Self-Assessment Essay
ENG 21001
Yosmerilyn Rodriguez
May 2, 2019
We started off the semester with our Resume & Cover Letter assignment. Before starting this assignment, I already had a resume and cover letter that I used to land any past jobs. I also used to apply to any future jobs. I thought I wouldn’t have much to do, but after observing another classmate’s resume and cover letter, I realized there were details I could add to mine to make it better. For example, I replaced “My Intentions” with “Professional Profile” and added my community service experience. I also added my current GPA—all factors that I believe will increase my chances of landing the job I truly want. When writing a cover letter, I would never add the employer’s contact information which I now know to be a staple within cover letters. This assignment has helped me get more replies from possible places of employment.
For the interview assignment, I chose to interview my friend Cynthia. Interviewing Cynthia reminded me that everyone’s story is intricate and that I must consistently look at my own story that way; there are many different paths I can take to get arrive at my career goal. I might even arrive someplace I didn’t expect, which is even better. Apart from that, this assignment gave me a better understanding of how to conduct an interview, what the best methods are for getting the information you need, and how to best transcribe the interview.
The Op-Ed assignment gave me the opportunity to discuss a subject that I am passionate about and very informed on: R.Kelly and the crimes he has been getting away with all of these years. With this assignment, I wasn’t just voicing my opinion on paper, but providing information and evidence to back up my opinion. In the end, I decided that I am definitely interested in writing Op-Ed’s in a well-known publication someday.
I had gone the weekend before we were assigned the Arts Review to the see the new Frida Kahlo exhibition, which had just opened up at the Brooklyn Museum. I am always trying to check out new art shows. And I actually love doing art’s reviews—something I got to do last semester for the first time in my Art History class last semester. This assignment allowed me to further appreciate Frida Kahlo’s work, as I needed to describe, dissect, and understand what I had experienced.
Working on the Grant Proposal has made me more comfortable with group work, collaboration, and with taking the leadership role. I was also required to do group work this semester in my Feminist Thought class. The successes that my Feminist Thought group has had motivated me to take a leadership role for our Grant Proposal project. I wanted to be on top of the workload from the start so that it didn’t overwhelm us later. I made sure we divided it all up. I made sure we kept up with our small deadlines just as much as our big deadlines. This assignment has honed my leadership skills and made me more flexible to working with others.
This course has significantly improved my writing and collaborative skills. I am more flexible with writing on a wide range of topics. Background information and evidence is necessary in all writing! This class has also given me the opportunity to write and speak on subjects that I am passionate about, showing me that I am passionate about writing things I am passionate about!
