Career – Page 3 – MEMORANDUM

The Value of Internships and Jobs for Professional Writing Students

By Annie Swantek

How far does a bachelor’s degree really go? Many college students may not consider what they are going to include on their résumé before creating one. Or they think that earning a degree and taking courses related to their desired career field is enough. Having a college education is a critical factor on résumé’s, however it is often not enough to catch an employer’s eye.

What an Education in English brings you

Being an English major and a senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), I have been able to greatly enhance my writing skills, develop other beneficial skills, and gain knowledge on topics I was previously unaware of. The English Department at the UAB is well versed and offers its students an exceptional education. Students striving to earn a Bachelors in English are offered an amazing range of courses as well as amazing faculty to teach those courses.

Getting an education in English will prepare students with the basic skill set and knowledge they need to succeed in a writing career. However, internships and part-time jobs while in college are a key factor in a student’s success with finding a job after graduation.

Beyond the Degree

If a student majoring in English is planning on pursuing a writing career or searching for a job in the communications or writing field, it is beneficial for them to have experience to put on their résumé. Having a bachelor’s degree and the skills and experience from UAB’s English courses are valuable and important to note when creating a resume or talking to future employers.

However, the specific field of professional writing requires experience with many different applications and additional skills beyond being able to write remarkably and efficiently. While many professors do inform their students of this and introduce them to these types of applications, skills, and tasks that employers require for any writing position, students often do not get enough experience to list it on their résumé as a skill.

Having exposure to a professional work environment and seeing first-hand the types of tasks that writers complete is a very beneficial experience to have. Actually gaining experience allows students to go beyond just learning about it in a classroom and actually living it and doing hands on work that will help them in the future.

Student Internships & Jobs

Since I am a senior, I have started my job searching journey. I am mainly looking at Technical Writing, Copy Writing, Editing, and any related positions. I have noticed a trend that almost all of the job postings I have looked at require or strongly prefer for applicants to have a bachelor’s degree as well as at least 1 year of experience.

Not having job experience does not necessarily mean that employers will not look at your Résumé or that you can not find a good job, it does mean that having relevant work experience greatly increases your chances of getting responses from employers and catching their eye with your résumé.

I am an English major; Business Administration minor and I am concentrating in professional writing. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in professional writing when I chose my major but did not know the exact steps I needed to take or how to achieve that. I knew that my college courses had allowed me to develop valuable skills, but I was still anxious and worried about finding a job or being able to succeed at a job after graduation.

Before the Spring Semester of 2020, I got an email from the Undergraduate English Majors Resources informing students of an on campus, part-time, student Technical Writing position. I figured I would apply for the job and see what happens because it seemed like a good fit, and I knew that having this experience would look good on my résumé and better prepare me for the future. I ended up getting hired at UAB’s Computer Forensics Research Lab (CFRL) as a Technical Writer, I have about a full year of experience since I started my junior year and will be leaving after graduation as it is a student job.

Benefits of Student Jobs

The entrance to the Facebook Suite section of UAB’s Computer Forensic Research Lab, the main lobby, of the lab.

My part time Technical Writing job experience at the CFRL has allowed me to grow as a writer, editor, and even as a student and teacher at times. My main task is to review and edit reports that are written by the lab’s analysts. While reviewing all reports is the main priority, there are many other side duties and tasks that come along with being a Technical Writer. With this specific job I also had to participate in writing workshops where my supervisor and I taught lessons to the analysts on how to improve their writing and what their reports should look like and include.

Teaching writing workshops to the analysts at the lab was very rewarding and allowed me to grow as a person. I was tasked with reading the book, Communicating with Intelligence: Writing and Briefing for National Security by James S. Major and creating PowerPoint based on the material in the book. I had never had the experience of presenting information in this manner or teaching others how to write. I never enjoyed giving presentations in school and always preferred to sit quietly and learn rather than speak up with questions or opinions, this experience helped me to come out of my shell and feel more confidently about speaking in group settings.

The CFRL writes Intelligence Writing style reports that are written in a specific format and that get sent out to clients. I had never seen this particular kind of writing before and was not very familiar with the subjects of the reports. However, being able to see other kinds of writing besides academic writing has broadened knowledge and skill set. I can now tell future employers that I have experience with reviewing and editing cyber crime related reports, even if the company has nothing to do with computer forensics this still shows them that I have experience with multiple types of writing styles and that I can easily adapt to different types of content.

Networking is another benefit of having internships and part time jobs while in college. Sometimes acquiring jobs depends on who you know. If you are working or interning at a company as a Technical Writer, or related position, you are likely to meet others with that job title and similar interests as you. Not only is this a way to gain friends and socialize with others who may be similar to you, it is also a way to lead to future jobs. People at the company may know friends or family whose company or office is looking for someone who can write, they may think about the Technical Writing intern at their company and give you a referral.

It all comes back to experience. having the experience of being around different types of people and work environments gives you the ability to tell future employers about it. Maybe your student job was remote, and you are looking for only remote positions, now you can tell employers you have excellent time management skills and work well independently because you have had the experience of working in a remote position already. Or, maybe your internship was in an office and required a lot of collaborative work, you now have the ability to show off your ability to work as a team member in a busy work environment.

Receiving an education at UAB and earning a Bachelors in English are amazing accomplishments that employers will be impressed with. However, having internships and jobs related to your desired field as a college student is an extremely valuable and beneficial experience that will help you moving forward with your future and career.

Journalism and Professional Writing

By Taylor Hanson

“I am finally out of college, ready to build a career as a writer, and start a new chapter in my life.” This is what many aspiring professional writers say as they take their first steps towards building their career. But what does a career for a journalist and aspiring writer look like?

Before taking these initial steps, it is important to know how to obtain a career and what requirements there are, as well as duties you will perform. This is why I decided to research what kind of jobs are available for journalism and creative writing, as well as the requirements they prefer.

I also found that being familiar with other writers and their work improves your own. Performing marketing and editing tasks to get a book published, as well as work with co-writers and editors is important for development. This aids creative writers but also others whose work involves writing.

Life as a writer

I conducted an interview with a relative, Becca, who has two books published and a lot of experience in performing duties as a writer. Her occupation is a sociologist who conducts qualitative research. In this career, one must perform a lot of data analysis and writing based on the data collected while conducting research.

I asked her what education she has for her career, “I received training in my master’s program in Social Sciences at the University of Chicago and my PhD program in Sociology at University of Georgia.” These were the first steps in her career in research and data analysis, and how to publish about her research.

According to Becca, she did not receive much training on how to write books in these programs. Instead, she learned how to write by, “looking at other authors I admired, reading their books not only with an eye towards substance but structure and style.” She also mentioned that co-authoring has been extremely helpful to her as it has allowed her to work with others in her field with more experience and learn how they write.

“At the end of the day, writing is about producing a lot of material you will never use, editing, writing, and rewriting. It is having the patience and commitment to return to the same chapters over and over again to improve phrasing, organization, and flow. Those are probably the most useful skills I have ever learned while writing these three books.”

Becca informed me that academic publishing is different from fiction or non-academic publishing. For her publishing process, Becca prepares a book prospectus consisting of 5-10 pages, which provides a summary of the book’s arguments, a breakdown of its chapters, presentation of the book’s contributions relating to other scholars, and finally, a biographical sketch that positions her as an expert in her field.

During the interview I learned that having connections with editors helps the publishing process. Becca met two editors she has worked with at academic conferences, and she has cultivated a relationship with another editor for years. In her explanation of getting books published, Becca informed me, “Once you have a contract with a book publisher, it is completely up to you to produce a manuscript that can be sent out for review. So, it is important to be well-organized and plan ahead so you can complete the project on time.” Her advice for future job seekers? “Get involved in groups and events that are organized around your profession of interest as soon as you can.”

Job Searching

I wanted to see what kinds of jobs might be available to aspiring writers, so I researched job advertisements on Indeed.com, Salary.com and Simplyhired.com , which are highly recommended sites for job-searching. General Assignment Reporter for 1819 News, one of the jobs on their site, requires 3-5 years of experience covering news for online publication, a bachelor’s degree in journalism (preferred but not required), and experience in journalism (three years is preferred). Tasks include writing stories to attract readers to expand 1819 News, collaborating with editors, and producing different news features as well as analysis of complex issues.

Digital Copywriter with Strong Automotive Merchandising, the second job advertisement I found, requires a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism or writing. The employers prefer their applicants to have at least one year of experience in copywriting. Employees will perform responsibilities such as creating blog posts, working closely with Content Marketing Coordinators, proofreading, and editing content, and digital reporting.

The last job I found was a novel writing job for eGlobal Creative Publishing, requiring no prior experience except writing. Tasks include writing about fantasy, fiction, romance, video games, LGBTQ+ issues, and many more topics. This would be. I found many jobs that piqued my interest, which provided comfort that there are opportunities for those of us pursuing a writing career. I recommend these sites for anyone in search of a job if you aren’t sure where to start.

Learning how to find the information needed to pursue a career is essential for me as a creative writing major and aspiring journalist, but also for other careers. Pursuing a career requires this kind of research early in life to make sure you are taking the steps that will help to build your specific career. It is helpful to know what kind of jobs are available, what is required to obtain them, and what tasks you will perform to make sure the job fits your interest.

While performing my job search analysis, I had difficulty finding the exact jobs that fit a creative writing concentration. There are a lot of jobs available for diverse writers in many concentrations, such as proposal writers, proofreaders, and news reporters. I learned not only that there are many different careers for writing, but many that require different expertise.

Using What You Know

After my research, I now know what a creative writer and journalist needs to focus their degree on, what duties will be performed as a professional writer, and what jobs are available. I also learned how to gain connections and build my way in the writing industry successfully. In all, I believe this process provides clarity, understanding, and self-discovery. I was able to discover what kind of future I can have, as well as how to pursue it correctly.

Before conducting research for this article, I was unsure of what it meant to be a journalist, and even less sure of what kind of journalist I wanted to be. Following Becca’s advice, making connections, staying consistent and dedicated, and preparing to create a lot of content to continuously recreate will help me and anyone in this occupation become successful as a writer.

I hope this helps anyone wanting to pursue a professional writing career. These steps I took to gain a better understanding of what a writing career looks like and how to obtain it are helpful steps for anyone searching for a career. Job sites such as Indeed.com and Simplyhired.com are helpful sites to find job advertisements, but there are many other sites available if those do not meet your expectations.

Gain connections and talk to your teachers for advice on achieving a successful writing career. There are never-ending sources, and no one can stop you from becoming who you want to be. “Talking with people working towards the same goals, or people who are already working in the profession, helps you prepare but also develop networks and a base of support.” (Becca Hanson).

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 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.

Career Spotlight: Online Content Editor

By Kalyn Wells

XML coding

With everything becoming more web-based, it is no surprise that there are more careers evolving around this medium in publishing today.

For example, online content editors spend most of their day creating content for the web. In addition to working with and adding content on the web, they must code their content with HTML and XML codes to properly publish it on the Internet. They strategically plan how the website should be laid out based on research and statistics of previous approaches the company has put forth on their website. So, getting to know the company and the company’s online history is a crucial part of this type of career.

Similar to most publishing careers, communication, research and proofreading are all skills an online content editor should acquire. An employer looking to hire an online content editor would look for these skills in a potential employee, but they would also look for a person who has developed coding and computer skills in order to successfully publish text and images onto the company’s website.

Creative Pool is a helpful site that gives more information about what online content editors do, what kind of environment they work in and more.

UAB offers courses in the Professional Writing curriculum that will help a student succeed in this type of career. There are courses such as Developing Digital Documents in which a student will learn more about Adobe software and how to construct a publication. Digital Publishing is another helpful course in which learning how to code for websites is one of the important objectives of the course.

You can find more Professional Writing course offerings in the UAB Catalog. A student could also take additional courses from the Communication Studies curriculum to help them gain more knowledge on the history of media.

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.

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.

Food Writing in Professional Periodicals

Stephanie Patrick

Food has some of the most expansive types and styles of coverage in print and digital media today. From journalistic essays, articles, travelogues, memoirs, blogs, cookbooks, films, and even poetry and fiction, the possibilities of writing about food seem endless. For communicators and professional writers who want to explore this genre of writing more, they need to understand the dedication it takes for professional publications to bring the extensive world of the culinary arts to everyday people.

Continue reading “Food Writing in Professional Periodicals”

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.