Preparing Job-Application Materials

Chapter 15


I found this chapter very informative. It makes a lot of sense that if I was looking for a job in a position that I want,  I would have to also like the company and in order to like it I should know more about this organization.I never thought that after an interview it is a good idea to write a letter of appreciation. That is something that I would certainly keep in mind. I find interesting the fact that contractors now days will include a search online as well as the application as part of a personal reference. I think that if this is true, this could be in my advantage or disadvantage. It will all depend on being aware.


I have never written a resume about my jobs but I have written essays for scholarships. In these essays I have had to include my goals and duties as a volunteer, my leadership skills and experiences. One time a heard from  an employer: "You should take care of this business as if it was yours" When applying for a job, my focus should be in the goals of the company and my desire for working there.

Designing Documents and Web Sites

Chapter 11

I have made a website for a business before but I never thought of many of the things introduced in this chapter. While I was reading this chapter, I started to realize that in order to make a web informative and easy to understand there are things that need to be taken into account and that is the principles of the design that are proximity, alignment, repetition and contrast.Designing pages takes about similar ideas as a web site since it implies that there is order, and repetition. Narrow columns, bullets and pictures are helpful when illustrating the content of the that particular subject.

After I was done reading this chapter, I went back to that website and I thought of what things needed to be changed. I had two big pictures as the main page plus and introduction of the core values at the top of the pictures. The main page did not have any of the principles of design. Even though it looked fine, It was not very informative and it looked incomplete. The rest of the pages were also lacking information as to make it more informative. The web overall was easy to follow and had a good grouping of the content.

Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Chapter 2

This chapter explains the importance of Ethics, not just the truthful and honest parts, but also to protect others from hazards and dangers. Ethical and legal issues are everyday things that a person should be aware of and understand. I think, the proverb fits here “Don’t do to anyone what you would not want anyone to do to you.”

The book involves all kinds of obligations, law, justice, rights, care, roles and conduct in which a person should take the responsibility to provide reliable information. At the same time, it is to expect honesty in its favor from the other person.  I consider law and ethics the way to protect the consumer or any type of organization.

 I believe that all of us at some time in our life have suffered a lack of honesty. On my part, I consider ethics not only a duty toward people but a religious belief. God is watching me. The times I have been dishonest trouble me for years because at that point I thought I could justify it but over the years I keep thinking about it and I realize that there is no justification. I believe that I justify my dishonesty by looking at its classification.  For example, I used to work in a pharmacy in my country and my boss always took money from the pay of the workers because things would get lost or broken, regardless if they were stolen or lost by employees or customers. My mom taught me not to steal and to be honest. In this place we were also not to eat but we were always hungry (one time I fainted) and the owner had chips and bread for sale.  A way to get back at the boss was eating the chips and the bread.  I am not proud of it. I still regret it because I could have made a difference in that place with my coworkers who introduced me to do it.  

Researching your subject

Chapter 6

I have always thought that research is time consuming and more so when we don’t know where to look for information. This chapter pointed me to things that I generally do not consider but that could be useful for certain types of research.  For example, the social-bookmarking sites and even blogs.  These sites are postings of people that share their experiences, pictures or postings about any type of information.  I frequently use Wikipedia to understand subjects from my textbooks because it is straight forward; it gives me pictures and the sources are listed. Interviews are nerve breaking for me, but I think that if I follow the steps explained by the book I will be able to understand and more likely know what types of questions my interviewer is going to ask me. This is turning into a very important tool for me in future interviews.

Most of the papers I have written are usually research or experiments written in an informal format. I took a Microbiology class in which every week there was a different subject to write about. I was supposed to identify the publisher’s reputation, if it was a reliable source, accuracy, knowledge and it had to be within six months of publication. I found a website that provided me with a variety of journals for free. I was also advised that if a journal was not free I could get it through the campus. Journals are difficult to understand and therefore, some simpler researches were followed by scientific experiments which helped me to understand the subject better.

Writing Recommendation Reports

Chapter 19

Most writings have things in common.  For example, an introduction and a body. We sometimes use the persuasive tone, compare and contrast etc. This chapter was interesting and in some way new because there is a lot to take into account when writing a recommendation report. There is research, questions to evaluate and the questions bring a lot more questions that lead to interviews about the product with specialists. A compilation of details have to be looked up in order to decide whether something is useful or not. This is a very detailed research report from the beginning to the end.

Chapter 19 is essentially the hunt for the best product and as it is found it is recommended. Some people like me, for example when going shopping in order to but a product we like that product to cover certain requisites and then we decide if we buy it or not.Whether it is clothes, or anything else we look for things in particular in that product. Grocery shopping for example, I think of my possibilities just as the chapter describes it. I think what stores will give me the best price and value. I do not shop only in one place I usually end up buying tomatoes in one place, bananas in a different place, milk in a different place.  I do this because some stores will give me organic tomatoes for less, but they don’t have organic milk so I have to think what store has organic with a good price. I think about a day and time that I will be passing by that store to pick anything I planned and record it in my mind. I do not make special trips because then I will be spending the extra in gasoline.  I usually write my list including product, price and store and then I give it to my sister, through the phone, and I give her the verbal information and the reasons why she should try my recommendations. My husband usually does the searching on the internet about why organic food is better and then also tries to find what products we can get similar to organic from a non-certified local store or farm.  

Writing Proposals

Chapter 16

While reading this chapter, I started to think about the personal statement that I will need when I transfer to a school of medicine. As advised by the representatives, we are to sell ourselves in the given interview and, I imagine that I will also have to sell myself in my personal statement.  I think I could use the idea of the unsolicited proposal. When analyzing my audience, I know beforehand that the readers will be a Dr. and a faculty member. I know they will want to know if I will be capable of graduating with success.  My purpose will have to be as clear as possible.  For example, why is it that I want to become a …?  I think that after explaining that question,  I could back it up with the experience I have gained throughout my education. In order to persuade the readers, I can describe what I plan to do once I graduate. 

I consider myself a good seller, I used to work in a clothing store for men and women and I used to be very persuasive up to the point that I would feel bad that people would buy what I advised them to purchase even if they did not need it. In writing classes that I took before, I remember writing persuasive papers but I have never had to write a paper as a proposal for any important situation. I think there are similarities in selling a product whether it is delivered verbally or written.  The only inconvenience would be if I am not present at the moment the person is reading the paper, I could lose the chance if something is not clear or complete.

1984 Novel

1984

When I first read the first chapter in the book 1984, I felt sad because it described Winston and all his surroundings as a depressed life, no life. He was suffering of varicose ulcer. He did not have anything healthy to eat. He was being watched like a criminal and so everyone else in the party. I hoped it would change as I would continue reading the story. I was hoping Winston and O’Brien could be friends and that it would have a good ending. I think this book was excellent by the way it was written, the details, the suspense, the feelings that it produces, it makes the person to travel in time. I think I want to read it again just so that I can learn to write like that.   I did not like the story; I think is something I would not like to go through. I did have a hard time trying to understand the different parties or groups. The politics was confusing and more if it is in another language. I did not think I would need to read it in Spanish. I thought I would be fine since literature is usually more relaxing and enjoyable than a technical science document.

As I said before, a while ago I got to read To Kill a Mockingbird and this book was actually fair reading compared to 1984 novel. The story is mostly based on events that are common to people. The words that are used are also fairly common compared to 1984 novel. This class in which I read this book was ENL. My assignment was to read the book and understand the theme, the symbols, the main characters etc.  For 1984 was about the same assignment I think but it was harder to keep track and to remember the things that were going on. I think that if I read this book like five more times then, I would really like it because I like the detail in which it is written. When I was in high school in my country I had a literature class in which I had to write a short story without really saying what  the main character was. It was based mostly on description of the surroundings. My subject was merely a prostitute and by describing her life in kind of poetry she was being described. I did a good job that time; my instructor was very pleased with it that he actually wanted it to publish it in a book.

Writing Informational Reports

Chapter 17

What I liked in chapter 17 is that it explains how to write an informational report.  Informational reports require the writer to be clear, accurate and specific. The format of the document will usually be determined by the organization or the audience. I tried answering the questions on the margins and I liked it because it helped me to focus on the different types of sentences.

I took O chemistry a little bit less than a year and I remember that some documents that I had to write included an introduction, a table of chemicals with quantities and hazard information. It would also include graphs as to explain how the experiment went and a conclusion at the end. I would think these types of papers were mostly informational reports. Each instructor wanted something different so, sometimes I had to be descriptive and others times I just had to be straight forward. Most of the papers I wrote were informal and included the progress and the status of the experiment.  

Writing Definitions, Descriptions, and Instructions

Chapter 20

I think Mick Markel does a good job explaining how to write a document with definitions, descriptions and instructions. The examples presented give a good idea on how to express a certain subject.  As a visual learner and a second language student, pictures and definitions are a life saver because English can mean a lot of different things with only one word. Extended definitions that include examples, partitions, comparison and contrast, make a lot of sense and they are easier to remember when taking a test.  This information could also be available in long term memory.

I have taken other English classes before and I feel this course will be just what I need.  The 1984 novel is kind of challenging for me because it has a lot of new words in every single paragraph, but I know it will be very rewarding in the end. In one of my passed ENG classes I had to read “How to Kill a Mockingbird”.  I now see that was easy literature compared to the 1984 novel.  I realized that writing an instruction manual without some basic knowledge on the subject can be very challenging. The importance of being very specific can never be over expressed. I am currently taking a UCOLL class that has also reminded me about Egos, Pathos, and Logos.  I think it will be of help in this class. My science classes do not require much writing so I can be very rusty.  

:-) working?