creating professional portfolio
Name:
Tutor:
Course:
Date:
Creating a Professional Portfolio
Cover Letter
[REPLACE name here]
[Street/Physical Address]
Postal Code here
City of Residence
Operations Manager
Qatar Gas
Qatar, ON M8 Y A7V
UAE.
RE: Technical Writing Service Manager Position
Dear Sir,
I am writing in response to your advertisement in the Daily on November 20 seeking a Technical Writing Service Manager for your premises. You will find my resume attached with this letter. As you will realize from my attached resume, my expertise and experience match the position you are seeking. Of specific interest is my 10 years experience working in as a mechanical engineer at Qatar Gas and the sample papers I have previously written on technical issues.
I am aware of the excellent reputation of your firm and it would be an honor to be part of such a well respected team. Throughout my career, I have consistently worked to ensure organizational goals are attained. I enjoy the challenges in technical writing services and this endlessly helps me to improve my skills, both independently and as a team member.
I look forward to hearing from you soon, and having the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how I can enhance and contribute towards the success of your organization. I am available to come in at any time that is convenient. Thank you for your consideration.
Yours Sincerely
[Sign]
[REPLACE your name here]
Table of Contents
TOC o “1-1” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc310000052” Cover Letter PAGEREF _Toc310000052 h 1
HYPERLINK l “_Toc310000053” Technical Definition PAGEREF _Toc310000053 h 3
HYPERLINK l “_Toc310000054” Technical Description PAGEREF _Toc310000054 h 5
HYPERLINK l “_Toc310000055” Writing Sample PAGEREF _Toc310000055 h 6
HYPERLINK l “_Toc310000056” Resume PAGEREF _Toc310000056 h 8
Technical Definition
Technical writing is a form of communication used in technological fields such as computing, aerospace, engineering, finance and biotechnology among other diverse forms of technological advancement. It involves creating a document that can guide the users of the device or items for which the technical writing was intended for (Martinez, et al 123). This has an insinuation that the technical writer ought to be acquainted with full information concerning the object he or she is writing about. This form of writing involves a lot of research and consultancy from professionals in the concerned fields with which a person intends to develop a technically written document. This means that care ought to be taken while documenting papers in technical writing so as to convey the correct and intended message to the right people.
Subject matter experts ought to be consulted in most cases especially if the writer is not a subject matter expert. These people are usually endowed with information concerning most aspects of technical issues in diverse fields of specialty. Technical communication is a vital aspect in the present age where different forms of technological innovations are made in many levels and in different fields (Smith, Korn & Oliver 201). This means that a technical writer ought to have strong linguistic capabilities so as to enable the readers of his or her works to understand the conventions of modern technical issues. Advancement in technical writing or communication can make people to be specialized in areas such as document architecture and information management among other areas of technical writing specialization.
Irrespective of the preceding assertions, an understanding of the target audience by the technical writer is important so as to enhance better communication between him or her and the readers. The purpose for which the information is documented ought to be aligned to the level of understanding of the audience. This means that procedural technical approach of writing ought to be put into account. This will aid in translating complex technical ideas or concepts and instructions into simple and understandable steps. This will ensure that users comprehend the information and thus make them cognizant of the specific tasks they are required to perform. However, this does not imply that only procedural approaches of writing have to be followed all forms of technical writing. There are instances when persuasive technical writing model has to be adopted so as to sell products or change behaviors by putting forth compelling descriptions of how a product or a service ought to be used (Alred, Brusaw & Oliu 136).
It is imperative to note that technical writing is an intensive communication process and entails proper presentation and formatting (layout) of the paper. This is usually done to strategically enable the readers to grasp the message promptly and without difficulty. This can be done through using a top-down strategy; headings; chunks; or plain, objective style so that readers can easily grasp details. The mechanisms of presenting the final written document ought to be assessed so as to ensure that there are no difficulties in understanding the information by the targeted readers. For instance, a printed written work will be different from information presented through hyperlinks or a web browser. Comprehending the goals of the readers or users of the information and their technological capability enables the writer to use a specific writing and presentation format.
Appropriate technical writing can only be pivotal if the readers can understand what is communicated to them without having to interpret confusing words. This means that technological terminologies are clarified and explained in a simple language. Without proper explanation of terms used in technical writing, confusion could be augmented through failing to explicate unavoidable technical terms. Information ought to be clear, concise and complete regardless of the type of documentation being prepared for technical needs. In most cases, technical documents created relate to different needs such as end user assistance (user guides on using different items) and marketing communication (such as product catalogues and advertisements).
Technical DescriptionTechnical writing entails a series of tasks that ought to be performed by technical writers in scientific issues. This means that scientific information is made simple for the average people to comprehend. The tasks range from writing on new machinery, manuals, industrial guides and simplification of jargons so as to make lay people to understand by breaking down complex procedures. This service exposes technical writers to different positions and exposure as they have a capability of documenting anything given that it is informational and related to technical terms. This form of writing is broad and knowledge in language, writing or communications would enable a person to be competent in presenting information to respective users (Alred, Brusaw & Oliu 119).
Technical writers ought to have excellent research skills so as to gather information on their subjects in libraries, over the internet, and sometimes by interviewing experts or professional technical writers in the specific field. Once adequate information has been collected through research, technical writers arrange their ideas and tasks by translating any technological jargon into a language that can be understood without difficulty by the users or readers. This means that the writing can be incorporated with charts, graphs, or forms to go together with their preliminary outlines. Knowledge in technical writing is imperative as it can enable technical writers to enter other related fields such as advertising, newspaper reporting, and radio and television broadcasting. Since there is a continuous need for people who can communicate technical information in clear terms, the employment outlook of technical writers is huge and thus, creates continued opportunities. For instance, areas such as instruction manuals, users’ guides and training materials are some of the key areas where technical writing expertise could be needed.
Technical writing is actually a great profession for anyone who is a skilled writer and has an aptitude for technology. Technical writers ought to choose information that is vital during research. This has to be coupled with appropriate organization of facts and writing informative documents without using too much unfamiliar language (Smith, Korn & Oliver 209). It is worthwhile noting that technical writing for an organization is detail oriented due to many explanations that have to be made so as to pass on a clear and understandable language to the readers. This form of writing is pegged on deadlines and thus, there is a need to have the technical writers to be comfortable in dealing with stressful and challenging situations. This is so mostly in industrial organizations such as engineering, finance, electronics and any other firm that utilizes technical documentation.
Writing SampleTechnical causes in Aviation: Case Study of Sioux City Iowa United Airline flight UA232 DC-10 and Baghdad DHL A1300 flight
The main technical cause of the Sioux City Iowa United Airline flight UA232 DC-10 accident was the disintegration of the fan blade that shredded the hydraulic controls, while in the Baghdad DHL A1300 flight was hit by fire a missile that was released by Fedayeen scum. The common thing in both accidents is that the left wing was the one affected, which later damaged engine and all existing hydraulic systems. Another common thing about the two accidents is about the techniques applied for safe landing, was technically right and had required better skill and knowledge acquisition.
In the Baghdad DHL A1300 flight event that happened on November 22, 2003, Fedayeen scum did fire a missile at the Airbus A300 cargo plane that was doing a hasty-climb depart from Baghdad airport. The missile that was shot hit the left wing of the plane, and the impact saw the engine and all existing hydraulic systems badly damaged (Alred, Brusaw & Oliu 117). At this case, where all hydraulics were damaged, the only option was to use the differential throttles for the purpose of controlling the craft. The three-person crew were able to turn the damaged plane for a safe landing, veered off the runway and headed for soft sand, and all of this happened because they only used reverse thrust for the purpose of stopping the plane. The analysis of this event found out that Captain Gennotte had learnt the idea of applying differential throttles in a previous seminar that was presided over by Captain Alfred Haynes, who had applied same techniques when his plane lost all attached hydraulics in the United Airlines Flight 232.
Sioux City Iowa United Airline flight UA232 DC-10 accident was a tragic and heroic account that has been termed as one of the most renowned air crashes that has ever happened. The reason behind the aspect of it being famous is the idea that it was recorded on a film. The main cause of the accident was the shredded hydraulic controls, such as the redundant hydraulics, due to the disintegration of the fan blade that was mounted in the DC-10’s tail engine. In this accident, the flight crew did their best in maintaining the sufficient amount of power by using differential throttles that had been suggested by Captain Alfred Haynes, who was then the flight instructor. The DC-10 was carefully brought in for a crash landing within the Sioux City plane landing field. Almost a half of the passengers died, which was 111 out of 296 that was on board. After the analysis was carried out on the clip coverage of the accident, it was determined that the plane did not tumble, but it was a wing that flipped over (Martinez, et al 144).
Resume [REPLACE address here]
[Contact information]
Objective: A position as a technical writer with interest in mechanical engineering, which will allow me to use my design and problem solving skills in the design and fabrication of mechanical operations.
Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering. [ REPLACE name and address of the university and date of graduation].
Overall GPA: 3.59.
Engineering GPA: 3.81.
Focus: Machine Design.
Relevant Work Experience:
Design Engineer, 2001-2011; Qatar Gas Company.
Assisted senior design engineers in creation of proposals for subsidiary companies.
Coordination of projects and communicating design changes with product engineering, manufacturing, procurement program and other personnel as required.
Leader of gas quality assurance; ensuring all standards are met within deadline and budget constraints.
Engineering Technician Assistant. School of Engineering- San Francisco, CA. (2000-2001).
Designed, analyzed and fabricated various machine components in support of academic programs.
Provided technical support services to Engineering Department Staff and Faculty.
Additional Qualifications:
Certified engineer in Training
Experience with MS Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Dreamweaver, Acrobat and AutoCAD 2002.
Leadership and Memberships:
Interdisciplinary Engineering Student Advisory Board, Secretary General, 1998.
Engineering Honor Society, Vice Chairperson, 1999.
Works Cited
Alred, G, Brusaw, C & Oliu, W . Handbook of technical writing Handbook of Technical Writing. Edition9. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.
Smith, H, Korn, K & Oliver, B. Portfolios for technical and professional communicators. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006.
Martinez, D et al. Kaplan Technical Writing: A Resource for Technical Writers at All Levels Kaplan Test Prep Series G – Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series Kaplan Publishing, 2008.
