ENC 3242: Technical Communication for Majors Week 3 Lecture: The Professional’s Perspective Fall 2015 USF Sarasota-Manatee Length of this lecture audio (nine slides): 00:xx:xx Write down the three audio codes and the slide numbers where they are spoken – you will send those and the codes for Weeks 4 and 5 with Assignment 2 by Sept. 28, © 2015 by T. E. Roberts, Instructor

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 1 of 9 Today’s Agenda Assignment 1 update Staying healthy in this business Freelancing vs. conventional job Putting your reader first Importance of “correctness” Assignment 2 directions

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 2 of 9 Assignment 1 Update Grading will begin after receipt of submissions -- usually takes about one week Innovative applications of technical communication principles Doing something vs. teaching someone how to do something Adjusting your message to the needs of your audience What do these have in common: teaching, communicating, mentoring, guiding, leading ?

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 3 of 9 Staying Healthy in This Business Living on the edge Romantic stereotypes about the “writing life” Addiction, solipsism, egomania, melancholia, and other hazards Mens sana in corpore sano : healthy mind in a healthy body (from the classic Roman poet Juvenal ) Myths about creativity Only “creative writing” requires creativity -- professional, technical, and commercial writing is only for dullards Waiting for inspiration Right and wrong cures for writer’s block (also known as “procrastination” and “malingering”) First identify the risk, then eliminate it

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 4 of 9 Freelancing vs. Conventional Job Most graduates begin careers in regular-paycheck jobs, but this is not the only path Getting started as a freelancer may take time, patience, energy, and luck (see The choice is personal and individual Know your own preferences, abilities, and ambitions Are you introverted, extroverted, or neither? Do you like to go for long stretches of time without attending to diet, personal hygiene, and social interaction? Do you prefer your pets to people? Do you feel flattered when someone describes you as a “loner”?

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 5 of 9 Putting Your Reader First Read first chapter of Technical Communication: A Reader- Centered Approach, page 11: linked to Welcome page and repeated here: Consider personal dimensions of impersonal writing Clarity, conciseness, completeness -- essential but not enough by themselves Tone-deafness applies not just to physical hearing but also to cultural and social sensitivity “If I’d had the time, I would have written you a shorter letter.” (attributed to many authors; I prefer Cicero)

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 6 of 9 Importance of “Correctness” Some academic linguists and sociologists tend to look at “correct usage” as an issue of social class and snobbery (“Middle-Class Marxism”) Many clients and employers look at proper language as a sign of respect for “normal” conventions Who would use “ain’t” or “that sucks” in a formal business letter? Who would write “every employee must obtain their paycheck from the payroll office”? Who (besides your instructor!) would expect you to follow the Usage Tips at the end of the ENC 3242 syllabus? Language functions on many levels of formality, precision, practicality, and professionalism Mark Twain (1888): “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter – it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 7 of 9 Assignment 2 (Sept 28): Two Options OPTION 1 (strong): Interview a Professional & Technical Communication (PTC) practitioner Choose from instructor-provided list or your own search Follow guidelines for informational interviews presented here: Send questions via in advance to the interviewee Meet in person (best) or by phone or (second choices) at the interviewee’s convenience OPTION 2 (weak): Research existing web-posted interviews and career commentaries from writers, editors, and other communication professionals Prepare a prose report on what you learn from the interviews and research Explain the relevance of your findings to your own career objectives in the form of an interview with yourself

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 8 of 9 Assignment 2 Details OPTION 1 (best choice) - Interview a PTC Professional See assignment instructions (to be sent by and posted on course website around Sept. 8, possibly earlier) Structure the interview around questions drafted in advance regarding the subject’s training, background, professional challenges, view of the future, and lessons for those just beginning a PTC career Take notes and (with permission) use audio recorder Show respect and professionalism at all times -- be aware of (1) the interviewee’s busy schedule and (2) confidentiality of information Meet in person (preferred) or by phone/ Write the interview as a 500-word feature article such as one you might find in a trade journal

ENC 3242 USFSM, Fall 2015 Week 3 Lecture Slide 9 of 9 Assignment 2 Details (continued) OPTION 2 (sub-optimal choice) - Web Research and Self-Interview Scrutinize the findings carefully to detect any phony, manipulative, or misleading information Evaluate the findings in terms of their value to your individual career interests... for example, if you would like to become a magazine journalist, consider the quality and reputation of the publication referred to in the findings Keep an open but skeptical mind In addition to 500-word prose report, include self-interview (ask yourself tough questions!) Additional Information I will discuss the interviews further in the Week 4 lecture Contact me if you have a question about how to approach this assignment.