TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: FWD: About training opportunities From:Tom Murrell <trmurrell -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 14 Dec 2000 05:09:06 -0800 (PST)
--- anonfwd -at- raycomm -dot- com wrote:
>
>
> I'd like to ask those of you who are FTE/captive employees, either
> consulting or otherwise, whether your management allows you paid time
> off when you have been asked or accepted to speak at a professional
> conference.
>
> At my company, we each have one training opportunity a year. I can
> spend it in town on a $500 seminar or at WinWriters for $2500, but I
> get just one. In order to speak at a professional conference outside
> of that one time, even while positing myself as a senior leader in my
> field and a representative of my company, I must take vacation time.
> I was not asking for travel or lodging, just time (yes, I know that's
> money). My company sees no value to itself in its employees speaking
> at a conference.
[Questions Snipped]
It's not that I don't think the questions are good one, but reading
this note sparked a question of my own. Have you tried explaining the
benefits that would accrue to your employer from their letting you
attend a conference or training seminar as a speaker rather than as a
trainee?
I think it's easier to see the benefits you can obtain by sending
people to be trained than it is to see the benefits you can obtain by
allowing your people to attend for the purpose of sharing expertise
that your company may have helped them obtain. It may be, of course,
that you have gone through the exercise of giving your management an
analysis of the benefits to them of letting you be a presenter at a
conference on their dime, or on a shared dime. But on the off chance
that you hadn't considered that, you might try it.
Some possible benefits that come to mind are helping to get your
company's name in front of people in a 'non-commercial' way (semi-free
advertising), perhaps getting a product in front of professionals, also
helping with recruiting, if you're having some problems attracting good
people both from what I mentioned previously and from letting possibles
see that your company has at least one sharp person (you, I presume).
I'm sure other listers can come up with other benefits that can be
pitched to management (my coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet <g>).
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY. http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.
Take XML and Tech Writing courses online! Our instructor-led courses
(4-6 hrs/wk) give you "hands on" experience at your convenience. STC members
get 20% off! http://www.online-learning.com/index.html.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
