Genres in Technical / Professional Writing

The primary elements of technical / professional writing genre used during my internship are that of a City Code book. A City Code book is organized in a manner that is conducive to productivity for those using it. It is a professional item, that uses legalese to convey to all residents those rules that everyone in town must follow. Although the City Clerk and Mayor will be the primary users of this book, it is available for anyone to view, so it must be written in a way that all can understand.

This genre works in my specific professional context at my internship site because it gives the city's residents guidelines that they must follow. These guidelines assist in keeping the community orderly, and in the event that something is amiss, the City Clerk has something tangible to reference for enforcement issues. 



Other professional contexts in which this genre might be used would be code books for law enforcement and dress codes for school or work. This genre of technical / professional writing would vary based on codes being enforced, the size of the company or organization writing the code, and the audience that will be using them. 

Training for my future

The first job I looked into was for a company called The Fountain Group. The Fountain Group is a staffing agency that places potential employees with "prominent clients." This particular add list the following necessary qualifications:Technical Writer / Communication Specialist with SharePoint experience.
Not a SharePoint Developer or Administrator but a candidate that has a good working knowledge of SharePoint and knows the ins and outs.
Experience Required: MS Office, SharePoint, Business Comm., Web based tools. Of these qualifications I was unfamiliar with SharePoint, so I looked up some information on this.
I found a couple of websites that would be helpful in obtaining the information I would need to be able to have a basic knowledge of SharePoint. SharePoint seems to work much like Google Docs. Added features to this program would be the ability to pull in information from across the company; however, as they are not looking for an administrator, but someone that has working knowledge this system looks to be a quick pick up with a few tutorials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s12Jb5Z2xaE

and

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/sharepoint-2013-overview-collaboration-software-features-FX103789323.aspxhttp://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/sharepoint-2013-overview-collaboration-software-features-FX103789323.aspx

This website had by the far the most information, along with links to additional information to get a user started.

http://www.fastsharepoint.com/tutorials/WhatIsSharePoint


 ForceV Technologies is an IT technical staffing company. They are looking for a technical writer with the following qualifications:
• Hands-on technical writing and editing experience, with specific experience in documenting information technology software and systems.
• Knowledge of information gathering, planning, and organizing methods and principles.
• Experience with Current Desktop publishing tools.
• Experience with industries that are regulated and require documentation according to regulation.
• Strong understanding of document formatting and presentation techniques.

This one seems pretty straight forward, of course that is dependent on the desktop publishing program they are using. A list of the top 10 desktop publishing reviews can be found here:
http://desktop-publishing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

At the top of the list was PagePlus. This link takes the user to several YouTube videos describing different aspects of its program.

http://desktoppub.about.com/od/serif/tp/Serif-PagePlus-SE-Tutorials.htm 


Weatherford is a Swiss-based, multinational oilfield service and technology company. They are looking for a TECHNICAL WRITER II in the Houston, TX area. Requirements for this job are:

English Language-- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language, including the proper meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Software – Must be proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint) version 2010, Visio, Adobe Acrobat standard or professional 7.0 or higher, and Windows.
Communications and Media-- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform via written, oral, and visual media.

Computers and Electronics-- Knowledge of PC electronic equipment.

Reading/Writing Comprehension – Ability to read and understand written information in work related documents, and effectively communicate by written narrative.

Oral Comprehension/Expression – Ability to listen attentively and understand verbal information, as well as speak and communicate effectively.

Time Management – Ability to manage one’s own time and establish work priorities.

Active Learning-- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Critical Thinking-- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Complex Problem Solving-- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Speech – Ability to communicate and convey information where others may understand.

Knowledge of SharePoint 2010.

Again the links to SharePoint would be good to have, but for this tutorial I will be focusing on Visio. This is a program that helps organize complex data and create things like flow charts.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/

This quick tutorial shows users how to quickly set up a flow chart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GDDRholTsg

Benefits of Technical / Professional Writing

Jo Allen in "The Case Against Defining Technical Writing," believes that, "It strikes many as ironic - if not downright embarrassing - that a discipline that so frequently constructs definitions cannot muster one for its own enterprise." A technical writer just brings so many skills to the table that it is difficult to pin down a precise definition. Technical writers are trained in editing, writing, rhetoric, and various writing styles, most of which they have acquired from humanities classes. Although I have taken classes in advanced composition, I have learned just as much about style and clarity, if not more, from my technical writing classes.Technical writers also bring technology with them that cannot be overlooked such as the ability to operate a database, set up a website, or run a company blog.

In working in this office I have seen many instances where a technical writer from a humanities department could benefit the city. Already the transferring of the city code book into a word document has saved the city a minimum of $2500.00 for each reprint of the city code. The city could benefit greatly by having a technical writer on staff in many other ways as well. A technical writer could set up a webpage, maintain a blog in which council meeting minutes could be posted, forms could be revised for individuals in town with disabilities, and handouts could be made available for citizens to pick up instead of having to wait for copies to be made.The advantages of having a technical writer from a humanities program would be great.

Carolyn Miller in "What's Practical About Technical Writing?" says, "If technical writing is the rhetoric of 'the world of work,' it is the rhetoric of contemporary praxis." Rhetoric has been used in political documents from the beginning of the United States. The Declaration of Independence used rhetoric as a means to appeal to the colonists through ethical, logical, and emotional appeals, as well as with syllogisms. Although documents from the city would not be designed to throw off the yoke of a tyrant, the same appeals can be used to get citizens to conserve water, recycle, take pride in their town, and other numerous ways.

The city could benefit greatly from a technical writer's ability to get information out to the community by using technology and writing. Making city business more readily accessible to the citizens it serves would reduce misinformation and disgruntled citizens.

Sources

Allen, Jo. "The Case Against Defining Technical Writing." Writing in the Workplace. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Print.

Dorbin, David. "What is Technical About Technical Writing?" Print.
Millar, Carolyn. "A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing." Print.

Tebeaux, Elizabeth. "Let's Not Ruin Technical Writing, Too: A Comment on the Essays of Carolyn Miller and Elizabeth Harris."

---. "What's Practical About Technical Writing?" Print.

How Technical Writing Benefits You

How Technical Writing Benefits You

What is Technical Writing?

While some define technical writing as "writing that accommodates technology to the user" (Dorbin 118), that oversimplifies the field. Technical writers have expanded to take on responsibilities dealing with public relations and website management. A simple definition of Technical Writing cannot work because such a definition would exclude any service that doesn't fall into that definition (Allen 74), and the usefulness of a Technical Writing comes from their ability to accomplish a number of diverse and innovative problems.

Specifically in a Learning Center or Student Success Center, a Technical Writer accomplishes a variety of goals: We can department advertising. We can manage webpages. We can oversee company branding. We can run programs used by the department. We can type manuals for those programs. We can perform grant-writing. We can edit speeches and emails that will be heard/read by the public. We provide business and departments with whatever technology and language based needs our superiors need. Rather than being defined by what they can do, Technical Writers should be defined by the value they give their employers.

As you can see, the benefit of a Technical Writer comes from the Technical Writer's ability to make their employer appear more accommodating. While performing these various tasks for businesses, Technical Writers also use their skills to create an image for a business, making an employer's products and services straight-forward while also appearing user-friendly and inviting. With a Technical Writer, an employer receives both practical services and a partner in defining and marketing a company image for the public.

The Benefits of the Humanities

Occasionally, even in groups of Technical Writers, there is a stigma about the portion of a Technical Writing Degree that is made up of humanities courses. The traditional conflict is between the practicality of both business and science and the idealism inherent in the humanities. Since the late 1800's, this uneasiness has existed as individuals have been torn between whether colleges should be training their students for the work force or teaching them cultural awareness ("Practical" 65). But Technical Writing bridges the gap between practical and idealistic fields, using the study of both types to enhance the tasks Technical Writers perform.

I've spoken of how Technical Writers allow an employer to appear more accommodating, and this comes in part from Technical Writing's placement within the humanities at universities. While Technical Writing has a clear connection with the practical use of language - documenting information "clearly, correctly, and economically" (Tebeaux 822) - the humanity requirements of the Technical Writing degree allows Technical Writers to understand the society and communities they are writing to ("Humanistic Rationale" 22). Someone who does the work of a Technical Writer must be able to balance being clear and concise while also understanding the audience that we work in.

While examining the statistics of Missouri Southern State University's Student Success Center, I realized that the Center's services are used by several ESL students. That same semester, I was assigned the task of writing a program manual for the center that would be used by both administration and students alike. Because of my awareness of the audience's demographics, I knew that I had to write in a style that would appeal to the administration while also being clear and accommodating to ESL students who would need to use the manual. My work on the manual was informed by the practical application of ESL friendly "International English," but it was also informed by my knowledge of what the administration and student body both needed and expected from the manual, a task fit only for someone with both practical training and a humanist background.

Allen, Jo. "The Case Against Defining Technical Writing."

Dorbin, David. "What is Technical About Technical Writing?" 

Miller, Carolyn. "A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing."

---. "What's Practical About Technical Writing?"

Tebeaux, Elizabeth. "Let's Not Ruin Technical Writing, Too: A Comment on the Essays of Carolyn Miller and Elizabeth Harris."