Tech-Writing – MEMORANDUM

Computer Science and Professional Writing

Image courtesy of UAB Marketing and Communications

By: John Channell

Computer Science and Professional Writing seem like an incongruous pairing for a major and minor combination, but I promise it is not. There are many different applications where having this major and minor combo can be a great idea. This article will go over why I think it is a good idea to consider Computer Science and Professional Writing to be a strong pairing.

Why Choose Professional Writing?

There are many different paths that someone with a Computer Science degree needs. You can become a software engineer, database administrator, full-stack developer, cybersecurity analyst. In these situations, you may need a way to ensure that everyone who works with you can understand any changes that are made. For a full-stack developer or a software engineer, you might need to write instructions on how to use your new program or website. This is where the professional writing minor can be very beneficial.

At the same time, a career in database administration and cybersecurity analytics could require you to create an after-action report.

Whenever you make changes, your supervisor may ask what happened on the database or any security measures were added or changed. With a writing minor, you can be confident in your skills to respond with a professional memo.

What does Professional Writing teach you?

The Introduction to Professional Writing class teaches you how to compose professional documents. This includes memorandums, formal letters, and technical documents. The work done in class focuses on writing as a process. Students learn to research, design documents, and edit their writing to meet standards that could be issued by a future supervisor.

This class teaches you how to write in a way that most business will see as a standard. Memos are written differently than most other formal letters. Introduction to Professional Writing teaches you the standards of how to write memos and other formal letters, such as progress reports. Ultimately, writing created by a student who has taken this class will be more polished than someone who has not taken the class.

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.

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.

Grad Programs: Things to Consider

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

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

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

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