Writing for Others Essay - 1375 Words

Writing for Others (Essay Sample) Content: Paper 1 final draftWriting for othersI knew little about professional writing until my friend enlightened me. Having seen some of my articles I had written in class, she was sure I would suit this field. However, for me there was more to do, to be a professional writer. Unlike my friend, I had not graduated. Hence, I did not have a degree that was apparently a primary requirement to be a professional writer. Besides, I wrote my essays entirely for class work and not as professional writing, there is a little to learn to write for other people like magazines, daily columns and blogs.I am lucky that my friend Lillian was a writer, so I did not have to possess a degree to be a professional writer. She had written for some time until recently she opened a writing firm. She writes for clients from all over the world. Therefore, since I could not open my firm, I will be her assistant writer. With this, I knew she could cater for my training needs. Having her as my trainer, I knew that soon my language troubles were to be over.Starting as a professional writer was not easy. I had to study various writing and formatting styles. Writing in class was entirely different because we rarely used any writing styles as most of our essays were handwritten and freestyle. Therefore, I needed much help and support from my friend especially in learning because, in professional writing all the work needed typing skills, which one had to learn afresh. With my computer skills intact, I started learning about various referencing and in-text citation methods. Initially, it was hard to learn these formats, as they were many and hard to differentiate. However, with time I could do the whole paper using The American Psychological Association format without referring to the manual. The Modern Languages Association format became my companion when it came to writing.ÂApart from learning the writing formats, as a writer I needed to know how to use various tools used by writ ers. This included referencing tools like Zotero, a tool used to do in the in-text citation. Besides, I hadÂto learn how to utilize various search engines to gather adequate information for my write-ups especially those that needed sources. In addition, familiarization with language imperative English language was necessary. This entailed knowing the American English, and those versions spoken in other countries. This is because as a writer, sometimes you do not get to choose the country of origin of the articles you write. With the world becoming global with Internet connectivity, people from all over the world can be your customers. It would be a shame to decline a task just because you cannot learn the minor difference in English versions.With all this knowledge, a writer has a variety of areas to write, however to be effective I made choices of my areas of interest. Being a student with a focus, I could not afford to be a general writer like my friend Lillian. However, somet imes as a writer making a choice was hard as customers could request for to write for them. When I started writing, I would write on anything, which made me have regular customers. However, with time I realized most of those I wrote for were more satisfied with the literature papers than any other papers hence I concentrated more on literature not only because I had passion in it, but also I liked dealing with multicultural literature. The fact that my customers complemented my literature more acted as a motivating factor.Whereas, as an assistant writer, I have left my customers satisfied, I have also accrued many benefits. As a starter, my language was inadequate, with time I have noted improvement in my performance in English and literature. Even though this cannot be entirely as an attribution of being a writer, to some extent it is the writing and language use that led me there. Secondly, it has been fun to study and interact with most of my customers. As a student, writing has deeply enhanced my practice and use of language. This is because; writing gives me freedom on what to write and how to express my views in the simplest method. Therefore, I have control over the language I use. Besides, for most of the articles, I have autonomy on what to write. Even though the owners choose the topic and give the direction, I possess the freedom of the choice of words I employ. This has enabled me to develop good language skills.Similarly, I have developed better communication skills. As a writer, I have to communicate with those I write for on a regular basis. Contact by phone was not possible for almost all the people I wrote for, hence I had to communicate via emails and portal chats. This has enhanced my communication skills especially on negotiation skills and courteous conversations. However, it has been so easy to get all people to accept with me, to a certain degree, most of those I write for are satisfied with my communication skills. Besides, it has improved my communication skills with my supervisor and the few writers.In addition, writing has exposed me to a variety of cultural background. For example, I have come to learn about the barbaric African culture of female genital mutilation common among the Maasai of Kenya. This has resulted to increase in the knowledge based on these cultures more than I did previously enabling me to understand the reason behind many cultural practices. Today I can just describe culture by the mention of the few principal components. Finally, writing has been my source of financial support. Not many people can...

Working women as second class workers in china - 2200 Words

Working women as second class workers in china (Essay Sample) Content: Women Workers in China Name Course Institution Date According to research conducted in 1949 by the All China Women’ Federation (ACWF), the number of women employees were 600,000 accounting for 7.5 percent of the Chinese total labor force. In 1978, the number of female employees had increased to 31.28 million, an estimated 32.9 percent of the Chinese total workforce. ACWF established that the number of Chinese working women is now 330 million, accounting for only 46.7 percent of the Chinese total working population. Regardless of a steady increase in the population of recognized women employees, women are employed largely in the lower status or primary enterprises like manufacturing. Women workers account for a very small percentage of professional employees or managerial staffs (Yang & Li, 2009). Even with the significant advances after the end of the Second World War, a bigger number of female workers are considered as expendable workers, lik ely to quit after a few years in service. Additionally, women workers are perceived to be expensive and uncomplimentary people for workplace promotion or training, maintaining their position as second-class workers (United Nations Development Program, 1999). Layoffs and Impact of Economic Reforms Currently, there has been a major advance for Chinese women, both in terms of their position in society and their economic status. However, as much there are advances there are numerous challenges for women workers. There are two very different and crucial effects of the fast economic growth of Chinas economy in relation to Chinese women workers. With the current free business environments, there are many opportunities for many women which also present various challenges. Most rural women especially from the eastern coastal and south regions have opportunities to get employment in a private sector around China. This implies that a good number of women from poor rural communities have migrat ed to cities in search of job opportunities (Roberts, 2012). However, most of these women are employed in the private sector without contracts making them exposed to labor violations. Poor working conditions and violation of labor rights such as freedom of association implies that most women work under poor working conditions. Currently, the working conditions for some women have deteriorated severely, irrespective of general increases in living standards. Secondly a major impact has been the effect of the improvements state-owned enterprises (SOEs) which resulted in the restructuring of big SOEs into smaller private companies or bankruptcy. Such move has seen many women working for those old SOEs being fired or retrenched. In 1997, the Ministry of Labor reported women made up of 39 percent of China's workforce whereas they accounted nearly 61 percent all the laid-off workers. Most of SOEs normally fire the female workforce before they lay off male workers. The past notion has been that working at SOEs usually gives employees access to a lot of benefits, means that fired women often lose. Women always tend to miss additional benefits such child care, medical care, funeral cost and pension benefits (Moon, 2003). In a research and interview conducted by the New York Times, a female laid off employee present at an unemployment Center in Tianjin stated most women in their factory laid and they didn't have any alternative jobs. Additionally, the widely practiced traditional belief in women being more expensive employees and temporary has encouraged female layoffs and unemployment. The Guidelines on the Arrangement of Redundant Staff in State Owned Enterprises advocates that companies give employees’ resignation or termination contracts while streamlining. Women are given maternity leave for a specified period during. In most cases, the businesses ask or persuade female employees to resign in the event of pregnancy. Apparently, organizations have established formal â€Å"return home† procedures to encourage nursing mothers or pregnant women to leave work in return for a percentage of their salary. This has become a common way of getting rid of female workers who have attained a certain age or those entitled to certain benefits because of childbearing (Lee, Hong Yong, 2000). Furthermore, the â€Å"Temporary Regulations on the Employment and Examination of Chinas Workers† clearly state â€Å"jobs best suited for women should be offered to young women. This further discriminate older woman in job markets both in public and private sectors. Some provinces have established the problem of unfair dismissal and have formed in their local legislation rules requiring organizations not to discriminate women during restructuring. Most enterprises have been advised to provide support for female employees who are no longer qualified for new job positions with the organization. Most SOEs, however, support the unfairly lay-off women work ers, despite these requirements (Attanà ©, 2012). Long Term Unemployment According Yang & Li (2009) official report indicates that some 75 percent of sucked women were still not employed after a year, compared with males who accounted for 50 percent of males still not employed after a year. The main reason for the lack of re-employment prospects for the millions of sacked women is sexual discrimination in employment. The failure of older women or females SOEs to gain re-employment emanates from the circumstance that many of those sacked tend to come from an age where most raise children and are also largely major home workers. Most females from this category have the burden of caring for the elderly and childrearing. Older females’ employees are considered to be more expensive to sustain because of the regulation outlining several benefits and compulsory leave periods for women. Almost all private organizations prefer hiring young female workers, particularly those younger s lightly above 18, because they have minimal chances to get pregnant than older women. After 1979, factories and enterprises started to rid themselves of the material benefits and bonuses that were global in the pre-reform period and instead introduced a market-based structure of more money for more work. Such action reduced costs and created more working hours. This situation favors male workers who are mostly free to work more overtime. Since a larger percentage of women look after homes and take the responsibility for childcare. There are many restrictions in Chinese law on the kind of work not recommended for women, are much more marketable as employees than women. Furthermore, in the economically marginalized regions such as provinces with a big concentration of dwindling SOEs and heavy industry, there are few job opportunities at the disposal unless job seekers migrate to other cities or provinces. For many sacked older men, there are prospects for work job migration, on the o ther hand, women, however, are obligatory to stay at home and attend to the family. An additional problem that developed in 1980s is the development of a shift away from the innovative equality of the sexes embraced after 1949 and a move towards more traditional understand of women as the weaker sex. Gradually in regions of high unemployment rates, it is seen as desirable that women should permit their men to get what the remaining occupation. The Huakun Female Survey Centre conducted a survey and established that more than 80 percent of those interviewed had a view that middle-aged women have the biggest problems and are under intense pressures than middle-aged men. This is because of the ever continuing demand that women should not only work, but also take care of their families. In short, sacked women workers will always remain a second-class worker who is too old to be re-trained.  Women  0.25 0.20   0.15  0.10   0.05 0.00 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Age >=16 & =30 & =40 & =50 & =55 &