Career – Page 4 – MEMORANDUM

The PWC at UAB

Having the ability to communicate well is a desired trait that all employers are looking for. An integral part of that is written communication. The Professional Writing Club at UAB (PWC) has been established to help students understand and excel in written discourse. The PWC was founded last year by a group of Professional Writing Majors whose goal of was to create an open forum where the field and study of Professional Writing could be shared and explored across all fields of study at UAB.

The PWC has since achieved official recognition by the University. With this recognition and under the guidance of UAB faculty advisor Dr. Jeffrey Bacha, the PWC now has the credibility and knowledge to help facilitate its mission: “To equip students interested in Professional Writing with knowledge and experience to prepare them for the workforce. To network with professionals in the field, and participate in industry-focused workshops. To come together with others and innovate the future of the Professional Writing and Public Discourse program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).”

Following with this mission, the PWC has hosted several workshops on different elements of professional writing. These workshops have been on such topics as: résumé building, creating a Cover Letter and the basics of Photoshop. These workshops stressed the importance of good written communication and how to attract the eye of potential employers. Dr. Bacha lent his expertise and led the workshops, but they were planned and executed by the elected student officers of the club. The Photoshop workshop provided insight into one of the most widely used image editing software around and showed how design is an important part of professional writing. Having a good knowledge of these documents and the concepts associated with them is an important asset to have when job hunting. That is another key part of the PWC: giving students knowledge beyond what they might find in a classroom.

The PWC hopes to continue in this vain by hosting guest speaker events. The best way to learn about how professional writing crosses all sects of industry is to hear from those who use it in their professional lives. The PWC plans on having several guest speakers come and discuss with the club what professional writing means to them and how they apply the craft in their fields of industry. These speakers will show just how diversified professional writing can be, as well as, provide “real world” knowledge of the craft. Another way that the PWC will be providing real world knowledge is by executing professional level projects for UAB and the local community.

Tips to Improve Your Professional Writing

by Payton Hamilton

Exceptional skills in writing and graphical design are necessary for aspiring professional and technical writers across all fields of work. If you hope to convey a specific message smoothly to a particular audience, your skills must be up to par. Even the most well established writers constantly strive to perfect their writing across all industries to properly advertise products. If you wish to improve your writing for your future career in Professional Writing, the following tips will certainly aid you in your quest to create quality content:

Enroll in PW Classes

The Professional Writing Program offers students various opportunities to enhance their analytic, critical, and technological skills needed to advance in their career of Professional Writing. The University of Alabama at Birmingham prepares students interested in Professional Writing with the tools needed to write and create high quality documents to impress future employers. Taking Professional Writing courses will allow you to create a unique resume and portfolio, and will not only help you develop unique web designing skills, but also gain experience as a technical writer. A professional writer will also be able to establish interest in their audiences and effectively create unique designs. Whether you wish to major or minor in Professional Writing, you will gain valuable writing, research, and designing skills needed to advance outside of the classroom and into a successful career.

Understanding of Technology

As a professional writer, you must continuously be up to date with the latest computer software. Professional Writers are always eagerly involved in all types of technical communication, varying anywhere from Microsoft Office and Excel, to Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Since Professional Writing is heavily influenced by the Digital Age in which we live, a common knowledge of the online world is encouraged. Professional writer’s jobs are, of course, to communicate and persuade their audiences. What better way to communicate to your audience than a brief understanding of social media? Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, etc. are all valuable platforms to effectively reach your target audience. Technical communication will always be evolving and developing. As a professional writer, you must always remain knowledgeable of these changes to effectively connect with your audience.

The PW Community

Familiarizing yourself with the friendly community of professional writers around Birmingham will certainly enhance your chances of succeeding in this major. There are various student groups around UAB’s campus, for example, the Professional Writing Club. The Professional Writing Club will help you get to know fellow students interested in the same field, as well as connect with professionals that will help you hone your skills outside of the classroom. Similarly, involving yourself in UAB’s student newspaper, Kaleidoscope, may be beneficial. Not only will you practice your writing regularly, but you will also become prepared for the professional world of graphical design and media. Additionally, looking into the University Writing Center located on the first floor of Mervyn Sterne Library will also prove helpful. UWC is available for students to help with any inquiries for any category of writing.

Notice Your Surroundings

As a professional writer in Birmingham, you will more than likely see various posters, advertisements, and general postings throughout the area. Taking a moment to study and read these designs will help improve your skills as a professional writer. Whether some postings are utterly ridiculous or, perhaps, mind-numbingly dull, you will learn from them. Not only can you begin to notice these postings, but also notice brand names and commercials. Notice Company names on the sides of semi-trucks or even silly t-shirt designs. Analyze their mistakes or take note of the intricacies of their designs to gain inspiration. Notice placement, contrast, and colors to aid you in your next project. Recognize the effects their designs have on your mind and how you remember certain patterns, layouts, and composition over other designs.

Practice Makes Perfect

If you wish to boost your writing technique further, know that practice is one of the most important elements needed to master your prose. Just by writing on a regular basis, your work will improve immensely!

Emmett Christolear: Applications of Copy Editing

By Luke Richey

Emmett Christolear is the current Executive Editor of the Kaleidoscope; UAB’s own student newspaper. Emmett is being interviewed due to his expertise and to get a more in-depth look at the profession of copy editing and how it works and relates to a real world format. Emmett’s interview shares some of the highlights of the copy editing field: what it is, what goes into it and what one can get out of it. His insights show some of the basic essentials of the field, and how someone interested in starting a career in copy editing might be able to do it.

Before being given his current job as Executive Editor of the Kaleidoscope, Emmett was a copy editor for the Kaleidoscope in the 2013-2014 school year. Even with his new duties, he still maintains a close relationship with the other editors in the newsroom. “I still spend a lot of my time copy editing and working with the staff of copy editors to make sure the articles are at their best,” he said. Copy editing requires patience, painstaking deliberation and good interpersonal skills. This field can be quite demanding and require meticulous effort; however, the connections and expertise one gains makes for quite the reward.

Copy editing is a process — a process that turns words on a page into something that can be published and distributed. Copy editing not only looks for errors in spelling, grammar, and facts, but it also deals with the structure of the paragraph. Copy editors, such as Emmett and his team at the Kaleidoscope, “move around paragraphs to make the flow smoother.” Copy editors look at the overall appearance of the page and how to make it more visually and spatially appealing. This profession involves visual literacy, or one’s ability to read an image, and getting people to see and understand the information they see on the page.

Emmett, with his staff at the Kaleidoscope, copy edits online and from the comfort of a computer. In the past, editing was a long and arduous process that required a great deal of “hands-on” work. Nowadays, computers handle much of these tasks and make the job a lot less laborious. Copy editing still requires refinement; however, processes such as spell-check make it easier for the editor to get content out to the public. The Kaleidoscope’s “magic day” for churning out content is Sunday. Sunday is when the pieces come together and print hits the presses. “It’s when most of the action happens,” says Emmett.

When asked whether or not he enjoys his work and the field of copy editing Emmett said, “being able to read articles and get dirty gives me an outlet for creating that isn’t just poetry. It gives me the challenge and chance to get in and basically rebuild the story. Of course, it’s still the original author’s words, but I’m able to put my own twist on the story by deciding how and when information is revealed.” Copy editors are able to put a “twist” on the original work while still maintaining the message that that author initially was trying to convey. This profession allows an individual to leave his/her mark on every work that passes through his/her hand, and give information that reaches the public and highlights the public’s interests. Words, and the display of those words, are very important to the professional writing discipline and copy editing is an essential part of the writing world.

The field of copy editing is not without its challenges. Someone working in this field has to be current with all of the different rules and references that his/her particular company is using. Following a specific style, such as AP style, and knowing the tricks of the trade of that particular style is very important. Being meticulous and paying close attention to detail is a must for the field. Style books can be used as a reference; however, they can become overwhelming and dense. Being willing to ask questions and memorizing important rules are great ways to strengthen one’s copy editing skills and become marketable within the profession.

Experience is practically a must for the modern professional writer. But how does one get noticed in today’s fast-paced climate? Emmett’s advice: just get involved. “Some options may seem small, but even small things are a foot in the door and may lead to something bigger.” Getting out in the field, branding oneself, and taking initiative is the first step in becoming noticed in the professional writing job market. Copy editing is one way to go. It is a field that has a constant demand; it is a constant profession.

Alumna Spotlight: Amy’s Transition to Professional

By Alexandria Merrill

As I near graduation, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of nervous anticipation and excitement. Being a student is all I’ve known for the last two decades and, somehow, a degree and a polished resume don’t seem like enough to enter into a career field confidently. And I’m sure I’m not alone in my anxiety. To put my mind at ease, I sat down with UAB alumna Amy Roberts to discuss her own experience.

Amy graduated with a degree in professional writing in the spring of 2014 and was hired to work for Growing Kings, a non-profit organization dedicated to building up future leaders among underserved male youths in Birmingham city schools. Amy’s job primarily consists of applying for grants and writing proposals; she explains that her role requires a great deal of discipline and planning. “I get a list of projects and deadlines, then I break everything down into a timeline and go from there. It’s a lot like leafing through stacks of essay prompts from teachers.” She describes her work as a technical writer as not being too different from being a student—deadlines are tight and there’s always something to work on.

High levels of personal organization and self-discipline are characteristics that Amy had already worked to engrain as a part of her life. Aside from the service learning projects she participated in, she also helped found and served as the first president of UAB’s Professional Writing Club. There she was able to collaborate with other students in the professional writing concentration and share in a knowledge pool. She believes that opportunities like this are invaluable for students and professionals alike. “There are a lot of great organizations around campus and it’s a great way to network and meet new people. After graduation, no matter what line of work you go into, look for professional organizations to join.” She continues to emphasize the need to never stop learning, something that students are already “professionals” at doing.

Amy goes on to admit that she got her job in an unconventional way. She met her current boss at a party celebrating a mutual friend’s professional acheivement. She said she was not particularly looking forward to the party that night, as she was nearing finals and was simply too tired to feel festive. As she got out of the car she remembers telling herself that she was going to go in, meet fascinating people, and make important connections. Just a couple hours later, she met her future boss and got a job offer. Amy’s experience really impressed upon me the need to see every gathering and social event as an opportunity to network. This is something that I (and I’m sure many other students) do not take advantage of often enough, but can make the job searching process exponentially easier.

When I asked her what aspect of her time spent studying professional writing had the greatest impact on her career, she said that every single class with Dr. Bacha had the most significant influence on her as a professional. “The projects I’ve worked on, and am currently working on, are all reflections of projects from my professional writing classes. I’ve created brochures, student program guides, e-mail newsletters, and right now I’m re-designing our website. These are all things I’ve done before, for the most part, in Dr. Bacha’s classes.” She emphasizes the need for students to really invest themselves in these classes because the skills they learn there are practical and applicable later on in the professional world. She goes on to say that students should “embrace every opportunity to try something new; take every chance to learn a new medium.”

This kind of multi-disciplinary knowledge is what ultimately sets professional writers apart from others when interviewing for jobs. “Today’s writer is no longer confined to just pen and paper, or a word processor. Now, you not only have to be able to produce great content, but you should also learn how to publish it on a website or a blog. Adding that extra skill to your résumé will make you ten times more marketable and far less expendable.”

Through my time with Amy, I realized that there is not just one way to go about finding a great job. She never went through an application process or an interview; she just had a willingness to work hard, put herself out there, and remain open to anything that came her way. She also challenged me to consider that the first job I get out of college might eventuate into being the career I have always dreamed of. The greatest thing any of us can do as we enter the work force is keep an open mind and always be willing to learn. There is a lot to be said for positivity and flexibility, as Amy so honestly demonstrates.

Alumni Spotlight: Olelakan’s advice for PW Majors

By Robert Conditt III

Navigating the open job market can be a daunting experience for Professional Writing (PW) majors. The versatility of the degree can be a real asset, but it can also make it hard for some to hone down and find what kind of job they would like or even one that appeals to them. Professional writing is a unique discipline that spans a wide range of professions across an equally wide range of industries. Some of these professions may seem like obvious choices to PW majors, like journalism, editing, or copywriting. But there are some jobs out there that are less obvious, and can be quite rewarding for graduates of this concentration. Businesses today require lots of written documentation. Documentation that ranges from executive level memos and reports to company-wide letters and policy documents, all the way down to the daily orders that workers must follow and complete. Professional writers are needed to create and write these documents, but these types of job opportunities can still be difficult to find if you don’t know how or where to look.

Olalekan Dada is a recent graduate from UAB, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Writing and Public Discourse, who knows all too well this experience. Currently, Dada (as he likes to be called) is a Proposal Coordinator for Diversified Maintenance (formerly Rite Way Services.) Diversified Maintenance is a janitorial and housekeeping service provider. As a Proposal Coordinator, Dada is responsible for writing the business proposals his company submits to potential clients in hopes to garner contracts. These proposals are the documents upon which client’s base the decision to hire or pass on his company’s services. Olalekan enjoys this position and how it constantly challenges his skills as a writer, but finding it was still a difficult process. In a recent interview Dada shared his experience in navigating the open job market. He discussed the strategy he used in finding a job, some pointers for future graduates, and some of the unexpected things that he found as he entered the professional sphere.

After graduating, Dada says that his strategy for employment involved online job searches. The site that got him his current job was indeed.com. He recommends that site for anyone looking to work with small companies. The key, he says, to looking online for a job is to be specific about your searches. This is one of the unexpected things that he found when he entered the job pool, “You can’t just type in writer and expect to find a job, well, at least not in Birmingham. You have to look for communicator or marketing associate.” In essence, you have to know the title of the job you may be interested in, “then tailor your résumé to that job.”

Having an online résumé, as well as a personal website with a digital portfolio of his previous work helped him immensely in marketing himself to potential employers. He built these in a Digital Media class taught by UAB’s own Dr. Bacha. He mentions this after being asked about how UAB has prepared him for the job market. “Knowing these skills, and having a place where employers could see my work definitely gave me an edge.” He also stressed the point that those who are still in school should keep their résumés up to date with class projects, “because employers want to see what you have done and proof that you have the skills you say you do.” Being able to keep track of what you have done and having the ability to “tap into to your memory on the fly” and know what you are capable of doing can help you get a job, and having good documentation of your previous work can help with that.

When asked about what advice he had for PW majors, or what he wished someone would have told him about being a Professional Writer, he said, “get used to short, hard deadlines. You may be given an assignment at like noon, and it has to be done by the end of the day, or first thing the next morning. You need to be quick and you have to make sure it’s good.” Having the skills to be an agile writer is a must and he attributes his ability to do so to the time he spent in at UAB. He feels that the classes he took as part of the Professional Writing concentration really tested and improved his skills as a writer. They prepared him for the work that he is doing by teaching him the “etiquette” of professionalism, and made him aware of the different ways to communicate. His final piece of advice: “Take everything that Dr. Bacha teaches seriously. Everything will pop when you see it in the real world.”

Perfecting Professionalism: Using College Before Joining the Workforce

Lauren Johnson

Too many times employers have accused today’s college graduates of lacking professionalism. Many superiors state that we do not communicate correctly, we’re habitually tardy, and we socialize in the workplace too much, which is distracting. Funny enough, they have a terms for doing it right: employability skills or soft skills. Having employability skills mean that you possess work ethic, which includes timeliness, attendance, and a great attitude. And your current career as a college student builds those skills for future interactions in a professional atmosphere. Students should use college to practice the professional attributes expected in the majority of workplaces.

Continue reading “Perfecting Professionalism: Using College Before Joining the Workforce”

Creating Experience

Though there is still much to learn, Chris enjoys his work

BY Amy Roberts

The job market today is filled with available, entry-level positions that require minimum experience. This makes finding work difficult for recent graduates. A key component to overcoming this hurdle is by being an autonomous student. Professors can only teach so much in the short 50 to 75 minute time frame they are given with their students two to three times a week. Students have to be willing to acquire skills outside of the classroom to make up for the experience they lack when entering the workforce.

Chris Finley, a recent University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) graduate, left UAB last spring with a degree in Professional Writing and Public Discourse with a minor in Linguistics. When asked about his job search Chris replied, “[I] put my resume on several job-searching websites. Applied to 75 jobs to only receive three call backs and two interviews. Everyone wants experience.”

Fortunately, Chris found employment with a young, quickly growing company called Zero RPM, a business who specializes in creating idle mitigation systems for vehicles. Chris was hired as the Technical Writer for Zero RPM after producing a professional portfolio to show shareholders. The portfolio Chris put together consisted of various writing samples from literary analyses to recommendation reports and a video presentation he created for a Visual Rhetoric course during his final semester at UAB. The first few items are all pieces any Professional Writing graduate can include in their portfolio, but the video showed Chris’ future employer his versatility.

Graduates today not only have to worry about filling the gap created by their lack of experience, but also setting themselves apart from others competing for the same job who may, or may not, have the experience companies are looking for. In Chris’ case, the video presentation he included showcased his diverse set of skills. For this final assignment in Visual Rhetoric, students created presentations including their definition of visual rhetoric, and then presented examples defending their definition. The professor, Dr. Bacha, introduced students to a variety of presentation tools, one of which was a screen recording program accessible for free during a trial period. Chris chose to take on Dr. Bacha’s challenge and created a video after having spent hours of personal time learning how to use the trial free software. Then, he figured out how to overlay the screencast with the audio of his presentation script. All of the time spent outside of the classroom acquiring these skills proved to be well spent when the company who hired him asked him during the interviewing process if he would be able to create a video showcasing their products.

Though some of the software Chris lists as tools he uses every day sound familiar to some Professional Writing students, like Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office, many he has had to learn for the first time. Those include Solid Edge 2D, a drafting tool which allows users to design 3D models, Formstack, an online tool used to create virtually any type of form and overlay logos with no prior coding knowledge required, and Sitewrench, a tool used to create and maintain websites. Chris says he learned about these new resources through research he did on his own time. He says his bosses give him a task objective and more often than not he researches new software for completing each. Other than coworkers and Google, Chris says he watches YouTube videos to learn how to work with new products.

With the projects given to him by his bosses, Chris is also faced with the job of having to learn the company jargon. Zero RPM is a company that develops units to conserve fuel by allowing various car systems to run without the engine. Chris is currently working on a project “redesigning the wiring schematic to show how systems work in correlation with pre-existing electronics in a 2013 Ford F550 for Nevada Energy.” This is not exactly an assignment taught in EH 404: Technical Writing, but Chris says he has created a personal dictionary to assist with learning the language.

During the break between semesters, consider brushing up, or engaging in document design software. Research popular programs being using by current writers in a desired field. Play with various freeware found on the internet, like Gimp or Scribus. Professional Writers, Technical Writers especially, pay much attention to document formats. Leaf through graphic design books for inspiration. Create mock drafts of potential documents for a company of interest. Start compiling writing samples and past assignments to include in a professional portfolio. Students graduating next spring should start, if they have not already, thinking about how they intend to use their degree. Chris reflects on the days leading up to and after graduation saying, “Graduation puts you sky high to immediately be knocked back down to reality.” Upcoming graduates need to prepare themselves for the reality.

Companies want experienced employees for a reason. Chris agrees saying companies take risks hiring employees with a lack of experience. Graduates entering the job market have to understand it costs an employer more time and money to teach someone how to perform tasks. They can attempt to overcome the experience void by showing an ability, and willingness, to learn more after graduation. Students should also consider researching tools of the employer’s trade. When applying for jobs, go beyond researching what a company does and the requirements of a job, but look into how tasks are most likely run. This is the sort of prior knowledge employers will be looking for in applicants. Education does not stop once the diploma is handed over, but rather it has barely begun.

Chris adds one final piece of advice to undergraduates “Be prepared for anything. Demands are high and requests can come at any time of the day or night. It’s primarily R&D (research and development) so things are changing constantly. You cannot have thin skin because you’re never right the first time. The rewards are great but so are the expectations. Be humble because there are millions of people looking for the same thing as you. Stay focused and dedicated and your time will come.”