Careful use of the Handbook of Technical Writing is important as you work on this project, which should include the following (References to Handbook entries are in Uppercase Letters).
A COVER LETTER following the appropriate conventions of CORRESPONDENCE informing your Mentor of what is being sent and why. You letter should also explain any possible action you might take as a result of what you found. Did your research confirm what you previously believed or did it provide new insight?
NOTE: Your POINT OF VIEW in the letter is personal and subjective, so you should write it in first person. The REPORT itself should be objective and written in third person.
A FORMAL REPORT including a Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Body Text, Conclusions, Works Cited, and Appendixes.
A Descriptive ABSTRACT.
An INTRODUCTION that places your chosen career in the context of today job market. Possibly useful information may range from the economy to the relative importance of the job.
A REPORT that at a minimum includes information describing the necessary education, credentials and training; the typical duties; starting and potential salaries and other benefits; and the prognosis for future employment and advancement. Use Parenthetical Documentation (either APA or MLA style as appropriate) to indicate the source of all data and quotations as described in DOCUMENTING SOURCES. Also include one or more VISUALS such as TABLES or GRAPHS. Be sure to refer to each visual at least once in your text.
A CONCLUSION that summarizes your findings and discusses the implications of embarking on such a career path.
A list of References or Works Cited that contains a minimum of seven (7) sources that are named and used in the body of your report. Be sure to review the conventions found in DOCUMENTING SOURCES. An APPENDIX which includes two or more Typical JOB DESCRIPTIONS that you have found online to illustrate actual jobs in the career you have chosen. The actual job descriptions should be placed in the Appendix in their entirety, but they should also be referred to at least once in the body of your report.
Textbooks
Technical English: Writing, Reading, and Speaking, 8th ed., by Nell Ann Picket, Ann A. Laster, and Katherine E. Staples (New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2001).
Handbook of Technical Writing, 9th ed., by Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu (Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009).
You will also need a college level dictionary and thesaurus.
You will do your report on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)certified Air Traffic Controller that is serving in the United States Army.
