Welcome to STC San Diego!
The San Diego chapter of the Society for Technical Communication welcomes you. If you're interested in technical communication, you'll find what you're looking for here.
What's on this page
September Chapter Meeting
Spotlight Awards
Conference Summaries
Hunting for a Tech Job in Today's Economy
Summer Break
There are no chapter meetings scheduled for July and August. If you need more STC, check out some of the other Southern California chapters.
September 9 Chapter Meeting:
Is Self-employment the Answer?
Please join us on September 9, when Raymond Urgo presents: “Technical Communication Professionals and the Economy—Is Self-employment the Answer?"
With the increasing rate of change in the economy and workplace, employed technical communication professionals often find themselves suddenly unemployed or unsuited in their jobs—so much so, that they feel they just as well be self-employed. To be successful in today’s economy and workplace—whether employed or self-employed—professionals need to play by the principles and practices of successfully self-employed entrepreneurs. In this interactive and engaging presentation, led by a successfully self-employed professional and advisor to technical communication professionals, you will
- Learn four forces influencing careers and how to adapt.
- Explore whether employment or self-employment is right for you.
- Discover the characteristics needed for becoming and remaining successfully self employed.
- Three roles for positioning and leveraging value with an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Jumpstart tips and resources for becoming self-employed and more entrepreneurial minded.
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Raymond Urgo, principal of Urgo & Associates (www.urgoconsulting.com), is a consultant and educator specializing in policies and procedures communication in organizations. He dedicates a portion of his consulting practice to advising and coaching technical communication professionals on personal strategic planning, achieving career goals, marketing their talents, developing their business practices, and managing projects and work relations. Raymond holds the honorary membership rank of fellow in STC, where his presentations have ranked in the top ten percent at STC international conferences. |
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The September chapter meeting will be held at our usual location: The Marriott Courtyard in Kearny Mesa 8651 Spectrum Center Blvd San Diego, CA 92123
Spotlight Awards
2009 Spotlight Awards Competition
For the sixth year in a row, the eight Southern California STC chapters are sponsoring a Spotlight Awards technical communication competition that provides you with an opportunity to showcase your talent as a writer and artist. Click here for more information.
2008 Spotlight Awards
The 2008 STC Spotlight Awards showcased the best in technical publications, online help, and technical art. The winners were awarded on Saturday, January 24, 2009 at Sarducci's in San Juan Capistrano. Click here for more information.
Conference Summaries
STC San Diego encourages those who attend conferences, workshops, or other events to write reports of their experiences. Here are some of the latest:
DocTrain West
by Beth Peisic
The DocTrain conference series, now in its 10th year, brings together industry professionals, management, vendors, standards bodies, and others interested in learning about the latest tools, processes, and technologies for technical communicators. The conferences are held on both coasts, and this year DocTrain West was held for the first time in Palm Springs – making it quite convenient for us San Diegans!. Click here for the full report.
UC San Diego Extension, Career Night
by DJ Towne
UCSD Career Night focuses on futures in Science, Technology and Business. Click here for the full report.
Hunting for a Tech Job (March Meeting)
By Jessica Arguilez Baris, STC SD volunteer
This is a summary of the March meeting panel discussion.
Every day there are news stories about the sinking stock market and growing unemployment rates. How has the economic crisis affected professionals in the technical writing sector? March’s STC SD meeting was an open panel discussion goaled to share panelists’ real stories and practical advice on how to maneuver in today’s technical communication scene.
STC members Miriam Happe, former chapter officers Walter Hanig and Suzanne Smith, former Treasurer Jeff Freeman and Treasurer Sandy Kinghorn participated as panelists. One of the first questions was if the panelists would apply for jobs outside of technical communication. There were a variety of responses but most panelists saw trying to change fields in the current economic climate as too risky.
Walter Hanig said it is not necessary to try and change fields, especially in a down economy. What you should do, he advised, is “craft a cover letter, a resume, a story, to go with what the position is. You don’t so much change careers as put a different mask on the career you have.”
“You shouldn’t make a radical change in your field,” said Jeff Freeman. “Try to get a tech job in a different field. You can go into a different industry with the same set of skills.”
Suzanne Smith offered one possibility for technical writers. “If you want to branch out, academic environments appreciate good writing, so consider applying for jobs at UCSD and SDSU.”
Smith emphasized the importance of networking before you find yourself needing a job.
“The people in your network are the people who help you. Surprising people come through to help you out when you least expect it,” she said.
One audience member asked why technical writers are some of the first to get laid off, and Hanig said that most companies are willing to “support a poorly documented program with tech support and customer service. We (tech writers) don’t put products on the street.”
If you sense that your job is in jeopardy, Miriam Happe said it is crucial to “go to your contacts within your job to get metrics on how your job makes a difference. They (employers) want to hear ‘I reduced calls by X amount.’”
Smith agreed, adding that “You can’t say ‘I’m a great writer, I’m great at FrameMaker.’ They don’t want to hear that. If you can lower tech support costs, if you can free up time of engineers, then you are making a good argument” (to keep your job).
Other tips the panel suggested include:
- Be sure to take hard copies of your writing samples to your interviews—and be willing to give them up to the interviewer. Even better: bring your writing samples on a thumb drive and have them posted on your professional Web site. Also be prepared to share a story for each writing sample (e.g., the constraints you faced).
- Have a 30-second “elevator speech” prepared. This means you are able to explain to someone, in a 30-second infomercial-like pitch, what you do and what you are looking for.
- Write a T-Letter as the format for your cover letter. Create a two-column table. List the job requirements in the left-hand side of the table, one requirement per cell. In the corresponding cell on the right side, list the specific skills you possess that fulfill the requirement. Whoever reviews your letter can quickly scan the check-list items.
Some resources panelists offered include:
- www.asktheheadhunter.com Find a wealth of information on job hunting, interview tips, FAQs, industry expert advice, and more.
- Knock ‘em Dead is a series of books by Martin Yate covering resume and cover letter-writing, job searching, and interview questions.
You can find more information on finding a job on our Employment pages.
