jbacha – Page 3 – MEMORANDUM

Writing What You Don’t Know: Industrial Writing

warehouse — Birmingham has no shortage of industrial offices

By Cheyenne Taylor

As English majors, we are used to having to carve out our niches everywhere. Birmingham, though, holds many opportunities for writers, one of which many may not consider: industrial writing.

The booming steel age that gave the Magic City its name may have died down, but Birmingham is still home to many industries—like coal mines, steel mills, machine shops, construction companies, and more—that need some PR, too. These companies need writers to create trade magazine articles about their services and to write content for their websites.

But wait, you might say, I’ve never written for engineers! I don’t even know there was a difference between an Arc weld and a TIG weld; how am I supposed to write anything for heavy industry?

Conveyor Manufacturing Shop Put Yourself Out There!

Don’t turn down an opportunity to write for a field just because you haven’t written for it before—how else are you supposed to learn? While many companies will want to hire writers with specialized knowledge, many others are happy to have someone who knows how to communicate effectively in writing.

One great way to prepare is to create a portfolio; you don’t have to wait for a job to get a writing sample under your belt. Gather together some examples of writing you’re proud of. Then, when an opportunity comes along, you’ll have something to show your prospective employer, even if it doesn’t pertain to their exact industry or field.

Do Your Own Research

So you got the job—but how do you approach your new subject? Your employers are likely to provide you with much of the core, specific information you will need, but you may be unfamiliar with the tone to take, the level of formality needed or other particulars of writing for this field.

Trade magazines are a great way to get familiar with the type of writing you’ll need to do; try to find a few that focus on your employer’s industry and read through several articles to get a good feel for the approach you should take. A Google search or databases like WebWire’s Publications by Industry List can help.

Gathering information about audience, tone and length from the websites of companies that do similar work can also be very helpful, as long as you don’t plagiarize any content (which, of course, you know not to do). Tap into those skills you’ve gained through writing research papers; they’ll translate well!

Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out to the Experts

Sometimes you simply need to have a concept explained to you. Ask your employers to suggest some resources, and don’t be afraid to let them know when you don’t understand something fully. They want you to produce the best work possible, and that means they should be more than willing to walk you through how a product, machine or service works.

Sometimes you will go through multiple drafts with a member of the company just to get your verbs right or to describe a mechanism in just the right way. Don’t take anything personally. Be open, honest, and eager to learn about your employer’s industry (they’ll probably enjoy the opportunity to teach someone about what they do).

Writing on an unfamiliar subject can be daunting, but is a very rewarding experience. Challenging yourself in this way can open you up to many new paths and opportunities. Whether for heavy industry or another field you are unfamiliar with, keep these tips in mind and don’t be afraid to take on something new.

What Teaching Writing Taught Me

By Rebekah Kummer

two people analyzing a book — Image courtesy of Adobe Stock

Einstein said if you can’t explain a complicated concept in simple terms, you probably don’t understand it well enough yourself. This was the first thing I learned from teaching writing.

Understanding and accepting my own lack of knowledge is the necessary first step toward learning. Teaching writing taught me a lot about my own approach to writing, how much the writing process varies among student writers and the importance of being able to explain why students should care about writing.

Teaching Writing

I have tutored for two and a half years with Student Athlete Support Services and with the University Writing Center. I’ve encountered students across the spectrum of investment in writing.

Some understand that writing well is a good skill, but don’t have much desire to learn beyond a sufficient level of writing. Some abhor writing, or see it as irrelevant to themselves and their future careers. Some come to me with questions to ask their professors after realizing that they don’t know how to sound professional in an email. Some don’t see the point of taking pains to sound a certain way in an email, or in any document for that matter. How do I convince these students that writing matters?

Coming face to face with answering how and why writing is relevant to everyone has been a good lesson in understanding it myself. EH 101 can seem completely useless to a football player on scholarship who has no desire to even be in school. So I put myself in his giant shoes and think about specific situations in his life that would require writing: if he does make it to the NFL as he hopes, that contract is going to be awfully hard to decipher if he doesn’t learn to analyze texts critically the way we do in a rhetorical analysis. Plus, if those dreams are not realized, he will more than likely work at a great job that requires written communications via email, and written reports or evaluations.

Addressing complacent or disinterested students was difficult, but it was a great lesson not only in how to explain why writing matters, but also in adopting and understanding alternate perspectives.

No Right Way to Write

Having so many opportunities to see others’ thought processes and communication styles has been invaluable to me as a writer and as a person. My approach to writing is distinct to me, and may not be useful to all of my students.

While I’m an external processor and think out loud, especially in dialogue with others, many students are internal processors. As a result, I have discovered the value of silence.

Another thing I learned was the way structure—like required outlines, rough drafts or format suggestions—factors into various writing styles. Paralysis was a common accompaniment to structure—students were either paralyzed by fear of not filling structures in correctly or by the rigidity of the structure itself weighing upon them with no way to get out. So for some students, an outline was a creative block, not an organizational aid. Many, however, found comfort in structure, and used it as a foundation for their writing.

The writing process is simply not a one-size-fits-all framework, and while I still have a lot to learn, I think the lessons I’ve learned so far in teaching writing have allowed me to gain experience myself in understanding how others think, and how I can improve my own writing.

Library and Information Science: A Grad Option for Professional Writing Students

By Sydnei Wheat

Rhetoric and Composition is a great Master’s degree for Professional Writing students to pursue. However, it is often the only Master’s program that PW students consider throughout their undergraduate days; partly because they believe it is the only graduate degree that can effectively develop their professional skill-set.

Students might not be aware that there are other great Master’s programs that are also very compatible with their undergraduate education, such as the Library & Information Science Master’s degree (MLIS).

A Match Made in Information Heaven

English goes hand in hand with Library & Information Science. Both fields deal with research and literature/books. But as its name implies, Library & Information Science is more broadly focused on information and information technology, a characteristic that also forms the foundation of the Professional Writing field.

This graduate degree incorporates many Professional Writing theories and practices such as the focus on the user and usability experience, design and organization, and literacy and dissemination of information. MLIS also expands upon them as students can choose to concentrate in a variety of specializations. Specializations include:

archives
acquisitions
interlibrary loans
records management
data circulation
database management
media specialist
usability/user experiences
and many others

Students may also opt to keep their studies general and broad. Graduates of the degree can pursue jobs not only in libraries (academic, public, special) but in any information and research centers or environments that utilize information technology. With an MLIS degree, students have the opportunity to work in almost any area or career field.

Still Interested?

Unfortunately, very few Bachelor’s degrees in Library & Information Science exist, so courses are not readily available to undergraduates. If Professional Writing students wish to pursue a MLIS they should prepare in their undergraduate years by interning or obtaining a student position at an academic or public library.

Taking courses or minoring in communications, business or information systems can also build a strong foundation for those who want to specialize. And for students that may still wish to pursue an MA in Rhetoric and Composition, there are universities that offer joint or dual degrees in both English and Information & Library Science.

Library and Information Science is a great Master’s program for undergraduates who want to explore a different avenue to further their Professional Writing skills.

From Undergrad to Grad at UAB: Teresa Davis’ Transition

By Kayla Light

four people standing behind a podium — Davis’ Undergrad Thesis Defense Day (pictured left to right: Professor Vines, Dr. Chris Minnix, Teresa Davis, Dr. Jaclyn Wells)

Let’s face the facts—graduation will happen. Whether you’re like many of the undergrads who are still frantically searching for answers, or if you’re like the ones who nonchalantly “swagger” their way into the unknown, graduate school has probably crossed your mind.

So, how exactly does a UAB student studying rhetoric and technical writing advance their education? What are some of the myths and facts about that advancement? Well, after asking around, I found the perfect student to answer these questions: Teresa Davis, a recent UAB undergrad who is transitioning into UAB’s graduate program.

About Davis and How Her Decision Could Help You

Davis graduated from UAB in December of 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Professional Writing and Public Discourse. As the fall began, she felt the pressure to make some big decisions: to stay at UAB to pursue her education or to leave and experience a new school with a new atmosphere. After much thought and consideration, she picked UAB, and this is why:

UAB’s Cost and Practicality

UAB’s graduate program offers a package deal to exceptional, hardworking students who are seeking higher education in the English field. This package is referred to as their Assistantship program. The Assistantship program offers students tuition remission, an $8,500 yearly stipend, and the opportunity to tutor at the Writing Center and teach English Composition 101 and 102.

For Davis, this plan meant being able to balance her busy family life and would save her time and money. Some schools only have limited teaching positions while others offer them after a period of time. UAB’s competitive stipend can greatly reduce, or even eliminate student debt.

Davis not only saw their financial aid as a huge bonus, but she also felt particularly partial to UAB’s program because of the close-knit faculty.

UAB’s Family Atmosphere

Davis found the transition from the undergraduate to the graduate program to be a fluid process because she was already familiar with the program and the professors in the department. She describes this familiarity as a family atmosphere and attributes that atmosphere to the fact that UAB has a smaller graduate program.

When talking about the advantages of a smaller program, she says, “Most [returning students] drop out because balancing school with work and family is hard, and we’re very much out of practice.”

Davis reflected on her decision to return to UAB after being in the workforce for 15 years. She has been living near Birmingham with her husband, Terry Davis. They will celebrate their 7 year anniversary in June of 2016.

When Davis was faced with the question to relocate their family, she gave it much consideration. Her answer is easily summed up in her final statement on UAB’s program: “I know that at UAB, I have the support to help me succeed.”

Davis’ plan to attend UAB to further her education was a difficult decision, but in the end, she knew she wanted a school that was able to provide her with a competitive stipend and a close-knit atmosphere that allowed her the time and flexibility to be with her family.

To learn more about the UAB’s graduate program, visit their webpage.

Finding Your Professional Identity In Fonts

By Jay Haywood

three examples of font — Convey the right message with your font choice

When transitioning from the academic to professional world, several decisions are made to ensure getting a job.

Accomplishments, work experience and internships are all compiled into résumés and adjusted to fit a potential career. However, a résumé should not just be a reflection of a person’s work history. The document should also reflect the identity of the person submitting it. Otherwise, your résumé will blend in with a stack of other listing similar education and work experience.

Reflecting academia, Times New Roman is an industry standard of typefaces. In terms of fonts, it is clean, concise, and professional. It is easy to read when formatted smaller and leads the eye easily when going through a document with lots of information on it. However, Times New Roman is also everywhere, which means that it can also be perceived as bland, unthoughtful and lazy.

Some people assume that they are expected to create their résumé in Times New Roman, partly because they wrote with the font for their entire college career. There are great alternatives to the font that will help identify you as an individual while still looking professional.

If you are looking to change your style but still want to stick close to traditional fonts, consider a font called Calisto MT, found within Microsoft Word. Stylistically it seems similar to Times New Roman, as it contains serifs, and is easy to read at a small typeface. However, the weight, or thickness, of Calisto MT is slightly heavier than Times New Roman, creating a layer of depth that is lacking in the latter.

If you are looking to branch out even more, consider a sans-serif font. Sans-serif fonts are regarded as clean and modern, and can definitely help a résumé stand out. I found a font called Lato on Google Fonts, a service provided for free through Google, that is an excellent choice. When compared to Times New Roman, Lato seems sleek and contemporary.

While both of these fonts are great examples, they may not represent you, and that’s fine! Browse the web to find a font that reflects you both personally and professionally.

The True First Impression of a Job Applicant

line of people sitting for an interview — Image courtesy of Adobe Stock

By Rebecca Martin

The job search process can be daunting, especially when it comes to creating a resume. Much attention is given to the content of the resume but the truth is that the appearance is just as important, if not more so.

Having worked as a recruiting specialist for four and a half years, I know that appearance can put a resume on the top of the stack or the bottom, or sometimes even in the trash. The decision is made before a single word is read.

Think of it like this: you dress according to how you want to appear for a job interview. The same applies to your resume. Just remember that employers are people too. Having been one of those employers, I can give a little insight into the thought process when looking at a resume:

A resume that clearly did not take any effort says that you do not really care about the job. If you do not put in the effort to write it, why should I in reading it?
Time is money. So a first glance can tell if your resume is organized and makes the desired info easy to pick out.
Resumes are boring. They blur together. So a resume that catches the eye is more apt to be read first.

So what should you do? Start with a font. Times New Roman gets pretty old and really does not make an impression. Just do not go crazy; you want your resume to look professional. It is not the time to show your personality flair.

Use lines, bullets, and a border. Separate sections with lines then bold the title of each section. Bullets are great for listing information and making it stand out. Long blocky paragraphs are not likely to be read. Finally, a simple border can actually do a lot for the overall look.

Regent University has a great page that shows how they transformed a very blah resume to a better-looking resume. While still very simple, you can see the transformation process and the difference it makes.

There are plenty of places to see examples of resumes online or get templates. Online Resume Builder has some great ones that are even sorted by the type job you are looking for. Just remember that your resume is your first impression when finding a job.

Good Grit Magazine: Opportunity on the Rise

The Good Grit office

By Peyton Chandler

The experience gained from internships and fieldwork is proving more and more valuable in our professional world full of high expectations and an unapologetic, competitive nature. For many, these “real world” business opportunities can be hard to come by.

However, Birmingham’s English and Professional Writing students have more access to quality work experience than they may realize. Nestled in UAB’s own backyard on 2nd Ave. N, Good Grit Magazine is a young, promising publication focused on illustrating the true character of the new south. Good Grit manifests its vision through the creation of original print and digital content.

I was fortunate enough to work at Good Grit as an editorial intern during the time of its onset in the summer of 2015, and the following fall semester as its Digital Managing Editor. Since the summer—in less than a year’s time—the magazine has seen tremendous growth: it’s now available on shelves in six states throughout the south and southeast.

Throughout my time at Good Grit, I gained valuable work experience in a sometimes hectic, but always rewarding environment. My bosses and coworkers provided me opportunities in which to utilize my strengths and improve upon my weaknesses, all while helping the magazine grow and develop.

This upcoming summer, Good Grit hopes to continue its relationship with ambitious, motivated students looking for quality experience at a company on the rise. The magazine is searching for a potential full-time digital editor to assist with the success of its website and various web outlets. Additionally, this summer Good Grit is offering editorial internships, event planning internships, art internships and web/social media internships for current and graduated students.

I strongly encourage UAB students to take advantage of these opportunities at one of Birmingham’s most promising young companies—one that molds inexperience into professionalism.

The Case for a Full Bookshelf

Allison Underwood

It’s okay to keep your books.

Those old works of literature, anthologies, document design books– it’s okay to keep them on your bookshelf. The end of a semester comes and I never know what to do with my books. As an English major myself, I wrestled with this problem throughout my college career. I just spent months pouring into these texts, marking up their pages with my own thoughts as well as comments my professors have made. Throwing them away is not an option. It’s possible to sell them, but again– I just spent months in their pages. This problem is particularly relevant to professional writing students. The books in that particular branch of English are such a valuable resource. I don’t think I’ll be rereading Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend from a past literature class anytime soon, but I’ve already looked at The Non-Designer’s Design & Type Book by Robin Williams a few times this semester for extracurricular design work. Sure, I could have Googled what I was looking for, but that’s another reason professional writing books are great to keep around. Even though books are essentially out of date the moment they print, books in the professional writing field will always have an edge on online resources. The first result on a Google search for “document design rules” is “The 50 Most Important Rules of Document Design.” This article was a wall of text, even the section on the color wheel. By the time I scrolled down the long online list, eyes blurring, trying to find the subtitle I needed– I could have flipped through Williams’ book and seen an image related to my topic of interest. That isn’t to say all webpages are a wall of text, but students may be more likely to remember something their book said. I would rather look in an old textbook for the concept I vaguely remember than look online for an article that might not give me the same advice. I can look at my books for something a professor said about a certain topic. I can go back into my original frame of mind when I first read the text. I can read my old insights and pen my new.

Keep your textbooks– they’ll always be useful, even if their use is taking up bookshelf space and helping you appear smarter.</p

5 Tips for Writing on Social Media

Erica Turner

Social media is one of the most popular communication outlets people use in the 21st century. Many utilize social media as a way to develop their brand or business and to reach people all over the world. As writers, we have to be innovative when reaching vast audiences and getting them to view our brand or business. Here are five tips that can help improve your performance: Continue reading “5 Tips for Writing on Social Media”