Ch. 7 Reading Reflection

I found the reading for chapter 7 to be incredibly useful and enlightening. The first sentence of the chapter reads, "seeking new employment is one of the most critical things you do, because your employment affects nearly every aspect of your life." I couldn't agree with this statement more. In the society we live in, everything revolves around one's career. For that reason, it is of the upmost importance to take the interview/hiring process seriously. Resumes and letters (application, thank-you, recommendation) are the only way an employer is able to "get to know you" before meeting you. They are a representation of yourself, therefore, they need to be constructed carefully and seriously.

Being the daughter of a business owner, I learned a lot about the impact a resume can have. My father owns two restaurants in the Seattle area and receives many resumes and applications on a weekly basis from hopeful workers. My dad definitely had his preferences when it came to how a resume was presented. For him, he would never read a second page of a resume. He would never even consider hiring someone if they hadn't at least one other job for a least one year. When reading over a resume, the only things he would look at were work experience and taking into consideration the comments of the applicant's references. The thing that is difficult when creating a resume is that every employer  truly does have their own opinion of what think is the most important thing in a resume. I think it is so important to be concise, professional, and articulate when it comes to creating a resume. Professionalism translates to almost every employer, and they don't want to be bogged down with reading a lengthy and wordy resume. They will have their pieces of information they are looking for and then make their decision from there.

Bad News Letter

February 19, 2014

Ms. Emma K. Jones

XXX N XXX E

Anywhere, UT XXXXX

Dear Ms. Jones:

                  Firstly, I would like to commend you on your well-communicated proposal of a BYU Expansion in Heber. You were fully able to explain your position and that you articulated your supporting arguments maturely and cohesively. Your reasons for a Heber expansion were solid and justified and resonated well with both my board and me. The university is indeed in high demand and creating a smaller campus in Utah would definitely provide a unique learning experience while still allowing students to be a part of the BYU lifestyle.

At this time, there are some large projects in regards to building and construction that are taking top priority. The new Life Sciences Building is approaching its final stages of construction and there is an expansion/remodel of the Clyde Building set to begin in 2016. Unfortunately for that reason, the decision was made that creating a BYU expansion in Heber is not something the University will be able to move forward with at this time.

Please know that your idea of expanding BYU’s campus to other locations is one that may be considered at a later time. I urge you to continue to communicate your feedback and ideas regarding the betterment of BYU; feedback from students is always valuable feedback.

Sincerely,

President Cecil O. Samuelson 

BYU Heber Expansion Proposal Letter

February 19, 2014

President Cecil O. Samuelson

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT 84604

Dear President Samuelson:

The BYU experience is one of a kind. It’s something that people dream of being a part of one day as they pursue their college education. But with BYU being in high demand and the qualifications for acceptance being even higher, many people’s dream of attending Brigham Young University becomes only a dream and never a reality.  But what if more people’s dream of attending BYU could be a reality? With a BYU Expansion/Extension in the City of Heber, that dream could in fact be a reality. The Heber Expansion would provide (a) a unique location, (b) seamless integration for the BYU Education Program into the Wasatch County School District, and (c) the opportunity for more people to be a part of BYU experience.  

Unique Location. The city of Heber is a smaller town. The 2010 census reported the population of the city being 11,362. With a population being approximately 9.9x smaller than the city of Provo (which has a population of 112,488 according to the 2010 census), a BYU campus in Heber would allow for an intimate and lasting relationships formed between students. Heber is a town described as more “rural.” Having a college experience in a more rural area would allow for a unique experience. BYU Provo is near a busy town filled with shopping centers, large franchises, and many other learning institutions. A smaller expansion of the large campus would allow for a more focused environment. 

School Integration. One of the largest work forces in the city of Heber is the Wasatch County School District. With the school district having such a large emphasis on the town, BYU and the BYU Education Program could greatly benefit from the opportunity of seamless integration from BYU into the work place for hopeful graduates seeking work. A BYU expansion in Heber could be a potential campus for the education program at BYU to grow and expand.

Provides the BYU Experience. While being on BYU’s campus, it is undeniable that there is a certain feeling of goodness that is in the air. This feeling is a huge selling point for BYU. It is what drives people to work hard in hopes of getting accepted to the university. But with BYU becoming more and more competitive each year, less and less people are able to have that opportunity to learn in such a wholesome and unique environment. Having a Heber Expansion would allow more people a BYU education and BYU experience. BYU is in high demand, especially in Utah. Having another campus would respond to that demand and still allow people the BYU experience in Utah, just on a more intimate scale.

President Cecil O. Samuelson

February 19, 2014

Page 2

A Heber Expansion of BYU would bring so much good for BYU as a whole and the students attending. Its location and connection to the local school district provide so much opportunity to grow the economy as well as job security for graduates. A smaller, more rural campus would provide a unique experience, yet still give students the famous BYU experience that they are looking for. I ask you to seriously consider this proposal and respond as soon as you have made your decision. I thank you so much for your time and consideration towards this proposal and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Emma Jones, Student

Ch. 5 Reading Reflection

Chapter 5 is all about revising and editing documents and the book outlines another acronym to help the the revision of documents. DOCS -- which stands for design, organization, content, and sentences -- works hand-in-hand with the processes of HATS (headings, art, typography, spacing), CLOUD (coherence, length, organization, unity, and development), and SPELL (structure, punctuation, errors, language, and length). Each letter of the DOCS process correlates with one of these other processes. DOCS is a sound way to holistically revise a document and make sure that everything has been accounted for.

The chapter talks about how a good revision of a document focuses specifically on content and the importance of knowing the purpose of a document before reading it over. Knowing the purpose helps the the one revising better edit the document so that the writer's objective is communicated clearly. I experienced this recently as I helped edit the personal statements my sister had written for nursing school applications. When she would give me a paper to revise, I always had her attach the questions the school wanted answered so that I might be able to see how "on-target" she was in answering the prompt. As I read her papers, I did my best to cut out "fluff" and check for the organization of her ideas.I found that more likely than not, when fluff was added to bulk up a statement, the fluff just ended up being a reiteration of a previously stated idea, and took away from the main topic being addressed. I found that being concise, organized, and to the point made for better writing and a read as a better understanding of the question and topic at hand. I also found that there were times when she would have me read her papers, and I wouldn't be invested in really reading through it. During those times, I wasn't able to give constructive feedback and it just ended up wasting both my time and hers. The chapter talks about finding someone to revise your work who will be "knowledgeable and will be forthright in their feedback," and from my time editing those essays, I couldn't agree more with that statement.

Ch. 4 Reading Reflection

Chapter 4 speaks at length about the presentation of a piece of writing. The acronym the book uses is HATS (headings, art, typography, and spacing). For me, the presentation of a piece of writing is a crucial component in my willingness to read something. I relate the topic of the presentation of writing and documents to textbooks and readings for a class. I get very easily overwhelmed by a reading within the first few seconds of looking it over, depending on how it is presented. There are a few things that contribute to my state of being overwhelmed while reading: small text, lines with little spacing in-between, and no pictures or visual aids. If a piece of writing comes across as cluttered and overwhelming, my attention span and openness to the topic go down rapidly. One is more likely in losing their reader due to fatigue and lack of interest if they do not consider the impact of each of the components of HATS. Each part of the acronym contributes to the clarity and understanding of the reader and lends to a better chance for the writers' ideas to be clearly communicated.

Ch. 3 Reading Response

Chapter three goes into great detail about the proper way to compose a business message and how to write clearly, concisely, and to the point. Before one even begins writing, they need to establish one thing: is the purpose of my message to inform or is it to persuade? Once the purpose has been established, there is a simple format one can use to outline the message. The acronym for this outline is OABC (opening, agenda, body, and closing). Following this format is essential to effective writing because each component of the outline has a specific purpose to contribute to clear and concise message overall.

For an opening, one must communicate the context to the reader, almost like an opening summary. The reader needs to know the subject of the message, giving them something to expect. Next comes the agenda. The agenda essentially gives the reader an outline of the rest of message. An agenda communicates to the reader the general points that will be covered throughout the remainder of the message. Following the agenda of the message comes the body. The body of a message delivers the "promise" laid out in the agenda. It is important to stick with the points covered in the agenda. The reader has specific information that they have prepped themselves to read more about. Don't add points that they were not expecting, it is irritating having to read something that was longer than anticipated. Similarly, don't leave points out. It becomes confusing when a reader has prepped themselves for specific information, and then there is no follow up to explain a point more. The body, which is generally the longest part of the message, is where the writer can go in depth to explain their purpose. To close one's message, it is important to summarize key points. The key points should be the things the writer wants the reader to remember, whether that be a call to action, a conclusion made through the information that was just presented in the document, or a statement that is relevant to the reader or the situation at hand. Just as the opening is the opening summary, the closing gives an overall summary of what was just read.

In reference to my last response for chapter two, effective communication and connection to the reader is essential for effective writing. I feel that this principle goes hand-in-hand with outlining and composing a successful message. The reason this outlining method works is because it makes the writer be mindful of the reader. In every step of this outline, the writer communicates to the reader what will be happening. It keeps the reader engaged and informed throughout the entirety of the document. Keeping the reader informed on what is currently happening and what will be happening next in their reading creates a trusting relationship. The reader can trust the writer of being organized and mindful of their needs and their time. Communicating the purpose and flow of the message is thoughtful. Leaving the reader confused creates feelings of irritation. The overarching theme throughout every aspect of business writing and communication is respect. When people and groups can respect one another, relationships of trust can be formed.

Ch. 2 Reading Response

Chapter two of the books extensively covers planning and outlining messages. The chapter begins talking about the importance of writing and the major role it plays in professionalism. There are four major phases of writing: content, organization, writing, and design. In this specific chapter, content and organization are the main topics of focus along with how to effectively set up messages in order to get one's message across.

There are three main components that one must follow to create an effective and well-structured message. First, one must establish what their purpose is in writing a message. Next, they need to decide what their content will be and how to effectively organize their ideas. The last component in creating an effective message deciding how one will present their idea in the most effective way to achieve their goal. The topic that I want to speak more in depth about is the aspect of connecting to one's audience. Connection plays into every, single part of planning and outlining messages. 

In deciding a purpose in writing, one needs to make sure that their message will inform, persuade, and build a relationship with their audience. To do this, it is of the utmost importance for one to come to understand their audience as they decide on their purpose of writing. Knowing the audience that will be receiving the message helps to create connections and through connections, trust will build and an audience will be more susceptible to accepting the writer's proposal or message. In deciding on content, one needs to understand what details are important to include depending on the audience they are speaking to. The last part of planning and outlining messages, deciding on an effective presentation, is heavily weighted on a knowledge and understanding of one's audience. If the writer understands who they are speaking to and how they will be receive information, they will effectively be able to choose a presentation format, because that presentation format will depend on the receivers of the message.

Communication, in business and in everyday life, is all about making connections with others. The better and more genuine the connection is, the more satisfied both parties will be in getting what they want. Working in sales, I have learned this principle first-hand. People buy from whom they trust. When people feel like there is an established feeling of trust and camaraderie, they are more willing to buy. In a friendship, when connections are made between two people, trust builds and the relationship becomes stronger. In communicating in business, the principle is the same. When people feel that the person they are receiving a message from genuinely cares and knows who they are and what they are about, the are more likely to be open to the information. People need to feel appreciated, they need to feel that they are understood. If those principles are absent in any kind of communication or connection, the interaction will fail. All in all, effective writing comes through careful consideration and connection of one's audience.