ENG 500: Technical Writing Practicum

The technical writing practicum offers students the opportunity to gain real-world experience for one semester. Students enrolled in the practicum will initially meet with their practicum advisor and mutually decide what work options would be best for each individual student. Once placement is decided, students then apply for the technical writing position. Students provide the employers with a cover letter and resume, followed by the scheduling of a formal interview. Students then meet with the supervisors to arrange a work schedule. Depending on the type of job, students may edit documents, generate documents, generate instructions, and/or evaluate and edit web pages for the employers. Students are responsible for regular evaluations with the practicum advisor. This practicum attempts to duplicate students' movement from college life to working life, right down to the application process. Students will find this semester of work an invaluable asset as they move toward finding careers of their own.

Practicum Students Speak

BROOKE CHASTEEN

I’m Brooke Chasteen, a graduate student in the department of Sport and Exercise Science here at EKU. For my ENG 500 practicum I worked for the Girl Scouts/Wilderness Road Council in Lexington. My experiences were somewhat different than those of the two other ENG 500 pioneers. I was able to work from my home computer instead of being required to work at the office. My main job was to write press releases to help promote the Council. Most of these press releases focused on specific Girl Scouts or Girl Scout Volunteers. Through this practicum I grew as a writer and a person. Looking back, I see a change in my writing from the first press release I wrote to the one I just finished (I’m still working for the Council). Because of the nature of what I wrote, I frequently had to interview people. At first I was very nervous speaking with people over the phone. However, I quickly became more comfortable in my role as an interviewer. I feel this will be valuable to me for the rest of my life. In addition, I quickly learned that what I wrote and how I wrote had an impact on how the readers viewed the Girl Scouts. I thoroughly enjoyed my ENG 500 practicum and would recommend it to anyone entering the Tech Writing profession.

-- Fall 2002

LUKE HONAKER

I'm Luke Honaker, and I performed my practicum work with Mikron, Inc. The company is located about five miles from EKU's Richmond campus. Mikron is a nationwide manufacturer of custom window frames, specializing in plastic extrusion and molding. Mikron has manufacturing plants in Richmond, KY; Seattle, WA; and Springfield, IL. While working at Mikron, I edited some of their most important instruction and safety documents and revised their extruder instruction manual, a manual that all employees use to properly operate their equipment. I also edited Mikron's Employee Guidebook. Toward the end of the semester, I edited some of Mikron's Safety Manuals, which outline procedures for handling dangerous materials, preventing injury, and coping with accidents. I enjoyed my time with Mikron, and every person I worked with proved helpful and supportive.

-- Fall 2002

IRIS ISAACS

I'm Iris Isaacs, and I completed practicum work at Intertape Polymer Group in Richmond, KY. Intertape is an international tape manufacturing company with facilities all over the United States and in Canada. While working for Intertape I revised an instruction manual for using computer software the company developed. I also edited standard operating procedures for the manufacturing equipment. I learned how to use a picture processing software, a template for Microsoft Word that helps organize instructions. During my time at Intertape, I felt I was truly a part of the company; everyone I worked with was very friendly and treated me as one of the crew. Because of the experience I gained through this practicum, I feel that if I were hired as a technical writer after graduating, I would definitely be prepared.

-- Fall 2002

Created by the Spring 2003 ENG 400 class: Carlos A. Gandara, Iris Goodpaster, Amy Goodwin, Erica Hoagland, James Luke Honaker, William Hudson, Professor Meg Matheny, Kimberly J. Richardson, Joshua Scott, and Erica Thinesen, under the direction of the Technical Writing Committee.

Page maintained by Barbara Szubinska.