Contributions to my
qualifications
My internship has contributed to my qualifications as a
technical writer by giving me lots of “real world” experience. I have been able
to practice creating documents for other users, including instructional
documents, created promotional materials such as a flyer, gained experience
editing, as well as valuable experience for any type of job in communicating
with others. I was able to practice communicating in different forms and with
different people to accomplish tasks from communicating back and forth with
authors about their documents to communicating and collaborating with my
supervisor for the internship to set goals and timelines for tasks to be
accomplished. Though all the other experience I have gained during this
internship is important and valuable to me as a I go out in search of a
position after graduation, having the proven ability and experience of strong
communication skills and the ability to work individually or as a member of a
group is a very big plus to have on my resume.
Other skills and abilities I may need to develop are likely
going to include becoming more comfortable with graphic software, especially
the most popular ones like Photoshop and InDesign. Though I already have a
working knowledge of these programs, I would like to be even better versed in
using them and knowing what they are capable of. Most of any other
qualifications I will need seem to be company-specific in most of the job
postings I have seen; for example, I saw a job posting for a technical writer
at Garmin, but they specifically needed someone with knowledge of aviation and
aviation mechanics to write instructional manuals for their aviation GPS units.
Several positions for technical writers I have seen are similar in the
requirements for highly specific knowledge of a certain field. Regardless of
how specific the information is, all technical writers need to be able to write
in a manner that makes the material accessible and user-friendly. In order to
do this, future employees will need to listen to the way people communicate and
interpret language in order to fit into a corporate environment (Southard 85).
Job #1
The first job I researched was a proposal writer for
Perceptive Software (a Lexmark company).
Specific job duties will include:
• Writing
– Provide responses to RFP requirements based on product knowledge, research
and knowledge of the prospect gained via the RFP or from the sales team.
• Editing
– Edit other writers’ work for content, tone, accuracy, key messages and win
themes.
• Proofreading
– Proofread outgoing RFPs and collateral as needed to eliminate typos,
grammatical errors and formatting issues.
• Research
– Possess an understanding of technical topics and be able to independently
research and comprehend technologies to provide accurate and thoughtful RFP
responses.
• Project
Management – Work closely with proposal managers, proposal writers, knowledge
managers and account executives among others, to ensure all content is
delivered accurately and on time. Manage the resources needed to guarantee
compelling deliverables.
This job requires, at a minimum, the following skills:
• Possessing
a high degree of comfort writing about, reading about and discussing technical
subjects relating to software and hardware, such as client/server technology,
TCP/IP communications, browsers, electronic file formats, storage media,
operating systems and hardware platforms.
• Effectively
narrating how enterprise technology products are used so that future customers
will clearly understand the scope of solutions Perceptive Software provides and
the positive impact those solutions will have on their business.
• Writing
quickly, accurately and concisely, and developing messaging for the most
critical aspects of each piece.
• Leading
cross-functional teams and around potential obstacles to get the details
necessary to ensure completeness and accuracy of all response content.
• Taking
an assignment from start to finish, getting help as needed, and delivering back
to the proposal project manager and account executive a close-to-completed work
that needs only minor editorial comment.
Additional duties as required.
Training Unit:
The training unit for this position would include writing
grant proposals, possibly learning the most effective ways to research topics
and other companies, and practice
writing in a narrative style.
Job #2
The second job I researched was a technical writing position
at JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Major
Responsibilities:
•
Tracks
and maintains business use cases, procedures, process maps, plans, and related
documentation to ensure timely review, revision, and posting in the Sharepoint
site.
•
Perform
or coordinate, as necessary, the technical editing of business use cases,
procedures, process maps, and any other required documentation to help ensure
clear, concise, accurate, and grammatically correct documents.
•
Create
and update existing job aids and website content as needed.
•
Maintain
a consistent look and feel throughout all documentation.
•
Copy,
edit and proofread all content.
•
Assure
information and approvals are archived for future needs and reference.
•
Work
cooperatively with key team members, clients and vendors.
•
Exceptional
communication and organizational skills.
•
Ability
to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
•
Extensive
knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
•
Experience
with Sharepoint or the ability to learn how to effectively use it.
• Proven ability to build consensus and work
effectively within a cross-departmental team.
Training Unit:
The training unit for this position would include learning
what Sharepoint is and how to use it, as well as extensive study of business
use cases, procedures, process maps, and any other required documentation.
Job #3
The third job I researched was as a technical writer for the
Norland Group.
Responsibilities include:
• accumulating
technical data and documentation, and presenting written assembly instructions.
• Interact
with engineering, management and production personnel to obtain accurate data
and information for document content.
• Strong
technical knowledge in the given field with a good grasp of technical
terminology.
• Organize
technical data to provide easily understood instructions to the user.
Required Skills:
• Framemaker
software– working knowledge
• Photoshop
software – working knowledge
• Industrial
process familiarity
• Process
knowledge/awareness
• ECN
system
Training Unit:
The training unit for this job would include learning how to
use Framemaker software as well as Photoshop software. I would also need to familiarize
myself with what the company does and what exactly they mean by “industrial
process familiarity.” I would also need to learn what an ECN system is and how
it operates. This is a position that seems to have job-specific knowledge and
jargon I would need to learn.
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 G. “Interacting Successfully in Corporate
Culture.”
No comments:
Post a Comment