Michelle M. Schoenecker
Editor’s Note: This year, the STC Technical Editing SIG offered scholarships to one undergraduate and one graduate student in technical communication. One part of the scholarship application was to describe a project or research that the applicant was involved in. We asked the scholarship winners to write a newsletter article summarizing their project or research. This is the first of such articles from our graduate scholarship winner.
At the risk of sounding really clichéd, technical writing is truly my passion. I began my career in 1999 when I took a proposal management position at a large banking automation company. I discovered that I had a talent for technical writing and editing and I wanted to focus my career in this area. Thus, I joined STC and the Technical Editing SIG, and enrolled part-time in the Master’s program in Professional Writing at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) in 2004. In 2006, I became a technical grant writer in the College of Engineering at UWM writing research proposals and editing journal manuscripts.
To integrate my professional experience with my education, I accepted a position as a student researcher and editor for Dr. Gerald Alred, Professor of English at UWM, to help develop the 2009 editions of his technical writing reference books, The Handbook of Technical Writing and The Business Writer’s Handbook. I eagerly accepted this position, knowing it was a rare opportunity to work closely with one of the most influential technical communication scholars on two widely used and highly regarded texts. Through this experience I gained valuable technical editing experience, applied the knowledge I gained from my graduate education, and glimpsed into the world of textbook publishing.
While the impact of the handbooks on the technical communication field is significant, it is their impact on future technical writers that is most important to me. As a result of working on the handbooks, I feel a greater responsibility to share the knowledge I have gained throughout my career and education with the technical writers who will follow me. I want to become a role model for future technical writers and help them prepare for the expectations and demands of workplace, as well as enlighten them with the excitement, challenges, and satisfaction that careers in technical communication can deliver.
As I look ahead to the next phases in my career, I intend to keep working as a professional technical writer so that I can integrate my knowledge and experience into my teaching. I believe that if future technical writers are to succeed in the rapidly changing workplace, they must have practical experience and flexible skills to meet the demands of our profession. It is an exciting time for the technical writing field, and my goals are to continue promoting excellence within the field by demonstrating the value we bring to those who employ us, and to prepare successfully the next generation of technical writers who will follow us.
I am sincerely grateful for the STC Technical Editing SIG scholarship – it is truly an honor to be a recipient and I look forward to completing my graduate studies.