Skills for the Future

I have learned a lot and gained a much broader skill set since week 1 of Technical Writing Class. The course has been challenging but has allowed me to get more comfortable with different applications on the computer such as Word and Powerpoint. Since the beginning of class I have learned things that will benefit me in my career and have became much more comfortable with writing in general. Before this class, I was uncertain of what steps composed the 5 step writing process. This course has taught me a lot about page design, creating memo's, editing documents, etc. In the beginning of the course I did not realize how much this course would benefit me in my profession. A couple of weeks ago I actually decided to create a professional memo for the fire department to view in regards to training. Before this class I would not have had the confidence or skills to do that. The fire service includes much more than providing medical skills and fire suppression. Often, we are at a desk writing reports or performing administrative duties which is where Technical Writing has proven to be beneficial. This course has challenged me to discover a creative side in me that I didn't know I had.

Firefighting and Public Speaking

As a firefighter/paramedic we are constantly communicating and interacting with the public. It is very common for fire departments to be asked to attend school events or birthday parties. Public speaking is something that I was once very nervous about but with time and practice I am much more comfortable and even enjoy it now. Several months ago my co-workers and I attended a church event with about 100  kids and were asked to speak and show off our equipment. Surprisingly, I found that the toughest part of the presentation was answering the questions that the kids had for us. You would be surprised what questions a group of 10-13 year old kids can think to ask. Because I have had practice over the last 2 years with public speaking, I have became a more confident public speaker. At events with a large crowd I am generally the first person to volunteer to begin the event and speak. Like anything, practice makes better.

Creativity

It seems that when people think "technical writing" they think that the course consists of writing only and assume it is much like a traditional English course. This is far from accurate however. Technical writing requires creativity, effort, time management, and planning. This course has required me to be creative by creating a memo template, letterhead, editing documents while utilizing effective page design, etc. I do not believe that it is possible to be too creative but I do think that it is possible to not be creative enough. When I think of the word creative, I think of a term that means for someone to express their unique ideas in art or writing form. As human beings we all have unique ideas and expressions. Through creativity we have the ability to showcase our feelings and emotions. I believe that it is possible to not be creative enough because everyone has ideas and  an imagination but not everyone puts in the effort to show that side of them. It doesn't take an artist to be creative, it takes effort.

Tips for the Future

Over the last few weeks I have learned new information that I am able to put forth and use in my professional firefighting career. The last few weeks we have been required to update our e-portfolio which includes having to add personal accomplishments, transcripts, etc. The e-portfolio project has been challenging but I can see the importance that it plays for students in college that are seeking a professional career after graduation. We have also learned and discussed as a class, the impact that social media can have on people's lives in a negative way. I have learned to be very cautious when it comes to posting controversial subject matter for the "world to see." In the fire department it is obviously very important to maintain patient privacy in accordance with HIPAA. Last week's discussion was a helpful reminder in the sense that you must think before you post or write something in regards to social media. The last couple of weeks Technical Writing class has covered different topics that I have already found to be beneficial in my career surprisingly. Before the class began I was intimidated by being required to keep up with a blog, LinkedIn account, and an e-portfolio but now I feel that I can work through different tasks and get whatever job done that is required of me.

Page Design in the Professional World

It has been made clear in Technical Writing class that page design is of high importance in regards to publishing professional documents. Before this course began, I took page design for granted and did not realize the thought and effort that an author must put into creating the document in order to grab the viewers attention. In this course we have had several assignments where we must either create or edit existing documents while utilizing effective page design. For example: I edited and helped redesign a restaurants menu by adding more effective titles, bolded words, catchy title, color, etc. Becoming more comfortable with page design and realizing its importance has surprisingly helped me in my professional career with the Fire Department. A week ago I was required to send out a "memo" to my co-workers at station 2 in regards to something of high importance to the other firefighters and I was confident that I could do a good job because of what I have learned thus far. Page design in regards to any document is what usually grabs the readers attention or turns them away suddenly. It is easy to see whether or not effort was put forth into a document. Chances are, if the document looks sloppy and doesn't have good design than the viewer will not put much effort forth into viewing it.

Digital Writing Tools

Although there are several types of writing tools available, my personal favorite is the use of Power Point and Microsoft Word. I use these two applications regularly in both my personal and school life because of the features available. Technical Writing class has challenged me to create letterheads, memo headings, and even revise and add page design to existing documents. I especially like this program for different writing projects because of the capability and features available. I caught myself watching YouTube videos often in order to figure out how to perform a certain task in Word such as creating a flyer. Power Point was also a very helpful application in regards to being a writing tool because it makes it easy to organize ideas and add visuals. Both Power Point and Microsoft Word are great because they have several attractive formats for documents and presentations. Because this class has challenged me to create different types of documents and be creative, I feel much more confident with the use of these two programs and actually catch myself trying to help my co-workers at times with different tasks. These digital writing tools will continue to be useful for me throughout my career and school life while pursuing an associates degree.

Job Hunting Made Easy

In the past while searching for fire departments hiring in the North Texas area I luckily came across two easy to use job sites that are very effective. Specifically, the two job sites I used were 911hotjobs.com and http://www.tcfp.texas.gov/job_postings/jobs.asp. Both of these sites allow the person to find fire departments hiring in the area and provide information such as educational requirements, salary, and job descriptions. For a fire candidate/recruit that has the necessary certifications and is looking for a career in the fire service I would highly recommend one of these two online job sites. Both sites are easy to navigate and provide all necessary information needed. I have heard of several students graduating both paramedic school and the fire academy that are ready to start applying for departments but feel stressed due to not knowing how to access different departments websites and see when they are accepting applications. The two sites that I have recommended are great specifically due to the fact that they only list the departments which are currently hiring firefighters. To someone who is either just beginning their job hunt or to someone who is looking to work for another fire department I would recommend using these sites.

Criticism Can Be Good

When people think of criticism, they tend to view it in a negative sense. Constructive criticism does not always have to be a bad thing however. In fact, criticism occurs all the time whether we are at home, school or work. Constructive criticism in the workplace can occur in many different forms such as criticizing a project, reviewing a speech or power point presentation, or offering constructive criticism after a major event. My idea of constructive criticism is the act of critiquing a particular "event" and offering advice to strengthen whatever it is being that's focused on. For example: In the fire service it is a common practice to critique major fire or medical related calls in order to improve on what didn't go as planned. This is a very important part of the job and does not mean the tasks were not performed well. The act of constructive criticism in the workplace has its benefits because it allows several people to take away positive and constructive information going forward. Constructive criticism can easily be handled by having an open mind, realizing that receiving feedback is helpful, and realizing that it can actually make you a better person and employee.

Hard to Break Habit

There are several bad writing habits that are easy to pick up on but not so easy to break. Many bad habits include using weak words/adjectives, writing run on sentences, and the use of filler words. Personally, I have a bad habit of writing lengthy paragraphs that really should be separated. Paragraphs should be separated by the topic and should be concise. The reader should be able to follow along easily which is accomplished by good writing techniques, even as simple as good paragraph organization. My bad habit of making paragraphs too lengthy rather than broken up appropriately is a bad habit that I developed starting in high school. This is a habit that I would like to change because it would make my writing that much more effective. Like anything else, practice makes better. If I were to write a certain piece I could help myself break this habit by paying close attention during the revising and editing stage of the writing process and correcting this issue. Peer review would also help to identify lengthy paragraphs that other wise could have been broken up. Changing this one bad habit could have a very positive effect on my writing for not only myself, but the reader whom is it intended for as well.

Preparation for the Future

I am 8 weeks into Technical Writing Class (half way complete) and I have gained a lot of knowledge over a variety of subjects and ideas. The class started out by challenging me to create a memo template and letterhead that is creative and unique to me. Over the last several weeks I have created a LinkedIn account, set up an e-portfolio, and obviously set up this blog. These tasks that have been required in class are tasks that I was unfamiliar with at the beginning of class and did not feel comfortable with at first. This course has also emphasized the importance of properly utilizing the writing process, using outlines to help you write, and ensuring that I utilize good page design when publishing professional documents. Just a few weeks ago we as a class, were required to pick from several poorly designed documents and not only correct grammar errors but totally redesign the document with good page design. This course has challenged me so far and has allowed me to broaden my skill base that I can use in my professional firefighting career. I feel this course will benefit me in this field because I plan on moving my way up through the ranks some day which requires a good understanding of technology, communication, and writing.