ZACHARY JOHNSON

812 10th St N
Fargo, ND 58102
701-320-1402
Zachary.johnson.19@ndsu.edu

May 02, 2021

Committee of the English Writing Program

NDSU – Dept. 2320
P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050

To the assessment committee of the English Writing program,

I am writing to reflect on my technical and profession growth as a writer in this class. Going into this
semester, I had no idea and no experience ever writing in a professional setting. I had never written a
cover letter or even a resume. My personal goals that I set at the beginning of the course were
accomplished though because of knowledge and guidance given by my professor. I wanted to learn how
to professionally communicate in the business world and I successfully learned how to do that. I now
know how to write my resumes and cover letters which will benefit me greatly in the long run while
applying for internships and jobs. I can research problems in my community that I care about, so I can use
my problem-solving skills to brainstorm ideas and possible solutions to these problems. I also now know
how to create a professional looking website. All in all, I believe my writing has improved dramatically
and my confidence to write in these professional situations have skyrocketed.

I learned many things about international technical writing over the course of the semester. I learned that
most people you will interact with in the international business world will know or somewhat know some
kind of English. So, using short, simple sentences in your writing is key. You want to keep your writing
concise and you want to use consistent terminology. This reduces the risk of confusion in your writing
and will help the readers successfully understand the message you are trying to tell them.

Each major unit we had this semester expanded my writing skills in different ways. Unit 1, the job packet,
introduced me to the business and professional writing world. I learned how to successfully format
business letters, cover letters, and resumes. The most important piece of knowledge I learned here though
is that a cover letter and resume is basically a professionally formatted persuasive essay. You are trying to
sell yourself and your skill sets to these employers. You do this by highlighting your skills,
accomplishments, and past experiences with good formatting and a professional look.

In unit 2, we wrote our IMRAD report. I had not researched for a proper research paper since Comm 2
freshman year. It really refreshed me in all of my researching skills. I learned how to successfully use the
NDSU library database to find my sources for this paper. I learned how to format an IMRAD report for
the first time. Now, in any future endeavors I do, I can research any professional questions I have and be
able to convey my message in a business-like fashion. This was also the first time I had ever used APA
style format, so that was a very good learning experience.

In units 3 and 4, I was able to really improve my digital design and creative skills. I had never created a
video or a website like that before. There was a bit of a learning curve right away to figure out how
everything worked and how I could make them both look very good. In the end though, I was able to
convey my IMRAD message though my DST video very well.

In conclusion, I think my writing and my writing skills have grown tremendously over the course of this
semester. I have learned how to format, research, and write all in a professional setting, which will help
me out greatly in my future endeavors.

Thank you,

Zachary Johnson