Tag Archives: blog

Why Write?

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Why should we write? Better yet, why should I write? My firsthand response would be well, because I like it, but the truth is that it runs much deeper than that. Passions don’t sprout straight from the ground up without some sort of catalyst.

At its core, writing is one of the purest forms of expression. Language has the ability to weave abstract thoughts and seemingly intangible emotions into rhetoric and prose, using diction as the building blocks for the articulation of these ideas. Written language manifests itself through a number of means, constantly increasing with time. Initially, spoken word was the main vehicle through which ideas were spread, gradually followed by more and more physical volumes as access to technology permitted it. Whether it’s for personal pleasure or academic gains, writing is an important aspect of life and should be universally embraced.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a fleeting interest in writing. Ever since elementary school I’ve enjoyed doing it; this trait was most likely exacerbated by a dual interest in reading early on, which I can’t quite attest for nowadays. Later, I would want to attribute this preference for language arts as due to a lack of success in classes such as math and chemistry, but looking back it was pretty clear that I was somewhat naturally inclined towards writing from the get go.

It started off with little bits of sentences, journals with innocent phrases and misspelled words that would be accompanied by poorly drawn doodles; the kind of stuff that mothers save for you to either awe or cringe at later in time. The earliest I can remember enthusiastically producing writings at length was in fifth grade, around the age of eleven. Granted they were a part of schoolwork and likely of little substance, enjoying the act of writing was what I remembered. Rather than going out to play on a warm spring afternoon, I found myself immersed in the blank page, a world of endless possibilities, armed only with a pencil and an open mind.

Throughout the years, school taught me much more than I could ever remember, but surely it began to show signs of impact along the way. Writing is a craft that is constantly evolving, one that you can only get better at the more you engage with it. The standards for writing were raised significantly in the latter half of high school and although it felt difficult to keep up, it was a challenging and necessary preparation for the even more markedly increased expectations held in college.

Here at Stony Brook was where I learned by far the most about being a cohesive and effective writer. Over the course of three years, it felt almost as if I had forgotten everything and completely learned how to write again from scratch. The idea of just throwing words on the page to be superfluous and meander towards a point now seems repulsive. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that in reviewing some of my works not even as old as five years ago, the unrefined style makes me shiver. Rather than just slapping together a disconnected narrative drabbed in SAT words, I’ve begun to take a more holistic approach to writing, considering both its tenets as an academic discipline and an art form.

However, the most often overlooked aspect of writing in today’s society is the level of importance it has in the professional world and beyond. Writing plays a role in every academic discipline and often is a central facet in a wide number of careers. Even if the job you have does not require you to write, we are all eventually obligated to write for whatever reason at some point in our lives. In light of this, whether writing is enjoyable or not, being able to view a potential piece of writing as an extension of yourself provides an interesting angle for approaching the task. Your thoughts and ideas will make way for themselves to create an image of yourself on the page. Suddenly, something that was initially tedious to write can seem much more fluid and natural when you attempt to establish a consistent message and tone parallel with this throughout.

Overall, writing is one of the most widely applicable academic disciplines and is of great importance to become familiar with. I feel that I change as a writer constantly, growing with each and every time I pick up the pen. I don’t doubt that this feeling will last a lifetime. In a way, it’s even promoted by the instant access of information in today’s day and age, which permits us to always be learning. There is no capacity for knowledge in this realm and I wish to continue growing as a multidisciplinary writer, only getting better with time. Writing is truly a craft that one must able to embrace and shape into meaning of their own.

Resume Writing in 2014

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Seeking a job in today’s day and age may not be the easiest thing to do, especially considering the high levels of specification that often come with certain careers or positions. Often viewed as some sort of template document, the professional resume is an important tool that when utilized properly, can make all the difference in applying for a particular job. For the longest time, I too was under the impression that there could only be one proper way to produce a resume; that is, if I were lacking certain qualifications, my resume simply felt empty compared to that of one of my peers. However, the informative article “Resume Writing” produced by the University of California at Berkley does an excellent job at highlighting the essential aspects of a resume, placing emphasis on presentation, language and selection of detail based on the position one may be applying for.

One of the key decisions a person must make when applying for a particular position is choosing the type of resume that will be best for them in terms of marketability. Under the notion that a potential employer may only view an individual’s resume from somewhere between eight and thirty seconds, it becomes of high importance to organize the resume in a fashion that highlights the key components of what you are trying to sell to the interviewer. The two most common types of resumes are a skills resume and a chronological resume; more often than not, a chronological resume is the more universal and applicable resume style. In lieu of these ideas, constructing the resume around what an employer is seeking is completely possible, simply on the merit of organization and presentation.

For example, when listing education, a section that would almost never be absent on a resume, it is important to prioritize the order in which information is presented. Contrary to my own initial belief, the emphasis should not be placed on the institution or university from which you graduated, but rather the degree you received. This again relates to the idea of what you are trying to sell; the university from which you came isn’t of the upmost importance, it’s the specific educational qualifications that they are more than likely looking for.

An additional factor to consider when listing educational attainments is placing an emphasis on college, especially when applying for a job in a professional field. However, for some, myself included, there may not be a whole lot that particularly seems to stand out in that section. In light of this, there are a number of possible solutions. By listing an interesting or impactful course you succeeded in that may also bear a specific connection to your field of application, it could perhaps set you apart from other applicants by highlighting your passion and familiarity within the topic. Even something as much as a well-written undergraduate thesis or similar research endeavors that may not seem all that important could have a strong impact on your selection, granted that there is some connection it bears to the position for which you are applying.

Another key element of successful resume writing is centered on the specific use of language in phrasing one’s accomplishments and past efforts. Specifically, when fleshing out academic experience, work history and / or community involvement, the implementation of certain language has the ability to make your efforts stand out more and seem professional. These kinds of action verbs can be used effectively when detailing, for example, your duties under your current employer. Simply listing, ‘responsibilities included’ is not ideal, especially when the term responsibilities indicates that you were more or less obligated to do something. Using verbs such as ‘implemented,’ ‘strategized,’ and ‘expedited’ as opposed to just saying ‘did this’ and ‘did that’ are much more effective in driving home the point that you were a driving force behind the tasks being mentioned. Additionally, this type of language can be an important transition tool; specific wording could make the duties of a restaurant job applicable to the larger frame of a professional career. This use of language also holds true for sections such as technological skills, where by simply mentioning you know how to do or use something is much less effective than taking the time to practically word your skills in a marketable sense.

Overall, this article and class alone have been extremely helpful in developing a more professional resume. In the past, it felt like I had been peddling the same resume year to year, leaving me to only wonder what potential employers could possibly think about it. Now I feel highly confident in my ability to produce quality resumes that would be applicable to a number of positions.