STC?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Zen C wondered: <<I am interested in joining the STC chapter and got  
permission from management. The only problem is that they will pay  
only for the membership and will not send me for any conferences or  
workshops etc.>>

That's a typical example of being "penny-wise but pound-foolish". STC  
offers a useful form letter you can use to persuade employers to pay  
for the cost of attendance, but it's pretty generic. You can make a  
much better case for having them pay if you focus on "what's in it  
for my employer" and what return on investment (ROI) they can expect.  
In the past, I've had great success by identifying several problems  
my employer faces, and specifically identifying conference sessions I  
planned to attend to learn how to solve those problems. Occasionally,  
I was able to even propose an ROI that made it clear that by sending  
me, they could actually save money. If you can get access to cost  
data, this may be the best approach. But be reasonable and realistic:  
managers are pretty good at detecting fudged estimates.

<<Will it serve any purpose of me joining if I can't attend anything?  
What other benefits do I get other than access to the STC email list?>>

Joining a professional society or any other group provides no magical  
life-transforming benefits or insights. You get access to the group's  
resources, such as newsletters and Web sites, but you have to make  
the decision to read them and invest some mental effort in learning  
how to use this knowledge to improve what you're doing. STC's current  
offerings focus more on people new to our profession, but they're  
making a conscious effort to provide information that is increasingly  
relevant to senior members too. On the whole, I find their  
publications useful even after 20 years in the biz, though some of  
the information is too basic and other information seems a bit  
misguided (i.e., written without clear knowledge of member needs).

You also gain access to the members. STC members tend to be very  
eager to help both newcomers and old pros, whether or not you're a  
member, and have a considerable body of expertise to share. Whether  
that sharing will be useful to you depends on your personality. Some  
of us love getting together in person to discuss and network, and STC  
membership offers a convenient forum in which we can do this. Others  
prefer the kind of "at a distance" support and conversation you can  
get via groups such as techwr-l. I like both, and participate  
actively in both. But I find the in-person meetings more enjoyable;  
I've made many long-term friends this way. Plus, as a freelancer (and  
formerly as a lone editor in my company), it was nice to meet kindred  
spirits.

If you're the kind of self-motivated person who will go out and grab  
all this knowledge and meet people by yourself, group membership may  
not add much. But if you find it easier to obtain this information  
and these contacts by joining a group, you'll get more mileage out of  
STC.

<<Isn't it this same list I have access to been a non-member?>>

No, techwr-l is completely independent from STC. However, you'll find  
many STC members here (me, for instance).


----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
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