Danielle Murdock-Landry on Placement

So Dani, tell us about what you’re doing for your field placement?
I’m helping Kind, an LGBT+ support organization for the Ottawa community that provides a safe environment for the LGBT+ community. I’ve been helping them relocate to a space they will be sharing with Planned Parenthood Ottawa. I created their relocation poster; which I’m really happy about. I proofread and edited the announcement they sent out to the donors, volunteers, and board members. I also review fact sheets, and organize the library.

What has working with Kind taught you?
It’s taught me what a professional work environment feels like from the skills I learned during the professional writing program. And that there’s definitely a need for LGBT safe spaces. I’ve also learned that everyone has something to contribute to an organization like Kind; you wouldn’t think a professional writing student would have a lot to offer to the LGBT+ community.

What do you wish Professional Writing had prepped you for before going out in the real world?
Specific, real-life tasks. I wish we had gotten to write a political speech, to name one example. This is a bit more specific, but I wish they had prepared us for how communicating with a client works in real life. Clearly a prof can't email every single student, but maybe pair off the students and have them give each other something to write. And then they have to deal with trying to get in contact with that person, (just make sure they aren't paired with their friends, that's too easy), asking for clarification, getting it past the approval stages, on and on; just like with a real client.