Hello, My Name is Doug and I'm a Workaholic

It's important to be able to distinguish between workaholics and people who are simply wrapped up in their work--either because they enjoy it so much or because, temporarily, they have decided to make it a priority to win a promotion or attain the kind of lifestyle that they want. For a workaholic, work is the end, not the means. While it may bring wealth or power, what matters most is simply working. Just as alcoholics drink because they must--not always because they enjoy it--so a workaholic is addicted to working even when there is no rational reason for doing so.

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2007). Careers>Workplace>Project Management

Hello?...The Art of the Telephone Interview  

Remember when interviewing meant dressing up, grabbing your best samples, and heading over to meet your potential employer face to face? Today the industry trend is to conduct most first interviews over the telephone. With the emergence of telecommuting and a global workforce, I don't see the trend toward telephone interviews going away any time soon.

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2007). Careers>Interviewing

Industrial-Strength Technical Communication  

In the nineties, if an employer took one glance at your résumé and started to fall in love with you, it probably had a lot to do with your long list of software tool skills. Nowadays, most employers couldn't care less about tools. It's all about industry experience.

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2007). Careers>Resumes>TC

Publish and Sell Your Book in Hypertext  

Anyone who would like to publish a book should consider using Windows™ hypertext Help. Publishing in hypertext can help authors fulfill their creative urge. Conventional publishing methods can obstruct good writers from contributing to their respective field of interest. It is hard to get a book proposal accepted today. Competition is fierce, and writers must follow accepted protocols to have ideas considered. There is potential for writers who develop and produce Windows online Help systems. They are already 'experts' in a newly emerging technology. Using the Windows hypertext medium, writers can publish and sell their ideas without the hassles of the publishing industry.

Davis, Douglas W. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>Publishing>Online>Hypertext

Rising from the Mat: Job Openings for Technical Communicators  

When faced with the reality of the thrashing our industry has taken over the past few years, should you feel any less optimistic about your future? Not a bit. In fact, today there are more reasons for technical communicators to be optimistic about their prospects for continued employment than there have been since December 2000.

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2007). Careers>TC

Technical Communication: Love It or Leave It  

In this column, we are going to talk about why some technical communicators just plain hate their jobs. The bottom line is not to just stay in that unhappy place. Make up your mind to do something about it. Make your job into what you want it to be.

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2007). Careers>Advice>TC

Where Are All The Jobs?  

You sit in your favorite comfy chair and open the Sunday newspaper. The economy is steadily improving. Good. Unemployment rates are down. Nice. You've seen all the data. You've read the reports. So, where are all the jobs?

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2007). Careers>TC

Why Do We Gamble with Our Careers?  

When it comes to their future, however, some professionals seem willing to take drastic risks. Oddly enough, some technical communicators spend more time thinking about the pros and cons of the serial comma than they do about their own careers. When we fail to engage in a passionate pursuit of information about the trends in our industry, we bury our heads in the sand and blindly roll the dice regarding our future prosperity.

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2006). Careers>TC>Planning

The Current Economy: What’s a Technical Communicator to Do?  

There is a lot of uncertainty swirling around these days about the economy. That’s why we are being bombarded with the 'sky is falling' message wherever we turn. But how much of this is reality and how much is hype?

Davis, Douglas W. STC (2008). Articles>Management>Financial