2. Introduction

Coming into Dr. Wellman's CPBE225 class, I wasn't as lost as I was a year ago, but I still didn't exactly know what to expect. I knew this class would be different than the innovation-centered class I took first semester freshman year. "Enterprise communications" is the study of how communication strategies are useful in the business world- whether it's applying for a job, team-building, or managing employees. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the #1 skill desired by employers is the ability to verbally communicate with people inside and outside the organization. Obviously, this would be a very informative class for me with plenty of hands-on experiences which would allow me to put my knowledge to the test.

Despite being a challenge, I knew this course would be extremely helpful for me as I enter the work force. I started to develop my hiring qualities last year when I made my LinkedIn account, but I didn't really have much guidance as to where I should go from there. Not many classes are available that teach you the things you need to know about how to do well on a job interview, how to make connections with people in the profession you are interested in, or how to give a presentation that engages your audience and communicates your idea effectively. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to learn these things from experienced professionals, as not many others get this opportunity.

I looked forward to this class because I recently changed to be a communications major. In addition to CPBE225, I have also been taking another comm class, COMM107 at the same time. It was interesting to see what material overlapped and what didn't. Both of these classes really interested me, but CPBE225 had more of a business frame that was helpful for developing my hiring skills instead of just teaching basic curriculum. What I hoped to gain from this class was a deeper understanding of what it means to communicate effectively. I have never really been a confident public speaker if it is to an audience of maybe over 5 people. The best way to get over the fear of public speaking, for me, is to simply be forced to do it over and over again. Practice is the only way to get better at something, and between my two comm classes this semester, I have definitely gotten a lot of that. This course also had very interesting and relevant readings that I was excited to explore. The articles assigned for each lecture were interesting and thought-provoking, and the books we were given had so many helpful tips that related not only to CPBE225, but to college and life in general.

Completing this IOCSR turned out to be more beneficial than I would have ever imagined. Last year when completing the PCR, I was completely lost as to how I should present my information. I started my assignment very late because I was so confused what was being asked of our class and I was a bad procrastinator. Additionally, I didn't take notes in enough details for each of the cla
ss lectures and guest speakers. This made it difficult to synthesize my information at the end of the semester. I learned from my mistakes last year, and this year I made sure to take detailed notes and even take pictures of the class information so that I would have it to remember and reference back to at all times.

Instead of completing this reflection in a short time span, I have been working at it in small sections all throughout the semester so that I wouldn't rush and it would be of much better quality. Throughout my time in college I have learned much better time management and this IOCSR is no different. I decided to present my IOCSR in the form of an online blog like last year. However, even though I worked very hard on my blog last year, it was done in a rush and therefore was not of the best quality. The second time around, I hope my blog will be much more organized and informative. I like my work to be able to be accessed anywhere, which is why I chose an online format instead of a hard copy of something. After making this new-and-improved blog, I realized how easy and enjoyable blogging actually is, and not only that, but I realized I had developed a new skill that I can market and discuss with my resume.