Laura E. Clark

Phone: 248-760-2047

Email: Lauraesclark@gmail.com

Work Experience

Oakland Community College – ASC

English & English as a Second Language Writing Consultant

Auburn Hills, MI

09/2014-Present

Duties:

¨Offering critical feedback to English speaking and ESL college students on their writing assignments

¨Working with ESL students to understand their unique situations; helping to bridge the gap that hinders any abilities they have to easily write or communicate by using interpersonal and intercultural communication skills.

¨Editing for punctuation, grammar, structure, and syntax

¨Understanding the clients’ needs by listening and engaging with them; making sure they feel welcome

¨Helping the client to outline a best plan to help him or her achieve the desired end result

¨Providing a satisfactory experience to clients by being helpful and knowledgeable about questions they have

¨Helping with occasional computer-based research to help gain clients gain additional knowledge

¨Attending bi-yearly collaborative team trainings to help keep up with client needs and expectations

¨Greeting clients at the beginning and making sure that all questions have been answered at the end

¨Answering phones in the support center and scheduling client appointments

 

Self-Employed at Laura E. Clark, ALA, BA, Professional Writer

Metro Detroit, MI

09/2013-Present

Freelance Journalist, Writer/Private Writing Consultant, Editor of Personal Statements, Resumes, & other Misc. Projects

Duties:

¨Working with companies to query my work to any places with a need for specialty freelance articles

¨Working privately with clients who need specialized services in many different areas within the disciplines of writing and editing

¨Providing quick and timely service to customers

¨Keeping in touch with customers to keep an ongoing rapport going for any potential future projects

¨Advertising my services through different mediums

¨Sending customers invoices and tracking my financial earnings as a self-employed worker

¨Assisting students ages K-Adult in school assignments involving writing or editing (essay writing for school, college entrance essays, personal statements, research papers, dissertations, etc.)

¨Keeping up client relations with both the adults students who hire me, and with the parents of the kids I work with (i.e. making sure the customer is satisfied and has all his or her questions and needs met consistently)

 

Latcha + Associates      

Farmington, MI

06/2015-07-2015

Proofreader for Vera Bradley Account (Temp. Worker)

Duties:

¨Analyzing and marking the proofs of the catalog for the Vera Bradley Fall 2015 line

¨Checking for issues with grammar, punctuation, and aesthetic appeal (i.e. alignment, color consistency, etc.)

¨Providing excellent customer service to the client, including answering any questions or emails, or giving a prompt answer as to why a certain change was made

 

Guardian Liberty Voice

Royal Oak, MI

02/2014-8/2014

Staff Writer

Duties:

¨Generated articles spanning a wide variety of categories, including news, entertainment, food reviews, film reviews, business, science, and technology

¨Utilized WordPress for posts

¨Worked with SEO and Google Analytics to monitor article views by online readers

¨Ensured article and brand advertising by using social media as a content sharing tool

 

WDIV Local 4 – Click on Detroit

Detroit, MI

05/2013-08/2013

Online News Writer (Intern)

Duties:

¨Wrote original news stories and also generated breaking news stories from press releases, police reports, and AP wires

¨Published videos and other media (from the WDIV Local 4 news segments) online using Aurora and Anvato

¨Reported to the Managing Editor and Senior Online News Editor, who both acted as my assignment editors

¨Worked under tight deadlines

¨Attended the daily 9 a.m. newsroom meeting to debrief what our priorities were for the day

 

University of Michigan-Dearborn Writing Center

Dearborn, MI

06/2012-07/2013

Writing Consultant and Editor

Duties:

¨Instructed University students in editing and writing essays, personal narratives, research papers, personal statements, dissertations, etc.

¨Familiarized myself with the AP, MLA, APA, and Chicago styles of writing/editing

¨Offered practical and helpful advice to students to improve their writing skills in a friendly, non-intimidating setting

¨Attended bi-weekly meetings to give and get input from other consultants about the service being provided

 

The Michigan Journal

Dearborn, MI

06/2012-06/2013

News Editor (Paginator) and Staff Writer

Duties:

¨Managed and trained my own team of news writers

¨Recruited additional new writers regularly

¨Copy edited stories for grammar and punctuation

¨Assigned stories weekly to my team of writers and formed an initiative to change the news section’s appearance

¨Designed the news section of the paper (front 2-4 pages) using Adobe InDesign and Quark (before switching programs), watching for placement of text, photos, and how things looked overall, aesthetically

¨Wrote breaking news stories and editorials

¨Used WordPress for story publishing on the paper’s website as an avenue to attract readers

¨Worked under tight deadlines and quickly problem solved in often spontaneous and difficult situations

 

The News-Herald

Southgate, MI

05/2012-08/2012

News/Business/Arts & Entertainment Writer (Intern)

Duties:

¨Researched information for news stories and wrote news and feature stories on a wide variety of topics, including business, technology, arts and entertainment, and opinion

¨Conducted interviews with sources over the phone and in person, making sure to get accurate information

¨Blogged for the paper under the supervision of the News-Herald’s blog editor

¨Went out on the police beat, taking down the information from police reports at the stations and converting them into write-ups columns for the crime section

¨Worked collaboratively on a traffic construction report project for all of Downriver with another intern

¨Reported to the Editor-in-Chief and the business editor, respectively, who acted as my assignment editors

 

Blockbuster Video                                                                      

Rochester Hills, MI                

10/2008-07/2009

Sales Associate

Duties:

¨Worked the cashier, ringing customers up and informing them of due dates and potential fees

¨Encouraged customers to upgrade their memberships or to check out additional rentals

¨Stayed up to date and well informed on the current released in order to make recommendations when asked by customers

¨Spent time out on the floor filing movies and games back in place

¨Engaged in small talk with patrons to promote a welcoming retail environment and encouraged them to ask me questions

 

Hollywood Market                                                                    

Rochester, MI

11/2007-03/2008

Deli Counter Clerk

Duties:

Stocked the deli cases with salads and meats daily; prepared fresh food

Regularly cleaned floors, dishes, counters, appliances, and utensils used in food preparation

Often took multiple orders at once and served meats, cheeses, salads, and seafood to customers, making sure to guarantee that they were satisfied with their order before they left

Regularly asked the customers if they would like to add anything on to their orders, and often made a suggestion

Prioritized and maintained food and equipment safety in a place where things are often loud, busy, chaotic, and rushed

 

Party City                                                                                

Rochester Hills, MI

04/2007-10-2007

Customer Sales Associate

Duties:

¨Provided friendly customer service to people at the cash register, on the floor, and anywhere else they might need assistance

¨Attended team meetings to collaborate on and problem solve issues like Holiday rushes, being understaffed at times, etc.

¨Aided customers by answering phone calls and answering product-related questions

¨Took orders for product pick-ups such as balloons, costumes, bulk party goods, etc.

¨Displayed a knowledge of the company’s products and the locations of said products within the store when customers inquired

Education

The University of Michigan

Dearborn, MI

2013

Bachelor of Arts (With High Distinction)

Journalism and Screen Studies

Minor in Film Studies

Certificate in Writing

 

University of Paris IV: Paris-Sorbonne

Paris, France

2011

Certificate in French

 

Oakland Community College                                                         

Auburn Hills, MI

2011

Associate Degree (Cum Laude; With Honors)

Liberal Arts

 

Certifications

Oakland Community College

College Reading and Language Association (CRLA)

Auburn Hills, MI

2016

Institute for Brain Potential                                                      

Troy, MI

Claiming an Overactive Brain – Certificate of Completion                                                                             2016

The Habits of Happy People – Certificate of Completion                                                                              2014

Essence of Tranquility, LLC                                         

Romeo, MI

Master Reiki Practitioner Certification                                                                                                        2014

SALSA and CHIPS Leadership Seminar

Certificate of Completetion

Auburn Hills, MI

2011

Professional Accomplishments

VOLUNTEER WORK

Recovery Park (Branding, Crowd Funding, and Advertising Initiative Project for a Detroit Non-Profit)     2013

¨Clothes Closet (Organizing a neighborhood secondhand store for struggling families)                               2013

¨Gleaners Food Bank (Packaging food for needy families in Detroit and around the Detroit area)                2012

¨Rainbow Connection (Helping with secretarial work and to plan and coordinate summer events)              2007

HONORS & AWARDS    

¨Journalism/ Screen Studies Honors Scholar (one picked per year by faculty)                                            2013

¨Winner of UM-Dearborn Student Writing Contest – Creative Non-Fiction                                         2012

¨Recipient of the Richard Reynolds Memorial Scholarship for Achievement in Journalism            2012

¨Winner of Oakland Community College Student Essay Contest                                                                  2011

LEADERSHIP & EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

¨Member of Golden Key International Honour Society                                                                  2013-Present

¨Member of National Society of Leadership and Success                                                     2012-2013

¨Secretary of Tau Sigma National Honor Society                                                                  2012-2013

¨Contributor to Lyceum Fine Arts & Literary Journal (Photography section)                                     2012

¨Member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society                                                                                            2011

Professional Skills and Specialties

¨Blogging (WordPress, Blogger)

¨Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.)

¨Public Speaking

¨Microsoft Office

¨Pagination, Proofreading, and Layout Design (Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress)

¨Copy Editing (AP Style, copy editing courses)

¨Academic Sourcing Styles (MLA Style/APA Style/Chicago Style)

¨French Language (Intermediate Reading and Writing)

¨Newsroom sites and video publishing software: iNews, ibPushlish2, Anvato, Aurora, AP wires

¨Journalistic work reporting out in the field

¨Writing: News, travel, arts & entertainment, business, technology, business, science, and beat

¨Film and Media (documentary production, review writing, screen writing)

¨Writing Consulting (resume, college essay, personal statement, dissertation edits and critiques)

¨Health Care and specialty writing experience