on the components on each of these. I also improved my public presentation skills by presenting twice throughout the term to an extensive audience that consisted of my classmates. Although my public speaking skills can still improve as I get more comfortable in this environment.

As for my Writing Memo #1 (final memo) in which I received a 30 out of 40, I had to make vast improvements to the first draft, which ultimately led to the score I received. I managed to go from my first memo getting a P to receiving a 30. This demonstrates my ability to accept professional feedback and apply that feedback to my final product. Getting that professional feedback allowed me to create a final product that showed an effective use of pathways that could be the solution to a problem.

With the Cover Letter I was only able to receive feedback on the first and only draft we completed. As for being my first cover letter, I was able to use the knowledge I learned about format to create a solid cover letter. The idea of promoting yourself through personal stories has prepared me for when I have to write a cover letter as part of a job application. I received effective feedback from the Career Services, which demonstrates the overall cover letter was effective to the audience.

Within the ten week term I was given the opportunity to present in front of my peers on two occasions. From the first presentation to the final presentation, I gained more confidence as I became familiar with the atmosphere of speaking in front of your peers. As a group, we received mostly positive feedback while receiving an overall 85% on the presentation. My ability to present in a team setting will only improve with professional experience as seen with this class.

As for my own part of the presentation, I could improve on the overall delivery of my speech. Due to inexperience with public speaking I know this will only improve. I did not get below average feedback, but the feedback demonstrates I need to improve on the way I present while delivering my speech. For example, one of the pieces of feedback says to face the audience more instead of looking at the screen. To be honest, it was mostly a nerves issue but with experience and confidence that issue will be solved.

My experience with professional writing and presentations is only going to increase as I continue my business career. Saying this, I need to continue to improve on my presentation quality and continue to become familiar with the formatting of these types of business style writing.