The Tech Comm Café meeting on Feb. 10, at a café in Burnaby, was a congenial and lively gathering of new and familiar faces.
Announcements
– The next chapter collaboration meeting will take place on Saturday, Feb. 27. Chapter members, volunteers, and non-members are welcome to attend. Bring your volunteer skills, learn new ones, and network with a group of dedicated professionals in your field. Details at https://stcwestcoast.ca/chapter/february-27-all-hands-chapter-collaboration-meeting
– The Editors’ Association of Canada is offering a workshop on plain language on Feb. 24. Details at http://www.editors.ca/node/889
– Breaking news, received the day after the meeting: On Saturday, March 19, STC Canada West Coast will host a presentation about transitioning from technical writer to business analyst. Watch for details on our website soon, or subscribe to the chapter’s mailing list to be notified automatically.
Discussion
Several people were embarking on a career change or redirection, because of a relocation, employer downsizing, or a decision to use old skills in new ways. If “Technical Writer” doesn’t appear in your work history, emphasize related skills from other areas, such as sales, management, IT, or journalism. Maybe you’ve managed a team, planned and scheduled projects, written RFPs or reports, delivered training to colleagues, completed a specialized academic degree, or shown initiative as a volunteer. Use your cover letter — the first writing sample a potential employer sees — to demonstrate your value.
All agreed that a LinkedIn profile is key, and can often replace a résumé. Advice from a marketing expert can help you revise it to significantly increase traffic.
To find job postings quickly, set up a search profile and subscribe to free e-mail alerts from job-search sites. Use LinkedIn and other networking sites to introduce yourself to key people in your target industries rather than randomly cold-calling a company’s reception desk.
While you work on building your network and increasing your visibility in the job market, measure what you’re doing. How many new contacts, phone calls, blog articles, job-posting site searches have you completed? Track which activities are most successful and focus on those.
We also discussed the number of contract vs. permanent jobs available, courses and certificates in technical writing, and necessary or optional software tools. Everyone had tips to share, and the consensus was that each of us can design our own niche to focus on the particular area we prefer.
Next Tech Comm Café: Wednesday, March 9, 2016
The TCC 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!
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Time: 6:30–8:00 pm Pacific Time
Location: To be announced. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to admin@stcwestcoast.ca
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.
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.