The STC Canada West Coast chapter’s Tech Comm Café held its monthly meeting on Oct. 8, 2014, with the usual congenial mix of experienced and new people — either new to technical writing, new to B.C., or new to the Café.
During the brainstorming session, we had a useful discussion in response to “Do I need a website to find work? Is WordPress a good tool for that? Is a LinkedIn profile a reasonable substitute for a website if I don’t have the time or skill to build one?” The consensus was yes, yes, and yes. If you don’t have a website, you can upload portfolio pieces to your LinkedIn profile or add links to published documents, but a website acts as an additional work sample and can make it easier for employers to find you.
“What should a contractor charge?” was also a popular topic. If a potential client wants to know what you charge before they’ll discuss details of the job’s scope and complexity, offer a broad range rather than a single hourly amount. Then you can decide whether to charge at the low end of your range for a very simple job, or to give a discount to a non-profit or a potential long-term client. If the job will be especially difficult or require special skills, charge at the upper end.
We also discussed the preferred location and day of the week to meet. Thank you to Margaret and Andrew, who investigated and reported on booking rooms at a library and a mall. We’ve decided to stick to coffee shops for now, to avoid the inconvenience of booking rooms and to give people the opportunity to have dinner or coffee while we chat, but we can revisit this at the next meeting.
Next STC Tech Comm Café: Nov. 12, 2014
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, November 12, 2014
Time: 6:30–8:00 pm Pacific Time
Location: Tim Horton’s coffee shop, Waterfront Centre (200 Burrard Street, Vancouver), tucked in behind the food court at the west end of the lower level. Look for the STC Canada West Coast sign on the table.
Agenda
- Introductions. Take 60 seconds to introduce yourself, your background, current activities. A good chance to try out that new elevator speech.
- Job leads. If you know of 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 4 minutes with a new contact, exchange business cards, and discuss your professional backgrounds and goals. When the timer chimes, move on to a new contact and keep expanding your network.
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.