Recent Events

In this month’s meeting, we addressed some concerns for technical writing contractors: sharing personal information, pivoting your career, and using AI. In the era of paperless transactions, disclosing your banking information to clients can be a concern. Hackers and...

We started by discussing writing samples. Most writers have portfolios of work samples and tailor them depending on the job positions they are applying for, because employers often ask for them. We also discussed the various tools and resources that LinkedIn provides,...

We heard about people looking for new roles, and exchanged ideas for finding a job more easily and for greater job satisfaction. Experienced small-business owners exchanged ideas about how they started their business and shared helpful online resources. Some prefer to...

This month we welcomed people from Vancouver and Calgary. One writer asked about the best way to ensure that one’s work or volunteer responsibilities are covered in case of absence, whether from illness, holiday, or departure. One suggestion was to find a trustworthy...

Networking was a recurring theme at this month’s meeting. Participants shared their LinkedIn pages and helped one another by making new connections and recommending other networking opportunities. STC special interest groups (SIGs) were noted as a good place to meet...

This month we welcomed people from Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta; we had a briefer than usual but insightful discussion. One writer, who is looking to pivot from data design, asked where to learn the basics of technical writing. She’d been under the...

This month we welcomed people from two countries and two time zones. The group was smaller than usual; apparently summer weather outranks a Zoom meeting! Nevertheless, we had a lively discussion. One writer told us about his student work placement, creating a document...

Our June meeting focused on technical topics, mainly artificial intelligence (AI). One member showed off a Synthesia policies and procedures demo reel for his own consulting company, created using artificial intelligence and generated images. Synthesia is a non-profit...

We started with some news of a potential promotion for an attendee. During an informational interview with a lead technical writer at her company, the lead writer suggested she apply for a technical writing position and write her own job description! We talked about...

This month we discussed ChatGPT, its growing application in coding and writing, and some of its pros and cons. The STC has given several presentations and workshops on the topic, from fundamental definitions of language learning models (LLMs) and potential new...

This month’s virtual get-together began, appropriately for a networking meeting, with the question: Can you network if you’re not looking for work? Should you? Why or why not? All agreed that networking, online or in person, offers much more than job-hunting contacts....

At the February Tech Comm Café, attendees exchanged insights about finding employment and setting themselves up for good working conditions. They enjoyed sharing past experiences and looking forward to advancing in their careers as technical writers. We initially...

We started by discussing the potential for more face-to-face meetings this year. While meeting in person is nice for members in Greater Vancouver, it would exclude others. The virtual meetings are attended by members scattered throughout western Canada and the United...