Post #2

For this particular interview I asked my father, the owner of a WashingtonD.C. steel company, to take the time to answer a few questions. When the topic of writing/communication in his field came up, he acknowledged that it is indeed a vital tool. As in most professions, a basic knowledge of grammar and spelling are important if one wishes for his/her writing to be taken seriously. He stressed that even in something as small as an e-mail, a person should be careful to have clear structure to their writing. Conveying the details of a project in a technical proposal, without making it too complicated to understand also becomes vital in this industry.
While techincal writing is a necessary tool for engineers and within the construction industry, my father also stressed the importantance of verbal communication. When interviewing a potential employee, my father says he pays less attention to the actual words the person is saying, and more to the way he presents them. Calm, clear, comfortable communication is the backboneof the construction industry, which relies on building personal relationships with clients. Therefore, to work in this field, a person needs to learn to not just rely on writing and e-mails, but actual verbal contact. This includes phone conversations ass well as face to face meetings. Whether it is a room full of people, or a single person, the ability to convey a message with ease seems to be a ticket to success in this line of work.