Developing & Writing Technical Publications

As a Summer 2020 Technical Writing Intern at Shure, I worked on all aspects of the technical writing process, from the inception of a new product to updating guides long after the product launched. I also conceptualized and wrote a process-oriented document with my 9-page Phi Sigma Pi legacy notes. I used imperative tone and concise language to provide instructions and procedures about all things Parliamentarian-related.

I was a Consultant for 2.5 years at Central Michigan University’s Writing Center. In order to work there, I earned an A in a rigorous 500-level English course that trained me to hold constructive and productive conversations about writing with all types of writers. This class also included an 8-page in-depth paper analyzing our own tutoring communication practices and the practices of other consultants and scholars.

Verbal & Written Communications

Understanding Complex Systems

As a remote Technical Writing Intern for Shure, I was unable to interact hands-on with products, and yet I wrote a topic about hardware just from simulations and conferences with Subject Matter Experts and other writers on the team. I also user-tested the topic to ensure that it was clear and demonstrated a full understanding of the ideas at hand.

Creating & Editing Graphic Images

Though I am currently enrolled in a graphic design course, I have some previous experience creating graphics and other visual via photoshop. For example, I have created 2 graphics for different videos, one of which is a title card for a segment called Music in the Mitten, which covers music news in the state of Michigan. I made this graphic so that it can be modified and other headlines can be placed in the same graphic so that the title card will work in any video segment we need it in.

Editing & Assembling Technical Publications

As a part of a Technical Editing course, I completed multiple assignments where I corrected documents in terms of grammar, usage, word choice, organization, imperative voice, and more. This course culminated in editing a poorly written 9-page economic analysis into a work that clearly and concisely presented decades of data to an academic audience. I reorganized the document, adhered to strict APA 7 style, and repaired dozens of basic errors.

Adobe Creative Suite

Though my experience with the Creative Suite overall spans 4 years, I started interacting with Illustrator and InDesign in the last 2 years. I have the greatest familiarity with Audition, Premiere, After Effects, and Photoshop. However, I used InDesign in a 500-level English course to design 8 technical documents, one of which is a mock-up of a 15-page Honda shipping center instruction manual. This manual met branding requirements for both aesthetic and content standards by adopting a color scheme and a corporate writing style.

User-Testing For Clarity of Topics

I conducted user testing with 5 fellow interns during my internship at Shure. The user testing sessions were about 15 minutes long and were performed entirely through Microsoft Teams. I and 2 other writers on my team gave the participant a document with the topic on it and asked them to highlight clear parts in green and confusing parts in yellow. We then followed up with questions and used their feedback to improve the effectiveness of drafted topic in terms of vocabulary, organization, and title.