Web Folio

ENGL 301 is coming to an end and as my final post I am reflecting on what I have learned throughout the course. Before this course, I imagined technical writing was as simple as using an abrupt impersonal tone. However, when I tried to replicate that tone, my writing still felt too informal and stuffy. This course showed me that technical writing is more than just trying to sound impersonal, it’s a mind-set. Technical writing is putting your readers first, and giving them only what they need to know. Nothing is unclear, imperative or redundant. I have been successful in learning many of the technical writing techniques and still struggle with others.

What I learned

At the start of the course, I quickly learned the first things I needed to eliminate from my writing. I used too many verb and people phrases, such as “I will need to be able to” or “my findings were”. These are still be prevalent in my personal writing, but I needed to eliminate them from technical pieces, as they bog down the message and waste time

A big shift happened in unit 3 when we were introduced to the You-Attitude. In many way’s this seems like the root of technical writing. The You-Attitude is about writing for the readers benefit. It presents information to the reader in the easiest way for them to digest, which is presenting how it will affect them. This way readers don’t have to interpret or glean what the outcomes will be. Also, the You-Attitude is respectful and cognisant of the reader’s ego and does not make imperatives that could offend. The You Attitude made a big difference to my writing and is an important aspect with any professional communication.

Struggles

Some techniques took longer to master. A common piece of feedback I received was to not end sentences with two letter words. At first, I didn’t understand why this is important, but the more I practiced self-editing the more apparent it became. Those sentences are usually awkward and ungraceful, like they had been cut short. While they may not be strictly grammatically incorrect, it’s not the kind of tone I want in my writing.

I also struggled with using imperatives. I suppose I felt they were more succinct, or maybe I’m just naturally a bossy person, but either way it’s not a considerate way to write. In business communications, imperatives put a real condescending tone in the writing, which is not part of the You-Attitude.

Projects

I am pretty happy with most of the work I produced in ENGL 301. I enjoyed the chance to update my resume and create a LinkedIn profile. These are both things I had been meaning to do, so it was a real bonus that they were included in course work. My formal report was a daunting task and ended up consuming much of my time. I decided to investigate the feasibility of the Garibaldi at Squamish resort proposal. As professor Paterson pointed out in my proposal feedback, I may have bitten off more than I could chew. Garibaldi at Squamish will change the Sea to Sky corridor and as a past, and hopefully future inhabitant, I am keenly interested in the outcome. I had yet to make up my mind on the project and curiosity kept me interested in the work. Much of my time was spent doing the analyses of climate and GIS.  I wanted to present my own work in the report and not just recite from other sources. In the end I think it came out pretty well and is good practice for writing reports in the work place.

Future

I enrolled in this course because technical writing has a direct application to my future career. I would like to work as an environmental consultant, investigating remote environments and reporting on my findings. Producing reports is a key aspect to this industry and will likely take much of my time. Surveys of employers in the industry constantly site writing as a highly valued skill that is often lacking in new graduates. This gives me a leg up on the competition and enhances my employability.

A web folio is another useful tool to use in a job search. I developed this web folio to assist in presenting my professional qualifications and interests, which involved taking stock of all my professional qualities and putting them together in one place. My hopes are to present this page to interested employers that would like to know more about me.

Designing the “Examples of Work” page gave me the opportunity to reflect on the work I have done and the progress I have made. It was easy to pick out differences in my writing from the earlier part of the course to the later. Imperative verbs, superfluous words, and an unformal tone were all clearly present in my early writing. The process of editing my earlier work helped to cement in the new techniques I had learned.

I appreciated the chance to add some personality into my writing for this final project. So far in ENGL 301 I have been striving not to have a colloquial tone, in an effort to sound professional.  However, in the web folio I wanted to communicate more of my personality. So, while still trying remain professional I introduced some more color into my writing. While I don’t think a few jokes alone will secure me a job, they do express that I am easy to get along with.

I also like adding visuals my web folio. They reflect my experiences travelling remote parts of BC through work and recreation. The photos from my experience forestry fire fighting are striking and help to communicate my previous work experience. The backcountry snowboarding photos are also eye catching and help to show my love of the outdoors. Together they show that I am capable backcountry enthusiast and can be trusted in a remote geoscience application.

The web folio project has real utility to me in a job search and I’m grateful that it’s included in the course work. I would like to get the chance to attach it to a job application.

Unit 3, once again, proved ENGL 301 to be an “intense writing course”. Several late nights were spent meeting deadlines, but I’m happy with the work I’ve produced. I started to gain confidence in my writing. I paid a visit to the UBC writing center with a paper of mine from last semester, hoping to get some advice. I was surprised at the positive feedback I received. The staff member said a lack of confidence is common with many science students and that he couldn’t see any glaring issues. I had written myself off as a poor writer years ago. Now, I write faster and doubt my ability less. I still may never be a great author, but at least I will be more proficient in professional communication.

Unit 3 started with the “Writing with the You Attitude” assignment, which I found particularly interesting. I appreciated the honest assessment of the human psyche and why it’s important to write for the readers benefit. The document highlighted that people are ego-centric and usually concerned about their own interests. This may seem pessimistic, but in reality it’s the nature of communication. Writing with a You Attitude makes it clear what’s in it for the other party, so that they don’t have to interpret how it affects them. This makes for more efficient communication, which has implications not only in business communications, but personal as well.

We immediately put the You Attitude to practice in writing a memo to Evan Crisp, a student who wrote a professor asking to be admitted into a class. The assignment was to evaluate Evan’s email and to give him suggestions on how better to communicate with a “You Attitude”. Through reviewing Evan’s email I was able to identify elements in my own writing that I could improve upon.

The business letter assignment was entertaining. I didn’t have a specific interaction to draw upon, so I had to be inventive. My letters were loosely based on an incident where I disputed a traffic ticket. The complaint was fictional and probably unrealistic, but it was true to the underlying theme of the assignment. The letters were productive in practicing writing with a “You Attitude” and a professional tone.

The final project began weeks ago when I picked the topic, but it was finally time to begin writing. As was suggested by Professor Paterson, I may have been too ambitious when choosing the Garibaldi at Squamish development proposal. I had to narrow the scope of the research to make a more feasible work load. Creating the climate modelling and GIS figures were especially time consuming. Fortunately, I was able to draw upon experience from other courses and they turned out pretty well. In editing I had to focus the paper and keep my audience in mind. The report is directed to the Squamish Lillooet Regional District’s Director of Planning and Development. While I wanted to provide some background information, in case someone not familiar with the project reads the report, I still needed to keep in mind that the Director would already be familiar with the projects history. As a result, much of the introduction was cut. The first draft is quite long (2000 words) and I still have some sections to add before it’s a cohesive report, but it’s a good start and I look forward to finishing the final draft.

My peer review of Ilanna’s first draft went well. I’m getting better at critiquing my peers work. Writing with a You Attitude has helped my reviews sound less condescending. A positive tone in a review is important, but often difficult to achieve and I’m often self-conscious of sounding conceited. Focusing on how the critique benefits my peer, gives my writing a more helpful tone and less of a negative one.

Finally, I began searching for jobs as part of the application assignment. I’m looking forward to this assignment because my résumé is 5 years outdated. Now with more experience and education, I have a lot to add. I also look forward to doing some research into to the job market. I’ll be applying to these same types of jobs this time next year, so this will provide some excellent practice.

I really appreciated the feedback I got during unit 3. Professor Paterson highlighted a few sentences that I could improve upon. There are several persistent bad habits in my writing, such as ending sentences with two letter words. Also, trimming unnecessary words for concision continues to be a problem. Ilanna had some great advice in her peer review of my formal report. Specifically she noted a lack of content on the financials of the Garibaldi at Squamish project. The first draft focuses on the suitability of the terrain for a ski hill, but I need to develop the financial feasibility more. Ilanna’s review was mostly positive though, which was reassuring that the report is headed in the right direction.

This unit has helped me refresh my writing skills. I have not taken an English course for several years and I was able to put some much needed focus on my style and mechanics. The introduction, definitions and peer review were all great practice. It was challenging to write with a high level of professionalism, but I already feel my writing is more comfortable and fluid. However, it is a slow process to develop good writing habits and I have a lot to learn.

I found the peer review especially challenging to write. Thomas’s document was well put together and I struggled to find any fault in it. I am also not naturally inclined to be a critic. I did find the feedback given during this unit quite helpful. I need to work on succinctness in my style. I recognize that my writing can have too many words and I am working on condensing it, while still communicating the same amount of information. I also need to continue to work on my grammar. Scrupulous self-editing is a large part of that and something I need to focus on more.

My writing team has a lot of experience. This is fortunate for me as their reviews of my work will be very helpful. For example, Thomas commented that I used a lot of appositives in my definitions. Correcting this not only helped my writing be more succinct, but it also gave more diversity to my style. Tips like this will help me appear more professional, hold my audience’s attention longer and make my writing more interesting.

Feedback from the instructor also proved quite valuable. Specifically, Erika suggested I not finish a sentence with a two letter word. Once I re-edited the writing in my blog, I found several occasions where I had done this. Re-writing those sentences instantly gave them a more sophisticated and professional feel.

I look forward to further developing my writing in the subsequent units. If they prove as useful as this one, I will be a much more competent writer by the end of the course.

Edited definitions

1.3 defintions

Hyperlink to peer review

Peer Review of Stratigraphic Log Definition

January 11^th 2016

UBC, Faculty of Science

Vancouver BC

Students of ENGL 301

UBC, Faculty of Arts

Vancouver BC

Dear Fellow ENGL 301 students

Please consider my application for a position on your writing team for ENGL 301. I am an undergrad student in the faculty of science at UBC. I have completed two previous English courses, ENG 100 and ENG 104, at the University of Capilano and have written many literary reviews and lab reports, in other courses. For GEOG 319, I wrote a review of an Environmental Impact Assessment for and independent power project. This involved carefully reading the 80 page technical document, that contained details on the ecological impact of the dam, and critiquing its short comings.

As a mature student and someone who has spent over a decade in the workforce, I have developed a good work ethic and have learned to manage my time appropriately. I know how relate to others in a professional manner and work in a team setting. These relational skills have improved my efficacy in anything I apply myself to and make me an asset to any writing team. I understand the dependence that team members have on their co-workers, and the responsibility to meet deadlines.

Although I may not have had the chance to develop my writing skills as much as an arts student, I have had a lot of practice in digesting technical data and communicating it in an effective matter. My strength lays in having a big picture focus and creating clarity in my communications. I know how to develop and idea in a meaningful, yet concise, manner.

In this course, I hope to improve my writing mechanics and to become a practiced and efficient writer. I would like to one day work as an environmental consultant, in which technical writing is a crucial aspect, which is why I will strive hard to contribute my best work to this course.

If you think I would make a good contribution to your writing team, please contact me at. Jacob.w.bauer@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Jake Bauer

Application Letter