The August meeting had a good turnout for a sunny summer day, though smaller than our usual numbers. We noted that attendance is down for all sorts of groups and events, even when people can join in at no cost from the comfort of home. Nevertheless, one person recalled the ice-breaker question from last week’s chapter meeting, “What advice would you give your younger self at the beginning of your career,” and recommended “Participate!” Examples: the popular Spectrum online conference presented by the very active STC Rochester chapter, Sept. 11-12; and the STC’s Slack channel, a good way to discover, discuss, and attend STC events from anywhere in the world.
One person had recently joined STC on the recommendation of an engineer who knows the value of professional associations, not to mention the value of technical writers. The writer is using his technical knowledge, energy, writing skills, and outgoing nature in a position in which he writes documentation, travels to conferences and trade shows to demonstrate the company’s products, and troubleshoots complex technology, enjoying his role as a “multidisciplinary juggernaut.” Such specialized positions can be hard to find, but the writer noted that after using a paraphrasing tool to revise his LinkedIn profile, he’s been receiving several messages a week from interested agencies and employers, and was recently hired into his current position through one of these leads.
Perhaps because of the August doldrums, we digressed into topics ranging from a Facebook conversation starter, “badly describe what you do in your job,” to the revolutionary but doomed Avro Arrow airplane. Some at the meeting remembered the story from their childhood, others heard for the first time about this episode from Canadian political and aviation history. A group in Calgary plans to build a replica and is looking for volunteer technical writers.
We also discussed writing tools. When you’re looking for work, which are the most important ones to learn? Should you focus on learning a single tool in depth, or get a basic exposure to several that seem to be most in demand? A tip from an experienced user: when learning, focus on why to use rather than how to use the tool. Watch for the chapter’s upcoming series of introductory webinars on popular tools, starting this fall. If you’d like to suggest a topic, or present a webinar about some software that you’ve used a lot, contact us.
The Tech Comm Café 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!
Next Meeting: ONLINE on Wednesday, October 19, 2022
- Subscribe to receive email announcements of future meetings.
- If you plan to attend, RSVP by 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 19, to receive login instructions.
Date: Wednesday, October 19
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Location: Online via Zoom
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. Make new contacts 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.