WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:04.130 My name is Deja Studdard and I am a Technical Writer 2 00:00:04.130 --> 00:00:07.290 with the Indiana Department of Transportation. 3 00:00:07.290 --> 00:00:09.190 A technical writer is someone who writes 4 00:00:09.190 --> 00:00:13.346 proposals or contracts and edits 5 00:00:13.346 --> 00:00:16.660 and formats large documentation. 6 00:00:16.660 --> 00:00:19.440 line:15% Basically, what will come across my desk 7 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.500 line:15% is things that focus on bridges, 8 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:25.440 line:15% on roadways, on roadwork, 9 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:27.750 line:15% anything going on within the state of Indiana. 10 00:00:27.750 --> 00:00:29.900 Sometimes we just think about our little area 11 00:00:29.900 --> 00:00:32.440 line:15% and where we are in Muncie or Indianapolis, 12 00:00:32.440 --> 00:00:33.680 line:15% but it's anything that's going on 13 00:00:33.680 --> 00:00:34.950 line:15% within the state of Indiana 14 00:00:34.950 --> 00:00:37.760 line:15% is essentially what I'm writing about 15 00:00:37.760 --> 00:00:40.820 line:15% that has anything to do with the roads. 16 00:00:40.820 --> 00:00:41.980 The lifecycle is huge. 17 00:00:41.980 --> 00:00:46.160 There are thousands of people that work for INDOT 18 00:00:46.160 --> 00:00:49.210 that really make this one document happen, 19 00:00:49.210 --> 00:00:50.790 but essentially what happens is 20 00:00:50.790 --> 00:00:54.327 a planner will send it to the estimator 21 00:00:54.327 --> 00:00:58.560 and the estimator will send their funding to me 22 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:02.404 and the funding essentially tells how much money 23 00:01:02.404 --> 00:01:04.890 line:15% goes into the contract, 24 00:01:04.890 --> 00:01:07.290 line:15% how much money they're willing to spend on the contract, 25 00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:09.252 line:15% and then I have to verify 26 00:01:09.252 --> 00:01:12.380 line:15% anything and everything that has been sent to me. 27 00:01:12.380 --> 00:01:14.830 line:15% I have to check it, 28 00:01:14.830 --> 00:01:17.790 I have to write some things up, 29 00:01:17.790 --> 00:01:19.990 and then I will send it to the engineer 30 00:01:19.990 --> 00:01:22.060 for that to be checked, as well. 31 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:26.490 I have a lot of information sent to me, 32 00:01:26.490 --> 00:01:29.360 and essentially what I do is, 33 00:01:29.360 --> 00:01:34.360 I assemble, and you have to research different things 34 00:01:35.880 --> 00:01:37.830 line:15% in order to put it together. 35 00:01:37.830 --> 00:01:41.040 line:15% It's an abundance of things 36 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:42.590 line:15% that you have to be able to put together. 37 00:01:42.590 --> 00:01:45.160 line:15% You really have to pay attention to the numbers 38 00:01:45.160 --> 00:01:47.840 and you really have to be able 39 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:52.451 to edit things that are sent to you from other people. 40 00:01:52.451 --> 00:01:55.651 It can take days, it can take weeks, 41 00:01:55.651 --> 00:01:59.010 because you have to contact the project manager 42 00:01:59.010 --> 00:02:01.640 to ensure that what they want, exactly 43 00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:04.000 is going into the project. 44 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:06.400 If it's a maintenance project, 45 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:08.910 or a traffic project, 46 00:02:08.910 --> 00:02:11.450 so if it's something to do with a traffic light, 47 00:02:11.450 --> 00:02:14.560 then those tend to be easier. 48 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:16.300 Maintenance, of course, will tend to be easier. 49 00:02:16.300 --> 00:02:18.885 line:15% But if it's something like I-69, 50 00:02:18.885 --> 00:02:21.603 line:15% that can take years. 51 00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:25.690 line:15% One project can literally take months 52 00:02:25.690 --> 00:02:28.210 and it can go through a reschedule process. 53 00:02:28.210 --> 00:02:29.900 But generally speaking, 54 00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:34.370 the process itself is several months long 55 00:02:34.370 --> 00:02:35.620 by the time that I get it, 56 00:02:35.620 --> 00:02:39.163 when I start working, it's gonna be a few weeks.