Coming into the Workplace: What Every Technical Communicator Should Know—Besides Writing  

Working successfully as a technical communicator involves a great deal more than a thorough knowledge of professional skills and capability in the craft. Working at this kind of job means dealing with all sorts of people, handling all sorts of assignments and dealing with all sorts of corporate agendas and requirements that have seemingly little to do with getting the project out the door. But it’s all in a day’s work, and if you want to keep the job, you’ve got to accept and actually operate within all of those guidelines, strictures, rules (written and unwritten) and mores that make up the corporate structure.

Barker, Thomas, Rebecca A. Fuller, Deborah J. Rosenquist, John Schladen and Thea Teich. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Workplace>Writing>Technical Writing

The Dell Computer Experience: From Maturity Model Assessment to Strategic Planning    

Dell Computer Corporation's Information Development area was tasked with benchmarking itself with other similar areas in the industry. This case study details the evolution of this requirement to the fundamental need for a strategic plan, and how the requirement was met. The steps begin with gaining an understand of strengths and weaknesses as compared to the industry and end with goals for using the strategic plan to strengthen the area.

Rosenquist, Deborah J. Technical Communication Online (1997). Articles>Information Design>Assessment

Faculty Internship Panel  

The Faculty Internship Panel provides a guideline and model for faculty internship programs. Although technical communicator internships, particularly faculty internships in the corporate environment, are generally considered a good idea. They are difficult to set up. The Austin STC chapter (in collaboration with members of the Austin Technical Communications Mangers' Focus Group and the Technical Communications Department at Austin Community College) set up and ran a successful pilot Faculty Internship program. A panel offaculty interns and corporate sponsors provide pointers in planning, implementing, and evaluating such a program.

Rosenquist, Deborah J. STC Proceedings (1996). Academic>Internships>Education

Information Development Organizations Evolving to Keep Pace with Change: A Collaborative Conversation of Information Development Managers     

This article reports on an online discussion of the Advisory Council for Information Development Management (CIDM), which is composed of directors, managers, and CEOs from corporations and a consulting firm. The conversation, conducted over 3 weeks in January 2000, covered several key themes: The expectation of greater productivity while budgets are flat or decreasing Meeting this expectation means a considerable rethinking, doing more with less, improving processes, and understanding total cost. The need for higher quality and improved usability This important need leads some organizations back to traditional editing, to embracing different development techniques (such as single sourcing, structured documents, and standard English), and to more robust interfaces. Innovative leadership and effective organization Strong leadership in a supportive and flexible organization is ultimately the cornerstone for success.

Rosenquist, Deborah J. Technical Communication Online (2001). Articles>Management>Collaboration

Planning Successful Internships: Matchmaking for Organizational Culture  

The collaborative nature of information development departments create special challenges for student interns, challenges which require that the student, the academic department, and the information development department can meet with careful planning and preparation. An intern must not only be well prepared academically, with knowledge and skills that support a company’s needs; each intern must also understand and accept the organizational culture in which he or she must be deeply involved in order to work and learn effectively. The information development department can use each internship as an occasion to examine its own culture and communication patterns.

Rosenquist, Deborah J. and Katherine E. Staples. STC Proceedings (1994). Academic>Internships