Welcome to my weblog!

This blog is a product of my enrollment in English 301: Technical Writing. This course is taught on a distance education platform through the University of British Columbia (UBC). This section of English 301 is taught by Dr. Erica Paterson, a Professor in the department of English.  The curriculum is intended to teach students written and online communication skills needed for professional use. According to the course outline, students will both learn and then practice to write abstracts, proposals, correspondence and other online communications. This WordPress blog will be the primary platform for sharing my assignments and progress in the course. Each student will be responsible for creating and maintaining content for their personal weblog.

In my personal university experience, especially in Arts, is a time where students learn and practice scholarly writing. In many cases, professional writing skills can often remain neglected. Since I have some experience of communicating in professional environments, I understand the importance of technical writing in both formal and informal online settings. I often find myself spending absurd amounts of time editing any online communication that could leave a lasting impression.  Therefore, I am looking to improve both my efficiency, effectiveness and overall confidence in technical writing.

In an increasingly competitive job market, not only is it imperative for students to learn to properly craft a resumé but they also have to maintain a professional online presence. As professional inquiries are predominately conducted online, not only is it necessary to communicate clearly and concisely but also in a timely fashion. Therefore I am hoping to master composing and editing with increased efficiency. In the past, I have felt intimidated to assert myself online with the pressures to standout. I am hoping that by exploring these practices and principles in a guided and collaborative fashion, creating a professional profile on a social networking platform will be less intimidating.

Have a day! 🙂

-Lia Slager