DISCIPLINE INVESTIGATION ASSIGNMENTINTRODUCTIONChoosing .docx

DISCIPLINE INVESTIGATION ASSIGNMENT
INTRODUCTION
Choosing a field of study is a major life decision. The pursuit of
a college education is an immense investment of both time and
money. For this reason it is important to be as informed as
possible about the potential prospects. First one should develop
a general idea of what field to go into. Almost as important, one
should think about why that career seems attractive. Once this
has been done more information should be found to see if that is
really what is wanted and if so, how to be successful in that
field. A great way to find out if this type of work is well suited
to a person’s personality and get advice on how to do well is to
interview somebody who is already in working in the industry.
I am interested in electrical engineering. I like mathematics and
the physical sciences and I am fascinated by electronics. My
attention to detail and passion for using physical laws to solve
problems in creative new ways makes me think I will do well in
electrical engineering. In order to find out what type of job I
could possibly be doing someday and maybe get some tips I
decided to interview an acquaintance of mine.
I had a chance to interview an extremely energetic, goal
oriented, and friendly woman who works in the field that I am
interested in. I promised her that the provided information
would be kept confidential and that her real name would not be
used in my Discipline Investigation Assignment; therefore, I
will call my interviewed subject Mrs. Harrison. Besides, Mrs.
Harrison didn’t give me any particular writing that related to
her job and duty at this company. However, she described the
type of writing and reading she did in the job in details…..

The interview questions and references are attached in the
Appendix section of this essay.
INTERVIEW REPORT
Background and Career Path
Mrs. Harrison, the person that I interviewed, has been an
applications engineer for about 10 years at Integral
Solution
Int’l (ISI). She said that ISI is a small corporation that for over
25 years has sought new technology applications, and provided
support, for the magnetic recording industry.
To give me an idea of what made her pursue a career in
engineering she gave me an anecdote from her childhood. She
told me that she had always been interested in engineering, even
in grade school. Her favorite subjects were always ones that
focused on problem solving and creativity, such as math and
physics. As a little girl she wasn’t interested in playing with
dolls like most of the girls she knew; instead she carried around
a bag of disassembled electronic devices! At home whenever
something broke she would bring it into her room and place it
on her shelves and spend hours tinkering with them. When her
parents asked her why she was collecting these trifles she

explained that when she grew up she would be an engineer and
fix everything. This desire to fix things and find out how things
worked never went away and she did become an engineer
afterall.
Roles and Responsibilities
Mrs. Harrison is an applications engineer whose responsibility
it is to write preamp drivers (the chips that control reading and
writing on a hard drive), final QS testing, and debugging.
Because the company is small, sometimes her responsibilities
are to test each particular board and then the whole system.
Also, on big projects she supervises technicians. The biggest
challenge she faces in her job is when new chips arrive and she
has to start writing to them. This essentially means sending
inputs to the chip and ensuring that the hardware and software
are syncing. Sometimes, they have various problems with the
chips including issues with the assembly programming so Mrs.
Harrison is an expert in debugging.
In my opinion other important challenge of Mrs. Harrison is that
she is only woman among her colleagues engineers at this
company. As a woman, I am particularly interested in how my
gender is underrepresented in my field, and I am fascinated by
how she deals with this strange work environment.

According to the article “Woman in Electrical Engineering: One
Mentor can Have a Big Impact,” by Ruth Schechter, 10% of
Electrical Engineering students at Stanford University are
women, and only 5% of the professors in Electrical Engineering
Department are female. Robert Gray, who is the Stanford
professor of electrical engineering and also a member of the
Institute for Gender Research, tries to help his female students
to succeed in this traditionally male field, and also encourages
his colleagues to do the same….
I was also curious about the qualifications and skills required
for somebody to be eligible to work in her position. Mrs.
Harrison said that at least a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical
Engineering is required, but a Master’s degree is preferred
(Mrs. Harrison has both). Before being accepted to work in this
position as an Application Engineer at ISI she had a long
interview, and then was trained at different parts of the
company for about one month by qualified engineers at the firm.
Aside from the required university degrees there are other skills
requirements. Strong computer and technical skills that include
understanding computer hardware and software, familiarity with
C++ and Visual Basic programming are necessary. Even though
she is very well educated and knowledgeable she considers her
education to be ongoing and continuous because the technology
sector is always changing. Constant innovations in the field

require new skills.
All fields require specific personality traits and electrical
engineering is no exception. Mrs. Harrison told me that it does
not matter if you are a doctor, engineer, teacher, or an
accountant; you need to love what you do to be successful. If
you want to do well you need to work very hard, but if you
enjoy your work it you won’t mind the difficulty, and
completing your work gives you an immense feeling of
satisfaction.
The traits Mrs. Harrison feels are most important include
responsibility, persistence, organization, accuracy, self-
confidence, and above all a positive attitude. Mrs. Harrison also
told me that it is important to show that you are motivated and
truly interested in the job. Another aspect of a good engineer is
being able to work well with others. Many engineers have
strong technical skills and are passionate about what they do,
but they have weak social skills so developing these attributes
can set me apart.
Her work hours vary. She always works fulltime, but sometimes
she is required to work overtime. This depends largely on the
complexity of the project and the time frame for the project’s
required completion.

Communication Skills
When I asked her how much money she makes she answered
that it depends on the level of Electrical Engineer. Engineers
are rated into categories based on experience with the least
experienced being level 1 and more experienced being level 3.
To get more detailed information about what this really meant I
browsed online and found on the salary.com website that there
are four levels of electrical engineering that perform different
tasks.
The entry level or Engineer I is a level with the lowest salary
(this typically means recently graduated with a bachelor’s
degree and little to no experience). The highest-level engineer
is engineer IV. This level requires the most experience and
education therefore it merits the highest salary. A typical
engineering salary varies in the range $48,000 to $118,000.
When I asked her if she had any samples of writing she had
done that I could use to analyze for my Discipline Investigation
Assignment she said that it is all confidential information. Since
they provide the same final product to different companies and
a lot of this information is intellectual property she could get
into legal problems if she shared it with an outsider. She only
agreed to describe the types reading and writing that she does in
her job.

Mrs. Harrison explained that there were particular writing
conventions and manuals for new products or updated ones.
There are also writing conventions for engineering reports that
are based on testing procedures. Another form of writing she
encounters includes consultations with customers through
emails.
She said that manuals for new products are collaborative with a
range from 20 to 200 pages, and the reports that they write are
usually just a few pages and are typically done individually.
There is also a specific format used for citing references in the
industry. She also mentioned that rhetorical strategies and
genres reflect your professional writing skills. Since engineers
tend to be notoriously bad writers, developing these skills as
well can help me stand out.
I was a little disappointed that writing skills are important for
this field because I struggle a lot with it. When I chose
engineering I was hoping I would not have to do any writing
because it takes me a long time to proof read and make
corrections to achieve a final product. For a moment I lost any
hope of being offered a job in the future because my writing is
not good enough, but then I realized that I just have to improve
consistently and work very hard and not let this stop me. I have
a long way to go but my choice to enroll in LLDA was a wise

choice and I am sure it will be of great benefit in the end.
When I asked her if her company offers internships for
undergraduate students she said that it depended on production
volume. If they are very busy sometimes positions open up but a
lot of time they prefer only to hire full-time employees since a
lot of the work they do is information sensitive and they do not
want to subject themselves to possible industrial espionage.
They feel that interns are too risky because they may accidently
discuss trade secrets and other intellectual property.
Conclusion
After completing my Discipline Investigation Assignment I felt
more confident about the type of skills I would need to develop
to be successful in electrical engineering. Also, I realized how
important writing is for an entry-level engineering job. Even
though I used to think engineers do not write, it is an important
part of their skill set. The interview with Mrs. Harrison got me
even more interested in electrical engineering than I had
previously been. She perfectly introduced me to the types of
responsibilities and duties an engineer encounters in the field
and the types of exiting tasks I can look forward to.
Moreover, I founded similar traits in myself, and memories of
my childhood, that point to my love of electronic devices. I
believe that engineering affects everyone and everywhere in our

planet and it is exiting to think about how I will be able to solve
problems creatively using my technical knowledge.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics the
demand for electrical engineers will grow by 6% over the next 5
years. Electronic devices such as cellphones, navigation
devices, and computers are in high demand and are a permanent
part of human society. I am exited to one day be a part of the
development of such indispensible and powerful tools. So, to
prepare for this career, I need to prove my writing skills and
maintain honorable engineering background during my next year
at San Jose State University.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,

Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Electrical
and Electronics Engineers. 29 March 2012. Web. 30 March
2013. <http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-
engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm;
Schechter, Ruth. “Women in Electrical Engineering: One
Mentor Can Have a Big Impact”. Stanford Graduate School of
Business. 2 July 2010. Web. 30 March 2013.
<http://www.stanford.edu/group/knowledgebase/cgi-
bin/2010/07/02/women-in-electrical-engineering-one-mentor-
can-have-a-big-impact/;
URL <http://www1.salary.com/Electrical-Engineer-IV-
salary.html.
Appendix 1
List of Interview Questions
2

Discipline Investigation peer reviewChiu, 2013
Writer ______________________ Reviewer
_____________________
Section Criteria
YES
partially
Not yet
Introduction
There is an overview of the field being investigated (what) and
the writer’s connection to this discourse community (why)
There is a brief preface to who was interviewed for the
assignment
(“name” and specific job title)

The introduction “maps out” the organization of the paper to
follow
Comments
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________
How the informant began his/her “journey” in the career:
· Initial interest and the requirements and skills needed
(“stepping stones” -- education, training, etc.)

· Expectations and any “surprises” or challenges the informant
experienced along the way
· Any additional reference to enhance this discussion of the
field*
What the informant’s detailed job description is:
· Overall qualifications and responsibilities + how the position
fits in the overall structure of the company (macro-level)
· What smaller day-to-day tasks and skills are involved
(micro-level)

· What the challenges of the job are and how the informant
deals with them
· Other types of jobs/positions related to the profession
included?
field*
Communications
Includes:
· The types of reading and writing mostly done on-the-job
· The typical audience for written communications

· The most important communication aspects of the job
(especially in regards to writing)
field*
Comments
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________

section Criteria
YES
partially
Not yet
Conclusion
Includes:
· A reflection of what was learned through this D.I. – what new
insight(s) did the writer gain, and any “surprises” that differed
from or added to the initial expectations of the field
· A discussion of what the writer still needs to do in preparation
and development for the profession
additional Criteria
YES
partially

Not yet
Organization
· Paper is organized and unified as a whole
Grammar/Syntax/Mechanics
· Sentences flow and errors do not distract reading or
compromise meaning
· Wording and word choice is appropriate and accurate
Formatting/Presentation

· Paper is properly formatted according to guidelines
· There are appropriate headings to guide the reader
· Sources cited in-text follow a consistent citation style
(full citations of sources included under “Works Cited” at the
end of the report – no separate page needed)
END COMMENTS:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________
* Two additional sources to supplement information about the
discipline/career investigated need to be integrated in the report
(can be included in any sections of the body)
DISCIPLINE INVESTIGATION ASSIGNMENT
INTRODUCTION
A Discipline Investigation essay is a type of essay which guides
students to explore the profession that they hope to join. After
interviewing a professional of a particular field of study and
doing outside research, students will learn the rules and patterns
of a specific field that they wish to start their career in.
I choose business administration with a specialization in
international business because I want to take a leadership role,
such as a manager or a chief officer in a company. Since
globalization has become a trend in doing business, an
international business degree would provide me with sufficient
knowledge to do business with people outside the U.S. This

degree provides me with necessary skills to plan, organize,
direct, and control an organization. Throughout the program, I
will be studying theories and principles of accounting, finance,
statistic, marketing, management, economy, and decision-
making. All of the knowledge in my major will provide me with
a framework to achieve my goals in my future career path, and
the understanding of business administration encourages me in
dealing with entrepreneurs such as the chief operating officer,
business owners, managers, customers, etc. One of the reasons
that leads me to choose this career is that I want to stand out
from the crowd. I am a fluent user of many languages such as
Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. Therefore, I
want to take advantages of knowing multiple languages since I
believe multilingual users have competitive advantages when
they do business internationally. I know that being a manager of
a firm is very stressful; however, it pays a high salary. Most of
the time, managers have the opportunity to travel abroad for
business. By traveling to different countries, managers would
have a chance to learn new things and meet with people from
different cultures.
My interviewee is Mr. Ivan, and he is now the Chief Operating
Officer (COO) at company X. Company X is in the medical
device industry. He has worked in the medical device industry
for ten years. In this Discipline Investigation Assignment, I will
introduce Mr. Ivan’s background and career path, his role and

responsibilities as a COO, and his communication skills. At the
end of this assignment, I will share my thoughts about what I
find in my interview and research.
INTERVIEW REPORT
Mr. Ivan is Chinese-Vietnamese. He can speak Vietnamese,
Chinese, and English. He immigrated to the United States of
America when he was twenty-two years old. Life was not easy
for him when he first came to the USA. He encountered many
difficulties like language barrier, culture barrier, financial
difficulties, etc. It took him eight years to obtain his first
college degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley
because he had to work and study at the same time. I asked Mr.
Ivan what motivated him to pursue higher education since he
had to work full time to survive. He told me that he believed
education is proportional with income; it means the more you
learn the more you earn. Mr. Ivan was not the only one who
believed that education would help people become more
successful. In the article “IMF recommends ways countries can
fight income disparities without slowing economic growth” by
Christopher S, the author presents one suggestion to reduce
income inequality from International Monetary Fund (IMF) is
that “Governments should ensure that poorer citizens have
access to higher education and health care. More education can
help low-income people earn more and move up the income

scale.”
Mr. Ivan informed me that at the time, when he came to the
USA, anything related to medical industry could have a good
potential future; this was the reason why he started his career in
the medical device industry. Mr. Ivan worked at many
companies prior to the start at company X, and all these
companies are in his field of interest. Mr. Ivan started working
as a technician at a medical device company since he was in
community college. After obtaining a bachelor degree in
Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, he worked as an
engineer. After two years working in his initial position, he was
promoted to manager, and then director. He worked in Research
and Development, and Manufacturing Departments. Since he
was the director of a company, he realized a need for obtaining
a MBA degree. He said that a postgraduate degree could assist
him to move to the top position. In the article “When having an
MBA is Important” by Beth Braccio Hering, the author cites the
book The MBA Student's Job-Seeking Bible by Elizabeth
Freedman to emphasize the importance of having a MBA
degree, and she cites: “Having an MBA -- as opposed to just a
bachelor's degree in business -- is sort of like traveling
someplace by plane instead of taking the train. With either
business degree, you may eventually wind up at your final
'destination' -- but the MBA will get you there faster.”

After he had obtained his MBA degree from the University of
Phoenix, he decided to leave the company and started his
company X. Ivan’s position at company X is now Founder and
Chief Operating Officer (COO). Mr. Ivan said that it was not
easy for him to be the COO of the medical device company
because not only did he have to acquire business management
knowledge, but he also had to get a good grasp of mechanical
engineering. He said that the qualification for COO at his
company requires a BS, MS or PhD in engineering. Therefore,
to him, a degree in Master of Business Administration is highly
desirable. There are specific trade skills that are helpful such as
medical device manufacturing technology, plastic processing
technology, accounting, project management, human resource,
and communication skill.
Mr. Ivan’s company has been operating for ten years. At the
beginning, on one hand, Mr. Ivan had to look for investors in
order to seek funding for the company. On the other hand, he
had to work very hard to manage the company. He told me that
writing was very important because a good writing skill would
contribute a lot to a successful business plan. Having
exceptional writing skills enables Mr. Ivan to compose
remarkable business plans, in order to attract investors to fund
his company. After putting tremendous effort to run company X,

Mr. Ivan’s company is in good shape; however, Mr. Ivan also
mentioned that a current job market in the medical device
industry is quite unfavorable. Since the product takes a long
time to achieve FDA approval, and it is costly to develop.
Therefore, not a lot of companies in this field are established.
Role and Responsibilities
Mr. Ivan’s responsibility as COO consists of developing
business strategies, hiring capable teams, managing budgets,
designing products, overseeing manufacturing operations,
interacting with a variety of people (customers, investor,
physician and FDA) as well as executing marketing strategy.
Mr. Ivan said that the biggest challenge is to hire the right
people and keep them focused. He mentioned that it is not easy
to find an employee with both technical skills and interpersonal
skills, that is, someone who was capable and got the right skill
set, and someone who had the right attitude, and willing to
learn. In the article “Facing Down The Biggest Challenges In
Manufacturing Today” by Tom Bonine, President, National
Metal Fabricators, Bonine also presents the same point of view;
in his article, he said that one of the most challenging issues in
American manufacturing right now, from a manufacturer’s view,
is finding good employee. Bonine said:
Manufacture companies today have a hard time finding
employees who will show up and be on time for work, stay at

their work stations, and, bottom line, stick with their jobs.
When it’s hard to find reliable personnel, employers have to
spend excess time hiring and training new employees, then
rehiring and training new employees. This is difficult both in
terms of financial costs and efficiency.
I questioned Mr. Ivan about as the COO, what smaller day-to-
day tasks and skills are involved. Generally, he said that his
daily tasks involve many meetings, phone calls, project reviews,
talking to investors, calling meetings, reviewing budgets, and
checking emails. He has lots of email correspondence. He said
that every day is different. Some days he has to look at product
with the design team, then reports to his investors. He also
needs to talk to the CEO of the company to review complaints
and resolve human resource issues. He said that the good thing
is that he has his administrative assistant, who usually reviews
his schedule at the beginning of the day.
Mr. Ivan also noted that his position requires lots of traveling.
Some trips are to see customers and for training, others are for
doing offsite tests. He also visits investors to seek funding for
the company. He said that learning foreign languages would
have many advantages when doing business with international
partners. He mentioned that it would be easier to approach a
foreigner if you can speak their language and understand their
culture.

Communication skills
I asked Mr. Ivan what have been the most important
communication aspects of the job. He said that he has to
carefully write quarterly and monthly meeting speeches. He has
to compose speeches that are motivational. Mr. Ivan said that
the main objective is to make employees happy and establish
trust between management and staff. He believes that when the
employees are happy and trusting their managers, they could be
more productive. He emphasized that it is imperative to
communicate frequently with employees in both formal and
informal ways. While he values frequent talks to employees in
an informal manner, he prefers writing for employees’
performance reviews as he sees this is an appropriate way to
formally communicate with employees. In each employee
performance review, he rewards the employee for his or her
positive performance, and carefully points out their deficiency
in a constructive way. He said that employee performance
review is a good way to give feedback to employees. In the
article “Performance Reviews: Tips, Phrases & Examples for
Bosses” by Chad Brooks, the author presents the same idea that
most of the managers find it is useful to write the employee
performance review. Brooks said, “While managers might not
enjoy spending time writing their employee evaluations, they do
see the benefits that come from them. A recent study by the

staffing firm Accountemps revealed that more than 90 percent
of executives feel their performance reviews are effective.”
Mr. Ivan said that, in business, good writing skill has been one
of the necessities of communication. He implied that the
business field involves a lot of writing; for example, he has to
reply to a lot of emails regarding customer complaints; he needs
to write concise reports; he also has to prepare a business
proposal that is interesting but tempered with managed
expectation, etc. In addition to writing skills, his job also
involves a lot of reading. He reads a lot of testing protocol and
reports because he has to ensure the quality of the products. He
also reads medical journals such as Neurosurgery, Journal of
Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Endovascular Today,
Metech Insight, Today's Medical Developments, Journal of
Neurointerventional Surgery, and Medical Device
Manufacturing. By studying these medical journals, on one
hand, he could keep his knowledge up to date in the medical
field; on the other hand, these medical journals will provide him
better insights into the market in the medical device industry
and help him answer questions such as what are the consumer
needs? Or what medical device should he invent to satisfy the
consumer needs and keep his company growing?

CONCLUSION
After interviewing Mr. Ivan and conducting the Discipline
Investigation Assignment, I have learned many lessons and
absorbed numerous useful information and new ideas. First, as
an immigrant, I admire Mr. Ivan’s perseverance. He is a
conscientious and hard-working individual who works very hard
to reach his goals. Second, I learned from him the way he
manages his company and deals with his employees. He pointed
out to me the importance of communication and establishing
trust between management and employees, which reminds me
that I have to learn how to communicate effectively with others
in both writing and speaking. On the one hand, it has worried
me that COO positions involve a lot of writing because I am an
immigrant, and I find it is difficult to write in English.
However, I know that there is no other substitution; if I wanted
to be a COO or manager in the future, from now on, I have to
practice my writing skill. On the other hand, it is also a surprise
to me to know how important the MBA degree is. After
finishing my BS degree, I may obtain this postgraduate degree
because I believe it will send me to the chief officer position
faster.
References

Facing Down The Biggest Challenges In Manufacturing Today.
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.manufacturing.net/articles/2014/03/facing-down-
the-biggest-challenges-in-manufacturing-today
IMF recommends ways countries can fight income disparities
without slowing economic growth (3/13/14 4:06 pm). (n.d.).
Retrieved from http://www.therepublic.com/w/US--Wealth-Gap-
Fiscal-Policy
Performance Reviews: Tips, Phrases & Examples for Bosses.
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5366-
performance-review-tips-for-bosses.html
When having an MBA is Important - CNN.com. (n.d.).
Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/06/09/cb.when.mba
.important/
2
Discipline Investigation Outline
Introduction –
* overview of the field being investigated (what) and the
writer’s connection to this

discourse community (why)
* brief preface to who was interviewed for the assignment
(“name” and specific job title)
* brief map of the organization of the paper to follow (preview
statement)
Interview Report
Background and Career Path -- How the informant began his/her
“journey” in the career:
* Initial interest and requirements and skills needed (“stepping
stones” - education,
training, etc.)
* Any additional reference to enhance this discussion of the
field
Roles and Responsibilities -- the informant’s detailed job
description
*Overall qualifications and responsibilities + how the position
fits in the overall
structure of the company (macro-level)
* Smaller day-to-day tasks and skills involved (micro-level)

* Challenges of the job and how the informant deals with them
* Other types of jobs/positions related to the profession
field
* The types of reading and writing mostly done on-the-job
* The typical audience for written communications
* The most important communication aspects of the job
(especially in regards to writing)
field
Conclusions
* A reflection of what was learned through this D.I. – new
insight(s) the writer
gained, and any “surprises” that differed from or added to the
initial expectations of the
field
* A discussion of what the writer believes is still needed in his
or her preparation and

development for the profession
Works Cited – list of outside sources used
* full citations of sources included under “Works Cited” at the
end of the report – no separate
page needed
** A minimum of 2 sources to supplement information about the
career/discipline must be integrated into the report – these
references may occur in any section(s) of the body of the paper.
Sources cited in-text should follow a consistent citation style.
Discipline Investigation
D. Vo
April 3, 2013
Introduction
The popular stereotype of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
is not all that there is when describing this profession. The
typical description of accountants are detached, calculating and
impersonal. Being part of accounting discourse community,
accountants can prepare financial reports and statements, apply
concept of accounting principle to analysis financial
information, and do with the numbers. My interview with Bob
Smith, a seasoned professional within the accounting field,

proved that this depiction is not always right and there is much
to learn about the finer details of this type of work.
Being an accountant was my accidental choice. When I was a
child, I liked to play with the numbers although I did not think I
would be an accountant. After graduation from high school, I
applied to University of Technical Education for electrical
engineer major. Then I studied there for four years but I did not
graduating. When I came to the US, my brothers and sisters told
me that accounting is not difficult to study and get a job, so I
chose this major. My first worries disappeared since I have
taken some accounting classes, and I found out that I love it.
The purpose of this essay is to relate my gathered interview
information to demonstrate what I learn from the interview.
This essay will give a report that communicates important
information regarding the many differing aspects of this career.
I will explain in detail the background and career path of my
subject before describing the roles and responsibilities of Bob's
work. I will also comment on the necessary communication
skills that are required to be an accountant.
Interview Report
Bob was drawn to accounting and proclaimed that he fell in love
with the numbers when he began taking finance and accounting
classes and the lifestyle that accompanies it. He received his
bachelor’s degree business in accounting and got his job at a

factory managing a warehouse. Eventually Bob went back to
school and received his MPA degree. Then took CPA tests and
had this certificate, making his transition into public
accounting. Bob has been employed as a tax accountant for 5
years before he was an accounts receivable clerk.
Bob told me that private accounting jobs are stereotypes,
boring, and little human interaction because he did not meet and
talk with a lot of people. When he worked at an accounting
receivable, in his department had three people work for a $320
million dollar per year division. Bob believed that this was too
much work to do for this size of a group. He was overworked
and did not like it.
Bob believes that public accounting fits his personality better
because accountants only are busy in January or February. Bob
enjoys his time and takes a break after tax season is over. He
feels that he can relax and learn the new tax laws for the next
year. The pacing of this job feels right to him.
Bob expressed that there are some difficult obstacles to getting
hired as a CPA. These requirements which are depend on the
companies. His firm requires that he has a CPA and have MPA
degree. At the other companies which Bob worked for, he must
have only an associate’s degree in accounting in order to do his
job. Earning your MPA is essential if you really want to take
your career to the next level. His coursework earning his MPA
was more enjoyable than his undergraduate work due to his

accumulated experience he gained before being accepted into
that program.
Bob's job description is varied and entails many challenges. His
business' structure requires that he travels around to meet with
his clients, so they do not have to go for hours to some offices
for their taxes done. Bob spends a lot of his time at his clients’
locations preparing and working through tax forms.
Furthermore, he also consults with them about how certain
transactions in their taxes are made and how much tax return
they can get or pay. According to Dubin et al (1992), third party
accountants
"are not just passive scribes whose function is limited to
relieving their clients of the mechanical requirements of return
preparation. To varying degrees, they provide information on
legal requirements and the penalties for their breach, develop
strategies for reducing tax liability, provide counsel on the risk
of executing such strategies and inform clients of topical
enforcement priorities" (p. 75).
Bob is essentially a tax consultant with a negative stereotype
surrounds the profession. He thinks that many people believe
accountants to be stuffy people who do not get out much. This
is not the case with Bob as he spends many hours traveling
around the state to get agreeing or refusing by his clients.
During tax season things can become intense, so Bob also

enjoys spending long vacations with his family when it is over.
Traveling and meeting with clients, according to Bob, is the
best part about the job. Bob stressed that it is very beneficial to
have a firm and complete understanding all of the new tax laws.
He finds this task of researching and locating new laws very
interesting. Getting ahead of these rules and knowing them
thoroughly helps him stay competitive, so he can be predicted
when a certain unexpectedly happen.
Shattering another stereotype of the accountant, Bob tells that
his job can be very unique and exciting. Bob's day to day
routine satisfies his personal approach. He certainly enjoys the
satisfaction that he receives when he completes a long and
complicated the package of tax forms about a hundred pages
long. After that his clients can get their refunds. Bob's CPA role
is varied and this allows him to have a change in his day to day
routine preventing it from getting old and tedious.
The seasonal approach to this job is definitely something that
one must appreciate to be successful in this type of profession.
He is quite busy during tax season, but to him it is not a
problem because he garners much job satisfaction from his
current career. There are problems at his work, and it can be
stressful at times, but there is always a light at the end of the
tunnel for Bob. He motivates himself by always looking forward
to late April when tax season is over, so he is able to pay more
attention to his family and friends and rewarding himself with

some more time.
During the months of January and February, his time is limited
and has the bulk of his year's work in this tax season. Bob
claimed that he seems to be overwhelmed and might be making
four or five trips per week, staying on the road for extended
periods of time away from his family. During this heavy tax
season, spending Saturdays in the office is normal. Bob knows
that this is a cyclical event and he will be rewarded for his hard
work later in the year as his company offers extra vacation time
for those who spend over time working during this season.
Bob feels as though he is very well compensated for his efforts.
Bob receives an annual salary of $79,800 per year. In the article
“Best Business Jobs Accountant” in the US News website states
that “According to the Labor Department, the median annual
salary for an accountant was $62,850 in 2011. The best-paid 10
percent earned roughly $109,870.” Bob also receive a bonus
which totaled nearly four thousand dollars on top of his salary
if he meets certain expectations. The more work Bob can get
done, the more he will see at his end of the year bonus.
Bob said that the qualification his current job requires a CPA
degree. He would recommend accounting as a career if you hold
the right personality and are not discouraged from the negative
stereotypes that usually follow accountants. CPAs should be
able to work with figures, numbers and regularly meets
customers. These two qualifications seem simple but they are

very necessary in order to achieve some success within the
field. Bob feels there is a certain natural aspect to his attraction
to this type of work and feels that he was drawn to it in a
mysterious way. Regardless of this fact, Bob truly enjoys his
work and it is perceivable. Overall, during our interview he was
very excited and informative, acting almost in a proud manner
but not bragging about his accomplishments.
The type of reading and writing that are required in his job are
reports, letters, e-mails, and narratives of financial statements.
For example, He writes letters to his clients, government
agencies, and his professional fellows, and they are written
about his clients’ tax situation and information need for an
audit. The letters are also about the agreement and management
advisory. His writings are clear, completed, easy to understand,
logical, friendly, and showing specific concept of accounting or
tax laws which he applies. His reports are the analysis of an
accounting problem and application of accounting principles to
his clients’ situation. Moreover, he usually writes memos and e-
mails to his supervisor and co-worker. He always double-checks
everything which he writes about grammar, spelling, and words
before he sends them, and he always makes sure his documents
are polished and professional.
Additionally, Bob job requires communication skills because he
works directly with his clients. In order to get the trust from his

clients to allow him to discuss their tax return with the IRS, he
has to have good oral communication skills. Bob emphasizes
that communication skills are also very important to his job. If
he wants to have the clients, he has to use his great
communication skills so that they believe on his knowledge of
tax law and accounting. Whereas he does not have these skills,
he will lose the clients. Thus, he has a lot of clients, and he is
very successful.
Conclusions
I was very pleased and quite surprised after my interview with
Bob. It appears that being a CPA is not only not boring, but
also can be exciting and fun. What struck me most was Bob's
attitude towards his work and his insistence that he was born to
do this type of job. This is a very comforting and discomforting
feeling at the same time. As someone who is considering a
career as a public accountant, I am beginning to realize that it
takes a lot of internal motivation and drive. The numbers and
legal aspects of this career seem almost secondary to the fact
that one must be enjoying their work to some degree in order to
be successful at it.
Through discipline investigation assignment, I know that I have
to improve my communication skill and writing a lot in order to
get a job in this career. That is the reason why I am taking LLD
100A course, and register in Writing Center at SJSU for help me
developing my writing. Furthermore, I have to look for an

internship in which I can practice a lot about communication
and give me more experience in this field. Last, I will take some
more Public Speaking courses which also help me to improve
my communication. Hopefully, after I have done all of these
things, I would have a very good preparation for my job in the
future.
Works Cited
Jeffery Dubin et al. “The Demand for Tax Return Preparation.”
The Review of Economics and
Statistics (1992): 75-87.
State University.com Website. "Public Accountant Job
Description, Career as A Public Accountant." Viewed on
March7, 2013. Retrieved from
http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/189/Accountant-
Public.html
U.S.News Money Website. “Best Business Jobs Accountant”
View on
March 7, 2013. Retrieved from
http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/accountant
George Mason University Website. “Effective Writing: A
Handbook for Accountants (2003)”
View on 7 March 2013. Retrieved from
http://classweb.gmu.edu/WAC/somguide/accounting.htm

3
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LLD / ENGL 100A
Discipline Investigation Assignment
2019
Purpose and Audience
Purpose: To investigate a discourse community* (e.g.
profession) you hope to join and to learn about the kinds of
texts (genres) that community uses.
This assignment will enable you to identify some of those rules
or patterns by interviewing a professional in your field of study

and by doing outside research
Audience: Your instructor, your classmates, and other faculty
members on the 100A portfolio committee.
*Discourse Community: Any group of people who form a
community—a family, a neighborhood, colleagues, practitioners
of a particular profession—and establish informal and formal
rules regarding who gets to join their community and how
spoken and written interactions (i.e. discourse) occur within the
community. Anyone who wants to join that community has to
learn its discourse rules and patterns.
Writing Steps
Step 1: Interview
For this assignment, you will interview a professional in your
field of study to gain insight into your future discourse
community. Try to select someone at a senior level, with at least
five years of experience working in this field, who can provide
you with a broad view of the types of work and opportunities
that are available to you. Your professors in your field of study
may be able to give you advice on finding a suitable
interviewee. Unless you hope eventually to become a faculty
member at a research university, you should not interview one

of your professors.
It is preferable to interview the subject in person. The interview
should cover 1) your subject’s background and career path; 2)
your subject’s current role and responsibilities; and 3) your
subject’s insight on the types of communication skills required
for advancing in your field.
In preparation for the interview, you will work in class to
develop a set of questions for your particular interviewee. You
will also discuss various interviewing strategies. Before the
interview, you will need to discuss with your interviewee the
confidentiality of the interview. Because people sometimes
share sensitive information in an interview, you may assure
them that the information will be confidential and that you will
not use their real name or the name of the company without
their permission.
Step 2: Outside Research
Find a minimum of 2 outside sources (articles, journals) that
give you additional information about your future discourse
community – for example, what types of work or jobs someone
in that field would have, or what the requirements will be for
those jobs in the future. The outside sources must be
citedwithinthe Discipline Investigation report. Make sure that
the outside sources you add are relevant to the content you are

discussing in that specific section and are meaningful. You will
also provide in-text citation where you add these sources. You
might also research additional genres of writing that might be
used in your field. Note: Step 2 can be done while you are
arranging the interview. You do not have to wait until your
interview is done.
Step 3: Prepare Report
Your Discipline Investigation will report the information you
learned during your interview and outside research, providing
an introduction and conclusion to share how your own
expectations about the field may have changed or broadened in
doing this assignment.
Suggested Organization
INTRODUCTION
Your introduction should include a brief overview of the
discourse community you investigated for this assignment and
provide a very short background on why you chose your field of
study and what your expectations were before you conducted
the interview and outside research.
INTERVIEW REPORT
Background & Career Path
Introduce your interview subject, giving details of the subject’s
background and education to show why the subject chose that

profession and how he/she got started in the field. You will also
need to give some explanation of the subject’s career path so
far, highlighting particular positions or stepping stones to the
current role. Possible topics to discuss in this section include:
· Why your subject was drawn to a particular career field
· What requirements or skills were needed before entering the
field
· The expectations and surprises your subject had in entering
that profession
Outside sources (articles) that add additional or supporting
information may be used in this section.
Roles & Responsibilities
Provide an overview of your interview subject’s current role at
his/her place of employment, explaining the responsibilities of
that position and how it fits into the overall structure of the
company or organization. Your subject should also give you a
general sense of the types of jobs and career paths common in
that field. Possible topics to discuss in this section include:
· The subject’s job responsibilities in his/her place of
employment

· Where your subject’s job fits in terms of the overall structure
of the profession
· Types of jobs people in this profession have
· The skills and qualifications your subject’s job requires
· The biggest challenges the subject faces in this job
Explain the types of reading and writing typically required in
your field of interest. Provide an overview of the
communication skills that are most important in your field. For
example, some occupations demand the ability to work
collaboratively on reports, while others may require an ability
to respond clearly and concisely to time-sensitive email
inquiries. Possible topics include:
· The types of reading and writing required in your subject’s
daily responsibilities
· The typical audience for written communication (co-workers,

clients, general public, etc.)
· The communication skills your subject finds most important in
his/her role
CONCLUSION
Share your thoughts on what most surprised or interested you
about your interview and research. Did it change your
expectations about your chosen field? For the remainder of your
undergraduate studies, what further skills, knowledge, or
experience (such as an internship) will you need to develop to
help prepare you for the start of your career?
REFERENCES
Include a list of your outside sources (at least two are required).
Use the style that is used in your field of interest (for example,
APA, MLA, etc.). Do not forget to include in text citations in
the report.
APPENDIX: Include a list of the interview questions you
asked. It is not necessary to include a transcript of the
responses.

Format Guidelines
Your final draft should be approximately 1500 words, with 1-
inch margins and 12 point font, Times New Roman. The report
should have headings (in capitals and bolded) to guide the
reader. Please number your pages.
Peer Review
All students must bring the following to the peer review:
· A draft of the complete report; include links to the outside
sources you used.
· A copy of the interview questions you used
· A copy of the peer review sheet; remember to include any
questions which you would like your peer reviewer to answer
about the content and organization of your draft.
During the peer review session, you will provide written
feedback on his/her paper.
Teacher Conference
Use the feedback from your peer to revise your writing in
preparation for a conference with your instructor. Bring to the

conference:
· A draft of the final report (you will annotate both the
document and your own report based on your instructor’s
feedback); include links to the outside sources you used and a
list of the interview questions you asked;
· A copy of the peer review.
Important Dates
First draft due (1300 words min); Mandatory peer review
Conference with instructor -- bring a 2nd draft based on peer
review (1400 words min)
Semi-Final draft due on Canvas (1500 words)
Things to Keep for the Portfolio
· A copy of the interview questions you used
· All drafts produced for this assignment
· A copy of your instructor’s comments and your peer’s
comments on your earlier drafts

· A clean (unmarked) copy of your final draft.
� This assignment has been adapted from a similar one
developed by Julian Heather and Fiona Glade at CSU
Sacramento.
2
Choosing a person to interview for the D.I.
When choosing a person to interview, keep in mind the purpose
of the interview:
· to gain insight into your future discourse community
· to explore the types of work and opportunities available in
your chosen profession
The person you choose must be:
· a professional in your field (preferably working in a job you
hope to do in the future)
· someone at a senior level (minimum three years experience in
the field, to be able to give you a broad view of the field, work
and opportunities)

· someone who you can interview in person (at least the first
interview should be in person)
· someone willing to share information about their background,
career path and knowledge in the field particularly on the
communication skills required for the field. (This should not be
a problem since most people do like to talk.)
(The first two are requirements; the second two make for good
interviews)
Do not interview your professor unless you plan to become a
professor. (In some cases, you may have a professor who has
worked or is still working in the field. In such cases, you can
interview the person, but only about work in the field. If your
professor has not been in the field for a long time, it will be
better to find someone who will have current, working
knowledge of the field.)
Finding a person:
Talk to your professor (in your major) for suggestions (your
best source, they often have strong contacts in the industry)
Talk to family members
Talk to peers, seniors who have started working (their boss
could be a good candidate)
Talk to members of a fraternity or association you belong to
Talk to friends, neighbors (a student of mine found someone by

talking to her hairdresser, another client of the hairdresser)
Adding research to the DI
Requirement—Two references from different sources (given in
the DI assignment guidelines)
· Use references to support points you make – what you have
learned from the interview
If you say that the job is very well paid you could cite some
source that gives average salaries in the field
· Be sure the reference really supports the point
If you say the job is well paid and your reference gives low
numbers, the reference is not effective
· Be sure the reference is connected to the point
If you are talking about salaries the reference should be about
salaries and not some other aspect.
The job is very well paid. In an article it states that today there

are many jobs in the field.
· Be sure the reference furthers/ strengthens the point, it
contributes to the point being discussed, and has not been put
there simply because it is required.
XYZ shop is doing well since it is located downtown. XYZ is
situated on First St. The website for XYZ states that the address
is 2100 First St.
This is a totally ineffective addition, and has been thrown in
only to fulfill the requirement of two references.
· References should be worked into the paragraph. There should
be a flow and the reader should not feel the reference has been
abruptly thrust into the paragraph.
In this paragraph the reference is tied to the point being made
and there is a flow:
1) According to the article, “Royal Clinical Medical Record
Analyst / RN - Registered Nurse,” a registered nurse must “be
prepared to produce an outline of time spent; organizing a chart
for review, gathering documents pertaining to the record as
needed, research as indicated.” In other words, a Registered
Nurse must have the ability to write routine reports and talk
about it in front of members of the health teams. Mrs. C said
that she had to everyday write reports about her patients’
illness, how they were feeling, and the types of medicine they

took. After that she had to report it to the juries.
· If the quote needs explanation, be sure to explain it and
connect it to the idea in the paragraph.

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