News from DePaul University's Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse
This quarter in WRD 521: Technical Writing, we were fortunate to have four technical writers visit the class to share some of their experiences in the field. The blog has two parts, so make sure to head over to the next post after reading this one. Our first two visitors, Adam Evans and Heidi Colonna—both of whom work as technical writers in Chicago—attended our class on February 6, 2018 to share some of their stories, tips, and knowledge.
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Are you eager to put your WRD education to use? Perhaps you want some work experience to get you ahead of the crowd while you’re hunting for a job? An internship is a valuable opportunity to practice the skills you develop in the classroom out in the real world, and to strengthen your resume with relevant professional experience. Writing is an integral part of almost every professional field, and as a WRD major, you will have no doubt developed the writing and research skills to work in a wide variety of industries and organizations.
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One job area that the WRD program prepares students for is a career in technical writing. WRD Majors can take courses like Technical Writing (WRD 204), Writing in Workplace Contexts (WRD 301), and Writing and Metadata (WRD 322). Graduate students can also prepare for work as a technical writer through the Professional and Digital Writing concentration of the MA in WRD. Careers in technical writing can be found in a wide range of industries—from software development, to healthcare, to business. In this article, we’ll provide you with some resources to help you get your bearings in the field of technical
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Recently, the John T. Richardson Library here in DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus finished a renovation of the second-floor that features a maker space called the Maker Hub, several media studios called 1581 Studios, and a collaborative work space called The Forum. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are encouraged to use these spaces to create and use many different types of media including video, audio, photography, and computing. In WRD, we are particularly excited about these new spaces, which promise new opportunities for our students and faculty, especially those who are interested in digital and technical writing.
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Community service is at the core of DePaul’s mission toward Vincentian values and social justice. In the MA WRD program, our courses can contribute to this service through the use of community partnerships in the classroom. In the Winter 2016 quarter, Professor Sarah Read is teaching WRD 523: Editing, and students are working with community organizations, giving back to the greater Chicago community while developing skills in editing, copywriting, and technical communication. Learning the Skills This is the third time that Prof. Read has taught this class at the graduate level, which she says focuses on “the immediate professionalization of
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Looking for job opportunities in and around Chicago? Students in the MA in WRD and MA in NMS programs may be interested in the weekly listings below (click a link to jump to the category): Teaching Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Advanced Teaching Writing Jobs – Entry level ESL Instructor Howard Area Community Center “We are seeking one instructor for a morning multi-level ESL course (Beginning Literacy to High Beginning.) Instructors should have experience teaching in adult education and/or working a social service agency with diverse populations.” Citizenship Instructor Erie
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Looking for job opportunities in and around Chicago? Students in the MA in WRD and MA in NMS programs may be interested in the weekly listings below (click a link to jump to the category): Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Advanced Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Part-Time Teaching Writing Jobs, Part-Time Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Entry Level Communications Associate Les Turner ALS Foundation “The Communications Associate is responsible for many of the day-to-day communications activities of the Les Turner ALS Foundation. The associate will work to ensure consistent, timely and effective communications
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This past Autumn Quarter, WRD Professor Sarah Read was granted the Collaborative Instruction Fellow Stipend issued by DePaul University’s Quality of Instruction Council, which is headed by Anne Bartlett of the Cross-College Collaboration (C3) Task Force. Professor Read will use this grant to design a new Master’s level Chemistry course in collaboration with Professor Timothy French of DePaul’s Chemistry Department. This new course, Science Writing & Communication, will be co-taught by Read and French with the goal of teaching students how to communicate like a scientist.
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Deanna Gonzalez is a current student in the BA in WRD program. Here, she shares her experiences as an intern at the software company kCura. Give us a brief summary of your internship. I am a technical writer at a software company called kCura. I work on a team of eight writers documenting how to use the company’s product, Relativity, a widely used legal software. I’ve had opportunities to create written content and also explore other areas of technical writing, like web design.
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In a job market where most job descriptions contain the phrase “strong writing skills,” what does it mean to be a good professional writer? This spring’s MA in WRD course, WRD 522: Writing in the Professions, will explore a variety of professional genres while also problematizing the concept of professional writing. The class is the first-ever online course offered by the MA in WRD program. Instead of weekly class sessions on campus, the course will include weekly writing deadlines, Google Hangouts and discussion forums to discuss readings, and online peer review.
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