Home » Interview: Writing in West Michigan

Hold Onto Your Dreams!

Posted by aalderip on Thu, 05/29/2008 - 13:10

By Pamela Aalderink

"I knew that someday I would attend the University of Michigan and fulfill a dream.

- Kimberly A. Aalderink, Project Manager

    After her high school graduation this determined young woman pursued her dream by attending the University of Michigan. She set her goals high, maintained her focus and achieved the ultimate reward. On a warm sunny afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan this remarkable individual walked across the grassy field of the U of M football field, "The Big House", and received a Bachelor's degree in Architecture & Classical Literature. Determined not to stop at this point in her life Kimberly began to apply her skills in the building trade sector of the Ann Arbor area, obtaining a State of Michigan license in Real Estate and setting plans to seek a Masters in Real Estate Law.
        If you travel to the east side of the State of Michigan, make your way down to Jackson, Livingston, and Washtenaw counties, you will find a building company that specializes in custom homes. These homes are some of the more professionally built and marketed homes of the trade.

          Marhofer/Campbell Building Company

            Kimberly currently holds the position of Project Manager for Marhofer/Campbell Buidling Companies, which include Marhofer/Campbell Building Co. LLC, Marhofer/Campbell Development Co. LLC, and Marhofer/Campbel Real Estate, LLc. In her profession writing takes up more than 70-80% of her time and can range from simple office memos to more professional project reports and contracts. Kimberly demands perfection in all of her documents and according to her, "They must portray professional writing skills. I manage million dollar projects and must be taken seriously, my writing skills must portray professionalism and perfection as a means of being taken seriously by my clients. No home buyer in this area of homes will buy from a company that consistenly mis-spells words, uses slang words does not use adequate grammer, or looks sloppy. This also applies to government municipalities, we must seek perfection to gain a project approval on a development."

          Professional Writing: The Art In Business

            The ability to read and write is achieved through the individual educational process; however, the art of writing professionally is a developed skill not to be taken lightly. Professionally produced written work can make or break a business deal. Kimberly uses, in her profession, a variety of memos, emails, professional letters and forms. Maintaining a well documented system is also important in her professional occupation; here, writing professionally helps to keep all buisness transactions professionally maintained for future reference.
            As in any business, documentation is key to success, a typical project can range from a few weeks to several years and it is extremely important to keep copies of all correspondence in order to follow these projects in a professional manner. Kimberly uses Word Excel to document all of her vital project information; information she will use well beyond the projects completion date. She has designed all of the formats for the sub-companies associated with Marhofer/Campbell. She stated, "For the building and development portion of my job, I frequently use Microsoft Excel to coordinate all my project costs, including proposals and change orders, and I use Microsoft Word to type formal letters to municipalities, clients, and other contacts. While using each of these programs I must concentrate on the professional linguistics of the entries as well as the actual data being documented."
            Much of her correspondence with Trades and Suppliers is less formal than the documents stated above; however, they must still be clear and concise to avoid any confusion on a job. The more formal letters are found in construction bids and manufacturer discounts.
            When working in the Real Estate portion of her job she admits that she must be far more professional than in any other department. In this area there is no room for error, the wording of a single document can make or break any sale. Kimberly is very aware of the importance of writing in her position and agrees that she must maintain a professional position when communicating with other Real Estate Agents, Title Companies, Mortgage Companies, Buyers and Sellers, as well as her site superintendents. She must construct purchase agreements for sales, building agreements for potential building projects and remodeling projects, and all in accordance with the local and state agencies. Formal letters are used in these types of communications.
            In addition to forms, letters and spreadsheets she must oversee the company marketing department, including the company web-site. It is expremely important to maintain consistency in these areas, according to Kimberly; therefore coordinating all literature and on-line sites is vital. When I asked her what programs she used to accomplish these tasks she replied, "I typically use programs such as Photoshop and Frontpage as well as numerous html programs."
            Surely a million dollar company needs an individual who holds the artful skill and ability to create million dollar documents. Kimberly has risen out of a small West Michigan village to develop the writing skill required to satisfy some of the more prestigious areas in the Real Estate and building fields. These skills were developed with the knowledge that professional writing is the key to a professional appearance in any job position.

          Check Out Her Skills