Dear Hiring Decision Maker(s):

Please consider me in your search for a Writer/Editor.

After completing my Education degree at the U of A (major in art) and serving as a writer/production editor for the Students’ Union, Gateway, I joined The University of Calgary as a Communications Officer II. In this position, I worked with university administrators to develop and implement strategic communications plans focusing on students, staff, faculty and the public. As co-editor of the bi-weekly, Gazette, I researched and wrote news and feature articles on the activities in all Faculties. This often required me to present complex concepts to a more general audience and I always sought to do so in an engaging way. My article, New ways to slice the mapping pie, which compares advances in digital mapping to an overloaded pizza, is a perfect example. In addition to profiling new staff members, like Beatrice Medicine, I contributed press releases and other materials, such as background research, as required.

After almost five years with the U of C, I accepted a position as a Journalism Instructor at Grant MacEwan, where I taught News Photography, Graphic Design, News Laboratory and Media studies.

Moving to Vancouver, I joined Southam Business Communications as Western Editor for Canadian Forest Industries Magazine, providing copy on all aspects of the business including harvesting, safety and milling. I then settled in Nanaimo writing for The Nanaimo Business Examiner and Nanaimo Daily Free Press, among others.

As Marketing Manager for forest equipment manufacturer T-MAR Industries, my duties included building brand awareness; conducting customer surveys; producing advertising copy, brochures and videos; and launching the company’s newsletter, The T-MAR Times. My duties also included designing and overseeing the installation of the company’s booth at the Truck Loggers Convention in Vancouver.

A downturn in the industry led to 10 years overseas teaching in Libya, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the UAE and Japan.

Returning to Canada in 2012, I worked with a web designer to launch my WordPress website and have continually added content featuring my writing, photography, art, music, graphic design and video production. I have expertise in MS Office (including PowerPoint), Photoshop, Illustrator and a variety of video editing programs.

You seek someone with a background in journalism/communications/issues management. Check. Someone with excellent writing skills, as well as advanced organizational and problem solving skills, to step into this role. Check. Someone who can work independently and yet knows when to ask for guidance. Check. And, finally, although not exhaustively, a creative problem solver. That’s me.

In summary, I believe I have the qualifications and competencies to be effective in this role. Accordingly, let me suggest we meet to discuss the contribution I could make to the Ministerial Correspondence Unit (MCU) in filling this role.

Sincerely,

James Miller