Okay, this will be a short draft, mainly because I’m trying to write and think out the logistics of this possible project. In many technical writing courses we teach students to create a job packet where they assemble a résumé and cover letter geared toward a future job, internship, or graduate school application. What if we took it a step further? What if we created an entire internship packet, and combined that with a little spice of intercultural components of securing an internship that is outside of the United States, or at least outside of the state. Then, the students could learn about the cultural differences of that place, learn about how those differences affect professional/technical communication, and how they should adapt to those styles when applying.
The next step would be secure funding. That would open the door to teaching about so many other aspects (that don’t necessarily need to be prescriptive) such as grant writing, scholarship writing, fellowships, etc. These types of writing are very much centered around professional writing, but they seem to be a bit more of the freer, more creative aspects of professional writing. I wonder if my students would enjoy learning about these skills. For one, they would be really practical and could apply to their studies at the University level, but they could also provide them with a basic foundation of a practical skill that many companies are searching for.
Again, sorry for the short post. This is something that has been rolling around my brain for the last two days, and I’m just going to put it here, think about it, and then revise and tighten this plan a little more.
Katie Rieger, Portfolio 