Practicums, those student work experiences best characterized as mandatory, can sometimes throw something unexpected at you. Towards the end of my summer tech-writing practicum my supervisor offered me a job as a tech writer—her job, actually. It was exactly what I was looking for, if only the timing had been right. I had to refuse the offer. With another year left before I finished my program, my determination to graduate was stronger than the lure of a full-time job.
However, I learned two things.
One, that I had a future in this business. I hadn’t been so sure at first. After applying for a couple of practicums and not even getting an interview, I wasn’t encouraged. Getting a practicum showed me that I could indeed work as a tech writer.
Two, that aside from whatever natural aptitudes I brought to the job, my education was proving its worth. Even though I was only halfway through a two-year program, what I’d learned was helping me succeed. Another year of the same could only work in my favour.
During her practicum, Coastlines staff writer Carla Elm recalls being surprised by the amount of editing she was doing—after all, this was supposed to be a tech-writing job. When, after a few weeks, her surprise turned into frustration, she “took the bull by the horns and interviewed the other writers at [her] company”. She discovered that the distinctions between writing and editing were blurred for them. “Everything pooled into this definition of ‘writer’,” she said.
With this information, Carla could reconcile her duties with the expectations she had had going into her practicum. And when she did begin writing more, it was with an expanded picture of the writer’s role—her frustration was replaced by newfound knowledge.
Practicums provide invaluable opportunities for student writers. If the universe aligns itself correctly, a job opportunity might arise. At the very least, the opportunity to learn about the breadth of tech-writing tasks is there. Expect the unexpected. The surprises are, more often than not, pleasant ones.
