Reading #3: Ch. 4

I found this chapter to be the most useful out of all those that we have read thus far, because it focused on several real life individuals and their experiences within the technical writing profession. It was nice to get the perspective of people who had worked their way through college, not knowing exactly what they would end up doing with their technical writing degree, and then hearing from them in regards to what they did during that time. I found it interesting that most of the articles that are referenced in this chapter come from 2003 or 2004, more than ten years old at this point. It seems to me that, while some aspects of the profession certainly must have stayed relatively the same, much of it has likely shifted completely, and I think that more up to date sources could help. The articles used here are used more in the vein of the theory or definition discussion, which has likely changed less than the more technology heavy areas of the discipline. I think the most important thing I found in the text was the section that mentioned, "learn all you can about tech comm, engage with others who do work similar to yours, lead if you are called upon to do so." I think that this emphasizes the importance of being well rounded, of having a deep pool of experience form which to draw from, and the ability to take control when needed. Most, if not all of the students mentioned in the chapter also varied their studies while still at university, which is something that I can see being very helpful later on in a technical writing career. They also discussed how they were trying to learn or stay on top of new technology whilst still working full time.