The monthly Tech Comm Café met on March 11 in a café near Broadway and Cambie in Vancouver.
Announcements:
–Chapter workshops are scheduled for March 28 (How to Design Instructional Video) and April 25 (topics to be announced later). Check the STC Canada West Coast website for details.
–The chapter AGM will take place half an hour before the April 25 event. We’re looking for candidates for chapter vice-president. If you’re interested, contact the Volunteer Coordinator, volunteer (at) stcwestcoast (dot) ca.
–BCIT is holding a recruiting and networking event for BCIT students and alumni, including technical writers, on March 23.
We discussed ways to respond to a job posting that asks for qualifications you don’t have, such as specialized skills or several years of experience. Suggestions: mention skills you learned during a class, similar duties you carried out under a different job title, and comparable software tools that cover the same features. If you have 40% of the qualifications the employer is asking for, don’t apply; other applicants will have the edge. If you have 80%, go for it. Hardly anyone has 100%.
We also talked about pay rates for a non-specific deliverable, such as a series of blog posts. It’s easy to spend far more time than you expect, especially if you need to research an unfamiliar topic. Know how fast you work and decide whether you can finish quickly enough to earn a reasonable hourly rate. If not, consider looking elsewhere for something that pays better.
Are employers willing to take on a volunteer who wants to work free to gain experience? Some people thought that businesses would welcome the free work, others wondered whether they’d balk at the time needed for staff to supervise. Most felt that non-profits and volunteer organizations would be more familiar with training and managing volunteer workers, and could provide meaningful experience. However, approaching businesses is also worth a try.
Many thanks to Andrew Macquistan for volunteering to moderate the meeting! Sharing the job brings a fresh voice to the meetings and provides an opportunity to learn new skills or practice old ones. Andrew neatly summarized the purpose of the TCC — networking and problem-solving – and then kept us on track, making sure everyone had a chance to be heard. We’re looking for someone to moderate the next meeting and another to write an article about it. Interested? Contact volunteer (at) stcwestcoast (dot) ca.
Next Tech Comm Café: Wednesday, April 8, 2015
The TCC provides networking opportunities, job leads, answers to work-related dilemmas, and a burst of professional energy to keep you motivated. We discuss technical writing tools and techniques, career planning, portfolios, and anything else related to working as a technical communicator.
We welcome anyone who’s interested in technical communication — contractor, in-house, student, long-time tech writer, STC member, non-member, career-changer, or recruiter. We hope to see you at the next meeting!
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Time: 6:30–8:00 pm Pacific Time
Location: Whole Foods Market, 510 West 8th Avenue at Cambie, in the café on the main level (entrance on 8th Avenue), not the smaller coffee bar on the mezzanine. Broadway-City Hall Skytrain, Broadway buses, or pay parking on the street or underground.
Agenda
- Introductions. Take 60 seconds to introduce yourself, your background, current activities. A good chance to try out that new elevator speech.
- Announcements and job leads. If you know of an interesting event or a job opening, or you’re looking for work, share it with the group.
- Brainstorming Q&A. Ask about a work-related problem and discuss potential solutions.
- Speed networking. Spend a few minutes with a new contact, exchange business cards, and discuss your professional backgrounds and goals.
Heather Sommerville is a senior technical writer and editor with over 20 years of experience delivering clear, concise writing for business and technical audiences. She is an STC Associate Fellow and has served in many volunteer positions with the STC Canada West Coast chapter.