Author: simsj93

You Are Your Company

Teresa Davis

Some companies are so familiar to us that we can recognize them even without seeing their name. For some it’s distinctive lettering, others use shapes, and some use a particular picture as a logo. For example, consider Disney’s font, the emblem for Mercedes, or the Starbucks mermaid. These companies all make or sell different kinds of products, but they have one important thing in common: recognition. Professional writers, whether freelance, job seeking, or already working, can set themselves apart by studying the tactics used by these kinds of companies to further their own careers.

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Document Design: The Need for Attractive Documents

Andrew Atchison

In a society where an overload of visual information provides constant stimulation, attractive design is necessary in order to stand out. Billboards, advertisements, and personal brands should have a unique style to make them stand apart from the ordinary so they can sell products while still conveying the necessary information. Even a personal brand is essentially selling a person’s services or intelligence; résumés, curriculum vitae (CV), and personal statements hold vital information for an individual to be accepted into professional schools and even employment. According to a study published by The Ladders, admissions committees and employers often spend an average of six seconds viewing a resume! With this thought in mind, the important information these documents contain must be readily available and accessible in order for an individual to have an advantage over competition.
Document design should not be a daunting task. A few simple techniques can transform a document or advertisement from bland and ordinary to attractive and visually appealing. Keep in mind that design can easily be over done and the end product will not be effective.

  1. Choose a typeface wisely. Don’t be compelled to use Times New Roman because professors require it for academic papers; it’s used so much in the academic world that it has become outdated. Any easy to read font will be sufficient for the body of the work.
  2. Bold and underlined text is not the only way to make information appear important; use a different font for this information. Just make sure it works well with the other font.
  3. Put information in places that make sense. An address in a résumé shouldn’t be contained in the personal skills section.
  4. Use color(s). However, choose colors that work well with one another and make sure the product is still easy to read in color. Use a color wheel if choosing colors becomes a problem.

These are just a few techniques that can be used to make most documents stand apart from others, but there are many more. Just remember to try not to create ordinary and outdated documents because viewers will associate those qualities with the author’s personality.

 

Who Are You Talking To?

Denise Abney

People are naturally drawn to subjects they have a personal connection to. They want to know what is going on in their fields of interest. Professional writers, for example, use knowledge of their audience to improve the content they create. Ensnaring your reader’s attention throughout the entirety of a text is a valuable skill. If an author knows his or her target audience, research will help them understand what specific information should be included in their work to draw the reader in. For more ways to be mindful of your audience check out The Ladders article on knowing your audience.
Any article can improve from edits that cater to a specific reader. For example, imagine you work for a newspaper in Georgia. You want to write about an interesting group of people living in Georgia who consider mud a food group and eat it daily. How can you tailor this article to hold the attention of the reader through its completion? You could try reading the text through the eyes of the reader. The reader of a Georgia newspaper will most likely be a Georgia native. So they might be thinking as they read, “Where in Georgia is this happening? Are there actually any benefits to eating mud? I wonder if my crazy aunt eats mud and that’s why she’s so crazy.” The writer should strive to consider these poignant questions and give as much relevant information as possible to help answer them. This improves the reading experience.
Professional writers can’t afford to be selfish when it comes to their writing. They should always look at their work from their readers’ point of view. Moreover, they should be willing to revise it until it seems satisfactory of their targeted audience. A professional writer must dwell in research, asking themselves questions along the way. Who will be interested in this topic? How can I make my text interesting? How can I word this in a clear and concise fashion? The complicated, yet attainable answers to questions like these can make or break the success of the work you publish.

The Versatility of Writing Skills

Although one can certainly attain many careers with a professional writing degree, the skills learned in professional writing courses are transferable to almost any professional or academic subject. A student will be required to complete multiple writing assignments during his or her academic career, and without any background in professional writing, these tasks could be daunting. The knowledge that can be gained from professional writing courses gives one the ability to achieve much more in other areas of study.

Success in most fields of study or profession can be heightened with a background of professional writing courses. Undergraduate courses in particular contain assignments that require writing. Many Ph.D. curricula demand enormous amounts of research and writing, but the degrees that these programs result in are all attainable as long as one has the ability to complete the coursework. With the knowledge gained in writing courses, the ability to accomplish higher educational endeavors can be heightened.

Having a major in professional writing does not restrict one to careers in the printing, editing, or even writing fields. Most professional spheres require some sort of writing skills, whether the task is technical, academic, or creative. Professional writers actually have a wide array of career opportunities to choose from. Majoring in professional writing should be more encouraged for aspiring professionals whether they plan to work in the writing sector or not.

The tools provided in writing courses are priceless. One cannot develop the ability to write without practice and training. Students with a degree or concentration in writing have a greater advantage than other future professionals in landing a job that requires any kind of writing. These students and future professionals, trained by the courses they have taken, have the “know-how” to get their jobs done efficiently and effectively. Writing skills are necessary in order to attain any job in a professional field. Communication among colleagues is of the utmost importance in maintaining a successful business, and professional writing enhances those skills.

The lack of a background in writing could be a major disadvantage in a student’s primary area of study. The skills learned in professional writing courses provide the abilities to write and to analyze and interpret other pieces of writing. These skills are necessary to not just students’ academic careers, but professionals’ survival in the area in which they choose to work as well. If students’ writing skills are high quality, many more opportunites are available to them. Success in the professional field is not guaranteed with a great amount of writing knowledge, but it is much more likely.

David Hornbuckle: Creativity in Professional Writing

by Sullivan Sanders

Within the field of writing there are several directions one can take. The term professional writing can often carry a connotation of structure and restriction, which is a major underestimation of the field. Considering my major in professional writing and my interests in creative writing, I was relieved when I sat down with M. David Hornbuckle, UAB alumna with a Master’s in English, to talk about his windy track through the professional world of writing.

Hornbuckle’s in-field positions following undergrad ranged from freelance journalist to technical writer and copy editor. Outside of his field, however, David kept his hands full working in bookstores, restaurants, landscape crews, and even leant a hand to a beekeeper for a while. His first real position of interest came when he “stumbled into a magazine job” down in Gainesville, FL. Starting as a sort of office manager, six months passed before he got a shot at something real – he became managing editor of the free monthly magazine which serviced Gainesville and Orlando. “Now this was a valuable experience,” he remarked looking back on his first impressions of that position. It provided countless lessons learned as his first position of responsibility as a writer. He later spent eight years as a technical writer for a company that he says, at first, was just a typing job. His path then led him to New York where he freelanced articles for various online publications writing and editing columns.

Tritone Media published David’s first book, The Salvation of Billy Wayne Carter & Other Stories as a collection of short stories he’d put together in his free time, in 2009. This kind of creative writing has always been his passion, though he never anticipated it to be very lucrative. Recalling the aftermath of his book being published, he says with a smile, “I never saw any money from it. Well, once in a while I’d get a check for 40 dollars in the mail.” His work led him to another technical writing job in New York for two years before moving back down south.

Upon returning to Birmingham he earned his Master’s degree in English (is currently earning a Master’s in Education). His work experiences have been much of the same since then – writing or editing pieces here and there for any number of publications. With a laugh he exclaimed, “If it involved words and getting paid, I’ve probably done it.”

His next project was founding the Steel Toe Review, a local journal based here in Birmingham that publishes creative pieces – short stories and poetry for the most part. He says he always wanted to contribute to the literary community in any way he could; building a platform to publish and circulate creative works has become that contribution. The journal has released 19 issues online and publishes an annual print issue. Though the platform is for creative pieces, there can be no publication without technical writing, web designing, and copyediting – all of which fall under the professional writing category of skills. David does all copy for the website himself, he’s the chief editor, web designer, advertiser, and runs a “kickstarter” campaign every year to promote the journal. “I do a lot of things I would make an intern do, if I had an intern.” The site is set up similar to a blog to keep the maintenance low, but there is still some HTML customization that goes in the site’s upkeep. Considering professional versus creative perspectives of writing, David admits, “I love adding to the academic conversation,” but, “in an ideal world, writing creatively would be how I spend my time.” He went on to explain the relationship between the two fields of writing saying “my experience as a professional writer has benefitted me as a creative writer.” He credits his abilities writing cover letters, working on his website, and promoting himself as a writer, all to his experiences in the professional writing field.

Not only have the skills as a professional writer benefitted his creativity, they’ve allowed him to be creative. His jobs tech writing and copyediting, freelancing and web designing, have all afforded him the time and funds to facilitate his interest in writing creatively. To put it all in perspective, David says the ability to write can allow countless avenues for employment, “If you have the skills to communicate with words then there is any number of things that you can do.” David’s résumé and curriculum vitae stand as Exhibit A and B for this contention.

So, if you’re one who would’ve said that professional writing is a boring or restricted field of writing, think again. Because behind every creative piece of writing is a set of professional writing skills that made reading it possible.

The World of Freelancing: Tips for Getting Started

by Sadie King

As technology develops, the idea of doing freelance work becomes a more viable and helpful career choice. Doing freelance work offers the opportunity to work in your own environment, choose your own projects, and have more flexibility in your work. Freelancing will only become more popular as technology continues to develop and business owners realize the options they have when it comes to people who freelance.

Many people with English degrees choose to go into freelancing because of its many different career options and the flexibility of those options. Freelancers typically have the luxury of working from home and working on their own time, not necessarily having to follow a 9-5 work schedule. Though this can be seen as a luxury, it also means that a person who is interested in doing freelance work must have self-discipline and the ability to manage their own time. Freelancers also have the ability to pick and choose their projects, passing over the ones that don’t interest them. Starting out, some freelancers may have to accept projects they aren’t interested in just to get their foot in the door of the freelance world and to have work to put on a resume.

Companies are beginning to see the convenience of outsourcing to freelancers for some of their jobs. For example, publishing companies are beginning to outsource things like copyediting and proofreading, finding the convenience of hiring someone to do the work freelance preferable to having someone in-house to do the work. As time goes on, more and more companies are beginning to hire people to do freelance jobs instead of hiring someone to work full-time.

Though doing freelance work may seem like the ideal way to work, it can be hard to get a freelance business up and running, and the freelance world is one where connections are key. These are some things that could help when starting a freelance business.

Pick a niche

The idea of being able to just say that you do freelance work and then pick up any job that comes your way, no matter the type, could sound tempting. That said, it’s better to choose one thing that you do, may it be copywriting, graphic design, copyediting, etc., and sell yourself as a master in one of those crafts. Examine what your strengths are and play to your own advantages. It’s easier to market yourself, a very important thing when it comes to freelancing, when you have a specific niche.

Make connections

Who you know, especially when first starting out, can be the most important aspect of getting your business started. People still in college have built-in connections in their peers, professors, and anyone they encounter and strike up a relationship with on campus. Being on a college campus offers opportunities to network that aren’t necessarily there once a person enters the work force. Choosing to do work for charities or even for free to gain experience can also be a way to start adding names to your list of connections.

Build a professional website

When businesses or people start looking for someone to do freelance work for them, the first place they are going to turn is the Internet. There are thousands of websites for people who do freelance work. It’s easy enough to get a website up and put content on it, but it can be harder to design a website that is going to impress a potential employer. It can be beneficial to hire a web designer in order to give your website a more professional look. When it comes to website content, be sure to include examples of your work and/or a link to your online portfolio. And as simple as it seems, check, double-check, and triple-check your site for spelling and grammar errors.

Always be looking for work

Because freelancing requires almost constant job searching, it’s important to know that you always have somewhere to get income when you need it. There are multiple job boards on the Internet that provide options for those looking for work. Most freelancing niches had websites that send out newsletters with information about jobs and tips for employment. They also have meetings and seminars that could be the perfect places to network and continue to gain connections.

Adobe’s Cloud of Convenience

In an age where computers are involved in every aspect of the professional world, there is a higher demand for convenience with technology than there has been in the past. Writers make up a large portion of professionals that depend on technology in order to deliver the highest quality result possible across different mediums. However, with the emergence of newer tech services like Adobe Creative Cloud, writers are provided a means to work in numerous programs and applications regardless of their location. Adobe’s newest version of the Creative Cloud allows its users to work in a multitude of popular desktop applications, including InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, on two computers rather than one. Being able to switch from a laptop to a desktop to work in these programs and access old content is very convenient. Often, the Adobe desktop applications are difficult to access and are very expensive to purchase individually. However, with Adobe’s newest Creative Cloud system, the focus is on the user.

Along with the more than ten desktop applications that are available, Adobe Creative Cloud possesses an impressive arsenal of connected mobile apps. These provide users the ability to edit photos, sketch new creations, and edit and create video, all from the convenience of a tablet. Also, an often-overlooked feature of the Creative Cloud is the availability of expert training on the different applications via video tutorials. If you have ever struggled in the use of Adobe’s applications or been curious as to how or where to start, these video tutorials could be your guiding light. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the Creative Cloud, however, is the numerous plans that are available to users.

Plans, meaning levels of access, are each geared towards a different category of user. Each plan includes a monthly payment specific to the amount or types of services provided. The plans are divided into four major categories: Individuals, Business, Students & Teachers, and Schools & Universities. Each includes different options varying in price and content. For example, in the category of the Individual, there are three plans to choose from: $9.99 per month, $19.99 per month, and $49.99 per month. Each specific payment plan is tailored to fit the needs of specific criteria of Adobe users.

With this wide range of plans, writers in virtually any professional sphere can find a plan that fits their specific needs, which is a stellar feature of Adobe’s latest Creative Cloud system. Technology is evolving quickly, and as writers begin to find newer, more practical methods of composition and design, the world of professional writing too will see change.

Blogging and the World of Professional Writing

By Stephanie Patrick

Blogging itself isn’t all that new of a medium. That is, it didn’t just burst from the ground one day after a major Pintrest trend hit Facebook. The concept of blogging, “web-logging” for those who dislike truncations, has floated around the Internet for as long as people could code HTML into forums. Its popularity has skyrocketed in the last decade, as the story-sharing platforms available to us have evolved more user-friendly tools and as companies, both small and large, are taking advantage of blogging’s marketing capabilities. In this age of the web, literally anyone can start a blog, and use it however they please—whether it’s to share personal diary entries, recipes, or to educate the public about a cause.

It can be argued that blogging is one of the most powerful journalistic writing tools on the Internet. For example, [Tumblr],(https://www.tumblr.com/) one of the most expansive blogging platforms on the Internet, can circulate original and reposted information before major news networks can even draft cue cards for the evening segments. News and media, from photography to audio to video, can travel in the blink of an eye to millions of users at once through simple publication tools. That’s why companies and organizations—such as, Modcloth (an increasingly popular vintage-style clothing site) and Den of Geek (a news source for all things nerdy)—take advantage of professional writing skills to craft expertly written articles for their multitude of site visitors and readers.

>“It’s becoming more of an imperative in the professional writing industry to understand blogs than a side hobby.”

Perhaps the most essential component of blogs that professional writers should seek to maximize is interaction potential. More often than ever, blogs are being designed like websites, with media packets, commentability, and links to outside sources. With these potential interactions, writers who freelance or even score employment gigs with major blogs can broaden their experience and further delve into the digital age. Eventually, the professional writer who hopes to accept a position with majorly popular magazines like Bon Appetit or Glamour is going to be evaluated on their ability to analyze crowd patterns and take their writing to the web, where more and more publications are spreading their branches.

Sites such as WordPress and Blogspot help writers build professional blogs with customizable layouts.

Limitless Potential

Not every blog for which professional writers are hired to write is a fashion, baking, or art blog, popular as they might seem. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has a blog archive that uses, for example, technical writers to assist the blogs in purveying school, research, and medical information to not only alumni and current students on the university’s circulation, but to the general public as well. With these blogs, you can keep up with the latest on a range of subjects, including Alys Stevenson Center information, The Sterne Library, and even the happenings of Study Abroad students.

On the other hand, blogging might be one of the most difficult media platforms to utilize for the budding professional writer. The success of blogs depends on visitor counts, commentary, and popularity measured in views, all of which require Search Engine Optimization (a specialty that can be difficult to master) and social media usage in order to spread the word about a blog or set of blogs. Blogs represent a third dimension of writing that includes interactive code, and more employers are looking for professional writers that aren’t afraid to dirty their pen-happy fingers with digital diligence.

It’s becoming more of an imperative in the professional writing industry to understand blogs than a side hobby; blogs have limitless potential, and some personal blogs can even house smart, interactive resumes and portfolios to showcase to employers. Many professional writers can use blogs to hone their writing skills and develop networking and connectivity that will boost their chances of becoming recognized in the vast blogging community.

Developing those previously mentioned Search Engine Optimization techniques can boost your popularity as well, and as those of us who frequent our favorite blogs know, popularity, content, and interactability can mean the difference between a passive hobby and a settled job for the professional writer.

Get the Most Out of Your Research

The Appointments with a Librarian program is designed for students to make appointments with librarians for more in-depth help with research and citation. This service offers two main types of consultations: research and citation. The important thing to note with these consultations and clinics is that they are absolutely free tools for students to use. Some students have a tough time trying to traverse through all of what UAB has to offer and it can be hard to filter out the right information that one needs.

Delores Carlito is the instruction coordinator for the Appointments with a Librarian program held within UAB’s Sterne Library. Ms. Carlito interpreted this phenomenon as “information overload” and students take all this information as “white noise.” This program seeks to bridge this gap between students and services and create what Ms. Carlito called a reliance on a “point of need.” This program is designed with the student in mind and acts as a catalyst connecting students with resources they need. It is built for the individual; it is tailored for your specific needs. Appointments are easy to make, offer specialists in most academic fields and disciplines, encompass most citation styles, and are available seven days a week. The only stipulation on this program is that the librarians require that appointments are requested twenty-four hours before the appointed time in order for them to gather the needed information and resources. “This gives ample time for the librarian to get the student what he or she needs,” said Ms. Carlito.

Now, for the up and coming professional writer, this program may not seem to meet the demanding needs of the working world and the professional writing discipline. This program may be generalized to the overall student populace; however, this program can also be geared towards professional writing and the problems faced within the “working world.” This service, according to Ms. Carlito, “helps you think critically and teaches you vital skills that everyone needs in life.” It is not only a tool for academia; it also applies beyond that to the challenges of careers, careers like professional writing. Professional writers need to know how to look for certain information, and have the ability to apply and use it in an analytical fashion. These skills can be honed in and amplified by this program, and can teach students valuable lessons in real world research and citation situations. Research is a part of daily life for many writers, and knowing how and where to get that information is crucial to being successful in the job market. As Ms. Carlito said, “These types of applications are for anything; information literacy is a must in today’s world.” This rings especially true for professional writing.

Grad Programs: Things to Consider

Grad school can be a great alternative to entering the career field after college. It not only contributes to a higher starting salary in jobs, but it can also serve as a more gradual transition from student to working adult. But choosing a graduate program can seem daunting. Where do you even begin? How do you know what you’re looking for? Is this even what you want? Here are the top three factors to consider when researching technical writing graduate programs.

Master of Science or Master of Arts? As you look through various tech-writing programs, pay attention to whether the degree offered is a Master of Science or a Master of Arts. The difference in distinction will affect they way the courses are structured. Think about your background, the knowledge and skills you bring to the table, and what you hope to gain through your post-graduate studies. Compare course requirements and descriptions of the two, and research hiring statistic of a Master of Science versus a Master of Arts. Knowing more about these distinctions could help you define your goals and narrow your program contenders.

Online or On Campus? It’s also important to note whether or not the program can be completed online or if you are required to complete a certain amount of the program hours on the campus. Online programs allow you to avoid relocation, and even give opportunity for pursuing a career alongside continuing education. However, if you are drawn to studying under a specific professor or desire to build mentoring relationships during your graduate studies, it might be more beneficial to complete your degree on campus. Researching who’s who of technical writing education can help you determine your goals in this area and guide your decision making process.

In-state or Out? The biggest consideration for most is the cost. And just as with undergraduate degrees, graduate school tuition will usually vary drastically between in state and out of state rates. It’s a good idea to determine your budget based on your remaining debt from undergrad and your earning potential after completing a master’s program. Ultimately, it’s important to go where you believe you’ll be most fulfilled. Any graduate program is going to require huge emotional, mental, and financial investment; adding the stress of wondering if you made the right decision will only detract from all that the experience could potentially be.