Dear ALL students,
As you learned on the first day of class, I’m a big advocate of internships–and I spend a good deal of time scoping them out. But you don’t have to rely upon me to find you the kind of internship you want; you should scour the field on your own! Here’s my standard advice to students seeking internships:
1. Let UT help you. So 1a: Make an appointment with one of the advisors at UT Career Services. Those folks have info on internship opportunities, as well as sophisticated search engines to look for current job announcements and internship availabilities. 1b: If you’re an undergrad, check out the UT summer research internships—for which you’re paid $2,000!
2. Search for internships using standard engines: Indeed.com, Monster.com, etc. I’ve had students land great internships this way (paid internships with big companies that have led to excellent jobs).
3. Find your internship by direct contact with organizations where you think you might like to intern. Many organizations will have an internship link on their web sites (national labs, big corporations, publishers, etc.) They will probably have an internship director/coordinator as well. And do you feel a passion for saving the whales or bringing pure water to the thirsty? Don’t forget about non-profits; they are often the easiest to connect with for internships (just don’t expect to be paid).
4. Use your personal network. This semester, one of my students is working a great internship that her roommate’s father got for her. Your classmates are a vital part of your network. Talk especially with the ones who have already served internships—or better yet, with the ones currently serving them. The organization they are working for may well be looking for a replacement when your classmate’s internship is over.
5. Consult with me if you’re interested in an internship in professional communication and want academic credit for it. First read THIS.
ALSO: we will again be talking about internships at beginning of period tomorrow because time is so short to get them lined out and set up for academic credit if you want it this semester. Deadline to add courses is January 17.
FINALLY: If you are interested in the fantastic internship opportunity with Helen Hardin, the senior policy advisor for U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann–let me know ASAP, and go ahead and apply directly using the info in my recent blog post.
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Dear students,
See the email message below. It is to me from Ms. Helen Hardin, the senior policy advisor to U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. Ms. Hardin could supervise TWO internships this semester.
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From: Hardin, Helen <Eli.Hardin@mail.house.gov>
Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 9:37 AM
To: Russel Hirst <rkh@utk.edu>
Subject: Internship
General office responsibilities:
- Developing verbal and written communication skills in interacting with constituents by phone and mail and learning our software program for tracking constituent contacts.
- Compiling the daily news summaries for the Congressman and staff from local and regional newspapers.
- Preparing for visits by the Congressman in setting up and confirming meetings and events.
Assisting with my Oak Ridge federal programs work:
- Helping me compile a report to the Congressman of federal DOE news from trade publications and Oak Ridge specific publications, writing and compiling bios of DOE officials before meetings.
- Attending meetings with DOE officials and local business representatives who depend on federal contracts, and attending public events with the Congressman.
- Following up on requests for DOE related information for constituents.
As I mentioned on the phone, after we get student applicants for the program, we will send them an application and interview them for the position.
Thank you so much for your interest in our office and we look forward to working with your students.
Helen Hardin
Senior Policy Advisor to Chuck Fleischmann,
Member of Congress
Third District, Tennessee
https://fleischmann.house.gov
Eli.Hardin@mail.house.gov
200 Administration Road
Federal Building, Suite 100
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
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Students,
Check out this email I just received from a former student (she graduated last May). Don’t hesitate to contact Jennifer; she is super nice. And very smart. Would make a really good colleague. So what are you waiting for?
From: Jennifer Liebschwager <jennifer.liebschwager@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2014
To: Russel Hirst <rkh@utk.edu>
Subject: Tech Writing at Daktronics
Hi Dr. Hirst!
Hope you’re doing well! As you know, I am currently a technical writing intern at Daktronics, and we are looking for new talent to start working in May. I figured we’d try to keep the pipeline from UT to South Dakota going and bring some more Vols up to the Midwest!
This internship covers the whole gamut of technical writing, from editing product literature to designing brochures. Some of the projects are similar to the final design project in English 466, and some are more focused on technical editing like 460. Overall, it’s an awesome way to gain professional experience in the field. It is a paid internship, and the positions would be on location in Brookings, South Dakota.
Two UT students have done the internship now, so we have to keep the tradition going! It’s definitely a great environment for getting started in the field, and my supervisor has already talked to me about job offers, so they’ve definitely got possible future employment in mind for candidates. Just from my personal experience, it’s a great fit for a recent grad who wants a little more professional experience. The company financially compensated me for relocating as well, so that’s another plus!
Can you pass this along to your students? I’d love to talk with anyone interested in learning more about the position. Please invite them to email me at jennifer.liebschwager@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Jennifer
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460 students,
After our class just now I bumped into my colleague Dr. Lisa King, and together we generated the following list of definitions–which we feel are as short as possible while still delivering the proper meaning:
Grammar: rules governing the entire system and structure of a language (“rules for making sense in a language”).
Style: the quality and power of one’s performance with a language. (S0, what are the qualities most desired for communication in the working world? We’ll be developing our answer to this question all semester long.)
Mechanics: the performance notes and framework details of a language (punctuation, capitalization, italics; footnote forms, numbering, etc.)
Onward–
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466 students,
Here are those links from your classmate Rachel:
“Dear Dr. Hirst, I wanted to send you some links that may be helpful for students in our 466 class when they are picking color schemes or seeking ideas for their brochures, flyers, etc.
This site is cool because it lets you type in an image address and generates a color palette for you from that image. For example, Kimberlee could use it for her “Support Your Local Artist” flyer about painting dreams; she could plug in some of those paintings here. As you can see, I typed in the image address to one of Green Earth Emporium’s photos (to do this, right-click on an image and then click “copy image address” or “copy image location” and then paste it into the bar) and it formulated a color palette for me based on the colors in the photo. The colors could be used for the text or for additional graphics on the brochures/flyers.
This is one of my favorite color palette websites, because it lets you adjust the controls on the left and pick one specific color. Then click “Go get it!” underneath the color you have chosen, and it will generate different palette possibilities with that color. You can also search by theme, which is nice. Again, these color palettes show what colors one might use in a design piece.
This one has some really unique and interesting brochure designs to get those creative juices flowing!
These are good resources; I thought they might help some students.”
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Dear English majors, here is good news for you:
ACADEMIC ADVISOR LUKE GARTON JOINS THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT: The Department of English is pleased to introduce Academic Advisor, Luke Garton. Garton served for three years as a professional advisor for UT’s Arts & Sciences Advising Services office and joined the Department of English in January 2014. English majors will meet with him for their first few semesters and then be advised by their assigned faculty advisor after that. He will also work closely with English majors pursuing pre-health, pre-law, and pre-teaching as well as those on academic probation. He will perform a wide variety of tasks outside of individual advising appointments; he will conduct freshmen and transfer orientation sessions for new English majors, help English faculty members navigate the curriculum, assist students with the petitioning process, and aid in the coordination of events held by the department.
Garton earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Frostburg State University with a double major in Social Science and Sociology and a minor in Spanish. He also holds a Master of Education degree in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University.
English Majors may schedule an appointment with him using “GradesFirst.” To schedule an appointment, simply log onto your MyUTK account and click on the “GradesFirst” link found in the advising section of your home page. Once in the “GradesFirst” system, click the “Appointments for Advising or Other Academic Help” button and follow the prompts from there (English Advising should be an option).
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Dear 460 students,
Here again is that list of issues/needs Mr. Ragan is inviting you to work on with him. Connecting with Mr. Ragan or with Katie Moore on one of the issues/needs they have described constitutes a great opportunity. But again: the world is full of need and of fascinating projects, and you have complete freedom to choose your project for English 460. Whatever you choose, REMEMBER: write me a memo and send via email by midnight tomorrow, telling me what you’ve chosen for your final writing/editing project–and also telling me a bit about why you are making that choice.
–Dr. Hirst
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