I recently had a
student come in for writing tutoring, which was required by her instructor.
Despite the lack of a conclusion paragraph at that point, the paper was written
almost exactly as I would want my own paper to be written. A clear thesis,
strong arguments, organized, and flowing. I realized afterward that I would
have been better off referring her to another tutor, who might have been a
little more critical than I was. On the other hand, maybe she didn't really
need much help on that paper, and would not have come in but for the class
requirement.
At a subsequent
session with a different student, who wanted help with a cover letter, I
realized that I could only be so useful to him. I've written cover letters and
letters of intent before, but my assistance was limited to grammar
and a few issues with wording. After doing what I could in that regard, I told
him I'm not an expert in cover letters, and he would probably do well to visit
Career Services in the Student Services building, who can help with résumés and
cover letters.
Being able to
admit that someone else could be more useful is only half the battle. I was
fortunate enough to know about the resources at Career Services because of my
own experience there, which started with a career fair my freshman year. It's important to be aware of the other resources on campus. Sometimes this
awareness starts with exploring ASU's vast resources for yourself.
- John (Tutor; Tempe)
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