Meet Eric Rose

Where I Started

At the beginning of this course, I understood that writing was important, but I mostly thought about it as something I had to do for school or work. I knew how to explain myself, send messages, and write basic documents, but I did not fully understand how technical communication works as its own skill. I also did not think as much about audience, purpose, layout, usability, or how much the design of a document affects the reader.

Coming into the semester, most of my writing experience came from real life. I work full time as a concrete estimator, where details matter. I also run TexHaul Rentals LLC, where I deal with customer messages, invoices, agreements, inspections, and documentation. Because of that, I already knew that unclear writing can cause confusion. If a customer does not understand a policy, or if a document is missing details, it can create problems later. This class helped me put a name to things I was already dealing with in work and business.

What Challenged Me

One of the biggest challenges for me was balancing the class with everything else I have going on. I work full time, go to school full time, run a business, and have a family. My wife and I also have two boys, so time management was a real part of this semester. I had to work on assignments around my job, business responsibilities, and family life.

Another challenge was learning how to write in a way that was professional but still sounded like me. Sometimes academic writing can come out too stiff or too general. I had to learn how to explain things clearly without making the writing sound fake. This was especially true in the larger assignments where I connected the work to TexHaul. I wanted those assignments to sound professional, but I also wanted them to reflect my actual experience as a business owner.

The research-based assignments were also challenging because they required more than just giving my opinion. I had to support ideas, organize information, and think about what would make sense to a reader. For example, when writing about automation and business operations, I had to explain not only what I wanted to do, but why it mattered, how it could work, and what the limitations were.

What I Learned

This course helped me understand that technical writing is not just about grammar or making something sound smart. It is about making information useful. A good technical document should help the reader understand something, make a decision, complete a task, or trust the information being presented.

The audience analysis work helped me see that writing changes depending on who the reader is. A customer, professor, manager, employee, and business owner may all need different levels of detail. This connects directly to my business because I have to communicate with customers who may not understand trailer rentals, dump fees, damage policies, or inspection procedures. The way I explain those things matters.

The proposal and recommendation report helped me connect technical writing to real business decisions. My proposal focused on using Python-based automation to improve TexHaul’s scheduling, invoicing, job tracking, and customer communication. Later, the recommendation report helped me step back and compare multiple options instead of only focusing on one idea. I looked at the current Square-based workflow, off-the-shelf business software, and a fully custom Python system. That process helped me realize that the most advanced solution is not always the best solution. Sometimes the best answer is to improve what already works.

I also learned more about document design and usability. Before this class, I mostly focused on the words. Now I think more about headings, spacing, layout, links, buttons, and how easy something is to navigate. That matters for this portfolio website, but it also matters for business documents, invoices, contracts, and customer instructions.

How Feedback Changed My Work

Feedback helped me see where my writing needed to be more specific. In some assignments, I noticed that broad statements were not as strong as real examples. Instead of just saying that automation would improve efficiency, it was better to explain specific areas like scheduling, invoices, reminders, customer records, or maintenance tracking.

Feedback also helped me understand the importance of revision. A first draft may get the ideas down, but that does not mean the document is finished. Revision is where the writing becomes clearer and more useful. I made changes throughout the semester by improving organization, adding more detail, and connecting my assignments more directly to my actual work experience.

One thing I took from the feedback process is that writing should sound like a real person wrote it. I do not want my work to sound like a copied template or something that could belong to anyone. My strongest writing this semester came when I connected the assignment to my real life: estimating, TexHaul, school, family, and my goal of becoming an Industrial Engineer.

Where I Go From Here

Going forward, I know technical writing will continue to matter in my education, career, and business. As I continue toward Industrial Engineering at Texas A&M, I will need to write reports, explain processes, present ideas, and communicate with different audiences. Industrial Engineering is about improving systems, and communication is a major part of that.

In concrete estimating, clear writing helps prevent mistakes and keeps project information organized. In TexHaul, technical communication helps with customer expectations, agreements, inspections, disputes, and business records. Even simple things like a clear invoice description or a better customer message can protect the business and improve the customer experience.

This course helped me see writing as more than an assignment. It is a tool I can use to explain ideas, document work, solve problems, and build trust. I still have room to grow, especially with research, formatting, and making documents look more polished. However, I have a much better understanding now of how technical writing connects to the kind of work I want to do. My goal is to keep improving as a writer, student, business owner, and future Industrial Engineer.