After reviewing my portfolio, I understand its purpose, as it demonstrates what I’m capable of. I’m content with all the work I’ve included and have even decided to keep my experience as a library assistant. I double-checked for any grammar mistakes and reviewed sentence structures. I also realized that the headers in my resume and portfolio were not consistent, so I fixed that as well.

Overall, the experience was engaging and taught me a lot about the importance of showcasing myself. I’m grateful for taking this class, which helped me learn more about what goes into a portfolio, web hosting, and areas I need to continue working on. Additionally, I found the importance of career research valuable, as it provided me with information I never knew.

Here is the link to my finalized portfolio:

https://mitzysanchez.com

This week I have been focusing on who my audience is and what I want my portfolio to say about me. As I have been looking at my portfolio I feel that it shows the work I’ve done as a student with a major in English and the work I do outside as a student. 

That is why I have added work I’ve done for my Sociology classes to show variety in my work and make the headlines tell which is English work or Sociology work. I added a new picture to my About page and I have been editing the writing in my subheadings. In total, I have added 4 new works to my portfolio and have been fixing any grammar mistakes.

I am aiming for my portfolio to be clear about me and what I can do which is what I will be focusing on next week. I will be re-looking everything to feel confident with my portfolio to turn it in next week.

Since last week involved learning how to upload work onto my portfolio, it was much easier to upload more this week. This week I uploaded 4 new works that involved a multimodal project of a website, essays, and a junk mail assignment. I also changed the font color to dark pink for the headlines under the images of the work I uploaded. Adding color to the website felt adequate for making a visually engaging site and since I added descriptions of the work I felt that all black font was cluttering the site. For this week I also focused on the appearance of the images and testing numbers for the width and height to make the image appear coordinated. 

Next week, I want to add more work I’ve done as an English major to my portfolio to showcase a variety of work. I am now starting to think about my audience and putting myself in their position about what my site tells them. In other words, the message my site gives and what my clear purpose is. I will still be focusing on adding more content next week, looking through each section of my site, and adding final touches to make a unified website. 

The most challenging part of this week’s assignment that I assigned myself was adding two new posts to my portfolio. I underestimated the complexity of uploading PDF files to my website. However, I did complete the tasks that I mentioned last week. This week I was able to fix up my resume and for skills, I replaced creativity with problem-solving. When I began to write down the skills for my website I used LinkedIn at first but this time I thought of what skills I felt were needed to be on there. I feel content that the skills on my resume do represent me, but I am still aiming to figure out the percentage aspect. It feels strange to evaluate myself with a percentage but that is one thing I will take on next week. This week, I changed the button name to “Uncover More Here” on my Home page, and then I changed the button color to a pale blue. When you hover over the button it changes to a lavender color, and it took me a while to set it up that way. It was a minor detail, but it took a long to realize the mistakes I made in the code. That’s when I used ChatGPT to clarify any mistakes, and that helped tremendously. I tried on my own to post the PDF links to my two new posts in my portfolio and that took me over two hours. I did make a secondary file out of my portfolio.html and anytime I would upload the link to my work it would not open anything. After feeling frustrated, I decided to upload them to the actual portfolio.html instead of the template and that’s when they finally were able to be opened. Next week I will tackle the portfolio.html again and upload more posts of my previous work. I am thinking about removing my library experience from my portfolio and utilizing the space to add various scholarly works. This week did result in challenges when it came to uploading the posts but it’s also thrilling to see my website appear structured. This week I was able to change my resume picture to professional attire and fix minor issues from the resume. Next week, I will be focusing on making my written information sound engaging, my portfolio, and seeing what can be fixed.

After coming back from spring break, I had already decided that the first change I would make would be to add a headshot to my resume. I realized that the image I had previously put for my resume did not suit the overall message of professionalism of the resume which led me downtown to the Iris Booth at Georgia State. The resume looks more put together with a professional headshot so next was fixing the “About” page. I added more about my experience with my concentration in rhetoric and composition which supported my reason for choosing my major. I’m now focusing on being meticulous about the particular information I am adding to my “About” page and my “Portfolio” page. Additionally, another change I made was elevating the details on both the Education and Work Experience sections in my resume. I organized the appearance of the bullet points in my work experience to 3 instead of 2 and structured them to sound cohesive. In the Education section, I previously did not state what degree I was getting hence I put “Bachelor of Arts in English.” I added accomplishments in my Education section such as the Hope Scholarship and the Fanon Book Scholarship. Another change I made was changing the title tags to be more engaging and not simple. 

What I plan to do next week is change the index.html button with an appealing phrase. As of now, my phrase is “Click Here” which is plain and not engaging in my view. I will be adding 2 posts to my Portfolio page to better showcase the work I’ve done as an English Major. Another action I will be focusing on is fixing minor details that can enhance the appearance of my website for my audience. For example, ensuring the color scheme is balanced will allow my audience to not be distracted from my information. Also, I’m not yet satisfied with my website, and I will be changing my resume photo again because I did not wear professional attire. My resume page still feels a bit empty which is another focus I will be fixated on next week. Lastly, I have to focus on the percentage meters because they are not fully representative. I’ll be looking through each page again and fixing sentence structures and information to showcase precise editing.

For this week’s assignment on W3 schools, I overcame technical issues that were easy to fix in the end but not in the beginning. I learned to be attentive, cautious, and learn how to upload images onto HTML code. Uploading images onto my files was one of the simpler tasks, but putting it into code made me curious about how I would structure the code. I became more familiar with HTML image tags, such as <img>, which defines an image, and src, which specifies the path to the image. 

When I first started to copy my image code onto my entire site code, the image would not show up. I struggled to understand why my image code was not showing up, and I ended up learning that I had to put: <img src=”./mitzyimage.jpg” alt=“self” width=” 260px” height=“200px”> instead of <div class=”fakeimg” style=”height:200px;”>Image</div>.

There was a lot of trial and error in fixing the code to ensure that my image showed up. I ended up messing up one part of the code while I kept pasting my image code, which disorganized the template’s structure. To fix that issue, I had to carefully review the whole code I had on my site and compare it to the template code. Even after carefully reviewing the code, I still did not understand what went wrong; however, I was able to understand the issue after the third review. Another issue I faced was dealing with the width and height since the images I chose were of different sizes. However, I was able to overcome that issue after knowing the specific number to use, which was set to width=”680″ height=”250″. Dealing with different image sizes helped me learn about being cautious of which image to pick since the stretched look can appear differently on various screens.

The overall experience was extremely gratifying to see my site the way I wanted it to look. What I plan to teach myself next week is to ensure that I am aware of other HTML terms and start to organize the content I can utilize. Another thing I plan to teach myself is to read more about CSS and get ahead on next week’s assignment. 

To start the questioning about what to put into my portfolio I wanted to see an example of what an entry-level paralegal portfolio will look like. I chose “will” because I wanted to be given an orderly format to go by.

The Result Received With the First Prompt:

I am beginning to envision my portfolio with the information given from Bard. I believe the Table of Contents is important to use because it will help me be organized.

The second question revolved around the fact that I am majoring in English. I believe with all the information previously given I wanted to know if there are any key component tips to use. 

Second Question for Portfolio: 

I appreciated that the response became personalized based on my major. Additional questions that I asked Bard from the second question was “What do you mean by tailoring my portfolio to the audience?” to which it responded: 

Another question was advice for my resume based on my major and work experience as a Library Assistant: 

I learned that starting a portfolio will be intricate when you don’t know where to start. I see that AI can be a useful tool for recent graduates and it can help you see what information you’re missing. One thing I haven’t focused on was tailoring my portfolio to my audience. Every piece of information I use for my portfolio or resume can be analyzed and proposed for a reason which is why I want others to look over my portfolio. I am also more aware that the details matter and any piece of work I use for my portfolio should be thought of carefully. I am learning the importance of presentations as well when it comes to extracurricular activities to put in my portfolio and that they do make a difference. One thing that stays in my mind is the importance of marketing yourself and professionalism, which can demonstrate coherence. 

What I plan to do next:

Building a Career-Launching portfolio with AI has answered and explained various questions that have guided me to comprehend what I need to work on moving forward. When it came to using AI, the first AI text generator I used was Bard because it was the first one on the list provided by Instructor Pullman to find our information. The second AI text generation I used was ChatGPT since the format was comprehensible and had engaging feedback. I believe that both these AI platforms aided me in my search for learning and preparing my career-launching portfolio because they provided information I overlooked.

When it came to writing the prompt the one that Instructor Pullman provided was helpful as a starting point, but I made sure to be specific with details such as my degree, the state I want to work in, and a specialization in Family Law. Adding specific details impacted the results I received because it gave elaborative knowledge. 

Prompt Used :

 

•  I created a side-by-side comparison chart for ChatGPT and Bard after receiving an abundance of information. It was helpful to separate the differences between the two and identify what useful information I did not previously already know. Based on both AIs, there were multiple similarities in the information provided, but Bard was more structured and specific with their response compared to ChatGPT.

Side-by-Side Comparison: 

Follow-Up Questions:

1. How Can I Gain Real-World Experience In My Chosen Field?

• The chosen field is a position as a paralegal, and the advice I received from ChatGPT was an emphasis on gaining real-world experience to enhance competitiveness in the job market. I would need to seek internships with law firms specializing in family law. Internships will allow me to have experience with real cases and the opportunity to work closely with legal professionals. 

• Other Real-World Experiences that ChatGPT Suggested Were:

  • Volunteer Work: Contribute to the community whilst gaining practical experience.

  • Networking: Leads to opportunities when attending conferences or legal networking events.

  • Law School Connections: If there is a law school nearby, I can connect with students or professors who may have information on internships.

  • Court Observations: Attend court proceedings related to family law cases.

• Bard mentioned internships and provided additional details on their duration and potential compensation. Informal options included freelancing to build my portfolio and demonstrate skills, as well as shadowing a professional in the field for a day. 

• Additional Tips from Bard:

  • Take Online Courses and Certifications to enhance my knowledge and skills.

  • Be Proactive and reach out to companies directly to express interest in potential openings. 

2. What National Organization Does My Field Have?

   – ChatGPT and Bard specified national organizations for paralegals such as the National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA.) The NFPA is the largest paralegal association in the U.S. It offers certifications such as the Certified Registered Paralegal (CRP) and Registered Paralegal (RP.) NFPA offers valuable resources such as education programs and career development webinars. 

• Bard:

• Bard points out that the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), which is another paralegal association, offers networking opportunities and job boards. Additionally, the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Paralegals is an organization where the ABA’s committee develops policies and promotes ethical standards for paralegals. A specialty organization is the American Bar Association Family Law Section which is a national organization within the ABA dedicated to serving lawyers, associates, and law student members across the U.S. and internationally. This organization advocates for improvement in family law and connects family law professionals.

• 3. What Networking Opportunities Does my industry offer?

  • Bard:

    • State Bar of Georgia Paralegal Division: Attend events and meetings hosted by the State Bar’s paralegal division which is how I can meet established paralegals in the field.

    • Paralegal Professional Development Events: Workshops and webinars for paralegals that offer opportunities to learn from experienced professionals. 

  • ChatGPT: 

    • Industry Webinars and Webcasts: Participating in these events, gives opportunities to interact with speakers and attendees.

    • Online platforms and Forums: Engage in online networking platforms and social media groups dedicated to paralegal professionals. 

4. How do make the best use of LinkedIn?

– After reading the article from lndeed titled “How to Get an Entry-Level Job (Plus Top Jobs and Salaries),” several tactics were stated to make the best use of LinkedIn. These tactics include:

• • • building my resume with internships: Volunteer opportunities.

    • Speak with recruiters at job fairs: Take notes.

    • Emphasize your skills on your resume: Resume can speak for you. 

    • Customize your resume and cover letter for each position: Prioritize and put key skills needed for an entry-level position.

    • Use career office services: Colleges will help place students after graduation.

    • Post your resume to job sites: Job sites can offer guidance.

    • Update your social profiles: Ask past supervisors to leave a recommendation.

    • Network: Attending network events is critical because you let others in your field know that you’re searching for an entry-level job. 

• A few other suggestions made by AI were to participate in LinkedIn Live Events and share relevant content related to family law or legal technology.

   

  5. What Specific Type of Legal Technology Will Paralegals Utilize?

  • Legal Forms Libraries are digital repositories of standardized legal forms which will save time and ensure consistency in document creation.

  • Legal Billing Software: 

    • Paralegals working on billing and invoicing tasks may use legal billing software to track billable hours, generate invoices, and manage client billing information. 

      • Westlaw or LexisNexis: Paralegals may conduct basic legal research using these platforms to find relevant case law, statutes, and regulations. 

      • Project management platforms such as Asana or Trello: Aids paralegals to manage tasks, track progress, and collaborate with colleagues on various projects.

 Ideas AI suggested which I haven’t yet included:

• Bard: Highlight niche areas within family law: Am I interested in child custody, adoption, divorce mediation, or elder law?  

• Emphasize English degree skills such as highlighting strong writing and analytical abilities. 

• Leverage a sociology background because understanding social dynamics and human behavior can be beneficial in family law.

• Chat GPT: 

• • Legal Research Automation Tools that automate legal research processes including natural language processing

• • Explore digital dictation and transcription services to streamline the process of converting spoken words into written text, which will be useful for preparing legal documents and case notes.

Additional suggestions offered by AI included leveraging AI-powered analytics platforms to provide predictive insights which will be an advantage to strategize more effectively. Leveraging my analytical abilities, such as experience with analyzing texts and arguments from my English courses, can be applied to legal documents. Other suggestions included starting a legal blog to showcase my understanding of the field and my passion for communication. Utilizing my GSU alumni networking to build valuable connections was a prominent suggestion. Attend legal writing workshops to further hone my writing skills in the context of legal documents and language proficiency, which is to learn a second language commonly spoken in the community where I plan to work.

Based on the given skills, such as time management and attention to detail,  I knew the importance of each one except Empathy and Emotional Intelligence. It’s a skill that I have overlooked because I focus on the other specifics such as what I need to do instead of the emotional aspect. What I already knew were the skills to demonstrate such as effective communication, both written and verbal, organization, and strong writing skills. Most jobs prefer those who have experience in the field which is why I understood the importance of having an internship in the field and networking with others in the field. The artifacts to showcase were another source that I was aware of which includes references, a resume, and a portfolio. 

What I learned is to also think about emotional skills because of the sensitivity of the job. I have not taken advantage of the resources around me, such as the Georgia State University Career Center, and have not been proactive enough. Networking with GSU’s law school is one plan I never thought of when it comes to connecting with law students or teachers who can provide me with guidance. Additionally, I learned about organizations in my field such as the National Federation of Paralegal Association (NFPA) and the National Association of Legal Associations (NALA) which are organizations I can seek and learn from. I learned multiple different types of legal technology which I didn’t consider such as billing software and legal forms libraries. 

I need to start attending legal networking events and join organizations, such as the Georgia Association of Paralegals to stay updated on job opportunities and attend court observations. I do not currently have connections when it comes to the legal industry which is what I will focus on and continue my pursuit to get an internship at a law office. Considering where to get a paralegal certification is another action I need to start. Taking on the task of updating my LinkedIn is one objective, but also becoming more familiar with the kinds of legal technology is significant to me. Being aware of legal technology through workshops will be an advantage because it demonstrates that I did my research beforehand and it will make me better prepared. 

 At this point, I’m feeling one step ahead with the more career research we do. I’m reminded that I still have a lot left to do but it’s an inevitable continuous process. I feel as though I grew another mindset and that my brain grew with knowledge with this assignment. Another thought I want to mention is that I’m certain that I can learn the skills and earn all the qualifications but when it comes to starting, I don’t have much on my resume which is why I’m glad we had this assignment so that I know what to look for. Utilizing AI was useful in seeing what different information I could obtain but I’m aware that my path to my career can’t always go to plan. Overall, the AI technology that I preferred was Bard because it went beyond and gave me plenty of information to go by. I will say that I will not be 100% relying on AI because it’s good to keep researching other sources other than AI. I’m relieved that I used more than one AI because ChatGPT wasn’t as concise as Bard. One quote from Bard that stood out to me was “Every experience, even if it’s not directly related to your field, can teach you valuable skills and broaden your perspective.” I believe that quote resonated with me not having much experience in the paralegal field.

Sources:

1. How To Get an Entry-Level Job (Plus Top Jobs and Salaries)

2. Link To ChatGPT Image Used

3.  Link To Bard Image Used

4. Canva Templates

5. Additional Sources used were ChatGPT and Bard

6. Link To Images Used in Blog

My research to discover a suitable entry-level position was based on a clear description of my major in English and a job located in any part of Georgia. Another focus for this assignment was to select jobs that interested me and grabbed my attention. Since I would not be looking nationally or globally it helped me narrow my opportunities and I made sure to google jobs that are entry-level for English majors, however, when I wrote the specifics of being bilingual, it made the search engine only catch onto the keywords of ‘English major.’ With that being said, the keywords availed my job searching significantly and I was able to find various jobs. Opportunities that I found were AI Content Writer, Legal Assistant/Paralegal, Editorial Assistant, Research Associate, and Proposal Writer I. The websites I used were Indeed, Handshake, and Monster. The website where I found the most jobs was Indeed, but I did spend my time focusing on other job sites to ensure a picture of my opportunities.

Based on the jobs I listed, the qualifications required having a bachelor’s degree in English or just a bachelor’s degree without the specific requirement of an English degree. Other prominent qualifications for most jobs involved strong writing skills, grammar skills, computer proficiency, and previous job experience. Analyzing the qualifications demonstrates the significance of being accountable which includes being able to balance a heavy workload and having a constant ability to develop efficiently. In other words, being prepared is essential to take on the qualifications. Additionally, more qualifications that I saw were being able to type, having previous experience as an editor, and having a GPA of 3.3 or better, which is preferred for the Legal assistant/Paralegal. The qualifications are reasonable because, with an English degree, they align with the work we develop during our undergraduate years. 

A few more qualifications were: 

• Fluent in English (AI Content Writer)
• Strong research and fact-checking skills to ensure accuracy (Research Associate)
• Consistently meet deadlines (Proposal Writer I)
• 1-2 years of experience (Editorial Assistant)
• Multitask and prioritize multiple concurrent work requirements (Proposal Writer I)

The responsibilities were the most thought-provoking factor that I discovered since they allowed me to visualize the specific roles I would undertake. For the AI content writer, the responsibilities were to come up with diverse conversations over a range of topics and research and fact-check AI responses. AI has become a controversy for the potential negative impact it can create but it was surprising to see how engrossing the responsibilities are. Other responsibilities I noticed were proofreading legal documents for the Legal assistant position, updating Primary Care websites on Medscape for the Editorial position, editing peers’ work as necessary for the Research Associate, and the Proposal Writer 1 required gathering information for writing deliverables. The variety of roles that I can take on with my degree is notable to mention as it demonstrates continuous learning.

Most of the positions require proficiency in several software expectations, including Microsoft Word Proficiency, use of spreadsheets/Excel, prior Macintosh computer experience, proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications, and familiarity with generative artificial intelligence tools. The generative artificial intelligence use is to be utilized as a tool to develop content ideas. Most software expectations align with my anticipated requirements and are not an issue to continue learning about since they are essential to succeed in many professions. Furthermore, a few other software expectations include proficiency in Google Suite, which involves Google Mail, Google Docs, and Google Drive. A common software expectation is being experienced with Microsoft Word and proficiency in keyboarding.

Employers for the jobs include:

• AI Content Writer: DataAnnotation
• Legal Assistant/Paralegal: Marci R Rosenberg, P.C.
• Editorial Assistant: WebMD
• Research Associate: Glass Lewis
• Proposal Writer 1: VSolvit LLC

The specific abilities that these employers are looking for are copy editing for the AI content writer, strong interpersonal skills and writing skills for the Legal Assistant position, and being detail-oriented for the Editorial Assistant. Strong communication skills are what most jobs are looking for when hiring. The editorial assistant additionally focuses on enthusiasm for new projects, the ability to work collaboratively with a variety of people, and project management aptitude. The Research Associate position involved a longer list of specific abilities, including quickly synthesizing new information and applying it to unique sceneries, working effectively under tight and overlapping deadlines, and having strong analytical skills. The Proposal Writer I prefer a strong ability to learn IT professional services nomenclature and a positive attitude with a strong desire for professional growth.

I currently work at a library, where the majority part of my work involves assisting patrons with computer issues, specifically with Microsoft Word and Excel. My experience with multiple software expectations is present which will be in my resume. I plan on using references from my workplace to add to my list of documents and a CV, which will provide more details about the courses I have taken. Courses that will be included are Grant and Proposal Writing, Business Writing, and Interdisciplinary Seminar, which will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively, writing, and strong analytical abilities. In addition to these courses, I will also show the work I have done for the classes which include the collaborative grant project I worked on with my group and papers that demonstrate analytical skills based on academic research. Balancing work and school has allowed me to develop multiple skills that align with the multifarious requirements of most jobs.

Regarding years of experience, I will continue to work on building my resume and making connections to create more opportunities. One thing I can work on is a Microsoft certification and aiming to familiarize myself more with Google Suite. Another thing is working on a paralegal internship which will help me get hands-on experience with skills that include strong interpersonal skills. Additionally, I need to organize the documents that I want to demonstrate and plan on gaining experience as a freelance writer. One thing that freelance writers do is write blogs which is an area I can work on to improve my writing and software expectations. To strengthen my profile, I need to create multimedia presentations that will showcase my skills and demonstrate professional experience.

When it came to searching for entry-level jobs, it provided a realistic view of what positions are available for recent graduates. I learned the importance of preparing documents for employers and building more work experience. Without experience, it will be difficult to show employers your character which is why I will be working on my CV and improving my soft skills. Unsurprisingly, the fact that most jobs are pursuing those with multiple software experiences is realistic. Doing this research was intriguing and I believe that it helped me tremendously to identify what I need to work on. I learned the importance of doing more to build my resume and what I need to prepare. What I want to do next is pursue a paralegal work field by becoming certified and stepping out of my comfort zone. Additionally, I want to improve my typing skills, as I’m currently at an average level, and improve my proficiency in Spanish, where I also consider myself average. I am feeling relieved that I did research on multiple entry-level jobs and that I was familiar with various topics. In the beginning, it did feel overwhelming to see that most jobs are looking for people with experience. My lack of experience can be a disadvantage which is why I am motivated to continue learning skills or concepts I have never heard of or done

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My career aspirations began when I realized the sacrifices my parents made to give my siblings and me a good life. I’m inspired by them constantly and after seeing what they had to go through it shaped me to seek a career in law. When my dad was near to being deported, he decided that it was hopeless to stay in the U.S. It was then that an immigration lawyer helped him and my family stay and continue our lives here in Georgia. 

Now that I’m in my junior year, majoring in English, and frequently questioned by my parents on what I’m majoring in, it’s a choice I do not regret. I chose English because I like writing and the power of words. However, what I like about the law field is the impact it has and how it helps so many individuals, families, and even animals. 

 I’ve researched the steps to becoming an attorney and after graduating college, I plan on becoming a paralegal before preparing to go to law school in Georgia. This is so I can save up money for school. What I know about becoming an attorney is having an undergraduate degree, and taking the LSAT, with the next step being the bar exam. I understand the importance of experience which is why I am currently pursuing an internship as a paralegal at a law firm. Based on the research I’ve done for being a paralegal, in Georgia it’s different for many firms but I believe that my degree will help with getting a paralegal certificate. Based on coursework I’ve done which includes drafting and analyzing it will help for relevant skills such as logical reasoning. 

What I would need to learn is legalese and considering what kind of law I would choose. I need to focus on experience in the law field and networking to gain more knowledge to get my first career job. Developing a strong communication skill and improving my skills will add on to what I can learn more from. I am aware that there will be a lot for me to learn and consider but it’s what I am aspiring to be.