Report: 

Portfolio

Portfolio
by James McCready

General metrics
14,718 2,483 124 9 min 55 sec 19 min 6 sec
characters words sentences reading speaking
time time

Score Writing Issues

81 123 123
Issues left Critical Advanced

This text scores better than 81%

of all texts checked by Grammarly

Plagiarism
This text hasn’t been checked for plagiarism

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Writing Issues
70 Clarity
3 Passive voice misuse
36 Wordy sentences
5 Hard-to-read text
4 Unclear paragraphs
13 Unclear sentences
8 Intricate text
1 Word choice

43 Engagement
43 Word choice

1 Correctness
1 Misplaced words or phrases

9 Delivery
5 Tone suggestions
4 Inappropriate colloquialisms

Unique Words 29%

Measures vocabulary diversity by calculating the unique words
percentage of words used only once in your
document

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Rare Words 33%

Measures depth of vocabulary by identifying words rare words
that are not among the 5,000 most common English
words.

Word Length 4.8

Measures average word length characters per word

Sentence Length 20
Measures average sentence length words per sentence

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Portfolio
I am currently a Sophomore at the University of Texas at Dallas, working
towards a bachelor's degree in business administration, with a concentration in
1
general business. Previously, I was enrolled at Southern Methodist University in
Cox School of Business. Throughout my time at UT Dallas, I hope to expand my
2
knowledge of business and gain experience in various industries so that I can
nd the right career path to travel down.

3
I enjoy statistics, analytics, and, more speci cally, investment. In fact, I have
4
been actively managing my own investment portfolio for several years and have
recently expanded it, diving into the investment world of crypto and NFTs.

This love for analytics correlates to my background in internal auditing and

nance, having worked in the internal auditing department of EP Energy.
5
Additionally, I am skilled in project management, having worked on 15+
projects in the STEM eld, including developing the Plat-Bit App, an augmented
reality app designed to improve the ef ciency and safety of turbine-driven gas
compressors.

Ultimately, throughout my time at EP Energy and my involvement in countless

group projects, I have had the opportunity to re ne my business
6
communication skills. I would consider myself a skilled project-lead and a
great team member. I have stepped up to lead multiple successful projects in
the past. Additionally, my time at EP Energy forced me to learn to communicate

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effectively and professionally in an of ce, whether this is over email, Slack,

7
phone, or in-person.

I hope to continue improving and developing my communication skills in the

8 9
future. A major goal I have set for myself is becoming a truly good, con dent
public speaker. I want to be at the level of, for example, a Ted Talk speaker. I
think if I keep on practicing public speaking, I can eventually reach that goal.
Additionally, I would like to continue to speak with people in the crypto
industry, a eld that I am deeply interested in, and expand my network, so that,
10
when graduating college, I can have a job waiting for me in that industry.

11
Throughout my entire life, writing has always been a major focus of my
education. I have been fortunate enough to not only have parents who not only
12
greatly value the art of writing but also are good writers themselves.
Furthermore, my experiences with my English teachers and professors have
13
been very positive. Due to all of this, I have naturally been able to develop what
I would consider quite good writing skills, or, at least, signi cantly above
average.

From the countless books I have read and essays I have written, I have
14 15
developed my own unique writing style, one that tends to lean more towards
the complex, formal end. Due to this, I always need to focus on avoiding the
16
unnecessary uff that often ends up in the drafts of my essays or reports.
Regardless though, I think my strong suit in writing is my style and ow. I think
17 18
my writing is generally very cohesive and has an appropriate ow and tone that
19
works well with the topic. This, in turn, allows for better articulation of ideas,
20
analysis, and main points. Additionally, through my jobs and college/high

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21 22
school courses, I have learned the various guidelines of writing for certain
23
contexts. This ranges from the professional guidelines for business writing to
24
the MLA guidelines when writing an essay. Regardless, I feel fairly con dent in
my ability to understand how to communicate effectively in a wide variety of
different contexts.

Where I struggle most, however, is punctuation. My punctuation certainly is not

horrible— it may even be above average. However, it is also not great. I think
the invention of software, such as Grammarly, has, for many people, largely
stopped the focus on learning proper grammar and punctuation. I certainly do
25
not focus on grammar or punctuation as much anymore, as I know programs
26
can x all of it for me. In most circumstances, this is totally ne, but sometimes
27
I do wish I had not stopped focusing on learning proper punctuation.
28
In relation to all this, below is a series of documents displaying my competency
as a skilled written communicator.

Below is an email I sent to a professor. I had added her class after the rst day
29
of class had already occurred, so I sent an email asking if I had missed
anything. This email shows my competency as a written communicator, as it is
professional (follows all email guidelines), concise, clear, and maintains a
positive tone (which was appropriate to the scenario). Additionally, it is free of
30
any grammatical errors and is organized in a clear format.

Below is a post I made on LinkedIn after attending a UT Dallas Meteor Theater

event. It demonstrates my ability to effectively communicate in a written form,
as the post describes my experience at the event well while being professional,

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engaging, and positive. Additionally, it is free of any grammatical errors and

overall ows well together.

I attended a project-based learning high school that required multiple team

presentations each semester and put an immense amount of emphasis on
32
SOFT skills and public speaking. I have had to create and deliver dozens of
31 33
presentations, many of varying styles and intended purposes. All of this
experience has turned me into what I believe to be an effective oral and visual
communicator. By no means am I anywhere near perfect, but I am competent
34
and maybe even slightly ahead of the game.

I think I am stronger at visual communication than oral communication. My

35
visuals are generally clear and minimal, as well as adhere to any pertinent
36
visual guidelines, such as the 6x6 rule for slides. It’s also, quite honestly, just
37
easier to become fairly competent at visual communication— there are no
nerves around visual communication (generally at least).

In terms of oral communication, as I mentioned, I’m competent but still have

38 39
lots of room for improvement. I generally have good con dence and enthusiasm
when speaking, as well as solid gestures. Additionally, throughout my general
40 41
experiences of both working in multiple jobs and giving multiple different types
42
of presentations to different groups of people, I think I have a general idea of
how and what to say in a good variety of communication scenarios. I think the
thing I struggle most with is movement around the pitch when I am presenting. I
43
often either dance around too much or too little— I can never seem to get my
44 45
movement quite right. Additionally, in more general conversational scenarios, I
46
always try to remember to be careful with my bluntness. I am a very blunt,

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47
honest person, but if I am not careful, a statement I make can easily come
48
across as rude. There is a very ne line between being blunt or honest and
simply being rude.

Moving on, though, below is a variety of documents that display or describe my

49
competency as a visual and oral communicator.

50
Below is the main "meat" of my LinkedIn pro le. It is an effective section for a
variety of reasons. For one, my header and pro le picture are both professional
51
and go well together. Additionally, my major and college are listed, as well as
my last employer. Most importantly, however, is my "About" section. My about
section succinctly describes my current situation, my passions, my aspirations,
53 52
and my skills. It's written in a professional yet engaging manner, both key
characteristics of a quality LinkedIn "About" section.

Below are my LinkedIn sections showcasing my work experience and

54,55
education. My work experience section is effective, as it lists exactly where I
56
worked, my position, and for how long I worked at the company. Additionally,
57
my descriptions of the jobs are in active voice, are concise, and are
professional, all characteristics of quality descriptions. My education section is
effective because it accurately lists my high school and the two colleges I have
58
attended.

Below are my LinkedIn sections that list my licenses/certi cates,

skills/endorsements, and recommendations. There isn't much to say about the
59
execution of these sections, but they are important to have. My Word and
PowerPoint certi cates immediately show that I am competent in at least part

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of the Of ce Suite. My skills listed, especially the ones with endorsements,

display my proven competency in certain areas, something that may be
60
important to employers looking to ll a speci c job position. Lastly, my
61 62 63
recommendations section simply provides some proof that I can, in fact, work
well in a group setting.

During my group project, I think I performed very well. I took somewhat of a

leadership role and was generally the person who got everyone together and
64
guided our discussions and practices. I completed all my parts on time and was
65
overall very proactive. Ultimately, I think the overall good performance of every
group member led to our project being successful. Our presentation went quite
well, and we received a good grade on it. I think the main thing to remember for
66 67
future projects is to simply practice more. Yes, our presentation went well, but
it could have gone even better if we had practiced more than once or twice. I
think part of our lack of practicing came from the fact that everyone had very
68,69
different schedules, and it was very dif cult to get everyone together at the
same time. In general, this is something that I've seen become an increasingly
70
bigger issue in college as, unlike in high school, not everyone follows the same
set schedule.

71
Below are my individual slides from the team presentation.

Document 1: During the past year and a half, I have had to do several
72
presentations online. In some ways, presenting online is easier. At least for me,
74
the nerves that normally occur from standing in a room in front of dozens of
73
people are completely gone. The screen between you and the audience creates
75
a protective barrier of sorts. For the same reason why this decreases nerves, it

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76 77
also decreases the ability to effectively engage the audience. I have found, both
from being a presenter and an audience member, that, unless one already has
78
an interest in the topic, it is extremely dif cult to stay interested when the
person lacks a physical presence. Due to this, in the online presentations I have
79
given, I have had to really put an extra effort into making my presentation
80
engaging. You really have to come up with more creative ways to keep people
engaged because the more bare-bones presentation approach that may work,
81
at least to some extent, in person, simply does not work well online.

Document 2: The slides below are from a presentation I gave summarizing a

82
research paper I wrote on the ethical debates surrounding the use of
algorithms in politics.

Throughout this course, I have developed or improved on a variety of skills. One

83
major skill that I have developed and improved on throughout this semester is
84
the ability to give and receive feedback. I have never had an issue with giving
85 86
feedback, but this course taught me how to give feedback and why it is
87
important to focus on the delivery just as much as the content, as without a
88
proper delivery, the feedback will often be ignored or taken the wrong way.

Additionally, my ability to receive feedback has also improved. It is much easier

89 90
to take into consideration feedback received when the feedback is of quality
and delivered in a polite, positive way. This course has also made me further
91 92
consider the importance of genuinely considering all feedback, as, even if one
is already doing a great job, there is always room for improvement.

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93
Other skills were developed during this course as well. The lab covered a
94 95
variety of important topics and improved our skills in areas such as Microsoft
Of ce, Microsoft Excel, resume building, etc. In particular, I think I developed
my resume-building skills signi cantly, as, before participating in the lab, I had
no idea about any of the requirements needed to ensure one's resume gets
past the rst round of automated scanning.

SWOT Analysis

96
Strengths: I am naturally a more blunt and honest person, which makes giving
feedback easier for me than many others. I think this also makes my feedback
97
often more honest and quality than many others, as I often see people write
98 99
feedback that is intentionally vague to avoid having to provide real feedback.
100 101
When receiving feedback, I also always make sure to never take it personally, as
that is a horrible and unproductive way to think about feedback.

102
Weaknesses: I often avoid reading all the feedback. This mainly stems from the
fact that it takes effort to read and incorporate feedback. Assuming I did good
103
on a project, then sometimes I end up not reading all the feedback, as I know
my project was "good enough," and I do not want to put in the effort to improve.
104
Essentially, I delay improvement until it is actually needed, which is not a good
105 106
mindset to have and one that I am trying to work on .

Opportunities: I think the biggest thing I can improve on when giving feedback
107
is simply coming up with quality feedback to give. It's often hard to analyze a
paper or presentation and not only point out the issues but turn those issues
into proper, clear feedback.

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Threats: As I referenced in my Weaknesses section, I often follow a very "if it

ain't broke, don't x it" mindset. I still think this is a great mindset to have in
108
most scenarios, but in terms of giving feedback, it can de nitely be a threat to
109
how effectively you take that feedback into consideration and improve from it.

Throughout the BCOM lab, I learned a variety of things. I think the lessons that
110 111
were most valuable were the ones focused speci cally on UTD and what they
have to offer to business students. The CMC lesson, especially, forced me to
112 113
actually learn about the many resources offered to JSOM students, many of
114
which I simply didn't know about due to a lack of research and being a transfer
115
student. The degree planning module was also very helpful. I never really
received proper guidance on how everything surrounding my degree works, so it
116 117 118
was nice to be able to go through a succinct, well-made module that properly
explained everything. Lastly, the lesson focused on resume's was extremely
119
helpful. I had no idea of any of the strategies people employ to get past the AI
resume scanning systems or even that it was necessary to implement
120
strategies to do this. It opened my eyes to how automated the system has
121
become now. Admittedly, some of the lessons were fairly useless to me.
122
Speci cally, the tech skills lessons had no real value to me, as I am already
thoroughly experienced with both Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, even
123
being certi ed in Excel (prior to completing the LinkedIn course).

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1. was enrolled Passive voice misuse Clarity

2. so that I can → to Wordy sentences Clarity

3. In fact, Wordy sentences Clarity

4. own Wordy sentences Clarity

5. , having → . I have Hard-to-read text Clarity

6. Ultimately, throughout my time at EP Energy and Unclear paragraphs Clarity

my involvement in countless group projects, I
have had the opportunity to re ne my business
communication skills. I would consider myself a
skilled project-lead and a great team member.

7. Additionally, my time at EP Energy forced me to Unclear sentences Clarity

learn to communicate effectively and
professionally in an of ce, whether this is over
email, Slack, phone, or in-person.

8. major → primary Word choice Engagement

9. a truly good → Word choice Engagement

an excellent, a perfect, an outstanding

10. , so that, when → . When Hard-to-read text Clarity

11. major → signi cant Word choice Engagement

12. I have been fortunate enough to not only have Unclear sentences Clarity
parents who not only greatly value the art of
writing but also are good writers themselves.

13. been able to develop → developed Wordy sentences Clarity

14. own Wordy sentences Clarity

15. one that → which Wordy sentences Clarity

16. Due to this, I always need to focus on avoiding the Intricate text Clarity
unnecessary uff that often ends up in the drafts
of my essays or reports.

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17. I think my → My Wordy sentences Clarity

18. an appropriate → a proper Word choice Engagement

19. This Intricate text Clarity

20. Additionally → ¶ Additionally Intricate text Clarity

21. writing guidelines Wordy sentences Clarity

22. certain → speci c, particular Word choice Engagement

23. This Intricate text Clarity

24. fairly → pretty, reasonably, relatively Word choice Engagement

25. as much Wordy sentences Clarity

26. totally Wordy sentences Clarity

27. In most circumstances, this is totally ne, but Unclear sentences Clarity
sometimes I do wish I had not stopped focusing
on learning proper punctuation.

28. In relation to → About, To, With, Concerning Wordy sentences Clarity

29. class → course Word choice Engagement

30. is organized Passive voice misuse Clarity

31. presentations → Word choice Engagement

exhibits, exhibitions, productions

32. I attended a project-based learning high school Unclear paragraphs Clarity

that required multiple team presentations each
semester and put an immense amount of
emphasis on SOFT skills and public speaking. I
have had to create and deliver dozens of
presentations, many of varying styles and
intended purposes.

33. All of this → This Wordy sentences Clarity

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34. By no means am I anywhere near perfect, but I Unclear sentences Clarity

am competent and maybe even slightly ahead of
the game.

35. I think I am stronger at visual communication Unclear paragraphs Clarity

than oral communication. My visuals are
generally clear and minimal, as well as adhere to
any pertinent visual guidelines, such as the 6x6
rule for slides.

36. My visuals are generally clear and minimal, as Unclear sentences Clarity
well as adhere to any pertinent visual guidelines,
such as the 6x6 rule for slides.

37. fairly → reasonably, pretty Word choice Engagement

38. In terms of oral communication, as I mentioned, Unclear sentences Clarity

I’m competent but still have lots of room for
improvement.

39. good → reasonable Word choice Engagement

40. both Wordy sentences Clarity

41. multiple → various, numerous Word choice Engagement

42. different → other Word choice Engagement

43. either Wordy sentences Clarity

44. movement → activity, move, action, campaign Word choice Engagement

45. Additionally → ¶ Additionally Intricate text Clarity

46. to remember Wordy sentences Clarity

47. easily → quickly Word choice Engagement

48. a very ne → Word choice Engagement

an excellent, a wonderful, an outstanding

49. Moving on, though, below is a variety of Intricate text Clarity

documents that display or describe my

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competency as a visual and oral communicator.

50. an effective → a practical, an in uential Word choice Engagement

51. major → primary, principal Word choice Engagement

52. key → essential Word choice Engagement

53. My about section succinctly describes my current Unclear paragraphs Clarity

situation, my passions, my aspirations, and my
skills. It's written in a professional yet engaging
manner, both key characteristics of a quality
LinkedIn "About" section.

54. exactly → precisely Word choice Engagement

55. exactly Misplaced words or Correctness

phrases

56. for Wordy sentences Clarity

57. concise, and Wordy sentences Clarity

58. I have attended Wordy sentences Clarity

59. important → essential Word choice Engagement

60. My skills listed, especially the ones with Unclear sentences Clarity
endorsements, display my proven competency in
certain areas, something that may be important
to employers looking to ll a speci c job position.

61. simply Tone suggestions Delivery

62. provides some proof → proves Wordy sentences Clarity

63. , in fact, Wordy sentences Clarity

64. I took somewhat of a leadership role and was Unclear sentences Clarity
generally the person who got everyone together
and guided our discussions and practices.

65. good → sound Word choice Engagement

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66. simply Tone suggestions Delivery

67. to practice more simply Inappropriate Delivery

colloquialisms

68. was very dif cult → wasn't easy Tone suggestions Delivery

69. very dif cult → tough, challenging, complicated Word choice Engagement

70. bigger → more signi cant, more prominent Word choice Engagement

71. individual Wordy sentences Clarity

72. easier → Word choice Engagement

more accessible, more manageable,
more straightforward

73. At least for me, the nerves that normally occur Intricate text Clarity
from standing in a room in front of dozens of
people are completely gone.

74. normally → generally Word choice Engagement

75. why Wordy sentences Clarity

76. decreases → reduces Word choice Engagement

77. to engage the audience effectively Inappropriate Delivery

colloquialisms

78. extremely dif cult → Word choice Engagement

tough, challenging, complicated

79. really Wordy sentences Clarity

80. really Wordy sentences Clarity

81. simply Tone suggestions Delivery

82. the use of → using Wordy sentences Clarity

83. major → signi cant, primary Word choice Engagement

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84. One major skill that I have developed and Unclear sentences Clarity
improved on throughout this semester is the
ability to give and receive feedback.

85. , but this → . Still, this Hard-to-read text Clarity

86. give → provide Word choice Engagement

87. important → essential Word choice Engagement

88. feedback → input Word choice Engagement

89. consider Wordy sentences Clarity

90. feedback → input Word choice Engagement

91. feedback → input Word choice Engagement

92. , as, even → . Even Hard-to-read text Clarity

93. Other skills were developed Passive voice misuse Clarity

94. a variety of → various Wordy sentences Clarity

95. important → essential Word choice Engagement

96. which makes → making Wordy sentences Clarity

97. more honest → more natural, more open Word choice Engagement

98. real → honest, accurate, objective, genuine Word choice Engagement

99. I think this also makes my feedback often more Unclear sentences Clarity
honest and quality than many others, as I often
see people write feedback that is intentionally
vague to avoid having to provide real feedback.

100. also Wordy sentences Clarity

101. never to take it Inappropriate Delivery

colloquialisms

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102. This Intricate text Clarity

103. feedback → input Word choice Engagement

104. actually Wordy sentences Clarity

105. on Inappropriate Delivery

colloquialisms

106. Essentially, I delay improvement until it is Unclear sentences Clarity

actually needed, which is not a good mindset to
have and one that I am trying to work on.

107. Opportunities: I think the biggest thing I can Unclear sentences Clarity
improve on when giving feedback is simply
coming up with quality feedback to give.

108. de nitely Wordy sentences Clarity

109. consider that feedback Wordy sentences Clarity

110. the most valuable lessons Wordy sentences Clarity

111. explicitly focused Word choice Engagement

112. actually Wordy sentences Clarity

113. offered → provided Word choice Engagement

114. simply Tone suggestions Delivery

115. very helpful → bene cial, constructive Word choice Engagement

116. to be able Wordy sentences Clarity

117. succinct → brief, concise Word choice Clarity

118. properly → adequately Word choice Engagement

119. extremely helpful → bene cial Word choice Engagement

120. I had no idea of any of the strategies people Unclear sentences Clarity

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employ to get past the AI resume scanning

systems or even that it was necessary to
implement strategies to do this.

121. fairly → pretty, reasonably Word choice Engagement

122. , as I → . I Hard-to-read text Clarity

123. prior to → before Wordy sentences Clarity

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