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I've been a member of STC for 10 years. I used to be able to get jobs about 1
per quarter from the job line, but then it moved to the web and anyone can use
it, and somehow I get jobs through word-of-mouth more then a web site. Getting a
contract through STC at the rate of 1-4 per year was a boon for me. And well
worth $100.
Personally, I don't like the meetings, here in the TC it cultivates a lot of
real losers (what I mean by that is that the demographic group by and large
doesn't listen to cool music, have a tattoo, a weave, an alternative lifestyle,
anything interesting to say, etc.) and the meetings are usually presenting a
topic from a more entry-level position, BUT because of my participation as the
Managing Editor of the Marketing Communications SIG newsletter I have met some
amazing people nation-wide, and now as the ME of our monthly chapter newsletter
I've also met some cool people that have nifty opinions, and listen to cool
music (some even have tattoos!) A few of these people convinced me to join this
list: Jhan Knebel, Lief Erickson, and Renee LaPlume to name a few. I went to the
conference and met some cool people in Orlando, people that made me THINK:
Atticus Fisher (and his partner in crime Avram) and Jhan and Lief.
So, STC may not increase your income, but it has increased my sense of community
and given me an opportunity to do volunteer work that I enjoy and am proud of.
In case I have missed some cool people here in the TC because they don't go to
meetings either, say you've got a weave (or dreads!), or hang in Uptown, sport a
tattoo, or read exhaustively: please mail me off list, I'd love to do lunch,
dinner, ice skating!
> Bruce Byfield reports that since he <<... stopped being involved with the
> STC three years ago: - my income has increased 135%, - I'm working with
> industry leaders on technology so new that the cutting edge looks primitive
> beside it, - I do strategic planning as well as tech writing, - I'm paid to
> travel and my wife often comes with me, - on the side, I'm paid to give my
> opinion to over 100,000 readers. Now, I'm NOT saying that all this will
> happen to everyone who doesn't renew their STC membership...>>
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