Category: Volume 7 Issue 1

Professionals Have Standards

Student working on a computer, courtesy of UAB Image Gallery

By: Evan Harris

How to write and how not to write—those are the questions. When a person writes they need to do so with purpose and with a focus on how they want their message to be received.

In Fall of 2019, I am taking EH 340 Developing Digital Documents and EH 301 Read/Write/Research for English. Both of these classes have helped my writing style become more professional and focus-orientated.

Know your audience

When a person writes a professional document, one of the first things they have to consider is their audience. Whether you’re emailing a professor, writing a term paper or drafting an article for a publication, you should always know who your audience is and edit your content accordingly.

Font choice is another valuable consideration, as well as page design and format. This type of thinking is something I have learned in Dr. Bacha’s EH 340 class. I would seriously recommend this class to anyone. Developing Digital Documents nudges you to become creative and design publications in a way that both invites and holds the reader’s attention.

Know your focus

You should always know why you are writing. Professionals write to instruct, inform or persuade. These purposes will help guide the reader’s interpretation.

When you write, you should never assume your reader already knows what you’re taking about. You are the expert and must convey information to your audience, so emphasize your message. Your writing should have clarity; the reader must be able to understand what the document is about in the first thirty seconds.

Writing professionally is a skill everyone should acquire. You might be selected for an interview just because you chose the perfect font to make you stand out. If you you would like to improve your writing, I would definitely recommend the classes I listed above.

Freelancing Tips for Professional Writers

Woman working on a computer, courtesy of UAB Image Gallery

By: Mallorie Turner

Over the past few years, the option of being a freelancer has grown in popularity. As the freelance economy increases, the possibility for professional writers to enter the independent workforce appear more appealing. The allure of freelancing stems from a desire to be your own boss, make your own rules and never risk being laid off without financial compensation. I am a professional writer who sees freelancing as a nirvana amidst the apocalyptic job market that currently wages in America.

I was recently contracted to write articles for a local newspaper, marking the first time I have ever done this type of work. Having steady opportunities to be contracted by larger entities is not as common as one would think in the freelancing market. I was unsure of what was involved in creating my own independent writing business, but I have compiled a list of the most important aspects that went into beginning a stable one. Sharing this list will hopefully convince other writers to transform their freelancing dreams into reality.

The Cons of Freelancing

It goes without saying that you will have to work long hours as a freelance writer; 40+ hour work weeks with the possibility of late payments. However, these obstacles can be said of many other jobs.

The biggest issue potential freelance writers should consider boils down to clientele and the fact that difficult interactions can occur. Freelancers from every profession report working with clients who have foregone paying them, insulted them or changed the specs of a project so much that most of the completed work had to be scrapped.

Be discerning when choosing which clients to work for. This does not equate to being discriminatory—you are merely evaluating who will better respect you as an employee.

Imagine being contracted to produce a technical document for a small business. You complete the assignment in full even with the contractor’s overzealous content changes and odd business practices. Now you come to find that the contractor will not surrender your paycheck for reasons undisclosed. Remember to be polite in these situations and send out invoices as soon as possible to prioritize your payment. Courtesy always goes a long way and you will retain professionalism if you take the high road.

Use Your Resources to Network

The great thing about living in the cyber-age is having an endless amount of employment resources available at your fingertips. However, the best websites are not always easy to identify.

A few reliable websites for freelance writers are: Freelancer.com, Upwork.com and LinkedIn Jobs. You can also network through these websites, which can benefit future business ventures.

Websites like these have the option to filter search results for users who want to apply for remote job opportunities. Working remotely is another cool part of being a freelance writer, as long as you are not easily sidetracked by your surroundings. Most remote work is done at home, a place where you can be distracted by a number of things.

Social media is a powerful tool as well, so do not be afraid to reach out to other freelance writers for their insight and advice.

Never Stop Learning Your Craft

Whether you are a graduate with a professional concentration or are still working towards your degree, never stop learning how to write. Honing your talents as a professional writer does not end once you earn your degree.

Consider giving yourself projects of your own to complete. This will give you opportunities to master skills like document designing, proofreading, editing and writing for popular periodicals.

The added bonus is putting these projects into a portfolio and advertising your skillsets to potential employers. For freelance writers, portfolios are great for stepping into a full-time business.

Do Not Let Failures Define Your Freelancing Experience

As with any endeavor, encountering failures as a freelance writer are inevitable. There will be rejection when pitching concepts to potential employers. Some opportunities may not pay enough for the amount of work needed to finish the project.

Do not lose faith in yourself as a professional. Remember that freelancing is a legitimate occupation. You would not give up when issues arise at a full-time job, so know how to brave through them on your own time. Your failures only make for a stronger business in the end.

It’s Free. It’s Adobe Creative Cloud.

Students working on computers, courtesy of UAB Image Gallery

By: Summer Guffey

Want to sharpen your digital literacy? Well now you can!

Adobe Creative Cloud is available to all UAB students and faculty members. The university’s agreement with Adobe allows students and faculty to create documents and edit photos for business and academic purposes. Students can hone their visual, audio, animation and organization skills digitally in the classroom. UAB believes that the teaching of digital literacy will propel students into the job market with advantages over their competitors.

Students have access to the cloud which includes a myriad of programs that can be used for design storage and photography files. Programs in the student design are:

  • Photoshop
  • Illustrator
  • Acrobat DC
  • After Effects
  • Premiere Pro
  • Dreamweaver
  • And many more!

Every student is eligible for a free Adobe Acrobat Pro license. Adobe Acrobat is accessible through your Creative Cloud license as well.

Acquiring Your Creative Cloud

Students can access Adobe Creative Cloud in five simple steps. However, if there are any issues that you run into, it is best to contact UAB’s IT department. The instructions are to be carried out as followed:

  1. Visit adobe.com, then click “sign in” in the upper left-hand corner.
  2. Click “sign in with an Enterprise ID.”
  3. Enter your BlazerID (the email including @uab.edu) and password. This will redirect you to UAB’s single sign-on page where you can log in with your BlazerID and DUO 2-factor authentication.

You will then be directed to your cloud where you can install the programs you want to use onto your laptop.

Utilizing Adobe: Tips

The difference between Acrobat Pro and Creative Cloud is important for successfully utilizing each program for your desired purpose. Acrobat Pro allows you to create and edit PDFs; this includes the addition of interactivity for PDFs. When it comes to saving documents, Adobe Acrobat is used in accordance to other offered cloud storage, such as the methods of UAB One Drive.

In contrast, Creative Cloud provides a collection of the various programs offered in design, publishing, video and image applications. You can store your designs and various photograph styles in your Creative Cloud.

For those in need of publishing applications, InDesign is useful for such projects. With this software, you can create brochures, zines, books and flyers. Graphic designers, publishers, artists and marketers all use InDesign to format their digital documents. This will be useful in professional careers that require you to develop layouts. In the professional market, InDesign is commonly used in conjunction with Photoshop and Illustrator.

Photoshop is ideal for editing photos, but can also be used to sharpen your graphic art. You can retouch your photography, combine and organize images and isolate undesired objects. Illustrator helps you create two-dimensional objects and images, such as logos, which are pertinent to most professional businesses.

The Illustrator application is also used to create vector-based designs such as your own graphics, comics and fonts. Developing the ability to work through the Adobe software will provide you with a desired set of skills which employers are looking for in the workplace.

Professional Writing as a Major for Pre-Health Students

University Hall, courtesy of UAB Image Gallery

By: Wyatt

If you’re like me, you came to undergraduate school wanting to be a doctor of some sort, whether that’s as a dentist, optometrist, surgeon or physician. If you’re even more like me, you grew frustrated when your initial advisers wouldn’t tell you what the best major is in relation to that goal. As a senior who’s gone through the application process for optometry school, I can finally confirm that there is no right answer for this conundrum, but Professional Writing has worked well for me.

Something other than Biology?

Like many other pre-health students, I initially opted for a Biology major due to the crossover with my prerequisites and because I found the Discovery Channel fascinating as a kid (and still do). As you have probably learned by now, it’s nothing like the latter. As for the former, the crossover was a little bit too convenient. If I continued as a Biology major, I would have ended up in a position with enough empty credit slots to decide between tacking on a minor or branching out with my major.

In talking with the admissions committees of various optometry schools, I’ve learned that they have, frankly, gotten used to the endless tide of Biology majors applying each cycle. For you, this directly translates into more competition and an even greater need to stick out amongst the crowd. While there’s nothing at all wrong with the Biology major (and here at UAB, it has an excellent reputation), being able to make your folder stand out on the admissions table is the first step to being considered.

You’ve probably heard a lot about being “well-rounded,” and it’s more than a platitude. Everyone who applies to a health school will have finished the same prerequisites, but if you have an entirely separate field of experience from the rest, that’s a significant step toward differentiating yourself from the crowd. In many ways, acceptance to a health school is like getting hired for a job.

What are your options?

Put bluntly, there are many science prerequisites (enough for a chemistry minor by default in optometry), and the Core Requirements at UAB also demand dabbling in a plethora of fields. Ideally, this would translate into finding something that interests you, but it takes an early investment of time to manage your science prerequisites. It’s also difficult to squeeze in those Core Requirements right off the bat.

With that in mind, some research and introspection would be in order. The UAB Course Catalog is a great way to learn about the requirements of a field you’re curious about. The first thing to consider should be the number of credit hours required for the major you’re interested in. The smallest majors I’ve heard of at UAB are English, Philosophy, and History: all weighing in at 42 or fewer credit hours.

Chemistry is slightly less common than Biology, but not particularly unique when it comes to health school applications. Neuroscience might be the third most popular, based on talking to fellow applicants. Any major can be a viable path, of course—they simply might not all be particularly distinctive ones.

Why Professional Writing?

To quickly summarize the English major, a student can have one of four Concentrations:

  • Professional Writing
  • Literature
  • Creative Writing
  • Linguistics

Each influences the types of English classes you’ll take, though the major’s elective requirements translate into significant potential for exploring the other concentrations, depending on your interests. I wanted something I could, at some point, use—and whether it’s technical writing for referrals or professional communication for the business side of a practice, Professional Writing prepares its students. Mastering minutiae like the basics of usable document design or even composing a resumé are necessities you’ll have to learn eventually.

Fundamentally, I enjoyed English and I liked the prospect of including it in my coursework as an alternative to something like Inorganic Chemistry. The fact that it is directly relevant to my goals was the thing that led me to English rather than, say, Philosophy—which was also a compelling option at the time.

When and how to decide?

Earlier, I talked about the smaller size of the English major in relation to most others. This is crucial, as it means you have more flexibility in deciding. If you’re interested in Professional Writing, the introductory course is a non-committal way of testing the waters. I didn’t switch until right before my Junior year, so there’s still hope for those of you a bit farther down your path.

As with everything mentioned in this article, you are the one planning your path and should take the time to consider all aspects of this decision: your time, preferences, requirements and goals.

From Student to Professional: Words of Wisdom from Alumnus Hunter Freeman

Hunter Freeman, Program Coordinator at the UAB Women and Infants Center

By: Skylar Summers

During their time at UAB, many students will wonder what their degree could offer them after graduation. Though every program at UAB provides an array of marketable skillsets, I had the opportunity to hear from Hunter Freeman, a former Professional Writing student who is thriving in his new career as a Program Coordinator at the UAB Women and Infants Center.

Freeman emphasized that his connections at UAB were helpful in his hiring process. Dr. Wells, director of the University Writing Center and a Professional Writing and first year composition professor, emailed him about the position. Freeman added that although university connections might not launch one into their main career, they are especially valuable right after graduation, and can alleviate many concerns current students may have.

I also inquired about his experience at UAB, specifically as a Professional Writing major. He told me that course work is very important, elaborating that everything he did in Dr. Bacha’s class has been relevant. Going into specifics about how he landed his current position, Freeman told me, “I wrote an essay for Dr. McComiskey’s Creative Writing course and posted it on my portfolio that I made in Dr. Bacha’s class.”

A few months later, he was applying for a job. Freeman told me that Dr. Carlo, his current boss, looked through his portfolio, read his essay, and told him, “that alone proved I could do research, write persuasively, and organize my ideas.” After a series of interviews, Freeman landed the position as a Program Coordinator.

As we discussed further about skills learned at UAB, Freeman mentioned internships and working as a student. He told me that he worked in the Writing Center as a tutor; he met with students, corrected their writing and explained why certain things had to change. When he elaborated on his current job, which involves reading manuscripts, making edits, and explaining why those edits were made, the parallels became clear. He told me that knowing how to write is important, but the skills that he cultivated at UAB have also been useful.

Freeman went on to tell me about other professional writing skills that are unique to his experience: graphic design, web design, video production, database management and project management. Each helped make him marketable as an employee.

Freeman spoke specifically about Professional Writing versus other concentrations, including the HTML skillset he acquired throughout his courses. He said, “Those other majors are great, but I think Professional Writing is the best of the program because you really get the opportunity to diversify your skill set. Every professional writer can write an essay, but not every literature major knows some HTML.” He then added that, while the world is still full of those who believe English majors can only become teachers, it’s very possible to market yourself in an interview to prove you have the skills to do a wide variety of jobs.

Freeman then gave some interesting insight into his current jobs at the UAB Women and Infants Center and as a freelancer for the Addiction Prevention Coalition. Admitting that no job is exempt from monotony, including his current position, Freeman acknowledged that a lot of his job is typing memos, though he added that having discipline can lead to more fun projects in the future. This discipline has given him plenty of room to learn and change, and he has picked up skills that complement previous strengths.

On the topic of his freelance work, he said that it ranges from talking about statistics on the dangers of drugs to exploring why the new Lumineers album can act as a voice for those suffering through substance abuse disorders. Speaking more on this diversity of work, he told me that, as a professional, it’s just as important that all projects—whether monotonous or intriguing—are treated with the same amount of enthusiasm and commitment to quality.

To close our interview, Freeman told me that his experience in Professional Writing has given him the potential to transition to a wide variety of careers when the time is right. He said, “Professional Writing is a great major if you are willing to learn new things. It is the ultimate Jack of All Trades Major.”

As a student myself, I can speak for many in saying that this diversification of marketable skills is just what most—if not all—undergraduates look for when they choose a concentration. This makes Professional Writing even more worth considering. Hunter Freeman’s words of wisdom also help clarify a lot of what students learn in Professional Writing. Freeman’s final sendoff was encouraging, “Listen to Dr. Bacha. He’s got a lot of good wisdom to share if you pay attention.” I believe all students will very much agree.