Genres in Technical/Professional Writing

When I began my career as a technical/professional writer, I didn’t think a typical technical/professional writing position would involve much creative work; that is, I assumed it would be mostly cut and dried manual writing. However, my internship with The Writers’ Slate has challenged that assumption, and I believe that has been beneficial for me. Outside of email correspondence with students who are being published and my supervisor, I do not write large chunks of text, nor do I create documents that scrutinized for their readability and accessibility; my primary job is to take the students’ work from the submission and transfer it into an online document that is easily accessible and not overly cluttered. Despite this, I use Millers’ genre of email writing quite often as it is my main form of correspondence; I also use a stylesheet, which relates to Barwashi and Reiff’s idea of a workplace genre because it is tailored specifically toward a person who knows how to manipulate the program it is used for.

The most important task for interns with The Writers’ Slate is correspondence with students who are being published and our supervisor. Because the students often forget certain bits of information that are required for publication (grade level, school location, etc.), I often have to reach out to those students in order to obtain that information. However, because I am working for an organization, it is essential that I follow a certain protocol when emailing them; this is where the typified rhetorical actions of emailing are important. In my experience, students often respond quickly and professionally when I email them asking for more information. I believe this is because of the level of professionalism that is established through the emails, especially because of the letterhead template a previous intern crafted. This letterhead creates a sense of importance and impresses upon the student that their work is important enough to receive an official acceptance letter or request for more information. If this information was asked for or sent via a plain email, it might not be as well-received.

As a result, a workplace genre is created; interns are able to view the style sheet, letterhead, and PDFs of previous editions of the Slate in order to create consistency and professionalism. Stylesheets are inherently workplace focused; a person must have knowledge of the project the stylesheet is written for, how to use the program it is necessary for, and how to use the information in the stylesheet to create a document that is recognized as being related to previously published documents. However, these impress the fluidity of the medium; because software is always developing, stylesheets can be updated to include information that is helpful in using new technology or implement new techniques, which creates a sense of constant change. According to Bawarshi and Reiff,

genres are dynamic because as their conditions change – for example because of changes in material conditions, changes in community membership, changes in technology, changes in disciplinary purposes, and values… -- genres must change along with them or risk becoming obsolete.

The Writers’ Slate is a good example of change in technical/professional writing. Since the first intern, Mr. Alex Shepard, took on creating the Slate, it has been allowed to evolve and adapt to each intern’s personal style; this is obvious in the contest edition. The last issue of the school year, the contest edition is the one in which interns are free to exercise their creative control. With our supervisor’s permission, we are able to add color, images, and change the layout of the publication as we see fit. Since it has become published via an online medium, this has changed the Slate immensely; it has the ability to add color images or imbed hyperlinks, a capability that is excluded from print publication. Throughout its lifespan with interns from Pittsburg State, The Writers’ Slate embodies the concept of change in order to avoid becoming obsolete.              

                Becoming familiar with technology and seeing first-hand how it can change a publication is essential for any technical/professional writer. Fortunately, my internship with The Writers’ Slate has prepared me for this and even encouraged my own changes to the journal as time has passed. It is also a lesson for technical/professional writers; exploring different genres and mediums in order to evolve is encouraged for our profession. Without the knowledge that I have gained in this internship, I feel as though I would be vastly underprepared in a future career, because it is entirely different to learn about change in a genre and having to actually implement and manipulate change yourself.

Works Cited

Bawarshi, Anis, and Mary Jo Reiff. "Rhetorical Genre Studies" and "Genre Research in Workplace and Professional Contexts."

Miller, Carolyn. "Genre as Social Action."

Defining Technical/Professional Writing

          A person from almost any field of academia could obtain a degree in professional writing, and finding a definition for a field with this amount of flexibility can prove to be a challenge. Many argue over the semantics and inflection of the term technical writing, with some focusing on the technical aspects while others focus more towards writing. As Jo Allen says, "...We cannot seem to agree on the parameters of the discipline" (70). I would argue that you cannot view these two parts of the term separately, but instead need to analyze them together. If you only analyze a single term, you are losing a great deal of context that makes the field of technical writing so dense for those who jump into it. Yes, you could choose to view the field as a specific and restricted form of writing, or as a technological form of writing, but this blanket statement takes away from the strengths of the field: cooperation.
          The field of technical writing the melding of two separate disciplines, one involving technology and the other involving humans. The technical aspects allows humans to go beyond simple literary and physical analysis, but the technology would be pointless without the human element of writing. As Carolyn Miller said in regards to Aristotle's notions that science is beyond human intentions and emotions: "The most uncomfortable aspect of this non-rhetorical view of science is that it is a form of intellectual coercion: it invites us to prostrate ourselves at the windowpane of language and accept what Science has demonstrated" (18). Science and technology do play large roles in the technical writing field, but classifying technical writing as exclusively technology, as per David Dobrin, is undercutting the limits of human knowledge and understanding. On the reverse, however, simply having humans write would not classify a piece of technical writing. This bare necessity would more than likely just classify as writing, or possibly literature. Technology gives extra tools to those who choose to write technically, and human imagination and emotion gives shape to this cold technology while putting forward information in a context where it can be understood by a mass audience.
          My internship with Integrity Home Care and Hospice provides a unique perspective into this notion of balance between the technical and the biological. To put it bluntly, a computer with the right programs and processing power could do the entirety of my job. I take numbers from one system, combine them with numbers of another system, and then put forward the final results into a sheet that will be sent up the chain to people with more power than myself. However, a computer that would be capable of this feat would not be able to understand what it's doing. I understand that my information is being translated to be interpreted, and as such I can manipulate formatting, add images, and otherwise follow common elements of style in order to present the information to people who can then understand it and spread it. A computer would simply layout the information as cleanly as possible in several rows of 0s and 1s, and a human by themselves wouldn't be able to handle this level of information on such a large scale or on such a short time frame. Beyond moving and presenting data, I also write instructional materials on these processes. These manuals are designed for those with no knowledge of the processes, and are geared for those who will follow me in my position so that I don't have to physically train them. Computers do not have this awareness, and certainly couldn't create a training manual geared towards an audience. It's a weird symbiotic relationship between man and technology that makes technical writing unique, and that is why people from both a technological and a humanities background can succeed as professional and technical writers.

Defining Technical/Professional Writing

          Defining technical/professional writing is not an easy task, as demonstrated by the countless arguments that have resulted in several definitions. From narrow to broad, there is no single term that can pin down what exactly technical/professional writing can mean. Davin Dobrin defines technical writing as “writing that accommodates technology to the user,” but fails to note that not all technical writing requires technology—if it did, we would not have countless historical documents that existed long before modern technology. He also states that “technical writing is writing about a subject in the pure sciences or the applied science in which the writer informs the reader through an objective presentation of facts.” However, because my internship deals strictly with the publication of fiction works, it is difficult to apply that definition to it as well. In fact, I believe that while technical/professional writing does include some part of those definitions, it also limits the definition. Rather, I feel that a quote by Carolyn Miller in What’s Practical About Technical Writing provides the field with a definition that provides it the flexibility that it needs. She says, “Technical writing, the rhetoric of the world of work.” I believe this works the best because every profession needs the ability to communicate concisely, objectively, and professionally—a skill necessary to every profession.

          Because technical/professional writers possess a myriad of skills, they are invaluable in the workplace. From manual writing, to copyediting, to grant writing, technical/professional writers can adjust to nearly any work demands and produce results that the business needs. My internship with The Writers’ Slate can serve as an example of this. As assistant editor, I play many roles in the publication of each edition. First and foremost, I work with Professor Franklin on the fall and winter editions to choose works for publication. In this role, I act almost like a publisher to choose works that are best suited for our journal. After this, I shift toward a more secretarial role; I draft acceptance and conditional acceptance letters to send out to students whose work we have chosen. The step where my technical skills come more into play is the actual crafting of the journal. In order to craft it, I have to format, edit, and compile all the documents from students into the page layout software InDesign. While this is a typical skill for professional writers to possess, it is one of the least-involved parts of the internship and perhaps the easiest, because I only work with the technology at that point—there is no need to interact with students in order to ensure all the work is there.

          My overarching point is that it is important not to discount a humanities degree because all of these roles come together and function because of my experience in the humanities department. Most importantly, having this degree in the English department is important because I have to maintain an understanding of the English language—from grammar to punctuation rules—in order to effectively do my job. I also am familiar with research as an English major and have been able to research more effective tactics for implementing technology into the journal. Although other disciplines might be familiar with research as well, it provides professional writers a distinct advantage when coupled with an intimate knowledge of the language. Most importantly, being in the humanities department has been extremely advantageous for me as a Writers’ Slate intern because I have been able to more effectively choose good submissions from students, which has afforded me the opportunity to discuss and debate with Professor Franklin. Without this, I would not have been able to learn as much as I have from the internship.

Sources:

Dobrin, David "What's Practical About Technical Writing?"

Miller, Carolyn R. “What's Practical About Technical Writing?"

Training for the Future

As my time at Pittsburg State University comes to an end, I have started thinking about possible career opportunities.  Completing this internship has allowed to me develop skills that will be very useful in my career field.  The following job descriptions are all positions that I would be interested in.

            The first position that I found was a Managing Editor for World Grain.  World Grain is a magazine based in Kansas City and it is the leading business publication covering the international grain flour milling, and feed industries.  The managing editor contributes to and helps oversee the workflow of World Grain and its website.  As managing editor, I would write and edit articles, work with the design staff to ensure a quality presentation, coordinate communication between staff, and develop and maintain relationships with readers and advertisers.  This job also has the potential to travel.  In order to be successful, I would need to have knowledge of grain, flour milling, and feed industries.  In order to gain that knowledge, I would need to do research on this topic.  Reading their magazine would be the first step.   I would also need strong organizational and multi-tasking skills.  My college education really allowed me to develop me skills in this area, so that is not something that I would really need to work on.  After attending the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver, I think I would be very prepared for this job description.

            Another job position that I found is an Editorial Director at Andrews McMeel.  Andrews McMeel is located in Kansas City and they are known for cutting-edge comics and best-selling humor, cookbook, puzzle, and children’s books.  As an Editorial Director, I would acquire, develop, and edit books, direct the editorial team, collaborate with other teams and editors, and provide leadership.  In order to be successful in this job, I would need to develop my leadership qualities.  I could do this by taking a leadership class at Johnson County Community College or I could do some research and read helpful books.  I will also need excellent knowledge of current digital and print book production and design procedure.  I believe that after attending the Denver Publishing Institute, I will have all of the necessary skills for this job posting.

            The last job posting that I found was a Publishing Assistant at Greenleaf Book Group, which is located in Austin, Texas.  Greenleaf Book Group is dedicated to helping authors take their ideas and make them a reality.  They have over 35 New York Times and Wall Street Journal best sellers and award-winning editorial and design.  As a publishing assistant, I would manage the front desk and phone system, manage office meetings, and assist teams with projects.  In order to be successful, I will need strong writing and verbal skills, which I definitely acquired during my time at Pittsburg State University.   I will also need strong Microsoft Office skills, which I am also good at, but I will need to improve my skills with Excel because that is that one that I use the least.  While this job may not be exactly what I want to do, I think it would be a good way to get my foot in the door.

            Overall, all of these places have positions that I would be interested in applying for.  They will all provide me with good experience and they will be good stepping-stones for my career.  I truly believe that Pittsburg State University prepared me for me future endeavors and I can’t wait to see where I end up.

Training for the Future

Finishing up my internship, I have truly enjoyed every minute of applying what I learned in class to the real world. This experience has stimulated my interest in the subject and I wish to continue on to learn more about the field beyond just my minor requirements. I still have a year left of college and I believe that my business degree with majors in International Business and Marketing beautifully compliment Technical Writing. When looking for jobs, I searched with three things in mind: local, within the states, and employment overseas.

The first company I immediately searched for was Unilever. I love their innovative mission statement. They continuously sets out to find better ways of implementing greener and ethical business practices that benefits people and the environment. They have an internship opening as an Artwork Production Specialist in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In the "Relocating the Value of Work: Technical Communication in a Post-Industrial Age" article, it talks about how professionals today come from many disciplinary backgrounds. I agree when it comes to this position, which requires wearing multiple hats. I would work in teams that control multiple brands and come up with marketing strategies for different countries. I would create reports on the progress of these products, do business consultation with vendors, and be a marketing partner. Working at Krimson Kultuur, it as taught me to multi-task and combine all of my disciplines by interacting with customers, working with a limited budget, and creating documents or web layouts that would showcase our business events and quarterly reports. This description hit the jackpot in terms of fulfilling all of the criteria I look for in a job.

A job as a Customer Marketing Manager is located much closer to home. This job is in Bentonville, Arkansas and it focuses on working with the Millennial Market Segment (younger adults). I would be collaborating with other department teams to create program manuals and implement campaigns to target this group.This job does not mention technical writing specifically but it does require excellent writing skills. There is argument in whether this field is undervalued because of its modern practice of focusing on format over purpose of the work of a Technical Writer (Johnson-Eilola, p. 6). In my experience, I have learned that it takes both. It is important to make the work look professional and, at the same time, keeping the customer's (audience) opinion in mind. I believe that is a crucial factor to understand and adopt as a Technical Writer.

Lastly, there is a job opening in Burbank, California as a Professional Proposal Writer for the Proposals and Business Development corporation. This position will be dealing more in the Local, State, and Federal Government realm. I would be researching, writing, and editing within the Licensure: Certification Division. This job blends really well with my marketing major. I carry experience in researching, analyzing data, and applying those statistics in my reports. I believe it would be a very satisfactory job to do. However, I would like to have more practice with copyediting before I go into a job that demands it daily like this one. Overall, I would still take the challenge. My knowledge gained in Technical Writing has only been reinforced and strengthened in my time as an intern at Krimson Kultuur. I only hope that my future experiences can create new challenges and opportunities to apply this useful field in other aspects of my professional career.

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

Training for the Future

Completing the Technical/Professional Writing program has prepared me for jobs/careers in the related field; although, in many courses, I found that some of the skills I've acquired are desirable or needed in multiple fields. For example, in Advanced Technical Writing I learned the art and rhetoric of Global English. Global English is a genre of writing that condenses the English language to commonly used words. Global English is important for many international corporations. I found a job application for the Department of Homeland Security that specified for the employee to be knowledgeable in Global English. Although the title of the position was International Communications Specialist, students from the program can apply to this position with adequate qualifications. Working for the Department of Homeland Security provides multiple benefits and job security. Aside from international and immigrant focused communication, students in the program will learn other marketable skills such as project management.
Johndan Johnson-Eilola’s statement in “Relocating the Value of Work: Technical Communication in a Post-Industrial Age” claims that technical communicators aren’t always seen as the managers of entire projects, but specific parts that are added on to the primary product or goal; however, from the job descriptions I’ve research, this statement is not entirely accurate. In a recent job listing for Pitsco Education in Pittsburg, KS, being the lead of a project is exactly what the company is looking for. The job application (link here: https://www.myinterfase.com/gorillas/Job/Detail/V2xmdkliQzFIV0VVbThJUEFlN0JoUDlaUjZGc2lHYWY3NVB4Y21OQWdQST01) describes the job as a lead position. The company is looking for a lead manager/role in order to help the company with big editing projects and software packets. Basically, technical editors do a lot more than just check for grammar and punctuation mistakes. Skills that students acquire from editing encapsulate what it means to create a clear and concise document. Knowing how to effectively work well with others is also a big part of editing. Editors must be able to communicate directly and firmly their terms and agreements. If they over-edit or under-edit a document, tensions could spark and harmony among employees could alter. Therefore, students don’t need to prepare for just practical knowledge and abilities, but they should prepare for social and business professional relationships.
Another job offer I found was for Leading Educators of America based in Kansas City. Their position required someone who could lead the department of communication in certain campaigns, brochures, pamphlets, and educational packets. Again, the job posting did not specifically mention “technical writing,” however, many of the same skills and abilities a tech writer obtains, a communication specialists contains as well. If there’s one thing I took away from my Internship and experience at with the program, it would be that many skills often merge together from business to communication to English to tech writing.   Ultimately, students going into the workforce should prepare for three main factors:  adaptation, social harmony, and a comprehensive knowledge. In any job, adaptation is necessary, especially if things go wrong or policies change. Social harmony is important for all tech writing positions, especially in the editing sector. Without a harmonious work environment, companies have a hard time building long lasting trust with their employees that ultimately factor into production rates. Comprehensive knowledge is important for professional writers because so many other skills sets can merge with ours. From my internship and time at Pittsburg State University, I have studied these three training units that have prepared me for the workforce after graduation. PreviousNext

Training for the Future

With my senior year coming to an end, I have started the great job hunt. I will be moving to Las Vegas, NV immediately after graduation, so I have been trying to locate Technical Writing jobs available in the area. The three jobs that I have described below are all positions I am very interested in. They are located in Nevada, Illinois, and Texas. Having just finished my internship I feel that I am ready to step into any role that could be asked of me at these jobs.

The first company is Scientific Games, located in Las Vegas, NV. They are a technology company that specializes in lottery, casino, and online gambling software. They are looking for a full-time technical writer and only asking for one year of internship experience. The only one year of experience really surprised me because all of the other jobs I have found are asking for three plus years of experience. I did apply for this job because the description and company information interested me greatly. I think that with my degree in technical writing and my minor in computer information systems would be extremely helpful and useful for this job. I would also enjoy helping to create software manuals that would be used regularly and help with a product that is in high demand especially in Las Vegas.

The second company is a manufacturing company out of Lake Zurich, IL. They are looking for a full time Technical Writer to help with the product manuals and also the manuals used on the factory floor. I think that this job would be interesting and a place I could grow in my abilities. It is not with a software company like I originally set out looking for but I still think that it would be an interesting environment to work in and new for me. I enjoy new and challenging. Something that is a little different about this job is that it is an hourly full time position. This isn’t unusual for a technical writer to be paid hourly but it is kind of unusual that it is a full time position and not a part-time/contractor position. That would be a question I would ask during an interview, would it be a regular nine to five job or are the hours set different because it is hourly.

The third and final job I found is with a company called DISYS, which is an IT consulting service located in Fort Worth, TX. The company is looking for a full time Technical Writer to help create document templates, write work instructions, and help analyze existing and new documents. This is a computer company which I am interested in because it helps me implement my minor. However, this job does not come with job security because it is a one year trial bases hire. I feel like I could prove myself and show what an asset I could be to the company in that year but it is still fairly nerve wrecking.