Training for the Future

Being a student at Pittsburg State University has provided me with various opportunities to enhance my skill as a technical writer. Specifically as a technical writing student, I have been equipped with a variety of skills and learned a great deal about the technical aspects of technical/professional writing, such as language usage. However, my internship has awarded me an experience that is much more applicable to a real world setting. As Sherry Southard mentions in “Interacting Successfully in Corporate Culture”, “students need skills that will enable them to participate successfully and to make decisions even more than they need such skills to work successfully within older organizations.” My internship has provided me with just that. Through my game design internship under the Tech Writing director, I have had hands-on experience in managing an entire editing and production process. Unfortunately, as Johndan Johnson-Eilola details in his work, “Relocating the Value of Work: Technical Communication in a Post-Industrial Age,” technical communicators aren’t always seen as managers of the entire process, but rather “as something to be added on to a primary product…added at the end of the project (with too little time or too few staff members), or perhaps omitted entirely.” Luckily, with my internship, I have had experience as more than just support. This will undoubtedly increase my value when I go on to pursue a career.

One of the three jobs that I was interested in is an Editorial Assistant at Prufrock Press in Austin, Texas. They are looking for someone to assist with their books and classroom materials editors. Candidates for this job must possess strong editing and communication skills, be able to meet deadlines, and be comfortable with learning APA style. My internship, in conjunction with my education at Pitt State, have prepared me well for this, but I could prepare for this position by studying the APA style guide. I have had to learn to use multiple style guides in various classes, so this should not be difficult. To do so, I would likely by looking at the Purdue OWL website and buying an APA style guide. Additionally, I have learned and exercised my editing skills through my classes and my internship. In my internship, I was tasked with editing all of the text-based elements of the game, checking for consistency and correctness. Furthermore, my experience with the Cow Creek Review will also enhance my skills for this job. By working as an editor for a literary magazine, I will not only have editing experience, but publishing experience as well.

Another job that I found is a Content Editor for the Blue Monday Review in Kansas City, MO.  They are looking for someone to read, edit, and evaluate work submitted to their literary magazine. This person will read and evaluate 10-20 submissions a week. This position did not call for many qualifications, but, similar to the Prufrock Press position, I would be well-suited for this role because I have had editing experience in my internship and classes. Furthermore, I have worked on a literary magazine, so I understand how the editing and selection process works for a literary magazine. To further prepare for a position such as this, I could spend more time working for the Cow Creek Review. Additionally, I could also apply for a writing consultant position at my university’s Writing Center.

A third job I found is an Assistant Managing Editor at Allen Press, Inc. in Lawrence, KS. This company specializes in scholarly journal and special-interest publication production. Skills for this position include keeping track of manuscripts and reviews, working with Copyediting Coordinators to maintain proper style, assembling publications, and communicating with authors. For this position, my internship has assisted because I have had to essentially manage an entire editing/publication process alongside my internship director and my co-intern. But I would need to gain more experience with managing the editing process. While I am familiar with the editing process, I could gain this experience by serving as the managing editor for the Cow Creek Review or becoming a managing editor for a volunteer publication. 

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."