Interview Response – CFO of Bennett Graphics

Graphic communications is a diverse field. While preparing for the real world, graphic communication majors are taught the basic principles and concepts of many printing processes so that we are highly marketable employees. Graphics majors could land a variety of jobs such as an artistic photographer, specialized printing technician or pressroom manager. Within each of these fields, a need for writing exists as varied as the field itself. Graphic companies also employ people to deal with customers as well as finances.

Rhonda L. Williams in a Chief Financial Officer for Bennett Graphics located in Tucker, GA. She is in charge of the finances of the company along with all human resources responsibilities. As the CFO, emails are the most important type of communication and writing that Williams encounters. Approximately twenty percent of her day is consumed with writing of some kind. Procedures, emails to employees, insurance companies, banking and collections are most of the important documents she writes. The writing that Williams completes is not done as group collaboration. She is the first and last one to read her documents, so accuracy is important. There are no editors involved in her writing.

Communications with customers vary, but are mostly emails and occasional phone calls. She has found it so much easier to send an email than to pick up the phone and talk. Writing in the area of customer communication has taken over where oral communication was once present. All inter-company communication is written. The most important role of writing in the company is having a paper trail. The paper trail provides accountability. Here, accuracy is also key. On jobs that circulate throughout the graphic shop, with many workers having input, if a mistake is found, a paper trial would provide a path to where the problem originated.