{"id":9859,"date":"2016-09-13T13:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-09-13T17:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bsuenglish.wordpress.com\/?p=9859"},"modified":"2021-12-08T15:57:09","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T20:57:09","slug":"ace-howard-an-english-major-working-in-the-software-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/english\/blog\/2016\/09\/13\/ace-howard-an-english-major-working-in-the-software-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Ace Howard: An English Major Working in the Software Field"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former English major Ace Howard describes his career in the software business.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"How would you describe your job?<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m a technical writer for a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company. <\/span><\/p>\n

I would describe my job as the bridge between technical information and users. I sit down with subject matter experts (SMEs) and translate their high level of knowledge into terms that our audience can easily understand. Part of this process involves deciding which medium works best for the message (shout-out to Marshall McLuhan). My work could take the form of software documentation, white papers, case studies, social media, or blog posts. Because I have a background in web development, I\u2019m also responsible for updating the company website. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some of this stuff sounds complicated (it can be), but all the writing and problem solving makes the job a fun and rewarding experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What’s a typical workday like for you?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

To give you some context, I work at a start-up that has only been around for about two years. My team operates in an <\/span>Agile<\/span><\/a> environment\u2014a project management style commonly associated with software development.<\/span><\/p>\n

I start my morning off with tea and a 15 minute stand-up meeting with my team to discuss our projects. Here, we talk about what we did yesterday, what we\u2019ll do today, and whether we have something (or someone) blocking our progress. I\u2019m a big fan of this meeting because it helps us communicate regularly and keeps us all on the same page.<\/span><\/p>\n

After that, we get to work. I refer to our project board to prioritize my projects based on our conversation in the stand-up meeting. Depending on the work, I could spend the rest of the day writing, proofreading, coding, or interviewing SMEs. If I get lost or have any questions, my manager is always ready to help me out.<\/span><\/p>\n

After working in companies that practice traditional <\/span>waterfall<\/span><\/a> project management, I appreciate the autonomy I get in Agile. <\/span><\/p>\n

How did your English major affect your career path?<\/span>
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

My English major is the reason why I\u2019m on this career path in the first place. <\/span><\/p>\n

I started off as a Pre-med major because I watched a lot of House <\/em>and Scrubs<\/em> in high school. While I could do the work and get decent grades in my science classes, I didn\u2019t enjoy it. I knew something was wrong when I dreaded my science classes but I looked forward to my English classes. After a semester of Pre-med, I took the plunge and became a general English major. I\u2019m sure I confused my lab instructor after I turned in my
\nlab report and withdrew from the course the next day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"software<\/a>When I signed up for classes the next semester, I picked an English class called Introduction to Digital Literacies. I chose it because it sounded interesting and it just happened to fit in with the rest of my schedule. I had no idea that this class would define the rest of my undergrad experience, not to mention my career path.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Digital Literacies class bridged the gap between digital technology and writing. Writing isn\u2019t limited to text on a document; it makes up most of the content we consume on the internet. We studied the basics of HTML and CSS to help us write effectively on the web. We studied how social media, wikis, and tools like Google Docs can foster communication and collaboration. We even studied how design affects rhetoric.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of a sudden, an English degree didn\u2019t mean that I would have to pick between being an English teacher or a barista (no disrespect to either of these jobs; I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard this before). An English degree (or minor) can augment any career. It\u2019s just as important to know how\u00a0to effectively communicate an idea as it is to have that idea in the first place. <\/span><\/p>\n

What<\/b>\u00a0skills did you pick up in your major that have proved useful in your job?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

I learned so many skills in my English major that it will be easier for me to list them out:<\/span><\/p>\n