Statement of Competencies
Theory and Research
Theory is having the ability to connect with your audience in the way the piece is written, worded and presented to them. I would say that my level of accomplishment with theory on a scale of one to ten is an eight. I have always found it easy to connect with my audience and present the information in a clear, well written manner. This can be seen in papers that I have written throughout the years, and in everyday life. I am very good and figuring out the intended audience and what they positively respond to. From there I organize thoughts and ideas in a way that they flow easily from one topic to the next, while still carrying a punch behind it when delivered. Finally when I sit down to write the final draft I make sure to keep things short sweet and to the point, keeping the fluffy to a minimum.
Research is being able to take your topic, theory, or hypothesis and build on it with facts, articles and studies that you find via the internet, books, or other means. Without research, your writings would be sloppy, partially thought out, and poorly communicated documents. I would say my level of accomplishment with research on a scale of one to ten would be about a seven. While I am good at doing research and using it in papers, I also have the habit of writing papers based off of knowledge I already have. When writing I tend to skip research if the topic is not a new concept to me, instead relying on information I already know and have heard before about the topic. While this is a good quality to have, being able to retain and call upon vast amounts of information, it can also hinder my ability to present valuable up to date information on the topic.
Writing Expertise
Writing Expertise is a combination of two very important skills: proper grammar and punctuation, and the ability to realize, understand, and utilize the language of the people in which you are communicating. My level of accomplishment with this particular skill is an eight on a scale of one to ten. Seeing as I am the first to correct someone’s grammatical errors, and edit my friend’s papers, I would say proper grammar is something that I view as extremely important and valuable. My ability to understand different dialects of languages I am fluent in, and utilized the correct dialect comes from my ability to adapt in situations, and the knowledge I acquired in my linguistics course here at the university. Over all I feel that this is something that I have always excelled in and will continue to excel in.
Technology
Skills in technology are the abilities to use computers, software, social media, and other gadgets to write and produce professional documents. My accomplishment level here is a ten out of ten. I can easily navigate computers, their software, and social media outlets without a second thought. This skill comes naturally because I grew up in, and currently live in, an era where technology is a part of everyday life, and is constantly changing. I feel that my generation has the upper hand here because of the time in which we were born. Technology was not something new to us, but rather something that was simply another toy from day one.
Global and Multicultural
Global and multicultural require us to have an understanding of other cultures besides our own, and how to communicate with them in a way that respects their culture and beliefs. A major component of this is travel and the ability to understand other languages. My accomplishment level here is a five. I am not bilingual, and I have not traveled outside of the country. With that said I do understand other cultures through research and my own family of immigrants, but I do not believe that this is enough to say that my skill set in the category is fine tuned. I hope to change this in the future and am currently learning a second language to aid in this mission.
Professional Identity
Professional identity is being able to operate in a work setting appropriately and well with others. It is also being able to separate work life from personal life, and not have them affect each other, or others in the work place. My accomplishment in this category is a solid seven. I have held a job since the age of sixteen, and have worked with people from all walks of life. I have learned through these part-time jobs what is acceptable at work and what is not. Through watching how others behave at work and noticing their mistakes, I figured out at an early age the proper way to behave in certain situations, and how to handle situations properly.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Collaboration and teamwork, is being able to share ideas with a group of people, and work towards a common goal. These two skills go hand-in-hand because if people cannot collaborate or work well in a team setting, they will not be able to succeed in either skill. The level of accomplishment I hold here is a ten out of ten. This is because every job that I have held has involved working with a team, and sharing ideas and ways to reach a common goal, and make things run smoothly. I have never been afraid to work in a group or speak up when asked for input on situations and topics.
Cognate Field
Cognate field is not only being a writer, but also being an expert in another field in which you write about. This is a skill that most writers have, either because they have written about and researched a topic so much that they know it inside and out, or they have become writers on a field of study in which they are already experts. My level of accomplishment here would be about a two. I do not have a field that I am currently and expert in, or that I have written about to an extreme, but I hope to someday have my a field of study that I am considered an expert in.
Juliana DeFrancesco 