Cooperative Education - Work Report
Why the Report? There are several reasons for requiring
a written report. Primarily the report is intended to be a presentation
of your work activity. This may be in the form of one or more projects.
Excellent examples of the expected form are the articles in publications.
Naturally, the experience of constructing such a paper will enhance your
ability to specify a problem in a complete, but concise manner. The
report is also an opportunity to evaluate your own experience. To
be specific, you must examine in depth some phase of your work experience.
Report Content for Each Period
The work report for the first period should deal largely with your new
employer. It should show your relationship within the organization,
give plant locations, and indicate products and processes, which are a
part of the employer's operations, company affiliates, and similar information. In a separate section give
a brief description of your first work experience.
In your second through fourth work periods your reports should indicate
a higher level of technical proficiency. In addition to the report
on your technical work, you will be expected to devote a separate section
to the manner in which your work experience has contributed to your professional
development. During your last work period, in addition to the technical
content, we would be interested in your comments regarding the worth of
the Co-op experience to you. We would also like to have any suggestions
you may have for improving the Purdue Co-op Program.
How to Write It
Two things should be avoided. Be careful neither to discuss or criticize
fellow employees nor to reveal proprietary information the company does
not want to release. It is possible to write about a part of a project
without divulging its overall nature. "Remember that the report must
be approved and released by the employer prior to submission to Purdue."
If you are working on a sensitive project, discuss it with your supervisor
and your Purdue Co-op Coordinator. Your superiors will read your
report. In addition to its technical content, the report will be
evaluated on organization and the use of good English. Write the
report as if you were submitting it to a reader who has no prior knowledge of your company
or its products. In short, make the distinction between an inter-office
memo and your report before your begin to write. Start out by orienting
the reader. Supply enough background, without compiling a technical
glossary, for the reader to immediately identify the problem and form a
valid mental picture. The primary concern of your paper is to relate
your work experience in a factual manner. Of course your report involves
a considerable degree of personal involvement, so don't obscure the writer
behind the page. Your paper should have a personality, an indication
of your touch, just as you have a unique personality. You may write in
the first person, but you will find later that this not considered the
best practice. Spelling, punctuation, and clearly expressed ideas
are indications of general competence. Remember, keep the reader
in mind as you write. It isn't unusual to write several drafts before
making the final copy - and don't forget to proofread!
Format
Observe the following guidelines in preparing your report:
-
Type on 8 1/2 x 11 white paper.
-
Provide a title page with your name, the company name and address, the
number and time of the work period; approval signature of a company official,
and the campus address to which you are returning. Include a table
of contents and an introduction explaining why the report was written and
what the body of the report contains: where and with whom the Co-op employment
took place.
-
Describe the department, its functions, duties and responsibilities.
Give the details of your project(s) in the body of the report, including
your duties and responsibilities, the manner of execution, and results.
Suggestions for further work on the project may also be included here.
-
If you have any supporting material which you have found helpful and to
which you wish to refer in the body of your report, include them in an
appendix.
-
A one-page summary on a single loose sheet should be placed inside the
front cover of the folder in which our report is bound. This summary
of your experience or responsibilities is necessary because your reports
are returned to you, and we have no record of the type of experience you
had. We need an account of your experience in order to counsel prospective
Co-op students. Essentially, it should be a condensation of your
work session report.
-
Remember that your work report is due in your Coordinator's office on the
FIRST DAY OF CLASSES!
|
