Professional Development Course

rechu

I am a freelance writer/translator/researcher. For the past few years, I have mainly been working for one client, although I take on additional work on occasion when it comes up. My client is generally good to work for. It is owned by a husband-wife team and I usually deal with them and the operations manager.

Anyways, on a call a while back, the owners mentioned that they were looking for some sort of business writing professional development course for the writers and editors. They said they were generally happy with my work, but of course, there is always room for learning and improvement.

It started this week. I was asked to send in some writing samples, so I sent one from my current client and one from the work I did prior to this. It will be interesting to see how it goes. It’s been quite a while since I have done any classes or training.

TheGal

Wow rechu!! Let us know how you get on...

Sounds like it might be quite stimulating...

rechu

It has been interesting, I thought there would be some video content, but it is basically sending samples to the writing coach, getting feedback and making adjustments based on the feedback. Then there have been exercises from his book. I think it has helped me to focus on being more concise. He also stresses creating a structure that uses headings and bullet points to make things easier to read. It makes sense. People have ever shorter attention spans and business writing has to address that.

It's kind of amusing. We purchase market research reports to develop two sections of the reports we write. This year, their reports are using a similar style. Maybe their writers did the course.

We were told the class had to be completed by April 1st. After this last assignment, I turned in, the professor requested edits and said it was my final assignment. I thought there was going to be more. I had in mind the next sample to send that incorporated all the feedback. I don't know really how it is determined when the class is done, is it number of assignments or showing you mastered the concepts. I received mainly positive feedback throughout, so maybe that is why.

I will still have the e-book that I can refer to when needed, which will be useful.

rechu

I have graduated from the class. They even sent me a certificate. I figure it can't hurt to have something like that on my resume.


I wonder if my client, who paid for the course, is going to wonder why I finished early. She had followed up with me a few times to see how things were going, and I felt like she really didn't know how it was going to work. I had to use my new effective business writing to explain it, haha!

UnawareBS

Quote:

Originally Posted by rechu I am a freelance writer/translator/researcher. For the past few years, I have mainly been working for one client, although I take on additional work on occasion when it comes up. My client is generally good to work for. It is owned by a husband-wife team and I usually deal with them and the operations manager. Anyways, on a call a while back, the owners mentioned that they were looking for some sort of business writing professional development course for the writers and editors. They said they were generally happy with my work, but of course, there is always room for learning and improvement. It started this week. I was asked to send in some writing samples, so I sent one from my current client and one from the work I did prior to this. It will be interesting to see how it goes. It’s been quite a while since I have done any classes or training.

How did that PDC class work out for you? Did you have any of your work praised or was there anything else?

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SlumberKitty

Congratulations, rechu!!

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rechu

Thank you!!

TheGal

It's great that the client paid for the course, rechu.

Do you think AI will be threat to those working in the field?

rechu

I think it depends on the type of writing. Some things are likely to be easier to automate than others. My work requires me to work between three languages and do research into a range of topics. Hopefully, that will be tougher to automate.

On some sites for freelance writing, I have read clients do not like AI. They put their freelancers' work through AI detectors.

The work I do now goes to a specific U.S. government agency. My client has said they check for things like plagiarism and reuse of material. I wonder if they will eventually try to detect AI too.

TheGal

It's good to hear that you are specialized and working for a gov't agency. Sounds like a good gig.

Did you train as a translator? How did you get into it?

I wonder whether AI will end up being used, in the end, and many translators will become proofreaders.

rechu

TheGal - I sent you a PM.

Breaking Dawn

I just found this thread today, rechu. So very interesting, & very admirable! Your gift & skills are appreciated; so nice to see!

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rechu

Aww, thanks BreakingDawn.

rechu

I thought it was useful. For the most part the teacher thought my writing was good. But, the feedback did help me refine my writing and pay more attention to what I am doing.