Technically Correct

How many people read technical documentation and can't make heads or tails of it? Or how many times has someone with a background in something like ERP implementations left people wondering if they spoke the same English language? This is why people like me are so important. We are the translators of the technical universe, making the unreadable abstract into something we can all live with and understand.

I recently attended an Infotech Expo and career fair, wherein I discussed all of my experiences in the field of technical writing. I said that I had no experience with writing government proposals, and that is technically correct, however, I had very little time to flesh out the experiences I have had with proposals. I intend to remedy that here.

I am an expert at synthesizing technical data and persuasive writing into a seamless, clearly understandable and highly effective presentation or proposal. Everyone who has ever done defense or logistics work with the government wants someone with exposure to proposals. And although I have never written one myself, I have worked on them. My work for Data Resource Architects doing MES research was essentially the rough draft of a task order based on a successful RFP, outlining work above and beyond the requirements of the proposal. What this task order outlined was establishing a link between enterprise activities such as financial and executive management and the shop floor's discreet manufacturing operations. I also did grant proposal work for Senator Mike DeWine as an intern in 2001. But I would have to say that the best proposal work I ever did was on doctoral dissertations, especially for ERP implementations within the US DoD. One might not think that a Doctoral dissertation is anything like a proposal, however, I hope to demonstrate otherwise.

The introduction to both a dissertation and a proposal demonstrates the author's understanding of the problem space and describes the proposal layout. This section should provide a line by line road map, closely following if not directly restating government requirements and detailing how selection criteria will be met. The lit review is a close parallel of a qualifications section, establishing credibility.

The methodology sections of a dissertation and a proposal are also similar, demonstrating precedent and workability of methods to ensure superior results to the client or supply critical data to a gap in the knowledge base. My studies and work experience in grounded research provide the groundwork of my understanding of this kind of data. The findings sections are also similar, reporting results in such a manner that the author avoids referencing other proposals, but rather highlighting the successes of what has been done. Past success speaks much louder than past attempts.

The analysis/discussion section of a proposal may discuss program management or corporate structure. However, where a dissertation lacks the persuasive and cogency elements critical to a proposal, my work with policy debate and creating original marketing materials provide me with the relevant experience necessary to translate raw proposal data into a highly persuasive, cogent arguments in order to secure proposal funding. The analysis section of a proposal is most effective when it crystallizes arguments, clearly demonstrating value and providing proof of success above all other bidders to the client.

Current installation : A new hope

The economy is groaning in the throes of labor, and it remains to be seen what will be born of these times. Some believe it bodes ill, like John Forbes, whom I met at a symposium on his article concerning the top ten dying cities in the US. Less than a year ago, I would have concurred. I had a well formed conclusion that adversity might result in triumph for others, but probably not for me. I hunted relentlessly for meaningful work for a number of years and found instead a harshly enforced status quo. Not everyone wanted new ideas. Fewer still were comfortable with risk. I wondered how many others were frustrated like me. Just how many young, talented workers in my demographic were hungry for a place to make an impact, where their ideas would be heard, where they could begin a legacy? People like us are the treasures hidden in darkness, working bad hours for worse pay, awaiting a gentle dawn to appear on our horizon. But that dawn may never come if we don't chase it. If all the world's a stage and we but simple players, this player has decided to make the play work for her. I am chasing the dawn.

Seven months of hard searching in Europe left a lasting impression on me. I studied and worked in southern France, hoping to find my career there. I made deep, lasting relationships in a very short period of time, traversing the social boundaries of the French "politesse," creating a social network that wanted me to stay in the area, that explored every avenue on my behalf. In the end, hiring freezes and visa requirements finally put an end to my local endeavors in France. But the experiencing was at once shattering and bolstering. If the goal had been only to find work, my efforts had only been moderately successful, as the work I found never became a career. But upon taking in the big picture, I realized that I had dozens of people I'd met only a few short months prior searching for work for me. I saw hard evidence of my commercial value in the eyes and efforts of others.

As a result of my time abroad, I learned a language remarkably quickly, started writing a book, and seriously considered entrepreneurship for the first time. I also realized that I had been believing a lie: that no one would hire me for the things I was truly great at. My freelance editing work was starting to pick up, and translation/proofreading work was starting to materialize as well. Perhaps investing eight years in editing/proofing and twelve years in public speaking had not been in vain. My life had turned a corner. I knew that when I returned to the US, if I accepted bad hours and low pay, it would not be as a necessity for survival, but as a means to an end. I was going to make something of all this unpleasantness. I have been given a mind that can coax and tease words into a work of art. I am a fearless and inspirational public speaker who can weave words into anything she wishes, while still maintaining her integrity. When I tell my story, people are genuinely moved. I have been telling this story for years because it impacts people. But now I know what it's worth. I have more to offer the world than simple inspiration. My skills can change lives, and I have seen the proof of it. I am The Wordcrafter, and I am at your service.