Introduction

The main project that I recently completed was the Nest Realty Social Media Analysis project (found on the projects page). It required my group and me to collaborate to make a formal report where we analyzed and provided recommendations to what Nest Realty is doing regarding their social media. We found that they did promote their business by using rhetorical theories (pathos, logos, and ethos), but they could grow in this area. We were able to recommend that customer engagement incorporated on Instagram could benefit their business.

Course Outcome Expectation

The two main outcomes of the Writing for Business course that I’d apply to this project are “Learn strategies for collaborating with colleagues in online and culturally diverse environments” and “Apply different forms of research (primary, secondary, qualitative, quantitative) for specific business writing situations.” Since my group had never met, it was interesting trying to write an appropriate formal report. While some portions were more difficult and confusing, most of our collaboration lead to a helpful report for the company. We were also culturally diverse, considering we had a foreign student in our group. While communication was rough at times, we worked through and made a report that could help Nest Realty. Applying different forms of research for business situations was a task I learned throughout all projects, such as an informal report (found on the projects page), that were completed during the semester, especially with the help of the textbook’s chapter 9 section 3b. It allowed me to locate certain information regarding the topic I was given and incorporate it into my work. Because of these various projects, I feel prepared to incorporate research of any kind into my work for any business scenario. I also feel prepared to collaborate with any group in my future career.

What I Learned

I learned a great deal about writing in business situations. I learned how to collaborate in an online setting with complete strangers. This was helpful for business situations in the future because I learned how to use my resources. I also learned about Microsoft Word online and problems that can come up while using it. In the future, I would resort to Skyping or another method of video chatting in order to keep the project organized and ensuring that all group members are sure of the project goals and their individual assignments. 

I didn’t expect to learn as much about rhetorical theory. Since I am an English in Professional Writing major at UNCW, I have had many courses repeatedly teach me about rhetorical theory. After taking this course, I learned even more about rhetorical theory and how to use it in business situations. The specific course material used that helped me was a video from Youtube, called “Rhetoric Presentation” by Jonathan Rylander. I also regarded chapter 13 to learn how to use rhetoric to make an interesting resume. These sources, and others, taught me how to incorporate rhetoric into my writing in a way that will help me be successful in the workplace and stand out from competitors.

Conclusion

After being able to interact in this course and participate in this formal report collaboration, with the help of my instructor and peers, I am ready for any business communication. This course enables me to get started with my future career, as well as make myself stand out amongst other applicants for certain positions. I believe I am able to write for any given situation, to anybody, at any time.

Sources

Rhetoric Presentation: Rylander, Jonathan. "Rhetoric Presentation." YouTube. 5 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 May 2016. https://youtu.be/oUfZw4hPYWo

Textbook: Guffey, Mary Ellen. Essentials of Business Communication. 10th ed. Print.