In Unit 1, students will be introduced to the two guiding principles of business communication: being purpose-oriented and audience-aware. The main assignment for this unit will be a Professional Biography. Along with the assignment instructions, I have provided a draft review sheet and a sample of an ineffective biography for students to use as a reference. To further enhance their understanding of professional communication, students will also complete a Professional Headshot task.

As part of the unit, I have assigned textbook Chapter 1: Communication in the Professional World and Chapter 13: Professional and Ethical Behavior. These chapters have been chosen to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of communication in the professional world and to help them develop a strong ethical foundation for their professional lives.

Professional Biography

The Professional Biography is the first assignment of the semester, where students articulate their identity, aspirations, and strengths, including soft and hard skills. I like to think of it a resume in paragraph form. For those without prior work experience, the challenge is finding meaningful experiences from personal, professional, and academic life that show transferable skills to their target audience.

The Professional Biography serves as a crucial building block for future assignments like the Elevator Pitch and Mock Interview. It is an essential tool that students will use and adapt throughout their personal, professional, and academic lives, continually evolving as they gain more experiences, further their education, grow their talents, and develop new skills.

Professional Biography: Draft Review

The draft review is a key part of the assignment process. After students have written their initial draft, they bring it to class for review. We cover key elements to help students refine their bios and create a polished, professional narrative that effectively showcases their skills, experiences, and aspirations. This is followed by self-review and peer review by classmates. The students have the opportunity to read and incorporate feedback from their peers before submitting the final version for grading. This multi-step review process helps students create a strong, polished professional biography that accurately reflects their skills, experiences, and aspirations.

Ineffective Professional Biography

The Ineffective professional Biography highlights common mistakes that students should avoid when crafting their own bios, such as vague language, lack of specificity, irrelevant personal information, and lack of confidence. It should not be distributed digitally among students as it is meant to serve as a temporary teaching tool. Instead of distributing it digitally, it can be projected on a screen or distributed as hard copies and returned, but please do not provide students with copies to take home. If distributed, students may use this document as a template, which could result in them creating their own ineffective professional biographies.

Fun fact: This biography was inspired by the character Eric Lewis from the video game The Sims 4.

Professional Headshot

The Professional Headshot task is a complement to the Professional Biography assignment. While students do not have to have a professional photo taken, it should be a photo appropriate for professional use. Most camera phones are sufficient for this purpose. The resulting headshot can be used immediately on academic and professional profiles, replacing any casual or inappropriate images. This task not only helps students develop the habit of presenting themselves professionally, but it also prepares them for the possibility of being asked for a headshot during their first internship.

Chapter Readings

I have selected Chapter 1: Communication in the Professional World and Chapter 13: Professional and Ethical Behavior for Unit 1: Introduction. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive introduction to the various forms of communication, encouraging students to think deeply about how communication impacts their professional, personal, and academic lives. Chapter 13 was chosen to help students gain a better understanding of what is meant by “professional.” Just as we often use the word “communication” without fully grasping its scope, we also use the word “professional” without a clear definition. This chapter serves as the perfect complement to Chapter 1, helping to clarify the meaning of “professional” in the context of communication.