People shared plenty of advice in February’s Zoom gathering. During introductions, one person mentioned she was preparing to take her first writing test as part of a job interview, and our chat took off from there.
An HR veteran explained that writing tests exist to gauge your organizational and writing skills. The format of these tests can vary widely across employers, but one tip for success is to ask key questions. What are their expectations? Is there a style guide you should follow? Who is the audience? Fundamental questions like these can help you and the employer make a decision about whether you and the company are a good fit for each other.
We wondered whether we should give an editable source copy of our work during the interview process. Providing a word processing file can give a better insight into your knowledge of style sheets and formatting codes, but a PDF or printed copy might be the better option if there are concerns about providing free labour to exploitative employers.
A student asked if volunteering for the STC Summit would be a worthwhile investment. The consensus: if you are a student with STC membership and time to spare, volunteering can be a great addition to your résumé on top of providing you new skills and contacts.
The chapter’s Student Outreach Coordinator, Alison Edwards, mentioned that she is preparing a Summit presentation titled “Slaying Dragons and Logic,” where she will discuss tips for writing winning grant proposals.
Some who were attending technical writing classes found the coursework almost too easy and raised concerns about how well these programs prepare you for the real world. Is schoolwork an accurate representation of what to expect in the workforce?
We noted that the classroom environment is very different from the workplace environment. Perfect grammar does not mean perfect communication, and curricula do not readily teach how to be mindful in workplace interactions. However, technical writing programs evolve with input from students, employers, and industry professionals, and several STC Canada West Coast members are participating in ongoing discussions with a local college about revisions to their program.
Homepage or home page? Workspace or work space? Conventions change over time, and another tip suggests Google Books Ngram Viewer as a useful tool to see which variant of a term is more widely used. Although it’s not the most authoritative resource, Ngram can quickly give you an idea of which word or phrase is the more common form. Ngram helped decide whether to use exploitive or exploitative earlier in this article.
The conversation ended with us wondering if there were any software that can automatically edit a technical document into simplified English. Although we couldn’t think of any on the spot, and agreed that human editors are still needed, one person later suggested:
• https://www.boeing.com/company/key-orgs/licensing/simplified-english-checker.page
• https://www.webfx.com/tools/read-able/
• http://www.hemingwayapp.com/
• https://www.online-utility.org/english/simple_basic_helper.jsp
• https://simplish.org/
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, March 17, 2021
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• If you plan to attend, please RSVP by 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, to receive login instructions.
Date: Wednesday, March 17
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Location: Online via Zoom
Agenda
1. Introductions. Take 60 seconds to introduce yourself, your background, current activities. A good chance to try out that new elevator speech.
2. 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.
3. Brainstorming Q&A. Ask about a work-related problem and discuss potential solutions.
4. Speed networking. Make new contacts and discuss your professional backgrounds and goals.
Jason Wu is a technical writer who volunteers for the chapter in his spare time.