English 202C
Taylor Harris
MEMORANDUM
To: Mr. Paul Zajac, Instructor
From: Taylor Harris
Subject: Saudi Aramco Job listing: Analysis and Criticism
Date: January 23, 2013
The purpose of this memo is to evaluate Saudi Aramco’s job listing for a field
development planner as an example of technical writing. This posting lacks overall
professionalism that one would expect from a company who is looking for an intelligent
and technically-oriented employee. I will present and analyze some aspects of Saudi
Aramco’s job listing that I believe demonstrate Markel’s set of six characteristics for
technical communication: addresses particular readers, helps readers solve problems,
reflects an organization’s goals and cultures, is collaboratively produced, uses design to
increase readability, and consists of words or graphics. I will also suggest ways in which
Saudi Aramco could improve their document to more closely follow Markel’s
recommendations for excellent technical communication.
Summary and Analysis of the Job Advertisement
This particular job listing follows a common format that is seen in similar documents. It
follows a logical order that allows the job applicant to easily understand what is
expected of them. The document begins with an incredibly detailed position description
section. In the position description, the document exhibits two of Markel’s characteristics
of technical writing almost immediately within its initial sentence: “[Seeking] An
experienced Petroleum Engineering Specialist to join the Exploration
Organization/Upstream Ventures Department in Saudi Arabia.” This sentence
addresses a particular reader while also helping that audience to understand the goals
of the company. The document continues on to address in more detail the
characteristics and requirements of the job listing for the company.
In the “About Us” section of the job posting, Saudi Aramco provides data to inform the
reader that the company oversees the world’s largest crude-oil reserve. The company
also states that their employees implement the most cutting-edge technology and tools
in the world. The company uses this information to further exemplify the goals and
culture of the organization: that Saudi Aramco is a leader in the oil production field, and
only hires the best and most qualified employees.
The information that is provided in this posting is provided using words and bullet points.
Using these methods increased the readability of the job listing because it mapped out
English 202C
Taylor Harris
exactly what the employer is expecting in its applicants in regards to minimum
requirements. The bullets also helped the readers solve problems because it allowed
them to easily understand what to expect of the particular job due to the “Position
Description” and “Duties and Responsibilities” sections of the posting.
Criticisms
In the “About Us” section at the bottom of the job listing, Saudi Aramco provides this
statement: “For more than two decades in a row, Saudi Aramco has been ranked the
No. 1 oil company in the world by Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, a testament to the
dedication and professionalism of the men and women of Exploration & Producing.” A
company who is at the top of it’s field and touts its professionalism should never
produce such an unprofessional looking posting. The overall readability of this posting,
although improved with the use of bullet points and numbers, remains extremely low.
There are no graphics or colors, which results in the job advertisement looking plain and
unappealing. The entire posting is left-justified and lacks indentations and spaces
between paragraphs making it difficult to read at times. The font size is quite small and
may cause some readers further difficulty. A possible reason for the poor design and
lack of readability could be an absence of collaborative production. These missing
characteristics of Markel’s set for excellent technical communication could be avoided if
an editor and communications expert collaborated with this author.
Conclusion
While informative and comprehensive, this example of technical writing needs major
stylistic revisions. If collaborative corrections are made to enhance the design and
readability of the job posting, then this document would demonstrate a high standard of
technical communication.