Re: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 159, Issue 12

[Shari Punyon <sharipunyon -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Hi Mary, et al.

I'm a member of a local, active, STC chapter. In fact, I'm one of the
competition judges this year (yes we still have competitions). As noted,
each local chapter of STC is different, with some being active, and some
not, but over the years I've found it a good resource, and I think it is
even better for someone just starting out. It has the advantage of being a
broad organization, which can give you a good overview of the flavors of
technical communication. Technical communication is a field that is almost
surprisingly varied, and I've spent only a small amount of my career
specifically working on software documentation, so an organization that is
narrowly focused like Write the Docs may not be the best starting point for
a new writer.  You already have a student membership, so take advantage of
it, and look into other options to expand your range. It may be that
another organization is more active in your area, or that no organization
is particularly active. The Summit might even be a great place to find out
about other organizations around your area.

 I'm impressed that you are thinking so far ahead, and planning for when
you graduate, and I want to wish you good luck, and look forward to hearing
about your next steps. This list is a great resource, although you'll
quickly find that, as with any group, you have to get to know people's
personalities, and consider any advice or commentary in relation to other
posts. Some people here are unrelentingly positive, some unrelentingly
negative, and some tend to just have very strong views, whatever the topic.
I hope you continue to come here for advice, as you'll find a very seasoned
group of writers, who discuss all sorts of aspects of the craft, and are
always willing to chime in with their thoughts.

Welcome!

Shari



On Tue, Jan 29, 2019 at 7:08 AM Mary Campos <mmcwrite -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

> Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I am hoping to use this as a
> springboard to figure out what type of tech writing I want to go into.
>
> I currently have a student STC membership which is why I am considering
> the summit. So far from the responses I have read I think the summit will
> be worthwhile. If I donât think itâs worth it when I get to Denver there
> are plenty of breweries so Iâll still have something to do! Ha!
>
>  I live in Los Angeles and we have a local STC chapter here, they just
> arenât very active and by that I mean there last event was a year ago. I
> went to one event they had about a year and a half ago but that was what I
> had time for.  I will have to look for meetup groups, and I joined a few
> groups on LinkedIn.
>
> Charlotte, thank you for the suggestion to look into âcontent strategy, UI
> copy writing/UX writing, etcâ that is helpful in where to start learning. I
> am taking a report writing class this semester which is probably the most
> relatable thing to technical writing Iâve done in my entire college career
> Iâm hoping to learn some things and pick my teacherâs brain since he worked
> in technical writing.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Mary M. Campos
> mmcwrite -at- gmail -dot- com
>
> From: techwr-l-request -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2019 10:55 PM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 159, Issue 12
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> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Re: Considering the STC summit in May (Kelly Smith)
>    2. Re: Considering the STC summit in May (Thorsten Konersmann)
>    3. Re: Considering the STC summit in May (Charlotte Branth Claussen)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 09:28:43 -0500
> From: Kelly Smith <KellyMJSmith -at- gmail -dot- com>
> To: techwr-l List <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, mmcwrite -at- gmail -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Considering the STC summit in May
> Message-ID:
>         <CAE=2P=
> qc0QUmnk-mRrRvXZmA3giW6jrrQzhspQTKKY-4_6J0zg -at- mail -dot- gmail -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Hi, Mary.
>
> I've been to the last four STC Summits and I highly recommend it,
> especially for a student!
>
> The Summit has greatly expanded my knowledge of technical communication and
> I now have a very large group of colleagues and friends who I can tap for a
> variety of reasons. There is a structured speed networking event, but I've
> never attended that. Mostly, I've met people by sitting with strangers
> every morning at breakfast, and at the after-conference events.
>
> Since joining STC in 2015, I've become membership manager for my local
> chapter and newsletter editor for the Instructional Design and Learning
> special interest group.
>
> As for what to expect, they have educational sessions on a huge variety of
> topics that can help you figure out what path you want to pursue in tech
> comm. Almost everyone I've encountered has been friendly and helpful. There
> is a mix of academics and industry professionals, so you get to meet people
> from all facets of tech comm. If you choose to join the STC, we have a
> student chapter and many opportunities for volunteering that can help
> increase your contacts and provide experience.
>
> If you'd like to chat off-list about it or get more information, please
> email me! (KellyMJSmith -at- gmail -dot- com) I'd be happy to tell you more. And
> maybe
> I'll see you in Denver!
>
> Kelly Smith
>
> -----
> Hello everyone!
>
> My name is Mary Campos and I am an English major at CSUN. I am considering
> going to the Society for Technical Communication?s Summit in May. I just
> have a few questions for anyone who has gone before as I am not sure what
> to expect at this event. I would really like some insight on how to get
> into the field, leads on where to intern, as well as networking
> opportunities.
>
> Are there good networking opportunities there?
> What has been your experience if you have attended a prior STC summit?
> What should I expect?
> I am hoping that it will be a great learning and networking experience so
> that when I graduate next year I won?t be spinning my wheels for a while
> trying to get a job.
>
> Even if you haven?t been to the STC summit any pointers or advice would be
> appreciated! The sooner I start moving forward the better off I?ll be when
> I graduate.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Mary M. Campos
> --
> Kelly Smith
>
> <
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon
> >
> Virus-free.
> www.avast.com
> <
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link
> >
> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 18:33:50 +0100
> From: Thorsten Konersmann <tk -at- documentation -dot- engineering>
> To: techwr-l List <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, mmcwrite -at- gmail -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Considering the STC summit in May
> Message-ID:
>         <CALkWhGPCWqSN0sZrDjkJ5LWMAY9_MPBtA=M3J-nN=nW4=
> qNdOw -at- mail -dot- gmail -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Hi Mary,
>
> The answers so far suggest that there are several different
> conferences/meetups/groups of people in your area. As a student and young
> professional, I usually found it helpful to get impressions from different
> groups of people/places/related fields.
>
> Jobs in tech comm differ in terms of:
>
>    - industry (software, machinery, medical devices, finance, ...)
>    - mode of employment (indie freelancing, employee/owner of a
>    consulting/service company, or employee of a manufacturer)
>
>
>
> As far as within your budget and resources, go to different places, meet
> different people. Smaller gatherings are worthwhile, too.
>
> You?ll never know in advance which topic of interest or which acquaintance
> might bring you a step forward later on.
>
> Thorsten
>
> ?
> http://www.documentation.engineering/
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 28, 2019 at 4:05 PM Kelly Smith <KellyMJSmith -at- gmail -dot- com>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi, Mary.
> >
> > I've been to the last four STC Summits and I highly recommend it,
> > especially for a student!
> >
> > The Summit has greatly expanded my knowledge of technical communication
> and
> > I now have a very large group of colleagues and friends who I can tap
> for a
> > variety of reasons. There is a structured speed networking event, but
> I've
> > never attended that. Mostly, I've met people by sitting with strangers
> > every morning at breakfast, and at the after-conference events.
> >
> > Since joining STC in 2015, I've become membership manager for my local
> > chapter and newsletter editor for the Instructional Design and Learning
> > special interest group.
> >
> > As for what to expect, they have educational sessions on a huge variety
> of
> > topics that can help you figure out what path you want to pursue in tech
> > comm. Almost everyone I've encountered has been friendly and helpful.
> There
> > is a mix of academics and industry professionals, so you get to meet
> people
> > from all facets of tech comm. If you choose to join the STC, we have a
> > student chapter and many opportunities for volunteering that can help
> > increase your contacts and provide experience.
> >
> > If you'd like to chat off-list about it or get more information, please
> > email me! (KellyMJSmith -at- gmail -dot- com) I'd be happy to tell you more. And
> > maybe
> > I'll see you in Denver!
> >
> > Kelly Smith
> >
> > -----
> > Hello everyone!
> >
> > My name is Mary Campos and I am an English major at CSUN. I am
> considering
> > going to the Society for Technical Communication?s Summit in May. I just
> > have a few questions for anyone who has gone before as I am not sure what
> > to expect at this event. I would really like some insight on how to get
> > into the field, leads on where to intern, as well as networking
> > opportunities.
> >
> > Are there good networking opportunities there?
> > What has been your experience if you have attended a prior STC summit?
> > What should I expect?
> > I am hoping that it will be a great learning and networking experience so
> > that when I graduate next year I won?t be spinning my wheels for a while
> > trying to get a job.
> >
> > Even if you haven?t been to the STC summit any pointers or advice would
> be
> > appreciated! The sooner I start moving forward the better off I?ll be
> when
> > I graduate.
> >
> > Thanks in advance!
> >
> > Mary M. Campos
> > --
> > Kelly Smith
> >
> > <
> >
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon
> > >
> > Virus-free.
> > www.avast.com
> > <
> >
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link
> > >
> > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > Visit TechWhirl for the latest on content technology, content strategy
> and
> > content development | https://techwhirl.com
> >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >
> > You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as tk -at- documentation -dot- engineering -dot- 
> >
> > To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> > techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> >
> >
> > Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> > http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and
> > info.
> >
> > Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our
> online
> > magazine at http://techwhirl.com
> >
> > Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public
> > email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2019 22:48:29 +0000
> From: Charlotte Branth Claussen <charlotteclaussen -at- gmail -dot- com>
> To: techwr-l List <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Cc: mmcwrite -at- gmail -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Considering the STC summit in May
> Message-ID:
>         <CAAu8DjBFDa9nBGHd8tso+zhij8AMKnsopnGYZnZHw=
> DY7DafqQ -at- mail -dot- gmail -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Hi Mary,
>
> I agree with Thorsten, it's very useful to get impressions from - and
> exposure to - different groups.
>
> If I were you, I would go to as many Meetups, events, conferences, and
> courses as you have time for and can afford.
> Also, you started by joining this list, which is very helpful in itself,
> and there are plenty of relevant LinkedIn groups.
>
> You're saying you're an English major, so you may also want to look into
> related areas such as content strategy, UI copy writing/UX writing, etc.
>
> Regarding internships, they're usually easy to find if you will accept
> low-paid or unpaid internships. I started my career with a FrameMaker
> course and an internship that I had to leave before the end of it because I
> was offered a paid job in another company. And even if you can't get an
> internship right away, you can still get experience and create a portfolio,
> for example by contributing to open source projects.
>
> Looking forward to following your career development!
>
> /Charlotte
>
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2019 at 17:44, Thorsten Konersmann
> <tk -at- documentation -dot- engineering> wrote:
>
> > Hi Mary,
> >
> > The answers so far suggest that there are several different
> > conferences/meetups/groups of people in your area. As a student and young
> > professional, I usually found it helpful to get impressions from
> different
> > groups of people/places/related fields.
> >
> > Jobs in tech comm differ in terms of:
> >
> >    - industry (software, machinery, medical devices, finance, ...)
> >    - mode of employment (indie freelancing, employee/owner of a
> >    consulting/service company, or employee of a manufacturer)
> >
> >
> >
> > As far as within your budget and resources, go to different places, meet
> > different people. Smaller gatherings are worthwhile, too.
> >
> > You?ll never know in advance which topic of interest or which
> acquaintance
> > might bring you a step forward later on.
> >
> > Thorsten
> >
> > ?
> > http://www.documentation.engineering/
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Jan 28, 2019 at 4:05 PM Kelly Smith <KellyMJSmith -at- gmail -dot- com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hi, Mary.
> > >
> > > I've been to the last four STC Summits and I highly recommend it,
> > > especially for a student!
> > >
> > > The Summit has greatly expanded my knowledge of technical communication
> > and
> > > I now have a very large group of colleagues and friends who I can tap
> > for a
> > > variety of reasons. There is a structured speed networking event, but
> > I've
> > > never attended that. Mostly, I've met people by sitting with strangers
> > > every morning at breakfast, and at the after-conference events.
> > >
> > > Since joining STC in 2015, I've become membership manager for my local
> > > chapter and newsletter editor for the Instructional Design and Learning
> > > special interest group.
> > >
> > > As for what to expect, they have educational sessions on a huge variety
> > of
> > > topics that can help you figure out what path you want to pursue in
> tech
> > > comm. Almost everyone I've encountered has been friendly and helpful.
> > There
> > > is a mix of academics and industry professionals, so you get to meet
> > people
> > > from all facets of tech comm. If you choose to join the STC, we have a
> > > student chapter and many opportunities for volunteering that can help
> > > increase your contacts and provide experience.
> > >
> > > If you'd like to chat off-list about it or get more information, please
> > > email me! (KellyMJSmith -at- gmail -dot- com) I'd be happy to tell you more. And
> > > maybe
> > > I'll see you in Denver!
> > >
> > > Kelly Smith
> > >
> > > -----
> > > Hello everyone!
> > >
> > > My name is Mary Campos and I am an English major at CSUN. I am
> > considering
> > > going to the Society for Technical Communication?s Summit in May. I
> just
> > > have a few questions for anyone who has gone before as I am not sure
> what
> > > to expect at this event. I would really like some insight on how to get
> > > into the field, leads on where to intern, as well as networking
> > > opportunities.
> > >
> > > Are there good networking opportunities there?
> > > What has been your experience if you have attended a prior STC summit?
> > > What should I expect?
> > > I am hoping that it will be a great learning and networking experience
> so
> > > that when I graduate next year I won?t be spinning my wheels for a
> while
> > > trying to get a job.
> > >
> > > Even if you haven?t been to the STC summit any pointers or advice would
> > be
> > > appreciated! The sooner I start moving forward the better off I?ll be
> > when
> > > I graduate.
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance!
> > >
> > > Mary M. Campos
> > > --
> > > Kelly Smith
> > >
> > > <
> > >
> >
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=icon
> > > >
> > > Virus-free.
> > > www.avast.com
> > > <
> > >
> >
> https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail&utm_term=link
> > > >
> > > <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
> > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > > Visit TechWhirl for the latest on content technology, content strategy
> > and
> > > content development | https://techwhirl.com
> > >
> > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > >
> > > You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as
> tk -at- documentation -dot- engineering -dot- 
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> > > techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > >
> > >
> > > Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> > > http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources
> and
> > > info.
> > >
> > > Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our
> > online
> > > magazine at http://techwhirl.com
> > >
> > > Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public
> > > email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
> > >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > Visit TechWhirl for the latest on content technology, content strategy
> and
> > content development | https://techwhirl.com
> >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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> > Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> > http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and
> > info.
> >
> > Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our
> online
> > magazine at http://techwhirl.com
> >
> > Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public
> > email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
> >
>
>
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