Mami Kuwahara

1101 17th Ave N #115

Fargo, ND 58102
November 28, 2016
Department of English
North Dakota State University
NDSU, Dept. 2320
P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
Dear Assessment Committee,
This semester I have learned how to write professionally in the business field. An electronic
portfolio is required to display our writing assignments that we have completed through English
320: Business and Professional Writing for Fall 2016. The writing assignments included
professional emails, a memo, resume, cover letter, professional blog, group work activity report,
and a group proposal. I will explain how the work in this portfolio shows that I have written in
variety of genres and contexts, and how I have integrated the knowledge and ideas in the
documents.
Our assignments included writing four kinds of papers using a variety of genres and contexts that
we covered through the class. First assignment was to compose two professional emails as both
sender and responder. We were required to write as a professional to communicate clearly and
efficiently through formal writing. In this assignment, it was important to negotiate as a business
owner. In addition, it was essential to find a balance in apologizing for mistakes in order to keep
up image of the business. It was also important to keep the business partners happy as to continue
future business with them. For the third assignment, the required writing is almost similar to the
first assignment. In the third assignment, I wrote a professional blog while controlling the tone of
the writing so that the reader will enjoy the blog. This required demonstrating my understanding
of the values, interests and ongoing discussion in my field. Since it is a blog, we were to write
informally and used APA style to cite. I added some interesting photos to attract people while
using techniques such as changing formats and hyperlinks to make it more attractive and useful
for reader to know what the writer is emphasizing.
The second assignment was to produce a job packet that consists of a memo, a resume, and a
cover letter. I learned how to write an American resume because every country has different tips
and styles of writing it due to cultural contexts. From the guest speakers presentation, I learned
that knowing how to write a resume in a different country is important. This job packet required
writing formally and professionally as a student looking for a job or an internship.
The fourth assignment was a group proposal, which consisted of a group activity report, group
marketing proposal, and individual evaluation memo in a formal writing style. The purpose of
group work activity was to provide detailed self-evaluation and reflection. Also, it allowed
professionals to influence the decisions of their supervisors. To write a formal proposal, we
followed the proposal format and analyzed the surveys we collected. To explain benefits, we
learned the difference of hard and soft benefits. We made each of the sections clear for the
proposal to make it easy to understand for the readers. Individual evaluation of the groupmarketing proposal is required to follow professional memo form.

I have integrated knowledge and ideas through various writings from each of the assignments.
Professional business email required ideas to expand the content for the email to make it easier
for the reader to understand. The Job packet required research about the companies for the memo.
The memo required analysis and made it easy for the reader from making a table to compare what
the mission statements reveal about company values. The professional blog required the most
research among all the assignments. We had 4 topics such as an explanation of your field, a news
analysis, an ethical reflection, and a description of intercultural communication matters in your
field. Each topic required background information for the reader to understand and use of tone
and style that is appropriate for the audience was very important. I gathered information from
online sources and used the knowledge that I learned throughout the search. Also, responding to
the readers comments required me to search for facts to support the blog. For the group proposal,
I was in charge of the survey, benefits, and cost. Analyzing the result from surveys we have
collected made it easier to understand what we need to modify in the marketing proposal.
Furthermore, for the benefits and cost section, I did many searches online to support both
statements.
For overall assignments, the textbook Technical Communication Today guided me to write
professionally and made it easy to synthesize the information that I have found through the web
searches.
As you can see, my writing skills have improved and become more professional from unit one to
unit four. Throughout the semester I was able to learn skills that I am able to utilize long after I
graduate from college. Not only did I learn skills and grow as a writer, I was also able to build
skills that I already have obtained and make them stronger.
Sincerely,
Mami Kuwahara