Onboarding Process
Purpose
Our first project will introduce you to what writing will look like both in this class and in your chosen profession. The onboarding process is your introduction to a new job. After you’re hired, your supervisor (or some other administrative staff) will walk you through a series of steps designed to prepare you to work successfully in your new position. While this orientation will always look a little different depending on the job, there are common elements across industries:
- Reviewing policies and procedures
- Defining expectations (job duties, working hours)
- Introducing yourself to your new colleagues
- Making connections with mentors and supervisors
- Learning how you will work (common tools, genres, industry standards, etc.)
Deliverables
1. Literary Narrative
For this introductory assignment, you will write a literacy narrative that is related to your chosen profession or field of study. Literacy narratives are a familiar way for writers to think about their relationship with speaking, reading, and writing. In this literacy narrative, you will explore how the reading and writing you have already done has helped to steer you towards your chosen career. Have you had negative experiences with writing that have pushed you towards a job where you see writing as a less-important skill? Were you surprised by the types of writing you were asked to do in a particular profession? Answering these questions can help you start to craft your narrative.
2. Introductory Email to a Mentor
Your literacy narrative in the previous assignment will serve as the basis for the other two aspects of this assignment. You will also write an introductory email to a potential mentor who has already found success in your future career. This email will help you to establish contacts in your field, and it will allow you to ask an expert about the types of writing that will be expected of you.
3. Strengths and Goals Memo
To conclude this assignment, you will use your narrative, and preliminary research into writing in your profession, to compose a strengths and goals memo addressed to your instructor. This memo should outline both your strengths as a writer (in the context of your field), and your goals for improving your writing in this class.