Nesta's Froggy Bloggy

 My job does not call for any public speaking, or really any speaking at times. In the past, when I worked in the kitchen, I was constantly speaking to my team. Although it was not in any formal sense, I was always addressing the whole kitchen. Being in charge of a whole kitchen that outputs up to $10k/hr in sales can be a tall task, and it gets loud. Having the ability to command my team with authority came in quite handy at times. Using quick, precise, well-timed commands helped take control of the situation when things get hairy. When a station would fall behind on orders, it has a snowball effect on the whole kitchen's output. Tickets are fulfilled altogether due to the size and logistics of our expo team, therefore if tickets start lagging behind, items tend to get lost, misplaced, sold out-of-order, etc. At these points, the chef on the line needed to take full auditory control of the communication between the cooking side and the selling side in order to bring them both back...

 To learn or not to learn. Whether a person enjoys what they are being taught or not, the attitude they carry throughout the process will have a significant impact on how much they can benefit from the material. When I was in high school I was presented with a fantastic  opportunity to learn at an extraordinary level. My school was not only ranked top three in the state of Arizona, we were ranked top ten nationally  for the level of learning and curriculum we had. Did I approach this with a willing and mature attitude? No. Hindsight always being 20/20, I decided that this time around I would not let my own self ruin another opportunity to learn. This technical writing class, although not my favorite material, has presented me with a wealth of valuable information. Learning how to efficiently consolidate information and translate that to professional-level documents is something I can use on a daily basis in the future. Whether composing work-place emails or writing servic...

 Tools. So many tools have been invented, all for different purposes. Some have only one very specific purpose, while others have multiple uses that a person can 'justify' the high cost they paid to buy it. When it comes to writing, the same principle can be followed. Some people use a lot of different writing techniques to gradually work their way through the process, while others may simply prefer one or two tried and true tools to get the job done. I prefer the second route. While writing was never my forte, I did find by my senior year I had developed a small enjoyment in the process, which came as quite a surprise. I usually follow a random route for each paper I write, which is not very helpful, but unfortunately has become a fact of life. I always incorporate an outline, and a web chart at minimum, followed by a rough-final draft. I like to use the outline and web diagram as a reference when I edit my final draft, as it gives me a good overview of what my focus is in the...

Creativity is probably not the first thing a person imagines when they picture technical writing, but it may be more prevalent than you think. Although it is generally assumed to be a boring, basic, and unimaginative, creativity plays quite a role in the process. When a person formats a document, they use their own personal flair to lay out the paper. They also decide how to word their documents, what information to add, and what coloring or formatting to use in the header and beyond. This also can be a drawback though. Some people may take it too far, adding way too much flair or laying down too many 'fun' words into a document that simply doesn't call for it. As with most things in life, there is a fine balance to the creativity level when it comes to writing any technical information. Always remember to keep it to a tasteful minimum. Only keep enough of your own personality in it to let them know you put effort into it, but not too much they think you ran the tank out of...

 In today's world it's hard to imagine doing anything without first involving the internet in some way. Even a task as simple as going to the grocery store often begins with a Google Maps search for the closest store. The search for a new job is no different. Websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, and others allow companies to quickly post their available jobs to the web, where it can reach a mass audience in seconds. Before, companies would be lucky to have a job posting reach farther than a local news paper or radio station. I personally have had the most experience with Indeed.com. I found a majority of my long-terms jobs there, as well as used its resume building tools. I also have found it useful when trying to compare available salaries, positions, or benefits to jobs I held at the time. The resume tool has by far served me the most, as it not only helps give you ideas for what to add, but it also then can automatically use the information within it to recommend you jo...

Everyone has bad habits. Maybe you tend to bite your nails in stressful situations, or find yourself wiping your mouth on your sleeve when you eat. When it comes to writing habits however, the bad ones may not be quite as easy to spot. Whether it's a person's tendency to procrastinate on starting their process, failing to utilize enough pre-writing tools, or simply not sticking to a good routine, all of these can have a detrimental effect on the overall quality of one's writing.  Of my many personal bad habits, the one that has always affected my writing quality the most is my inability to stick to a solid routine. It seems that every time I have a new project to do, I intentionally go out of my to complete the tasks in a new order. One time I will start with an outline, followed by a rough draft, and finish by editing it and finalizing the completed draft. Another time I find it ideal to simply free-write the whole rough draft, then do a quick edit and submit it as the fin...

So far, from the few classes I have taken (outside my trade-specific courses) this class has shown itself to be a stand-out example of what I think most colleges lack: practical learning.  Beyond the courses a person takes that directly apply to their degree, I have always been of the opinion that the remaining ones have little to no actual career value.  Sure, they give a student great cultural insight and provide a balanced diversification of knowledge, but what about when it comes to what they are going to use in their everyday work life? Whether they end up working in an office, choosing to become a nurse, or going into a noble field centered around non-profit business management every student will find themselves benefiting from the skills developed through technical writing.  A key skill for any career-field is communication; being able to accurately convey information in a concise, formal manner will quickly set someone apart from the crowd.  We learned how to...

 The writing process-- a blessing for some, a curse for others.  On paper, it solves all the problems normally associated with writer's block: brainstorming ideas, mapping out the story's foundation, and organizing all the minute details that elevate a fantastic story above the crowd.  Yet, despite all of its positives it isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.  For myself, I never found its approach to be a perfect fit for my style of creativity.  Although I do use a lot of its aspects when I rough draft, the order in which I accomplish my prewriting tends to vary any time I write.  Sometimes I end up starting with a good idea coming in, and decide to just start writing right off theta.  Other times when I have trouble coming up with supporting points for a paper, creating an outline helps me break down the main points and fill in the gaps.  As a whole, the concepts the process embodies are crucial aspects to any successful writing.  While it wo...

 Skills are something I think people overlook a lot until they need them.  In my career as a line cook and eventually a sous chef, I spent a lot of time acquiring, refining, and teaching different skills.  I always was watching others around me do things.  Anything.  A lot of cooks are very set in their ways, and feel they really know their stuff.  I found that to be false almost 100% of the time.  Every so often however, I would see someone do something quicker, easier, faster, or better in some way than my method.  I would then try it myself and if it proved superior, I would adopt it as my new method and move on.  Any time I am working I am learning.  Learning to work faster, safer, more efficient (cost or time), makes you more valuable until you eventually become invaluable  to your employer.  So far in this class I can not say I have picked up any life-altering skills, however I have picked up some I plan to keep.  Un...

Writing has always been one of the things I don't look forward to until I start it.  I never have enjoyed the idea of writing as a class, but as a concept it always does end up being enjoyable.  As a kid, I always gravitated towards drawing, coloring, or other similar types of creative outlets.  It wasn't until I was almost done with high school until I realized how similar writing could be, with the right mindset.  I love  telling stories.  I grew to listening to my grandparents tell me stories all the time, and naturally adopted a lot of their unique ways of portraying these stories into my own.  Writing, though, still never dawned on me to be a way to translate this love of story-telling into a new medium.  I think the manner in which writing is taught never meshed well with me.  It was always seen as something very rigid, you must brainstorm ideas first.  You must create an outline.  You must make a flow chart or diagram.  ...