Training for the Future

I feel privileged to have undergone my education at Pitt State. Our English department is small enough that we students always feel we have a voice, yet it is diverse enough that we can benefit from collaborating with students of different emphases (Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, Creative Writing, and, of course, Technical Writing). Our professors seem to have taken both of these factors into account as they have prepared us to enter the workforce. My own Technical Writing professors, for example, have encouraged my fellow Tech Writers and me to embrace rather than reject the perspectives of our non-Tech Writing classmates. By sharing their own values and experiences with us, as well as the perspectives they have gained from progressive pedagogical articles such as Johndan Johnson-Eilola’s “Relocating the Value of Work: Technical Communication in a Post-Industrial Age," Sherry Southard’s “Interacting Successfully in Corporate Culture,” and Emily Soplinsky’s “Survival Skills for Communicators within Organizations,” our professors have helped us to understand the importance of collaboration, as well as the benefits of interdisciplinary cooperation. These skills will help us to not only find a place in the workforce, but also to promote those same values within that workplace.

For this final internship assignment, I have found three job listings that interest me as potential career possibilities. The listings I have found range from that of a Public Affairs Specialist to a Writing Consultant to a Linguistic Cryptologist. Each of these positions strikes me as a career path I may wish to pursue after graduation, and each requires a slightly different skill set.

To be a Public Affairs Specialist for the U. S. Department of Justice, candidates must be able to research, collect, and write over various office-specific programs and procedures. For the specific listing I have found, candidates must also be able to write and edit press releases, manuals, pamphlets, handouts, and other informative public documents. At this point in time, I feel well-equipped to handle such tasks, though I recognize that I would need to learn more about the specific department for which I would be applying (in this case, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys). A good portion of this information would have to be learned on-site. However, I could prepare to an extent by studying the Department of Justice and Executive Office’s websites. I could also collaborate with my law student acquaintances in order to better understand what to expect of the interview process and the job itself. Fortunately, my experience as a Writer’s Slate intern has helped me become a more competitive candidate in that the final product of our publication—the three editions I helped to create—are available online. These published editions demonstrate that I have at least two semesters’ worth of experience in the online publication process.

The Writing Consultancy position to which I referred is not a job listing that I discovered online. In fact, it is an opportunity that has been brought to my attention by a close acquaintance. Should I pursue this position (the specifics of which I am not at liberty to divulge), I will be able to offer a competitive resume in that my experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant has prepared me for handling a similar set of responsibilities. My time as both a GTA and a Slate intern has helped me to develop skills that writing consultancy calls for: proofreading, editing, offering constructive criticism, and delivering said criticism in a supportive and encouraging manner. In order to fully prepare for this position, however, I would need to expand my knowledge base to incorporate common topics and writing styles that are expected of those I would be consulting. Specifically, I would need to revisit the writing styles of APA and Chicago. In order to do this, I would likely start with the Purdue OWL website for APA, and the Chicago Manual of Style for Chicago. Each of these styles is familiar to me but not comfortably stored in my knowledge base, like MLA style is. In order to work toward a higher level of comfort with APA and Chicago, I would start with the two resources I have listed. 

Finally, the position of a Linguistic Cryptologist for the U.S. Navy has caught my interest. In order to meet the needs of this position, candidates must be excellent communicators through both oral and written mediums. They must also be detail-oriented and interested in intercultural communication. Once hired, candidates are expected to undergo intensive language training in one or more of the core languages listed. Despite my bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Communication, I would definitely want to use my available educational resources in order to better prepare for this intensive language training. Fortunately, I am a member of our university’s online language program, Mango Languages. I would start training in one of the specialty languages using this Rosetta Stone-like program. Of course, this position is not solely based on knowledge of foreign languages, and my time as a Slate intern would help to make me a more competitive applicant. My Slate experience (along with my overall education in Technical Writing and Editing) would help to show that I am able to communicate with people of many different cultures, backgrounds, and demographics; to write in a variety of different styles; and to cater my manner of communication in order to meet the needs of my audience.

Sources

Johnson-Eilola, Johndan. "Relocating the Value of Work: Technical Communication in a Post-Industrial Age."

Soplinsky, Emily. "Survival Skills for Communicators within Organizations."

Southard, Sherry. "Interacting Successfully in Corporate Culture."

From Schoolroom to Workroom

The Writers’ Slate is a small online publication that was created to promote an interest in reading and writing in children and young adults. For my position as a Slate intern, I have contributed to this mission by working alongside the Slate’s new editor, Dr. Franklin. Since our team is extremely small, the title of “intern” encompasses a wide variety of responsibilities. Dr. Franklin appoints one intern each year, and so that intern must be able and willing to act as assistant editor, designer, and communications coordinator all in one.

 

In order to be a successful intern for this publication, candidates must be interested in fostering a love of reading and writing in younger generations. They also must be innovative, have strong interpersonal communications skills, and be punctual in meeting deadlines. They should be self-reliant problem-solvers, but able to recognize when to ask for help. Since this publication is small and education-oriented, a desire to learn is the most valuable skill a Slate intern can demonstrate. 

Candidates must also be able to communicate clearly and professionally with a wide variety of recipients, especially former Slate interns (as needed), Slate editors and publishers, and young writing contestants and their guardians. They may have to communicate through several mediums, such as face-to-face, telephone, and email. No matter the medium or conversational recipient, candidates should keep in mind the lesson Linda Driskill teaches in her article “Understanding the Writing Contexts in Organizations”: namely, that today’s ever-advancing technology and ever-expanding intercultural population call for empathy, understanding, and adaptation when communicating. Here at the Slate we receive submissions from students of all ages from all across the nation. Communicating with such a variety of people (whether you are delivering a simple “congratulations” email or inquiring for further information to include in the publication), calls for patience, persistence, and understanding. For students and guardians who speak English as a second language, experience writing in Global English is a plus.

On a similar note, candidates should understand and respect the Slate’s hierarchy. In this regard, the Slate’s small team is beneficial; interns work closely with their editor and generally require little direct communication with other supervisors or publishers. However, no matter the intimacy of the team, it is always important to find the balance between informality and professional tone and respect, as Chris Anson and Lee Forsberg remind us in their article “Moving Beyond the Academic Community: Transitional Stages in Professional Writing.” In many ways, the tasks that interns perform for the Slate are similar to assignments they may complete in Technical Writing and Document Design courses in school. Unlike the academic community, however, the Slate should be treated as a professional workplace. If nothing else, developing these professional habits will benefit interns if and when they are integrated as part of a larger team in the future. As Susan Katz reminds us in her article “A Newcomer Gains Power: An Analysis of the Role of Rhetorical Expertise,” new hires cannot predict how they will be treated in their new work environments. However, practicing professional communication in a safe and intimate work environment such as The Writers’ Slate will help interns to feel welcome and “gain power” in less familiar work settings more quickly.

Finally, it is preferred that candidates have experience or at least interest in document design, especially using Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Fortunately, this publication is extremely encouraging of experimenting with new skills and ideas, so for those who, like me, have little design experience going in, they will be encouraged and supported by their supervisors if they are willing to put in the extra time to learn.

Sources

Anson, Chris, and Lee Forsberg. “Moving Beyond the Academic Community:  Transitional Stages in Professional Writing.”

Driskill, Linda. “Understanding the Writing Contexts in Organizations.”

Katz, Susan. “A Newcomer Gains Power:  An Analysis of the Role of Rhetorical Expertise.”