We connected to Zoom from the comfort of our homes, the confines of a stuffy vehicle, and even as far away as California for June’s Tech Comm Café. We were dazzled by the fancy backgrounds of those who had their webcams enabled, and we had a delightful time bringing the uninitiated up to speed on Zoom’s “virtual background” feature. Those with the aurora borealis glowing behind them appeared exceptionally enlightened.
Technical writers are not always writing, and you don’t need to be called a technical writer to have documentation responsibilities. A programmer who attended is aiming for a career change into technical communication. Dissatisfied with her current job, and noticing that a large portion of her time at work was spent writing documentation, she is now only a few courses away from earning a technical writing certificate.
Although nearly everyone in this industry has an undergraduate degree, technical writing-related courses and volunteering can give added advantages in interviews. Relevant coursework can show that you have familiarity with the field, while volunteering can prove that you are capable of teamwork and meeting deadlines. Volunteering to write for foreign open-source projects can be especially useful in gaining relevant experience, and those clients tend to be extremely grateful for any help with English documentation.
Interviews here in Vancouver are not as stringent as the ones in Silicon Valley, typically consisting of only one or two people evaluating you at once, rather than 10. Here, you could be evaluated on how well you work with engineers over a six-hour period, or how well you can write a recipe for cooking an egg.
One person recounted a time when they were hired on the spot because they impressed the interviewer by comparing a few pages of the client’s current documentation with a new version the applicant had edited before the interview. Showing past work can be difficult if documents are confidential, but you can circumvent this by removing all critical and identifying information. Of course, you should still ask the employer for permission before doing this.
Interview criteria vary from employer to employer. Use websites such as Glassdoor and Indeed to search for companies that align with your interests. If you show a high degree of interest in them, they will be more likely to show an interest in you.
We also spent time networking and exchanging contact information. Come join us at the next Tech Comm Café! [Editor’s note: We regret that the July 15 meeting had to be cancelled because of technical difficulties. We hope to see you on August 19.]
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, August 19, 2020
- Subscribe to receive email announcements of future meetings.
- If you plan to attend, please RSVP by 4 p.m. Wednesday, August 19, to receive login instructions.
Date: Wednesday, August 19
Time: 7:00 to 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.
- Networking. Chat with other technical writers and discuss your professional backgrounds, goals, questions, advice.
Jason Wu is a technical writer who volunteers for the chapter in his spare time.