Read this entire document before you begin the assignment.
One of the resumes you produced for the first portfolio assignment has caught the eye of your target employer, and you have been offered the job. As part of your new position, you are given a budget to purchase a computer for your new job.
Select one of the positions you applied for in for the first assignment. With a $3,500 budget, you must purchase a computer system (hardware and software) which will aid you in performing the duties and responsibilities which will come with your new job.
In shopping for your system, you might consider all opportunities: sales through the web, magazines, etc. Your system should be complete and able to work on its own. It should also include the software you need to do your work!
In a Microsoft Word document (2 pages in length, 10 or 12 pt type, 1.5 line spacing, and margins of no more than an inch):
Next in a Microsoft Excel document, itemize your purchases and their prices. (Be certain to include the total amount you spent, and the difference between that and your budgeted amount.) Miscellaneous costs such as taxes and shipping should be fully accounted for. This document should be formatted neatly, following the guidelines for making spreadsheets more readable outlined in Chapter 12 of The Better Way. Also, totals should be performed using the tools available in Excel. You may think of this document as EITHER an invoice specifying what items are to be purchased, or as a detailed representation of a receipt. (Please note that for "bundled" or "packaged" deals it is sufficient to list what is contained in the bundle, and the price for the overall package. You do not necessarily have to place a price next to each and every item in the package.)
The final part of this assignment is your Self Assessment (SA). The Self Assessment is about a page long Word document, and you are expected to elaborate on a few positive things, a few negative things (e.g., "learning moments" or mistakes to be avoided in the future), and some interesting things (e.g., expected or unexpected happenings, insights into the subject, new areas of curiosity) that occurred as you completed the assignment.
Think about the process you followed before you write the SA, and you may want to use the STAIR problem-solving steps to help yourself organize your actions and thoughts. It might help to keep a journal on a separate sheet of paper as you do this assignment to list the STAIR steps, tools, techniques, and repetitions of steps so you can remember them later.
Turn in all three parts with the second portfolio submission on the last day of class (Octboer 21st). Print your spreadsheet twice, once with and once without formulas visible (use the Formulas checkbox on the Tools->Options->View tab).