Chapter 9

 The main focus in chapter nine was directed towards resumes. The importance of unsolicited application letters really stood out to me. The book mentioned that fewer than 20 percent of all job applications are advertised. So, this should prompt an individual to send applications to possible employers regardless of whether or not a position is listed as "open". By just getting your name out there, employers may see your resume and find that they like what you have to offer them. They may also pass on your information to others companies in a related field. It could  ultimately turn out to be a crap shoot, or it could improve your chances with getting a job.  I think it is a great idea, personally. The reason for that is because there is essentially nothing to lose, and plenty to gain.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 focused on oral presentations. There were a couple of things that I found interesting. First off, oral presentations are interactive. Which means that you are able to interact with your audience. When you write a proposal or memo, you must really try to sell something because the audience is only going to be reading that one document, and you are probably not going to be able to answer their specific questions. When you are speaking, you can further explain things to your audience if questions do arise. You must know your audience very well when giving oral presentations. You have to anticipate what questions they might have, or gauge how they will react or respond to your presentation.  Another thing to keep in mind when presenting is being able maintaining your credibility or ethos. Is is vital that you reference your sources during your presentation.  Your sources should generally be placed on the slides as footnotes at the bottom of the page. By citing your sources on the slide, you will avoid losing credibility from your audience.

Chapter 17

This chapter primarily focused on proposals. The one thing that I was important was the need for a clear and descriptive title. When writing a proposal, you must avoid vague or overly general proposals. This will turn the reader away.  An individual might read a poorly constructed title and assume that the write-up is no different. The title--like the body of the document--must also try to sell itself to the reader.  Since it is the first thing that is observed, having a descriptive title is an essential component.

Ethnography revisions: Nerdy Birds

The suggestions/implications page was overall pretty good. They had a good deal of suggestions for the creator of the site, and made the document flow in a manner that made it easier to read. There were a few changes that  I recommended though. First off, they were a bit unclear with explaining the course ID's. If your reader does not know what that  means, and they are reading it for the first time, you are most likely going to confuse them. Explaining things in detail ensures that everybody will understand what it is you are trying to convey.  I also suggested that this group adda concluding sentence to the document. Since this document is in narrative form, adding a concluding sentence will help summing everything up. For our groups suggestions, we used bullet points. I personally think that writing the suggestions page in a narrative format is much more efficient. It is also easier for a reader to understand, because it seems to flow better and doesn't jump from point to point.

Chapter 14

The focal point for this chapter was summaries. One thing that I got from the reading was that all summaries must be east to understand and interpret. For the most part, it should sum up the whole body in a few descriptive sentences. In the case of executive summaries, you are writing trying to a document for a decision maker, not a technical audience. these summaries are a little different than the others. In these summaries you are basically try to make the summary very easy to read. Instead of explaining things, you are more likely to just "tell" the reader what is going on. Giving them a clear and easy answer is the main goal. All of the main questions should be easily discernible so the reader can immediately find what he or she is looking for.

Chapter 10

Overall,  this chapter did a very good job of conveying all of the different types of memos. One thing that caught my attention was the "you" perspective. This is simply when you have to put the readers interest and feelings first. You must take into account how a reader will react, and you choose your words carefully. If you don't follow these instructions, you can offend your reader. You must also keep in mind that being polite is very important. If something doesn't go your way or you have to criticize somebody, you must do it in a way that conveys good will and trust in the recipient. Being too brute or negative can make things worse, and may allow a situation to go from bad to worse.

Chapter 7.

Chapter 7 put a great emphasis on visuals.  It breifly talked about tables, graphs and charts. it explained the basic funtions that they served, and why they were important. the section on icons and symbols caught my attention. When creating an icon or symbol, you must account for your audience. Symbols and icons are important for large populations that may not speak one universal language. For example, a symbol of a skull-and-crossbones image means "danger" or "warning". This is something people from most cultures will understand right away. It is helpful, becuase there gemerally aren't any language barriers associated with these items.