Free-Writing and Directed Writing: Analysis of Communication in Engineering

This week I decided to answer option 1. The first paragraph is the result of my 6 minute free writing period where I tried to follow the rules outlined in the Entreprenuerial Engineer, and the second is an example of Detailed Writing concerning the same topic.

With the topic of communication in engineering, follow the methods of Free-writing and Directed writing and post to your blog.

Communication in engineering is very important because an engineer needs to be able to present his/her creation to the business world and the market. An engineer who creates a product but is unable to sell it is just a calculator. Someone who sits behind a desk and runs calculations. Anyone in any profession needs to be able to communicated with others and this program is helping us work with others and create with others in an attempt to develop these essential communication skills. I feel that this is a great intregrated program for the college because it brings to the table what wasn’t there before. This is important because leaving school the typical graduate will not be ready for the workplace. It is like the graph that was drawn on the board of the missing basics being applied to our education. The missing basics fill in the gap and prepare us for where we need to be upon graduation. To further increase my communication skills I plan to study abroad and apply for a co-op. By studying abroad I will be forced to communicate with others to adapt to the culture I would be surrounded by and learn from the people around me. I want to study abroad in a culture I am unfamiliar with to gain that knowledge and experiancce that will dcarry over to the workplace and my applications. So far I feel like this class has been a good steeping stone and one that I can build networks from and outlets to further paths down the road.

Communication: The Foundation of Success
Having the ability to effectively communicate with others is one of the most basic and important traits a person needs to succeed. In the field of engineering, communication is extremely important due to the prevalence and influence of business and of the business world.
An engineer is required to have a certain degree of technical knowledge to perform their job effectively, but they also need to be able to communicate in a way that helps other people understand their product and makes their work marketable. An engineer needs to be able to prove to others that their design or their idea is the best one out there and is the most profitable for their employer. If the end product is not marketed or profitable, the technical prowess means very little.
IEFX is a great program because it begins to introduce communication into the curriculum. For so long, the missing basics were not incorporated into the educational system, but this program aims to correct this shortcoming and I feel like I am benefitting from it. This class is preparing the students for the workplace, where other programs do not have this aim in the forefront of the coursework. This class is a great stepping stone and a way to expand my network and increase my communicating ability. I plan to continue to develop my communication skills through a study abroad program and work experience while in college, but this is where my journey starts. I will begin assimilating the missing basics into my life through this class and I strongly feel they will allow me to excel in my career and in my daily life.

Advertising, E-mails, and a New Strategy

Recently I had an idea for a new type of advertising company. I don’t want to spoil the surprise just in case it ever takes off, I don’t know how likely it is, but you never know right. I’ve thought about the business plan and how I would get my project off the ground for the last couple of weeks, but I have no idea if there is a law that has stopped others in the past or would stop me from developing my project further. This week I took advantage of this assignment and sent out some e-mails. In each e-mail I described the purpose behind the advertising company I had conceived but made it a point to keep the e-mails short. Then I looked up four of the biggest law firms in Chicago that handled cases in advertisement or in a relevant subject manner and sent them all e-mails. Two of the e-mails were sent to partners in the firms, and the remaining two were sent to generic addresses on the firms’ websites due to a lack of better contact information. It has been several days now and sadly I have yet to hear back from any of the firms I e-mailed, but I do not plan on giving up. I think instead of e-mailing law firms in Chicago I am going to talk to a firm located closer to campus and mention that I am a student at U of I to spark interest in my project. In my previous e-mails I didn’t mention that I am a student for fear of not getting a response, but now what do I have to lose!
Also this week I joined a club on campus that helps fight hunger in the area. I feel that so many people send food and support overseas when there are people here that need help. We need to help ourselves before we send aid to others and I feel this club will help me do that as well as offer leadership opportunities in the next couple of years. I went to a social event with some of the executive board members and have remained in contact on Facebook with one of them so I hope something great comes from it!