Professional Portfolio

Sample 1:

This first paragraph belongs to my Discourse Community assignment from COMM 202 where we discussed six characteristics of a discourse community outlined by John Swales (1990). I chose to write about zoologists and the communication factors within their community. This sample was part of the research that highlights my ability to use technical language, as well as writing in a clear and succinct manner. As my future career would be involving in scientific research, these skills will prove to be very useful.

“Each zoologist may study a particular species or group of species, and work across numerous sectors with different employers, but they all share a common objective: study the world of animals and their interactions with the ecosystem. Zoologists use their own scientific language, “lexis” or “lingo” if you like, which is a distinct set of words that relate to their profession (Dictionary.com, n.d.). For example, “ecdysis” is the process of shedding insects or arthropods outer cuticle (Biology Dictionary, n.d.). The technical language allowed zoologists to communicate more effectively using scientific referencing, thus providing an in-depth understanding of the matter. Excellent written and verbal skills are essential as the job involves conducting research and writing reports; working with professionals including management agencies, government authorities, education sectors, research teams and other scientists via correspondence, email exchange, phone conversations and face-to-face meetings; presenting in-person their ideas and discoveries to the public at conferences, events or universities; and published their findings on journals or media outlets (Alyson, n.d.). These analyses revealed the relationship that ties three out of six characteristics of a discourse community, by sharing a common goal, using specific words within the community, and intercommunicating between members and public (Swales, 1990, pp. 21-32)”.

References:

Alyson, J. (n.d.). What Are the Abilities & Skills Needed in Zoologists? Retrieved May 25, 2018, from Chron: http://work.chron.com/abilities-skills-needed-zoologists-8953.html

Biology Dictionary. (n.d.). Ecdysis Definition. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from Biology Dictionary: https://biologydictionary.net/ecdysis/

Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Lexis. Retrieved May 25, 2018, from Dictionary.com: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/lexis

Swales, J. (1990). Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings.Boston, USA: Cambridge University Press.

Sample 2:

The paragraph below is an extract from the Trend Analysis assignment in COMM 202. While working together with other team members, we have identified the trend of plastic reduction. This sample is the summary of the report; it demonstrates my ability to interpret data collected from secondary sources. As data recording, monitoring and analysing a part of the profession, scientists are required to be equipped with this skill.

“The repercussions of plastics are clear; they are hard to recycle and cause damaging effects to the marine wildlife and our ecosystems. This has motivated the global community and inspired a trend to obliterate the use of plastics worldwide. Businesses are changing their practices in response to the outcry of consumers and to enhance their brand value. Costa Coffee, Whole Foods, and Ikea are three corporations out of many other businesses taking actions in tackling plastic waste. These companies have made pledges to either reduce or eliminate the use of disposable plastic throughout their stores. This growing trend will also generate trade and technology innovation, create job prosperity, and stimulate the economy. Furthermore, the increase of professionals in science and technology will advance research and oversee additional environmental changes. In particular, it will help determine whether current implementations by businesses are making impacts on global plastic use, now and in the future. By forming a coalition between businesses and consumers, there is optimism that plastic pollution will be decreasing over the years to come”.

Sample 3:

This final sample is cited from my “Show and Tell” assignment in the General Education course – Social Psychology. It analysed aggression behaviours of the study objects through a video game experiment. By understanding the human behaviour, I learn to communicate more effectively, thus improve on my conflict resolution skills. As scientists working environment often involve group collaboration, this skill would be beneficial for my future career as an Environmentalist.

“Social Psychology defines aggression as “Behaviour, either verbal or physical, that is used to intentionally harm another individual” (Peace & Duff, 2012). However, it is unclear whether the individual received harm could be virtual characters. Nonetheless, aggression behaviours were demonstrated through violent words of the players who battled human-looking characters. As these players were deliberately tried to defeat their opponents in a violent way through combats, we could see there are two main types of aggression. Instrumental aggression occurs, as the main objective of the players is to win the game. These players aimed their force directly, whether by punching, shooting, or killing specific targets; this is direct aggression. It is also worth considering the mental state of these players during the time of the experiment. The expressive view of aggression may occur when the participants are stressed or not in a good mood, thus unleashed their anger onto the game characters. The participants may also have other intentions for the game, including gaining personal rewards i.e. self-satisfaction; social rewards i.e. high rankings; or material rewards i.e. prize money; this is called the instrumental view of aggression”.

References: 

     Peace, K., & Duff, J. K. (2012). THINK Social Psychology, First Canadian Edition. Pearson Canada.

Portfolio Letter

Linh Bui
56 Angeline St S,
Lindsay, ON
K9V 5B2
linh.bui@flemingcollege.ca

Professor Williamson
Co-ordinator Environmental Technician
Fleming College
200 Albert St S,
Lindsay, ON
K9V 5E3

Dear Professor Williamson,

I am writing this letter to demonstrate my communication skills as you have requested. In particular, I will explain the skills I gained through my communications courses and how it will benefit my future career.

Report writing is crucial in the field of research and as my future career will focus on scientific research,  this skill is critical to master. In a Trend Analysis assignment, my group focused on the trend of plastic reduction. This report focused on secondary research using online sources, books and media content. We had to analyse, documents and make conclusions based on our research.  This produced a lot of information and this first draft of our report was quite long.  A quality report required multiple drafts and re-evaluations. In our Trend Analysis, we did several drafts with feedback from our peers and our professor. Ms O’Neill (2018) stated, “a well-done essay [but] there are spots where long sentences can interrupt the flow of the essay or creates minor confusion…” From this feedback, we edited our essay accordingly to great success.

Other skills I have developed including collaboration and conflict management. Throughout the course, I learned to work collaboratively with others and deal with any conflicts that arose. In the early stages of our Trend Analysis assignment, we made a clear plan, assigned tasks and scheduled meetings to work on the project. However, conflicts soon arose and work was not being completed effectively. I learned in this course to handle these situations in a calm and collected manner. I addressed the issues with my group and persuaded them to follow my suggestions on how to get the work done, eventually resulting in a very good grade. The skill of working collaboratively is crucial in the work environment, especially in a research-based scientific field. There will always be multiple people working on one project and the conflict management skill I have learned in this course will help me navigate future workplace conflicts.

In COMM 202, we are taught that social media is a powerful communication tool. It can create a portrait of an individual through comments, posts, images and video content. Thus, it should be handled appropriately. Some skills I have learned include data and keyword analysis, content management and public speaking. This would avoid publicising inappropriate content that can damage my reputation or that of my employer. Maintaining a clean social media account is important as it may affect my future career.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your time in reading my letter. I hope it has demonstrated my communication skills and the contribution it may have on my future success. Should you have any enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me at: linh.bui@flemingcollege.ca

Sincerely
Linh Bui