Volume 5 Issue 2 – MEMORANDUM

Professional Writing in Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama

By Daniel Kim

Job Openings for Professional Writing Graduates

Hyundai manufacturing building — Hyundai offices

Graduating with an English (Professional Writing) degree has inherent implications to limited career paths. Contrary to this belief however, there are increasing demands for professional writers in a wide variant of industries. The ability to communicate effectively, organize events/launchings and comprehend complex textual information are all necessary skills within a given industry.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) is no exception. Since the grand opening of a $1.7 billion manufacturing plant in Montgomery, AL (2002), the Korean motor company, along with its respective 72 supplier companies, provides more than 8,000 jobs to Alabama residents—among which, P.W. graduates are in high-demand.

Hope on Wheels

Aside from engineers and technicians who participate in the manufacturing process of the vehicles, HMMA is involved with more than 20 community organizations under their effort Hope on Wheels. Hyundai’s Hope on Wheels is a special initiative to fight children’s cancer by funding medical research and hospitals across the country.

Because the company works with many of the American organizations, such as NAACP, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, etc., recruiting individuals with strong literacy skills to adequately plan and collaborate with other organizations is an essential part of their mission’s success. Writing newsletters, coordinating special events (for children), updating/designing websites and writing for donations are some of the fundamental tasks that are required of the professional writers. For more information, visit Hyundai Hope on Wheels.

Diverse Career Paths in HMMA

Aside from Hyundai’s mission to fight children’s pediatric cancer, the company offers even more diverse career options for P.W. graduates. Corporate Communications, Purchasing, Product/Corporate Planning, Marketing, Administrative Services and Sales Operations are some of the most common titles for P.W.’s employment.

For all of these positions, because daily tasks require writing summary reports based on collected information, corresponding with the media to promote company’s image and organizing communication methods (both internally and externally), HMMA requires a minimum bachelor’s degree in English for all applicants.

Furthermore, due to the extensive collaborations that are required with other organizations, being aware of cultural trends and the city’s working environment are also important requirements for the company. P.W. majors are in a great position to start a career with HMMA. For further information, please visit Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama.

Whether working toward a noble cause or working to provide safe and high-quality vehicles, UAB English graduates can contribute to our communities with HMMA.

To discuss future career opportunities, contact HMMA’s Administration Office at (334) 387-8000.

Professional Writing and Video Games

By Abby Kullman

Gaming Journalism

screenshot of a video game on a desktop — Screenshot of a desktop video game

I used to think that video games existed in a small vacuum, lacking a community worth acknowledging. It was only when I got older that I realized the content made by fans far outnumbered (and many times outweighed) the original content itself.

Many sites dedicated to video games and its subsequent journalism have risen to fame over the past few years (IGN, Kotaku and Polygon). Articles on the games are very important in understanding and appreciating the context of the game itself. For me, it is important to understand something on a basic level before I throw $60 at it and hours of my time.

Gaming journalists constantly employ the skills a professional writing major would know firsthand. Using the knowledge gained from writing professionally, they are able to inform their audience of things both writer and reader care about.

While some people may think that these websites only feature reviews, most gaming websites include a plethora of different stories. This includes anything from news articles on various hardware sales to advice on certain games (i.e. guides on how to play them). Even the impact of certain games in/on society can be found on these sites.

So What Does this Mean?

Sometimes these sites cover certain games to the point where they are so eagerly anticipated that the public consumes any and all journalism on the subject. This can usually be considered a good thing, but other times, it doesn’t end so well.

A few years ago, I remember a specific example where professional writing caused a game to crash and burn horribly—both in sales and in the eyes of the gamers. This particular game was called No Man’s Sky, and I was one of the people who was super excited to finally get my hands on it. I had read so many different articles on how amazing this game (which promised hours and hours of fun planetary exploration) was going to be.

And then the game came out.

I noticed that the articles started to show up less and less when I first began to play the game. The more time I put into it, the more I found myself disappointed. Not only was this not the game I thought it was going to be, I was lied to by the creators themselves and the websites I had viewed the articles on. All the cool things (you know, the hours and hours of fun planetary exploration) we were showed were false. I haven’t been able to play the game since.

We’re all Gamers Now

Since then, I have come to learn that professional writing is very influential even in the video game market. Without these thousands of articles and their writers, this explosion of positive content (and subsequent backlash) probably wouldn’t have happened at all. The power of creating content on such a professional level gives these games the ability and culture to perform well—or not so well.

Don’t Trust the Process(or)

By Chase Coats

An anxious student

Let’s be honest; we all want to fit in, and for a foreign writer, sometimes that can prove to be quite a challenge.

It should come as no surprise that writing is an area where non-native speakers seem to have the most anxiety.

Entering the business world, many wish they could hide their accent or any sign that English is their secondary language, and that’s why software like Grammarly is appealing to so many!

Grammarly appeals to people who want their ideas to be heard, but don’t want to be bothered with the nitpicking that can often make or break their writing or meaning.

If you’re unfamiliar with Grammarly, it’s a program that prides itself on not just fixing minor mistakes, but improving one’s writing as a whole by interacting with the user. Grammarly highlights detected errors and offers suggestions for corrections or substitutions, but ultimately it’s up to the user to decide for themselves.

But does Grammarly allow someone still grappling with the language barrier the confidence to operate their software effectively?

What happens if what is highlighted goes beyond spelling and punctuation, and leans more towards the trickier laws of grammar or even word choice? For the non-native-speaker, a demographic that Grammarly boasts has benefitted from their services, Grammarly’s suggestions can actually muddy up the voice in one’s writing. To make matters worse, Medium.com reports that On average, Grammarly only finds 40% of errors in non-native-English.

Sinister Synonyms

The main area of concern lies in the program’s thesaurus, which attempts to improve a writer’s word choice to make their work seem more eloquent and professional. This would be one of the product’s features that a foreign voice would hope to utilize, but reviews have shown that the suggested synonyms can either be archaic or just plain weird.

An example of this questionable word choice is best seen in Writing-Skills.com’s review of Grammarly, where the word “plain” in “plain English” was the focal point. Rather than keeping the word “plain” (the software having deemed it too generic), Grammarly offered words like “basic” or “clear” as substitutions. For a foreign voice still trying to assimilate to a more Western way of speaking, these are the moments that defeat the whole purpose for using the software in the first place.

A writer must have the confidence to be able to know when Grammarly may have made a mistake, and for a non-native speaker already struggling with a transition between languages, this presents a real problem. The final verdict on Grammarly? As a product that claims to be a powerful tool for…foreign students…English language learners, and non-native-English-speaking professionals, Grammarly has the potential to fail those who truly need it most.

Complementing a PW Major

By Laura Jane Crocker

Notebooks

Professional Writing is a versatile field that combines the creativity and beauty of language with logical instruction and organized information. Although Professional Writing skills are valued in many fields, an interesting minor can make new graduates stand out from their peers.

Computer Science

We are living in a time where technology is thriving and innovation is second-nature. Employers like to see that prospective hires are well-equipped to deal with tasks that require a secure grasp on programming; those with a Liberal Arts degree are no exception. For example, jobs in Technical Writing require skills from both Professional Writing and Computer Science. With a minor in Computer Science, a Professional Writing degree becomes more appealing to employers in the tech industry.

Graphic Design

Alongside technological innovation is the rise of aesthetically-pleasing design. Consumers want more than well-placed subheadings and bulleted lists; they want to be dazzled by interesting graphics and professional photography. For a Professional Writer who decides to freelance, a minor in Graphic Design is an excellent choice. One can both design websites and create copy; they can become a one-stop shop for clients looking to incorporate digital marketing strategies into their business plan.

Marketing

Professional Writers are trained to write with clarity, creativity and meaning; these are all necessary for those considering in a career in Marketing. Learning the tricks of the trade when it comes to Marketing can be a bit difficult, so it is better to take some courses to familiarize oneself with technical terms. Whether a job requires one to write copy for ads, a website or social media posts, Professional Writing never disappoints. When paired together, Marketing and Professional Writing can be a powerful combination for the success new graduates want to see in their career.

Employers today like to see that prospective hires are versatile. Studying Professional Writing is the first step to develop a skill set that reaches across a wide variety of careers. However, choosing a minor that may not seem to quite fit with Professional Writing can help one become more well-rounded.

Random Job Experience at Random Logic Games

By William McCormick

screenshot of random logic games apps — Random Logic Games apps

It is important for all college students to find an internship or job that they feel is relevant to their major. These can be important in helping someone find what they want to do with their degree post-graduation.

This is especially true for English majors, given how vague the career options for English majors can be and how varied the skills possessed by them tend to be. That is why in September of 2016, I applied for and accepted an internship with a local mobile game development company: Random Logic Games.

Random Logic Games is a game development company based in Birmingham, Alabama and founded by alumni of UAB. One of its alumni is even a former English major. Their games are, as the name implies, mostly logic and thought-based.

But why would the field of software/game development need English majors, and what could English majors really contribute to this field? At the time, reaching out to them for an internship seemed a bit odd and I did not believe I could really have a place at something even vaguely tech-related.

My main responsibility during this internship was writing up the descriptions of apps they published in the App Store or Google Play Store, and testing out the apps in question. There were also a few times when I was instructed to write and schedule posts for social media, or compile data for usage in one of the company’s apps.

This is a good example of what English majors could expect to be doing when coming into the software development field, unless they have some other form of experience that may be deemed more useful. Much of it fell into the realm of marketing, a field that many professional writers may find themselves thrust into.

This internship served as a good look into what English majors can contribute to the tech field. While they may lack the technical skills possessed by those who studied or specialize in the field, they can contribute their writing and reading skills to help those in the tech or software industries promote or improve their products. More English students should seek out these types of internships so as to get an idea of what they can do after graduation.

Professional Writers: Chameleons of the Job Market?

By Jessica LeSueur

Many times, in a job, we’re given tasks that are new to us. Professionals often find themselves doing things they never thought they would be doing when they accepted their position. Often the skills learned through these experiences can help define our careers and shape our professional image. They help us find our purpose.

Finding a Chameleon

Robin Lehnberg is an administrative assistant working for smaller companies, and doing a lot of tasks he didn’t think he would. He was originally hired to do accounting but has been assigned many different types of tasks over his career. Managing social media, writing official documents and translating documents between languages are all hats he has worn without trying them on before.

Finding a Habitat

Robin says he actually prefers the variety of tasks that he has at a smaller company, as opposed to a larger one where the work would be more focused on a single type of task. A more intimate work environment also allows employees to bounce ideas off each other and help each other out when they get stuck on a problem. Having a general knowledge of a variety of tasks and freedom to collaborate in the workplace can increase productivity and also help employees discover skills they want to work to improve.

Learning New Skills

The hardest task Robin says he’s had was writing a quote to offer a service to another company. He hadn’t written anything like it before and he wasn’t familiar with the kind of language used in them. He looked up a template online to help him learn how to word it and found it very useful.

Overcoming the Writer Mindset

The world of professional writing is a widely varied field. Sometimes a person may mainly write for their career and other times they may have a different set of skills used for the focus of their job, but their writing skills still come in handy. There isn’t anything wrong with working off templates if you’re new to a task or a particular type of writing style.

What’s important isn’t really what you’re originally hired to do, or what your skill set mainly involves. What’s important is being open to learning new skills and gaining experience that helps you figure out what you like and are good at. The unexpected skills you discover and your changing interests might end up surprising you.

Write With Fun: Professional Writing Odd Jobs

By Amy Reid

The Birmingham Zoo

Professional writing is often surrounded by the stigma that it is boring and monotonous, and honestly, a lot of times it can be. But does it have to be? Of course we all enjoy writing, that’s why we do it, but I wanted to take a look at some careers that aren’t what you’d consider when you think about professional writing.

I first sat down with Jackson. Jackson earned a degree in environmental science with a minor in professional writing from Blackburn College in Illinois. He currently works for The Birmingham Zoo, previously at The St. Louis Zoo.

What kind of things do you do at the Zoo?

“When I worked in St. Louis, I mainly worked in the Animal Food and Nutrition Center. We started our days separating what food goes where. All of our animals had specific diets depending on their species, age, and health. It was up to me to keep track of all these animals’ feeding. I normally took buckets of fish to our penguins as well. We hand fed them so we could keep track of who got what, and it allowed us to get a good, up close look at them to make sure they were healthy.”

How do you use professional writing at the zoo?

“The writing aspect was a major part of my job at the zoo. After each feeding, it was my job to write up reports about the animals I had fed. I had to write how much they ate, and document any ailments or health issues I might have noticed. This was important because my reports were sent to our veterinary staff for review. They chose me for that job specifically because I had a background in writing. Actually, most of my day was spent writing up reports, but I looked forward to each day because I knew I got to see my animal friends.”

Next, I caught up with Jeanette who works as a professional dog groomer. She has a degree in professional and technical writing from the University of West Georgia. Before opening her own pet grooming business, she served as a technical writer for an engineering company in Georgia.

Could you explain what it is you do now as a Professional Dog Groomer?

“I am a Certified Pet Stylist, and just like a human stylist would do, I cut and style hair-only it is people’s pets’ hair. Sometimes I do simple trims, and sometimes I even dye their hair funky patterns. That’s the really fun part. Everything I use is completely safe and doesn’t harm the pet at all. The pets are always my number one priority.”

How do you incorporate professional and technical writing into pet grooming?

“I do a few things actually. When we first get a new client, I always write up a report about what the client wants, any special requests or needs that they have. All of my employees read these reports and they are extremely important, so we don’t mess up a client and so that everyone is always on the same page. I also run our website. That is our main form of advertisement, so it is very essential for us. I also run a sort of ‘dog blog’ where I write about the experiences I have every day. This allows people who are skeptical or worried about us and our process feel more comfortable. I absolutely would not have been successful in my business without my writing knowledge.”

Jackson and Jeanette are two great examples of professional writers who go to work every day to have fun. They both talk about their jobs with such enthusiasm. I think all professional writers could gain something from them. They show us that we need not sacrifice our hobbies and interests for our career. Professional writers, let’s remember to keep our minds open when looking for careers, and not just settle for one of those boring, predictable jobs.