Reflection:

EES Outcome and Artifact: Information management is an essential employability skill that is demonstrated in the following artifact. I have selected my Microsoft Office Specialist Certificates for Word and PowerPoint. These certifications demonstrate my ability to use both Word and PowerPoint to create, organize, format, and present information professionally.

Self Assessment: I assess my information management abilities as Competent. I am extremely comfortable using Microsoft Word and Excel to complete everyday tasks, projects and presentations.  Completing these certificates helped me strengthen my ability to use the programs more effectively.

The Artifact - Successes and Challenges: The biggest success was completing the certification tests for both programs on my first try, with ease. I could use both programs effectively and accurately. Through testing, I worked with various features and tools to format different types of documents, organize information, and create professional presentations. I am very proud of my certifications because they demonstrate my ability to use software used every day in academic and professional environments. One challenge I faced was becoming familiar with features I do not commonly use. I was able to overcome this by practicing and reviewing their uses for the certification exam. By the time the exam came around, I was comfortable with all the required tools and features, even though I do not use them regularly.

New Learning: Getting these certifications taught me that information management is not simply storing information or knowing how to use a computer. The way the information is organized is important; it needs to be easy to understand and accessible to everyone who may read it. Becoming efficient in advanced features of these programs also improves the quality and efficiency of the work.

Future Impact: Information Management is a skill I practiced repeatedly to gain these artifacts. This skill is essential not only in my academic career but in my professional career as a medical office administrator. As an office administrator, I am likely to work with and create documents, presentations, records and other workplace documents. I plan to continue expanding my knowledge of Microsoft Office programs by using these tools daily and completing another Microsoft Excel certification exam. These certifications have strengthened my confidence and my ability to manage multiple sources of information using technology. This will also give me the opportunity to produce professional, organized work in several formats in the future.