For our November meeting, we met at Ebisu restaurant on the corner of Ash Street and West Broadway, where we enjoyed great company and Japanese fare. A quaint restaurant with friendly staff and great food. This meeting was attended by writers from different backgrounds and varied experiences. We welcomed our veteran members and a few newcomers to the meeting and to the technical writing industry. During a round of introductions, we shared a little bit about ourselves, our past and current jobs, holiday plans, and current activities.
For the newcomers, we shared what the STC has to offer: membership benefits, various volunteer opportunities, and networking events.
The meeting included a group discussion as well as individual conversations in small groups on various topics, sharing ideas and learning about each other. Topics included volunteer opportunities, announcements, job leads, career advice, networking, LinkedIn, social events, education programs, and the latest tools and software for facilitating technical writing projects. We also talked about learning tips, research, writing styles, and editing.
The conversation turned to technical communication education programs at Simon Fraser University and BCIT. This included a comparison of what each program has to offer. We talked about the courses offered and topics covered, the complexity of the material, and assignments. We compared experiences of learning online versus in-person class attendance. We talked about the software used in each program and how much of our education is applied to our everyday work.
We also talked about software we use for work such as Microsoft Guideline, Google maps with arrows, Flare, API, and document management systems. Some shared their experience with each program and the pros and cons. Others asked questions about what these programs do and why they are helpful. Our discussion included the Canada West Coast chapter’s style guide, writing styles in the workplace, standardized proposal documents, policies, and manuals. As you can see, we covered a lot of ground!
Lastly, we noted the date of the next meeting and invited anyone who’s interested to attend — see details below.
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
- Subscribe to receive email announcements of future meetings.
Next Tech Comm Café: Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Unfortunately, we had to cancel the January 15 meeting because of snow and ice on the roads! We hope to see you in February.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP by 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 18.
Date: Wednesday, February 19
Time: 6:30–8:00 pm Pacific Time
Location: Ebisu on Broadway Japanese restaurant, #12 – 601 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC. Check their website for menu and pricing.
Ebisu on Broadway is one block west of Cambie Street, on the northwest corner of Ash Street and West Broadway. Enter from the plaza on Broadway. Broadway-City Hall SkyTrain station; parking under the building or on nearby streets.
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.
Tanya Vasto is a Technical Communications student at Simon Fraser University with a legal background who enjoys writing and who is looking to develop a career as a technical writer.