Glenn Wigmore

Glenn Wigmore, graduate of the UVic Professional Writing program, works for Hansard Services in British Columbia's Legislative Assembly.  He gives credit for many of his skills that he now uses in his workplace to the program. Though his English major was helpful, he believes that the Professional Writing minor, in tandem with his co-op experiences, directly helped him build his career.

“The strength of the Professional Writing program is that you're working with people who have some level of direct experience in the field, and they can relate things to you from their own experience. The skills they teach are also very tangible, which is something that can be lost when taking courses under the banner of humanities,” Glenn says.

Several projects he worked on in the program stand out in Glenn’s mind. The first was a course with Cameron Young that challenged the students to create an entire magazine, including layout, design, and articles on several topics. “I referenced articles from that project for several years afterward.”

The second memorable project was during a co-op experience when he had the opportunity to cold-call people working in his dream job. “I had some terrific one-on-one time with magazines and websites I respected, lending me great insight into what I would need to do to excel.”

Among the most valuable courses Glenn took in the Professional Writing program were his copyediting classes with Susan Doyle. “Back then it seemed unfair, as I felt my generation didn't have the "literacy" of language to know grammar rules, terminology, and so on. I felt that I didn't have that background and had missed out. I found her course very challenging.” Though the course was a struggle for Glenn, the skills he learned in it ultimately led to his current job as a senior editor at Hansard Services where he is involved in extensive and intensive copyediting.

The diverse skills he learned in the Professional Writing program have helped Glenn in his career. “The fact that many classes in professional writing involved group projects and communication has been helpful, too, as there are many meetings, interviews and e-mail exchanges where I have to communicate efficiently and effectively at my job.” The courses in the program teach students how to work in a team environment and how to communicate through different mediums, as well as using different levels of formality for particular situations.

Glenn’s innate interest in technology is also an advantage in his workplace since he is often called upon for impromptu technical support by his co-workers. Many of these skills, such as web design, desktop publishing, internet searching, and communication theory, were all developed at UVic and he keeps up-to-date with current changes in the technology relevant for his career.

-Sarah Prusinowski-