Nearly there...

In August 2009, I began a two-year technical communication program. Now, I am a week shy from finishing classes and two weeks shy of having all my assignments done.

In the two short years, I learned a lot of various skills to help me pursue a fascinating career as well as a lot of stuff I did not know about myself.

At this point, I am honestly confused about how I feel about the program. I will never regret taking the course, but there were always places I could improve myself or could have done a better job. I cannot let the confusion get the best of me; I need to start the next phase of my life… my career. (120

Proofreading Required

Proofreading is not one of my favourite activities, but I am trying to work on it to improve both my writing and proofing skills.

In high school and university, I would often ask my father to proof my work since he had more experience and knowledge in English grammar. And by the end of my second year of university, I rarely had time to get him to look over the papers since it seemed like I had more and more due each month.

Now, I do most of my own proofing, and I always seem to miss something here and there. But, I am going to start a new “routine” once I am done classes this year. On my computer, I have digital copies of most of my assignments since first year university which I will go through one a week to help me learn to proofread my own work. (150)

Thank Goodness, it's Friday!

I am not usually the type of person that spends the week looking forward to Friday because I currently go to class full time and work a part time job in the evenings and weekends so there is little free time in my schedule. However, this Friday was the day of the oral presentation for my graduating project which made the morning more stressful than normal.

I will say I am glad it is over, and I was told by many in the audience that I did a good job. I now feel confident that I can finish the year, and maybe take a little break sometime soon. (108)

A case of déjà-vu

Over the summer, my classmate and I created a large electronic manual for a database. We figured it would be effective solution that would be easily delivered to the team members spread throughout the city.

I took some time to teach myself the software at home so I knew what kind of product would be the most functional. However, when we tried to compile the project into a Microsoft HTML Help (.chm file) project at the office, it did not work properly (the table of contents was complete, but the content section was filled with an error message).

After a few tries and hours of research, we found a likely explanation. There have been some reports of Windows operating systems not wanting to properly open the .chm file from a network drive and its contents, but there was a solution available by making a small patch to the Windows registry. To test our new theory, we had to copy the file from the network drive, paste in on the desktop, and try to open the file... And it worked!

Recently, we had to create a .chm tutorial for one of our classes. When my classmate compiled her file, it had the full table of contents, but an error displaying in the content section. I turned to her and asked what drive she was using. The second she said she was using her network drive, I knew problem and contacted the IT department at school to see if they could come up with a solution for the current version of Windows. (260)

Creating websites

In the course of my studies at Red River College, I have learned how to write websites using hard coding or what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) software. I am by no means an expert with either method, but do find it is very handy to understand how to use both.

One of my current projects is a website for a dog park. The current webmaster of the site taught himself how to hand code sites with the help of numerous books on the subject, and even though he has started to use a WYSIWYG application, he finds it easier to do some things my hand. Therefore I have had to come up with a creative solution to make a photo gallery. We wanted to create a photo gallery where we can highlight the different areas of the park in all four seasons and show dogs and their owners enjoying the outdoors. There are numerous ways to build a photo gallery, but since both the webmaster and I are volunteers, we wanted to find a low/no-cost method that does not require any additional software. So we found a CSS photo gallery that requires hard coding of the animation and images. (202)

The importance of "brain farts"

“Brain farts” are those random moments of clarity or insight that happen throughout your life. They are often unpredictable and usually unrelated to your current actions or projects, but nonetheless, they are extremely helpful and useful. And I will admit that they have saved me from failing numerous assignments and exams during the course of my life (kind of like calculus starting to make sense hours before the exam).

For the most part, they tend to come in the most inconvenient times so it is always important to some way of taking notes which is only a part of the reason I make to bring paper, pens, or iPod with me. (111)

One bite at a time

The last few weeks of any school year is always rough, and this year is my worse one yet. There are always so many assignments, and what seems like too little time.

When I get so frustrated that I find it increasingly harder to get anything done, I get asked “how do you eat an elephant?” by instructors and friends. The answer is actually simple, one bite at a time.

So I make myself another cup of tea and sit down to take another bite of my work load. (89)

Small things can make a difference

A few weeks ago, I realised that my keyboard was dying a horrible death. It was starting to add random letters into documents and not response to some of my actions. I decided to get a new board... but with so many on the market... what should I get?

I decided on a gaming keyboard, not just because I use my computer for gaming, but they tend to respond faster to rapid typing and have programmable buttons for use in some programs. After doing some research, I found a model for under $100 and started to look for a place nearby to buy it. Most Canadian sources showed they did not have it in stores even though it was available online; however, it being winter and I had no way of being home to accept the delivery, I was about to give up hope of get one.

This afternoon, I found one at the store where my mother works. It is already installed and glowing bright red... but it will make the next six weeks of class and homework go a little easier. (184)

Burning the candle at both ends

It can be a challenge to get all your school work done and maintain a part-time job. My solution is usually to stay up late and get as much done as I can, but in the past two weeks, I have been working both late at night and early in the morning.

The problem I am noticing is actually a drop in productivity since I am working myself too hard thus making more and more mistakes. Therefore, I am planning to go back to my regular schedule of staying up until 1:00 or 2:00 am and forgo waking up a 5:30 am. The extra sleep will hopefully get me back on track. (112)

The hardest thing to write...

This week, I had to write something that hurt me to do.

As a part of my job, I set up the monthly contests for my staff. I try to keep them fun, easy, and fair so everyone can get at least a coffee with their prize money. I take great effort to make sure the rules are simple and clearly explained, but this month, I found out that someone was breaking the rules. I am not sure if it because they weren’t clear enough or if there was another reason so I had to write the disciplinary procedure in case it happens again.

Those four sentences were the hardest thing I ever had to write because I want to trust my fellow staff, but something needs to be done so everyone plays fair. (139)

Canada is bilingual?

As a technical communicator living in Canada, I realize the importance of creating documents that are either bilingual or easily translated. It really does help that I can do some of my own translation and writing in both official languages, French and English. This skill came from my parents' belief that I should learn both from an early age so I attended French immersion from kindergarten to senior four.

I find it slightly amusing that I am one of the few people who speak French in the company I work for. I am often called to the front to help a customer in French when it is needed, and when I hear my customer speak in French, I offer to help them to the best of my ability. It is usually well received, and they appreciate the effort to improve and maintain my skills in a second language.

But I find it frustrating when some people make no effort to understand or recognize the need for bilingualism in Canada. For example, our POS software was create by a Quebecois company so most of the support, documentation, and error messages are in French or in poorly translated English. It becomes my job to be the “explainer” to describe the issues and to find the solutions. (218)

So what is good?

It is the Friday of a long and stressful week, but it was not all in vain. I am figuring out ways to better organize my time, my work, and my life.

There are only 24 hours in a day, and it is not practical to spend all your time working. Therefore, I am going to do my best to have a minimum of one hour to do something that helps me relax. This can be spent playing WoW, reading a book, or taking the dog for a walk.

Letting yourself get all worked up about what needs to get done does not help get all your work done, but in fact, it makes the job a lot harder. From now on, I will put a “to do list” where I can keep track of all my assignments and projects so I know the higher priority and deadlines of all projects.

Sometimes the best thing you can do with a project is to walk away. Spending hours in front of a computer screen or a piece of a paper may not always be the best way to get the project done. Just by taking a little break to grab a coffee or go for a walk may be what you need to get back on track. (216)

Rough week

This week has been one of the most stress weeks in my life, and it has really affected my productivity and my confidence.

During Reading week, I had an unexpected illness which put me out of commission for most of the week, and I fell behind in my school work.

On Sunday while I was doing my best to catch up, my keyboard decided that I needed extra w’s, a’s, d’s, and s’s in all my documents that I was trying to work on. I tried almost everything to get my keyboard to work properly, but nothing seemed to work. It has made it difficult to produce good work because every time I think I had caught them all… my keyboard went and added another.

On Monday, I thought my exam was at 11 am, but it turns out that it was in fact schedule for 9 am. At least, the instructor understood and we got to write the exam later in the day.

On Tuesday, I drove my parents to the airport for their trip to Florida. Usually, it is a relaxing day afterward, even if it means I am up at 5 am and have school or work. This time, it was anything but relaxing. My parents’ flight was delayed for over six hours, and I spent most of the day as a liaison officer between my parents on the tarmac in Winnipeg and my grandparents in Florida.

So I am just trying to keep my head up, but remembering the words I first heard when I started at the University of Manitoba back in 2000, “so what is good?” (267)

Getting ready for Reading Week

This is hopefully my last reading week ever, and I have a lot of work that needs to get done:

1. Finishing assignments and studying for my exam
I have quite of few assignments that are due the first week back after reading week so I plan on getting as much done as I can in my week away from classes.

2. Reworking my resume and building my portfolio
As I have mentioned, there is only a couple of months left before the end of the school year, and it is time to start looking for a career.

3. Organizing my office
I really need to focus on creating a more functional home office space. It is a matter of figuring out what is important to have next to my desk for reference materials.

4. Applying for jobs
My goal is to send out five to ten resumes and cover letters for positions in Winnipeg.

5. Relaxing
The most important thing is to have a few hours of rest and relaxation during this week so when classes start again on Monday, I am good to go for the last part of the year. (193)

Being overwhelmed

I have spent most of my life in some form of educational program, whether it be high school for thirteen years, university for five years, and college for another two years, but this time I am really feeling overwhelmed my courses, work, and life in general.

I have less than 3 months to go before I am finished my college diploma, and the prospect of starting to look for a career is what is overwhelming me. I have spent hours looking at the numerous opportunities that are out there for people with my type of education, and I just don’t know where to start, but…

With Reading Week just around the corner, I know I have to start putting in resumes and building portfolios for interviews so I plan on spending Sunday night with a good friend revising my resume to reflect the skills I have developed, selecting the best pieces of work to highlight my skills, and developing a plan to apply for positions that will my skills will be appreciated. (172)

Two freelancers, one computer

As freelancers, we are often responsible to have copies of the software we require to our jobs properly, and sometimes, it can be fairly expensive when you need a copy for a single project or portion of a project.

My father is now retired, but from time to time, he helps to write and maintain websites for non-for-profit organizations. For the most part, he prefers to hand code the sites using little more than Notepad, but he did purchase Microsoft Expression Web for a project at a cost of $200 Canadian, and he did put in an application for a non-for-profit license for Adobe Dreamweaver.

The problem became that the request for the non-for-profit application was taking longer than expected, and important deadlines were quickly closing in. However, there was a copy of Dreamweaver in the house… but on another computer, and one that he did not feel comfortable using. So we had to develop a schedule for using my computer in such a way that both of us could get the work done without interfering with the other one.

After he got the license, we did not need to fight over the computer, but we both learned how important it is for each of us to have our own copy of the software we need. (216)

Citation Nightmares

Citations are important to almost anybody who writes for school or work, and it can become challenging to keep track of the specifics for each one.
In university, this was made worse by the fact that every professor seemed to have their own preference. So by the time I finished, I used
• AAA (American Anthropological Association)
• AIP (American Institute of Physics)
• CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style)
• MLA (Modern Language Association)
• NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
• Among 10 others created by individual professors and graduate students
It was almost impossible to keep it straight, but in the Fall of 2009, I found out about a book that would have made my life a little easier. Cite Right by Charles Lipson is great resource to have when using a style you are not familiar with. It gets the basic information to start using most of the citation styles. (154)

Where to start looking for writing related resources?

The internet provides a wide range of resources on almost any topic imaginable, but where is a good place to start looking for writing related resources, especially technical communication resources? My solution is the eServer Technical Communication Library.

In just one search on any topic from document aesthetics to website design, I can gain access to numerous resources such as articles, blogs, forums, etc. which is usually enough to point me in the direction of other related reference materials.

The thing to remember about any site or any database of this sort is that is not the end source for research and reference needs, but it is a good place to start. (112)

The portfolio debate

It is quickly coming to the end of my course, and my mind is spinning trying to prepare a portfolio that is unique, functional, and contains my best work... The daunting task is threatening to take over my mind and, if I am not careful, my sleep.

Issue 1: What to include?

Up to this point, the majority of my work has been prepared for academic purposes which mean the work is mostly generic and displays only a small portion of my skills. It becomes even more frustrating when I think of the best document I ever created is protected by legal privilege; therefore, cannot be used in my portfolio.

Issue 2: What format?

This is only a partial issue. I know I will need both an electronic and a paper version of my portfolio since you never know what will be made available during an interview.

For the electronic version, I am considering two options for general purpose and one for more specific uses. Dropbox’s Public folder and/or a website would be ideal for general usage since both allow the viewer to select and view the various pieces at their leisure, but an executable CD/DVD when going in for an interview because storing the CD/DVD is easier than a USB stick.

Great online resource

There are countless tomes of literature in world that were written in thousands of languages, and it impossible to have all these documents stored in their original paper, stone, papyrus, or parchment format in one safe place. Even if there was a building large enough to hold all these documents, the cost and risk of storing them in one place would be astronomical. So why not use new technology and preserve them as digital files?

In 1971, Project Gutenberg was born. Michael Hart, the founder, began to reproduce these documents in a digital form which requires the minimal computer standards to replicate formatting and special characters and at the same time, produces a small file that is easily transferred from computer to computer.

Currently, Project Gutenberg has over 100,000 titles available to choose from through their network of partners, associates, and resources.

Why it this so important?

• The environmental impact of reproducing countless books in traditional paperbound format is becoming too great

• Important references and resources may be lost due the challenges faced by conservationists

• Many great works are available to a greater portion of the world due the spread of technology and translation potential of the digital works

Three things I will not leave the house without

One thing I have learned in my life is you never know who you’ll meet and what you’ll need when you leave the house. As a result, I will not leave my house without my iPod Touch, USB key, and mobile office kit.

iPod Touch is a handy, dandy pocket size device that allows me to check my email, answer questions that only Google has the answer to, and keep myself entertained while on the bus, waiting in a doctor’s office or during a four-hour spare. It can easy keep track of important contacts and meeting.

My USB key is how I keep most of my documents I have on the go, and I truly do my best to have it with me at all times since I never know when I’ll have a brilliant idea and need to find a computer to type it up quickly.

My mobile office kit is a set with a pen, highlighter, pencil, and a fine tip marker. You may call me old fashion, but for some things I prefer to write them down on a piece of paper.

Some useful (and free) tools for any modern professional

In my experience as a student and a writer during my co-op term, I have come across a few handy online tools that are useful to any modern professional.

Don’t you just hate it you leave an important document or file on your home or office computer, and you need it immediately, but it is impossible for you to run and grab it?

Solution: logmein (https://secure.logmein.com/)

It requires you to install the platform on any computer that you may need to remotely access. But once the program is installed, you get real time access to the computer from anywhere in the world.

Working in a group with many people on a project…

Solution 1: Google Docs (http://www.google.com/google-d-s/b1.html)

Google Docs allows for you to work on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and drawings from any computer. It gives you online storage as well as real time collaboration with colleagues around the world.

Solution 2: Dropbox (http://www.dropbox.com/)

It is not just an online back up for any important files, but helps to enable file sharing between groups of people. You start with 2GB of storage space, but you can always get more as your friends and family get their own accounts.

Unlikely places to look for help and inspiration with writing projects

After spending hours working on a wide range of writing projects, I often find myself stuck or in the need of a little help or inspiration for some of the projects. Sometimes, I can bug friends and family for ideas, but there are times that I find it isn’t enough, but I am lucky I have some found some other places to get me back on track.

1. World of Warcraft

As unlikely as it sounds, I am very lucky that my guild is very supportive of my education, and they try to help in any way they can. Some people will help with ideas on a certain topic, while others who are in professions like marketing, engineering, public relations, technical writing, etc. will take a look at my work and suggest improvements or new directions.

2. Failblog

Yes, I do find this website funny. And no, I do not plan on replicating some of the mistakes others have made. I find this site useful as a reminder to not make this mistake, but at the time, it often provides solutions (as well as comic relief) to some of the problems that are seen in everyday communications.

Challenges of dressing the part of a professional

Over the last five or so years, I have struggled with some health issues. The doctors have not been able to understand or determine the cause of until fairly recently. However, since they have figured out the most probable cause and dealt with it as best they could, I have lost a significant amount of weight and am continuing to lose weight at a fairly rapid pace. This does pose a large problem in trying to dress professionally when entering job interviews or potential freelance opportunities.

When I look in my closet, I am faced with clothes that used to fit before I got sick which are all in good condition, but still slightly on the too small side, clothes that fit before the last major health incident which are far too big (and make me look like I am playing dress up in my mother’s clothes), and my casual clothes (which are not suited for more than going to school and hanging out with friends). Due to the sudden and rapid change in my body (for better or worse), I find it hard to find clothes that will work for more than a few weeks…

But I do have a solution for now… for interviews and meetings with potential future employers, I wear skirts and a nice flowing top with a sweater. Skirts, unlike pants, are meant to be loose and they can be professional as well.

Freelance experience 3: website for a charity event

(Please note this is an on-going project)

Creating a website is not hard when the client provides you will all the information and files that are needed, but the challenges come when the client does not understand the process or the work that needs to be done in order to get every done.

1. Legal issues and concerns

Some of the sponsors have certain requirements for the use of the logo. The requirements for use of the logo is something that the client (or person asking for the website) should look into to avoid calling the contractor (freelancer) to say “get this down now are we will all get sued!”

2. Editing copy

As a technical communicator, I am quite familiar with editing the spelling and grammar of copy so I did make some changes to the copy, but I was not familiar with the specific charity or aspect of the charity the event is being promoted. I got a phone call last night saying, the charity doesn’t approve of the text on the webpage… Can you change it?

3. Uploading and making changes

My clients have a hard time understanding that some changes that would take five to ten minutes in Word, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop still take ½ hour to an hour to upload to site. This means that all the small changes they request one at a time are in fact more time consuming that doing them all at once.

Freelance experience 2: interpretive sign for outside an artificial chimney

The organization I was volunteering for built several artificial chimneys designed to be new alternative habitats for a threaten species of birds in Manitoba. The chimneys are located in Winnipeg, Starbuck, St. Adolphe, and Portage la Prairie.

They feared these new structures would be prone to vandalism if there were left with nothing to explain what they are so I was asked to create a bilingual 12” by 18” sign that would be mounted on a stand about three to four feet away from the structure.

My task was to write the text in both English and French describing the bird and the need for the structure and to design a functional display. I wanted to include contact information for the organization and images of the bird in flight as well as nesting.

Simple enough… or so I thought!

Every version of the text I wrote was rejected because “it was too simple.” My goal for the text was to include the necessary information in a clear and concise way to leave as much white space as possible (and to make the translation easier), but in the end, the committee went for a text- heavy and crowded design which they wrote themselves.

Shortly after I gave them what I thought was the final version, the coordinator stepped down and a new one took over. When the new coordinator saw the final version, he was not impressed (I dare not repeat the words he used), and the whole process began anew.

Freelance experience 1: certificate

Last year, I was volunteering for a non-for-profit organization creating print documents for both distribution within and outside the membership. The first task should have been the simple updating of the volunteer recognition certificate.

To complete the task, I was told to take the existing certificate and update it for the current year which involved changing the name of the coordinator and changing the year. However, the file I was given was a low resolution image file (a jpeg with 72 dpi), so I quickly redid the certificate in InDesign and sent it to the committee for approval…

The first version was rejected since it was too similar to the original version, and the person who initially created the certificate felt I was stealing her intellectual property.

Drafts two through six were rejected for a variety of reasons… anything from an image being pixilated (because they demanded a certain image which was low resolution) to the signature lines appearing to be off.

Finally, after 20 hours and seven drafts, the certificate was done and ready for printing.