Although a small gathering, it made for relaxed conversation, and after personal introductions the group was delighted to welcome a technical writing student from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, attending the Café for the first time. Despite the stereotype of Calgary as an oil and gas town, she hopes to find a technical writing position in the field of agriculture, nutrition, or a newly expanding area such as clean energy or tech startups after she completes her courses. The host encouraged her to consider writing an article for the chapter website as a portfolio piece, and reminded everyone that they can subscribe to receive the chapter newsletter, Coast Lines. STC members can also sign up to receive notices of job postings.
After touching briefly on Zoom etiquette, Zoom bugs, and the impending local heat wave, we discussed the benefits and drawbacks of contract work versus permanent employment. The contractors in the group had plenty of comments on the pros and cons of that style of working, which proved to be insightful. For example, if you prefer the freedom of contract work but you find a long-term (two- or three-year) project that interests you, it might be better to sign on as an employee to gain benefits such as pension matching and paid vacation days. On the other hand, if you’re an employee, you lose the “clout” of being your own boss and having more say about the schedule and deliverables, so consider all the options before deciding.
The student had attended the recent STC Summit and, along with Joel Basart, the Chapter President, was able to recap some of the sessions they’d taken part in. The student also had questions about industry terminology and common authoring tools, which prompted a lively discussion. Joel passed along some links: a great online resource for Agile and one for Confluence tutorials.
The meeting closed at the top of the hour, with all participants pleasantly surprised at how quickly the time flew by and the variety of topics discussed. We hope that the information uncovered was helpful and an encouragement to newcomers. The discussion gave us a glimpse into the different types of experience and expertise of our chapter members, bringing us one step closer to understanding, respecting, and supporting our common connection as technical writers.
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, July 21, 2021
• Subscribe to receive email announcements of future meetings.
• If you plan to attend, please RSVP by 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, to receive login instructions.
Date: Wednesday, July 21
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.
Beth Haggerty, well experienced in writing for technology companies, has certification in Technical Communications Management, Information Mapping and Advanced Madcap Software. A certified Metadata Specialist, she’s fanatical about creating intuitive taxonomies to drive information consistency and findability. She’s also the comedic podcaster of justSayIT, Technical Writers’ LAUGH.