categoryallspace2-Careers http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Careers A directory of resources about careers in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Careers http://tc.eserver.org/31587.html http://tc.eserver.org/31587.html While surveys aren't the only research tool available to HR managers, they are the most useful one when 'hard' numbers are needed on how many people see things a certain way and when it's important to track differences among subgroups or improvement over time. http://tc.eserver.org/31590.html http://tc.eserver.org/31590.html The entire concept of human "capital" seems to have arisen during the last several years of booming economy and scarce availability of skilled employees. When any resource is scarce, it's valuable. Now with the highest rates of layoffs being announced in the U.S. since 1991, let's hope the mindset of management is not on the order of getting the most out of the human "liabilities" they're forced to retain. http://tc.eserver.org/31570.html http://tc.eserver.org/31570.html Who wrote the installation manual for your car stereo? Who created the brochure to market your cell phone? Who designed the help menu on your favorite word processor? Highly skilled professionals called "technical communicators" produce all of these items. What does a career in technical communication have to offer? Here are some things you can count on. http://tc.eserver.org/31525.html http://tc.eserver.org/31525.html As with many things on the Web, job-hunting on the Internet has brought new meaning to the phrase "level playing field." Currently, there are literally thousands of "jobs boards," or Web sites tracking new job openings, in cyberspace these days, which together represent a potential career jumpstart that is far ahead of the traditional newspaper advertisements http://tc.eserver.org/31527.html http://tc.eserver.org/31527.html So that's it. You've gotten your freedom, your walking papers, your pink slip. Redundancy, dismissal, restructuring, it all amounts to the same thing: you are unemployed. So what are you going to do now? Look for another job, of course, or maybe start your own business. In either case, given today's job market, chances are you're going to have more than enough opportunity for reflection. So while you're busy rewriting your resume for the nth time and scouring the job sites, here are ten simple tips that will help you make the most of your freedom and empower you to take charge of your unemployment http://tc.eserver.org/31533.html http://tc.eserver.org/31533.html There are crucial behaviors important people, successful executives, and true leaders use to move processes and people forward. These behaviors are the key ingredients of leadership. The more of these ingredients leaders take to heart, teach, and expect of others, the more power they will have to achieve their objectives. http://tc.eserver.org/31534.html http://tc.eserver.org/31534.html Your reputation depends on your ability to be a public-spirited, plain-talking professional who serves the interests of your audience rather than your organization. http://tc.eserver.org/31546.html http://tc.eserver.org/31546.html Some people seem to thrive on change. How do they do it? How do they manage change in a way that they not only survive, but also excel? They seem to make change work for them. Here are five essentials on how to take your team through times of transition. One of the most significant essentials for success during transition is teambuilding. Leaders who can challenge, motivate and empower their teams through change are successful. http://tc.eserver.org/31425.html http://tc.eserver.org/31425.html This month's column doesn't focus on business strategy per se, but rather on how independents market themselves once they identify their markets and know what it is they want to convey. http://tc.eserver.org/31433.html http://tc.eserver.org/31433.html If you work for a large corporation, you don't have to worry about who handles the invoicing, pays the bills, or manages pesky clients. But if you're a small business owner, all this quickly becomes your concern. Anecdotal evidence suggests that entrepreneurs are increasingly linking up with colleagues to work on specific projects or to create virtual agencies. http://tc.eserver.org/31434.html http://tc.eserver.org/31434.html Employee engagement is certainly one of the hottest of the hot communication topics right now. It can be easily misunderstood as a new communication fad, given the attention it’s being given these days. But the truth is that engagement—winning the hearts and minds of employees—has always been the ultimate goal of effective employee communicators. http://tc.eserver.org/31435.html http://tc.eserver.org/31435.html I remember the day I turned on the car radio and found out that my company was merging with a competitor. Over the coming weeks, every employee made mental and emotional decisions on whether to stay engaged with their work and the company, or to just to show up and collect a paycheck. http://tc.eserver.org/31436.html http://tc.eserver.org/31436.html When considering the issue of employee engagement, communicators need to know what they are dealing with. Engagement is something that plays out on an organization-wide level, so communicators should understand what an organization is. http://tc.eserver.org/31437.html http://tc.eserver.org/31437.html Engagement. Is it the latest corporate buzzword? Not for serious business leaders who understand the correlation between engaged employees and improved financial performance. They see engagement as a source of competitive advantage. All things equal, they believe, an organization that has engaged employees will outperform one that doesn’t. http://tc.eserver.org/31445.html http://tc.eserver.org/31445.html Many years ago I was asked to develop a marketing package for the environmental practice group of a large, Washington-based law firm. When I submitted the draft I got exclamations of delight and a promise to provide quick feedback from all the principals. It never came, and my phone queries went unanswered. So I waited, and waited, and waited—and then waited some more. http://tc.eserver.org/31452.html http://tc.eserver.org/31452.html In boom times, companies can be pressured into spending lavishly to please their employees, providing a variety of perks in the belief that happy employees are productive employees. While this may be true, when leaner times come and businesses struggle to grow, the goal of employee satisfaction is put under greater scrutiny. Today, investments in employee-related plans and programmes must do more than satisfy employees. They must be able to provide a measurable return on investment. http://tc.eserver.org/31463.html http://tc.eserver.org/31463.html We’ve all heard stories about people who clicked “send” too soon. But here’s a story you may not have heard. One of our clients described an e-mail message he recently received from upper management at his company. The message had some information about how to request annual leave and plans to landscape the building. The message ended with these words: “By the way, you have a new boss. The product development team’s new director will be James Yang. Margie Esposito, the former director, left last Friday.” Obviously, the cardinal rule of using e-mail as a management tool is “know when to use e-mail.” Some messages, like a sudden change in upper management, should be delivered in person. http://tc.eserver.org/31388.html http://tc.eserver.org/31388.html Like many of you, each of us has played on both sides of the fence: We've worked as editors in the position of hiring freelance writers, and as writers on constant prowl for new markets and ways to make editors happy. Even if you've not strayed between camps, we're all communication professionals-so why does mutual disappointment or even frustration characterize the editor/writer relationship so often? http://tc.eserver.org/31390.html http://tc.eserver.org/31390.html The announcement ads are everywhere-in magazines, in newspapers and on television. Hundreds of companies, large and small, change their names every year. The Wall Street Journal reports that some 400 to 800 annually make a name change, and these numbers don't include the thousands more that only consider such a move. Why is it that so many corporations are reassessing their names? What spurs them to undertake a procedure that is often painfully emotional, and, in all cases, is time consuming? http://tc.eserver.org/31391.html http://tc.eserver.org/31391.html In the customer's mind, your brand is forever being weighed, measured, compared and tested. To ensure its continued vitality and effectiveness, refresh and reaffirm your brand on a routine basis. The question is: How can you breathe new life into your old brand without reinventing the wheel or busting your budget? Think tagline. http://tc.eserver.org/31397.html http://tc.eserver.org/31397.html We haven't yet met a corporate communicator who felt overstaffed. Budgets have been cut to the bone, responsibility has expanded, there are new communication tools to learn about and new directions to explore. For smart freelancers, this spells opportunity. In our last column we looked at the editor/freelance writer equation from the in-house person's viewpoint and, as promised, we will take the freelancer's perspective this time. http://tc.eserver.org/31398.html http://tc.eserver.org/31398.html Almost every independent consultant knows the drill. You're asked what you do professionally and you reply that you own your own business. Perhaps you give the 30-second elevator speech, or just the 10-second party version. Either way, what happens next is all too predictable—the person greets the news with a mixture of envy and admiration and starts peppering you with questions about the solo life. http://tc.eserver.org/31381.html http://tc.eserver.org/31381.html The interview is where jobs are generally won and lost and the job interview techniques you employ will determine your success or lack thereof. During the interview process, the hiring manager gets to meet you face to face and decide whether or not you are someone they want to look at everyday should they hire you. http://tc.eserver.org/31382.html http://tc.eserver.org/31382.html Hear the one about the job candidate who brushed her hair during an interview? Or the man who sniffed his armpits on the way into the interview room? They may sound like jokes but these are two of the top 10 gaffes to feature in an annual survey of the most outrageous interview mistakes by candidates compiled by online job site CareerBuilder.com. http://tc.eserver.org/31383.html http://tc.eserver.org/31383.html Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they're generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town (or out-of-state and foreign) candidates. So the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your job hunt, you'll be asked to participate in a 20- to 30-minute phone interview with either one person or several people on the other end of the line. http://tc.eserver.org/31371.html http://tc.eserver.org/31371.html Many organizations are looking to communicators for a different set of services than those traditionally delivered. “Teach our managers to communicate better,” leaders say. “Help us make smarter decisions and be more efficient,” they plead. “Help me deliver messages better in front of our audiences,” they implore. At the same time, communicators work tirelessly to get to the leadership table, stay there and have real influence. We’re all working toward the same end: strategic thinking and implementation that truly impacts the business. For some, operating more like a consultant, even while continuing to work inside the organization, makes more sense. But how do you transition to such a model? http://tc.eserver.org/31372.html http://tc.eserver.org/31372.html Natasha Spring talks with John Deveney about the success of his consulting firm, client relationships, technology, and the challenges he has faced. http://tc.eserver.org/31373.html http://tc.eserver.org/31373.html Much like the strategic planning process used by talented communicators around the globe, consulting too is a process. It is circular because it feeds into itself, and it is strategic because it is grounded in the business and relationships. Each step incorporates multiple sub-steps. For example, “collaborate on the solution” may incorporate brainstorming, best practice benchmarking and collaborative implementation. http://tc.eserver.org/31302.html http://tc.eserver.org/31302.html I received a slightly panicked call the other day from a colleague who had recently ventured out on her own after many years of working for others. She had been lured into self-employment by an opportunity that matched up her passion and her skills—but it wasn't going to pay all the bills. So she needed to get serious about starting up some kind of freelance business. But where to start? Although my colleague had taken the necessary legal steps in her state (notably, applying for a business license), she didn't know what to do next. She was, in her own words, paralyzed. http://tc.eserver.org/31332.html http://tc.eserver.org/31332.html Many years ago I was taken to lunch by two legislative analysts for a large law firm who figured that if I could do similar work on my own then maybe they could, too. As we talked, it became clear that what they were really looking for was a job-sharing venture that would give them more time to spend with their young children. When I asked them what they would do if two different clients needed something at the same time, they looked a bit stunned. http://tc.eserver.org/31346.html http://tc.eserver.org/31346.html Molly Matthews started a consulting business in her basement 18 years ago after losing her job in a corporate restructuring at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. Like many women, she looked up and saw a glass ceiling and figured she could certainly do as well on her own. In fact, she did a whole lot better. http://tc.eserver.org/31279.html http://tc.eserver.org/31279.html I never had trouble spotting a bad boss—until I would look in a mirror. My hair might have been combed, and my teeth nice and clean, but something was still wrong on the inside—and I didn't see it. In other areas of my professional development, I've been able to treat mistakes and bad decisions as "learning opportunities." The mistakes and bad decisions that I've made as a supervisor or manager haven't been as easy for me to forgive—because it really hurts to hurt people. http://tc.eserver.org/31280.html http://tc.eserver.org/31280.html While an internal communication audit is enormously valuable, many communicators don't know when one is needed, how it's done or what to do with the results. In fact, communicators who may in the end buy an audit are those who initially call for help wrestling with core communication issues. They want information and informal benchmarking, but they ask questions that foreshadow an audit. http://tc.eserver.org/31282.html http://tc.eserver.org/31282.html Traditionally, a communication audit serves as an assessment of past performance, where the report of results highlight the strengths and weaknesses of internal communication. Based on this analysis, the communication department must determine where to invest its time and resources in the future. http://tc.eserver.org/31283.html http://tc.eserver.org/31283.html The communication audit has become a popular tool to measure audience satisfaction with the content and packaging of information. Typically, these audits are designed as surveys and/or focus groups that solicit reactions to important elements of the way that communication is managed, such as choice of media, relevance of topics, frequency and timing of publications and meetings, and the workplace climate. http://tc.eserver.org/31285.html http://tc.eserver.org/31285.html What quality do employees most want from business leaders? A clear vision of the way ahead, perhaps? A charismatic leadership style? Political or business acumen? Of course, we demand all those qualities in leaders. But a recent piece of research points to a different quality as being the top priority for many employees. http://tc.eserver.org/31256.html http://tc.eserver.org/31256.html With corporate raiders, financial analysts and institutional investors all demanding "performance, performance, performance," CEOs are looking for creative communication executives who can help show that the direction they are taking the enterprise is guaranteed to increase shareholder value. http://tc.eserver.org/31261.html http://tc.eserver.org/31261.html When you're going on a journey, it helps to have a good map because it will save time and help you make the right decisions along the way. Your career is a journey, and it's useful to have a clear picture of where you want to go with it. http://tc.eserver.org/31262.html http://tc.eserver.org/31262.html Did you know that every person you encounter has at least 250 people in his or her personal network? Imagine the possibilities if you were connected to a small percentage of those individuals. Multiply that by the number of friends you have, and you've expanded your networking opportunities exponentially. http://tc.eserver.org/31264.html http://tc.eserver.org/31264.html We are all mentors to someone at some point in our lives. And interestingly, we may not even know it at the time. I was quite surprised one sunny day to be introduced by an IABC colleague as "her mentor" when we encountered one of her co-workers as we left a restaurant. http://tc.eserver.org/31223.html http://tc.eserver.org/31223.html One of the traditional signs of corporate success has been the corner office. Yet today some of the most successful communication executives don't have an office at all. They work from home, the airport, a visitor’s cubicle at headquarters, the back of a cab, a corner Starbucks or a beachfront cottage. If you’re setting up a corporate communication department today, it’s time to think outside the box—or the cubicle—when it comes to locating yourself and your coworkers. http://tc.eserver.org/31198.html http://tc.eserver.org/31198.html This paper summarizes some of the major lessons learned about conducting usability tests with visually impaired participants while working as interns at Google, Inc. The lessons were in four major areas: (1) recruitment and scheduling, (2) preparing the usability lab for testing sessions, (3) using think-aloud protocol with screen readers, and (4) helping observers to get the most out of the test sessions. http://tc.eserver.org/31162.html http://tc.eserver.org/31162.html Nowadays, outsourcing seems to be a de facto approach in the IT industry. As a part of the software development process, it seems reasonable to consider technical writing as a candidate for outsourcing. Through this article, I propose to explore the pros, cons, risks, and opportunities for outsourcing your technical documentation. http://tc.eserver.org/31154.html http://tc.eserver.org/31154.html A top-level corporate communicator tells how to improve odds of survival and success. http://tc.eserver.org/31140.html http://tc.eserver.org/31140.html If you're considering a move to the contract side of the fence, you might want to think about the questions in this blog post before making a decision. http://tc.eserver.org/31130.html http://tc.eserver.org/31130.html This 24-page e-book is a compilation of six articles, all focused on starting and growing a successful freelance copywriting business. In addition to the articles, there is also a resource page with suggestions for courses and further reading. http://tc.eserver.org/31123.html http://tc.eserver.org/31123.html Here are a few brief, practical tips for preparing for your first interview. http://tc.eserver.org/31105.html http://tc.eserver.org/31105.html So you've just started out as a technical communicator, or you've been on the job for a year or two. And you've decided that maybe, just maybe, technical communication is the career for you and you're in it for the long haul. Now what? Think about the future and how you want your career to develop. http://tc.eserver.org/31106.html http://tc.eserver.org/31106.html Passion, though, is a funny thing. It's easy to become passionate about something. But the fire of that passion can also be easily dimmed or extinguished, often due to circumstances that are beyond your control. Throughout your career, you'll definitely find your passion waxing and waning. But holding on to that passion and nurturing it will make you a better technical communicator. http://tc.eserver.org/31110.html http://tc.eserver.org/31110.html Thoughts on how a contract technical communicator can become part of a development team, and set the tone for the writers who follow. http://tc.eserver.org/31111.html http://tc.eserver.org/31111.html Technical writing is one of those jobs in which you're constantly learning. New tools, new techniques, new methodologies. No one knows it all. That's especially true for the new technical communicator. If you've graduated from a writing and rhetoric course or a technical writing course, you have a pretty good grounding in craft. But you're really only at the base of the mountain. There's still a lot to learn, and if you keep your eyes and ears and mind open then you can quickly pick up what you need to know. http://tc.eserver.org/31091.html http://tc.eserver.org/31091.html Tonight I participated on a career panel for technical writing majors at Utah State University. In preparation, I tried to think of answers to questions they might ask. The one question that I was sure some student would ask is this: 'If you were to do it over again, would you choose technical writing as your career?' http://tc.eserver.org/31076.html http://tc.eserver.org/31076.html A no-nonsense approach to finding a great tech writer, even when you don't know what to look for. http://tc.eserver.org/31041.html http://tc.eserver.org/31041.html It's not about what software you use, or how you organize your document, or how big the document is; but about whether the expectations the client has set, have been met. The question is, then, how do we assure we're meeting all the client's expectations? The answer is client buy-in. http://tc.eserver.org/31044.html http://tc.eserver.org/31044.html This is the first of a series of articles on BA consulting. This is some of my perspective on starting your consulting assignment as a BA, and understanding the organization that you're working with. This first article: Start your BA assignment with a bang and will be followed by two additional articles discussing requirements basics, followed by closing the project. http://tc.eserver.org/31046.html http://tc.eserver.org/31046.html Because the certification has meaning that is fluid and career or personal goals are always changing, I believe it's up to the individual business analyst professional to decide for themselves if certification is right for them based on these factors. If the certification program means upward mobility in their profession or enables an individual to excel at their current job, then it is probably worth the time and cost to undertake a certification program. But I would caution anyone not to cut corners or to cram for the exam to obtain the certification. If they don't see a certification program as a chance to learn, grow and develop their skills and knowledge, then it's probably not worth the investment. http://tc.eserver.org/31008.html http://tc.eserver.org/31008.html Most resumes circulating in cyberspace and on paper are terrible and actually do more harm than good for the prospective job seeker. How can you avoid resume mistakes? http://tc.eserver.org/31009.html http://tc.eserver.org/31009.html How do you know which resume format is right for you? Using the right kind of resume is important--whether you are wanting to emphasize specific aspects or deemphasize them. http://tc.eserver.org/30870.html http://tc.eserver.org/30870.html A short article about careers in technical and professional communication. http://tc.eserver.org/30851.html http://tc.eserver.org/30851.html Creating policies and procedures for selecting and interviewing job candidates is usually the responsibility of a company's human resources department, often with the guidance and approval of its legal affairs office. Such requirements are designed in accordance with U.S. federal and state laws related to civil rights, gender and ethnic rights, age discrimination, disabilities, and family leave, among others. These laws govern the conduct for companies during the recruitment process (Andrews and Baird, 2005), and though federal laws affect companies with US$50,000 or more in federal contracts and more than 15 employees, most U.S. companies tend to comply because of the threat of litigation. In speaking with Jim Olson, a retired auto industry executive, it became clear that compliance with employment laws regarding recruitment practices are largely influenced by corporate culture. http://tc.eserver.org/30835.html http://tc.eserver.org/30835.html STIC-leden kunnen zich uitstekend vinden in het competentieprofiel voor de Technisch Communicatie-specialist. Dat blijkt uit de resultaten van de enquête die de werkgroep Opleiding en Trainingen in het najaar 2007 aan de STIC-leden voorlegde. http://tc.eserver.org/30837.html http://tc.eserver.org/30837.html Het vakgebied technische communicatie bestaat eigenlijk al veel langer dan vaak wordt gedacht. Al in 1974 introduceerde Jan Veering, destijds lector aan de Technische Hogeschool Delft, dit vakgebied in het weekblad Intermediair, onder de titel - Technisch schrijven: een boeiend en verantwoordelijk beroep'. Toen reeds signaleerde hij dat dit vakgebied een zelfstandige professie aan het worden was, en niet zomaar een aspect van het werk van een ingenieur, wetenschapper of technicus. In de tijd die daarop volgde heeft deze professionalisering zich sterk doorgezet, waarbij het niet alleen ging over communicatie over techniek, maar vooral ook over communicatie over het gebruik en de toepassing van technische producten of systemen, en zelfs over communicatie van organisaties die technische producten, diensten of systemen produceren. http://tc.eserver.org/30779.html http://tc.eserver.org/30779.html Learn specific steps technical communicators can take to respond to the commoditization of technical tasks. http://tc.eserver.org/30757.html http://tc.eserver.org/30757.html Offers comprehensive advice to information professionals considering taking up self-employed freelance information consultancy. Draws attention to the risks associated with leaving the protection offered by corporate employment, alongside the benefits of empowerment through being self-employed. Emphasizes the need for prior business planning and offers advice on business name, web presence, logos, business cards, professional subscriptions, the need to have an accountant and register for value added tax, and dealings with banks and with the local Business Link. Advises against acquiring company status, joining trade groups, untargeted advertising, brochures and mailshots, and professional indemnity cover. Suggests ways of seeking work through networking with contacts, advises on the risks associated with imprecise agreements with clients, and emphasizes that the most important aspect of successful self-employment is self promotion. http://tc.eserver.org/30716.html http://tc.eserver.org/30716.html Bill Gates gave his last keynote at the 2008 CES show in Las Vegas and he started it out with a spoof of what his last day might be like and includes cameos from a number of Microsoft executives and some Hollywood stars, celebrities and politicians. This video is just an excerpt of the longer keynote. http://tc.eserver.org/30643.html http://tc.eserver.org/30643.html There are some key differences between looking for publishing jobs and looking for technical writing jobs. http://tc.eserver.org/30634.html http://tc.eserver.org/30634.html We began to work on an event to gather professionals and employers to help us figure out what UX employers really want. http://tc.eserver.org/30612.html http://tc.eserver.org/30612.html The purpose of this workshop is to introduce attendees to Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques and practices. TQM offers common-sense guidance in the quest for quality. Using the example of an out-of-control technical review cycle, the workshop shows attendees how to better manage the technical review process, resulting in accurate, high-quality documents. http://tc.eserver.org/30615.html http://tc.eserver.org/30615.html Organizations can do many things to vitalize their people. The Information Development organization at the IBM Corporation in Cary, NC, uses a closed-loop process in which we evaluate employee satisfaction, identify problems, and attempt to correct the problems (then reevaluate and so on). Your organization too can use this process to improve your employees' participation, involvement in your quality program, and morale. http://tc.eserver.org/30624.html http://tc.eserver.org/30624.html After completing a short checklist to identify their career stage, participants break into groups with individuals in the same career stage. Participants then have the opportunity to examine multiple perspectives, share concerns, identify issues, obtain peer feedback and identify short- and long-term goals associated with their career stage. An understanding of one's current career state is the starting point for managing a career. Through self-assessment, peer interaction, and guided discussion, this interactive session will allow participants a chance to reflect on their career directions. http://tc.eserver.org/30593.html http://tc.eserver.org/30593.html The Mentoring Concept is a plan for training new writers quickly in a complex environment. A mentoring team uses checklists to plan for the training of new writers. The role of each member of the mentoring team is clearly defined. The key to the success of the mentoring relationship is the effective communication of responsibilities, requirements, and progress. http://tc.eserver.org/30578.html http://tc.eserver.org/30578.html This site is designed to give you insight into the daily life of several technical writers at National Instruments. http://tc.eserver.org/30556.html http://tc.eserver.org/30556.html Since most employees-turned-entrepreneurs have little formal training in finance, they may be less than confident about how to ensure that their finances are in order. Frick shares some of her experiences in learning how to manage her finances for her business. http://tc.eserver.org/30552.html http://tc.eserver.org/30552.html How do you get on a consulting agency's 'call-me-first' list? The tips provided in this article are a good place to start. http://tc.eserver.org/30532.html http://tc.eserver.org/30532.html Peer mentoring is a relationship between two individuals equal in abilities and qualifications that helps each develop or refine skills to navigate in the work environment. Peer mentoring is one of several different types of career development training including hierarchical mentoring, on-the-job training, and classroom instruction. Management can use peer mentor relationships to effectively and efficiently promote employee development and team-building. http://tc.eserver.org/30520.html http://tc.eserver.org/30520.html Technology has reduced the need for managers to act as communication conduits. Instead they must add more quality to the work of their employees by wandering among them. Effective wandering means forgetting the telephone, using bull sessions, becoming a fifteen-minute manager, giving employees a vision, and looking at their work. http://tc.eserver.org/30525.html http://tc.eserver.org/30525.html This paper presents some of the challenges and approaches to dealing with corporate downsizing, both from a management and personal viewpoint. It identifies some behavioral characteristics of people experiencing stress due to job instability. In addition, it gives some suggestions for managing your own stress and helping your employees through difficult times. http://tc.eserver.org/30460.html http://tc.eserver.org/30460.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/30456.html http://tc.eserver.org/30456.html Thailand, India, Taiwan, China, and pretty much every other country in the vicinity with an economy worth talking about, is facing heavy capital inflows. In spite of the Rupee appreciation vis-a-vis the dollar, foreign capital inflows have been on the rise. http://tc.eserver.org/30452.html http://tc.eserver.org/30452.html Speculative work, or free pitching, 'spec' for short, is considered unethical among leading graphic design associations around the world. http://tc.eserver.org/30453.html http://tc.eserver.org/30453.html No matter what you call it, Spec Work, Free Pitch, etc the concept is the same. I'll get a handful of designers or studios to come up with a handful of concepts for my website, and the winner gets my business. Great concept? No! There are no winners here. http://tc.eserver.org/30373.html http://tc.eserver.org/30373.html Economic concerns require hiring writers (contract, freelance, and permanent) quickly and surely. Employers can make better use of the resume and interview processes to hire the right writer. In this workshop, managers will analyze resume and participate in a mock-interview process. Further, they will learn how to assess job candidates using four screening tools developed by the presenters in a three-step process designed to provide a means of consistently making the most appropriate selections for job openings. http://tc.eserver.org/30378.html http://tc.eserver.org/30378.html This paper presents the results of a survey of leaders in a variety of occupations concerning their mentoring experiences as proteges. Proteges primarily sought friendship and support, guidance and advice, and increased self-confidence and self-esteem, followed by job-related skills and professional insights. In general, proteges learned or got these things, although many also noted learning 'people management' skills. Direct, one-on-one discussions were used most often to communicate, while observation of role modeling ranked high for learning. Integrity and honesty were the most highly sought characteristics in a mentor, followed by willingness and ability to mentor, and then by interpersonal skills. http://tc.eserver.org/30379.html http://tc.eserver.org/30379.html Many articles discuss how to hire a great writer, but relatively few tell us what to do when we get one. The first weeks on a new job set the tone for a writer's experience at a company. If both manager and writer pay attention to getting a good start, the result will be that the writer settles in, feels welcome and at ease, and becomes productive quickly. http://tc.eserver.org/30351.html http://tc.eserver.org/30351.html The emergence of the web has accelerated the convergence of marketing communications, training, and technical communication. Marketing communicators are increasingly producing users' guides, trainers are producing wizards and marketing materials. Technical communicators are producing tutorials and pre-sales literature. http://tc.eserver.org/30357.html http://tc.eserver.org/30357.html The freedom to be a consultant or independent contractor (C&IC), to work on your own, to work at home, to 'tele-commute' has become one of the principal aspects that entices otherwise happy, healthy, sane people to leave their jobs and hang out their shingles. But like nearly every other aspect of being independently employed, working out of the home presents advantages and disadvantages in such areas as lifestyle, professionalism, and tax considerations. http://tc.eserver.org/30363.html http://tc.eserver.org/30363.html I did a presentation recently at a local college, and the students had a lot of questions about resumes and cover letters. Below are some helpful tips. http://tc.eserver.org/30324.html http://tc.eserver.org/30324.html What do you do about medical insurance coverage if you are laid off? http://tc.eserver.org/30333.html http://tc.eserver.org/30333.html Next to writing an enthusiastic thank you note for socks received as a birthday gift, the most difficult task for many writers is creating a help wanted ad that succinctly defines the requirements of the position while encouraging only perfect candidates to apply. http://tc.eserver.org/30334.html http://tc.eserver.org/30334.html This two-part article looks at the comparative costs of employees versus independent contractors, helps you to classify workers as either independent contractors or employees, and (in the second part) will examine the consequences of misclassification as it affects clients, independent contractors, and third party payers (such as a consulting firm or a contract agency). http://tc.eserver.org/30336.html http://tc.eserver.org/30336.html This article examines some of the consequences of misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they should be treated as employees. http://tc.eserver.org/30323.html http://tc.eserver.org/30323.html As a technical writer with over seven years of experience and a Master's degree, I am disappointed with the lack of part-time jobs and lack of responsiveness by employers to create part-time technical writing positions. http://tc.eserver.org/30321.html http://tc.eserver.org/30321.html The résumé is the key to landing a job initially, and then to advancing in the profession. So, let's consider the elements that go towards composing the ideal résumé. http://tc.eserver.org/30341.html http://tc.eserver.org/30341.html If you have been paid as independent contractor for work you have performed, you might assume that you are ineligible for unemployment compensation when a client or a temporary agency can no longer keep you busy. The client has no more work, so you think you're on your own to look for work, without the benefit of unemployment compensation. But what if a client or temporary agency should have paid you as an employee, instead of treating you as an independent contractor? In many cases, you would be entitled to collect unemployment compensation, even if you had signed a contract stipulating that you would not be eligible for benefits. http://tc.eserver.org/30340.html http://tc.eserver.org/30340.html Provide your boss and the personnel department with a copy of your resume each time you update it. They will be interested to learn about any educational or training programs you've completed, changes in your current job responsibilities, new professional or civic organizations you've joined and any technical skills you've acquired since starting your current job. A resume should also reflect special accomplishments and your on-the-job performance record. http://tc.eserver.org/30312.html http://tc.eserver.org/30312.html The technical contracting industry provides a unique career opportunity for experienced professionals in most technical communications disciplines. It also provides a possible alternative to unemployment in view of the continuing 'down-sizing' and restructuring activity going on in today's marketplace. http://tc.eserver.org/30306.html http://tc.eserver.org/30306.html To make the most of limited opportunities, you have to distinguish yourself from the crowd of other technical writers who'll be vying for the same positions you're after. In other words, you have to go into that job market armed with more than just a bachelor's degree and some classroom writing samples. Following are some suggestions that can help you acquire some professional technical writing experience, broaden your skills and knowledge of the technical writing field, and get you over the entry-level hump. http://tc.eserver.org/30309.html http://tc.eserver.org/30309.html Rapidly expanding international commerce demands multilingual product descriptions and instructions for users. Technical products require precise translations by knowledgeable translators to avoid costly or even fatal errors. These may range from simple business letters to legal documents, patents, scientific articles, service or end-user manuals. http://tc.eserver.org/30307.html http://tc.eserver.org/30307.html They call us 'documentation specialists' in the biz. Our mail is addressed to 'doc spec' because 'documentation specialist' doesn't fit on mailing labels. At social gatherings, people's faces go blank when we say we write software documentation or computer manuals. But what are we, really? http://tc.eserver.org/30304.html http://tc.eserver.org/30304.html The guide contained here is intended to help you on your quest to create a good, usable resume. I don't promise you that you will get a job after following my advice, but it will get you a lot closer to your goal. http://tc.eserver.org/30236.html http://tc.eserver.org/30236.html Electronic mentoring uses e-mail to bring the academic and business communities together without the boundaries of geography or time. Through an electronic mentoring program professionals gain insights into the academic realm from students and educators as well as give students advice based upon their experiences as communicators in business. This paper is part of the 'Expand Your Learning Community: Electronic Mentoring' panel; it focuses on the benefits to businesses. knowledge? http://tc.eserver.org/30252.html http://tc.eserver.org/30252.html Two seasoned technical communicators discuss the elements of 'growing their jobs,' using successes and lessons learned to offer practical suggestions for getting in, moving up, and staying put if the company downsizes. http://tc.eserver.org/30253.html http://tc.eserver.org/30253.html This workshop is designed to help independent contractors write their own contracts. http://tc.eserver.org/30204.html http://tc.eserver.org/30204.html Making your objectives specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based not only focuses the attention of the organization on high priority activities, but it also creates metrics that can be measured and monitored in order to see how well the organization is performing. http://tc.eserver.org/30172.html http://tc.eserver.org/30172.html Strategic planning, the process of determining where you intend to be and how you're going to get there, is essential to the success of any organization. But our assessment of the information development community indicates that the majority of organizations do little or no strategic planning. One reason is that their leaders often don't know what strategic planning is, why it's important, or how to do it. http://tc.eserver.org/30182.html http://tc.eserver.org/30182.html Historically, the only career path communicators had was into management. Today, other options are available such as human factors specialists, usability specialists, instructional designers, and multi-media designers. Understanding the manager S role is key before focusing on that path. Unfortunately, too many communicators take the management path and decide it's not for them. When this happens, it may be too late to refocus on other career options in the ever-changing technological environment. http://tc.eserver.org/30147.html http://tc.eserver.org/30147.html Our roles as technical communicators are often dictated to us by other people. Clients come to us after their product has already been developed, saying, 'I need a manual,' or 'I've written the necessary procedures--just make them look nice. ' It's easy to fall into the trap of just doing what we're told when we're told to do it. http://tc.eserver.org/30138.html http://tc.eserver.org/30138.html Managing difficult changes in the workplace is possible by going through three clearly outlined phases. This approach to finessing professional transitions takes into account the differences between change and transition, defining transition as an interval with three phases. Communication style is a major contributor to moving effectively and smoothly through the three phases of a transition. Choosing one's words carefully, replacing commonly used and infrequently considered negative words with positive words, affects not only one's ability to finesse professional transitions successfully, but also others' perceptions of how well people manage their transitions. http://tc.eserver.org/30148.html http://tc.eserver.org/30148.html Numerous helpful references and courses teach us how information developers can create value for clients through good project management, but getting our partners to recognize that value remains a challenge. http://tc.eserver.org/30152.html http://tc.eserver.org/30152.html To better predict your staffing and schedule needs on future projects, you should keep a record of what you've done in the past. This paper presents a template for one way to formalize such records to ensure consistent reporting and to provide statistics in a way that is meaningful for future estimates. The workshop will present case studies to help you understand how to use the data in this report to estimate and schedule your next project. http://tc.eserver.org/30126.html http://tc.eserver.org/30126.html The technical publications group of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory was restructured to eliminate the traditional hierarchical organization in favor of multiple concurrent work teams. Every job is assigned to a work team, and people usually are on several teams at once, as leaders of some teams and members of others. We present two case studies describing teams that operated very differently. The teaming system allows us to tailor the approach to the needs of different clients. http://tc.eserver.org/30119.html http://tc.eserver.org/30119.html Shares tips with new telecommuters on setting up a home office, maintaining work discipline, staying connected with colleagues and clients, and easing a doubting manager's anxieties. http://tc.eserver.org/30130.html http://tc.eserver.org/30130.html The Unisys Mission Viejo facility and the Capistrano Valley High School, both in Mission Viejo, California, were able to achieve a mutually beneficial partnership when an English teacher (Anthony Pastizzo) with an unusual perspective on learning and a Product Information manager (David Robinson) with a strong commitment to education got together. Mr. Pastizzo's summer internship in the Unisys Product Information department led to high school student internships in many departments. Other positive results may also follow. The internships also produced some unexpected positive results within the Unisys facility. http://tc.eserver.org/30098.html http://tc.eserver.org/30098.html Between April 24th and May 22nd, 2007, A List Apart conducted the first survey of 'people who make websites'; 32,831 web professionals participated. Straightforward survey responses are summarized. Detailed findings, derived by cross-referencing various data, make up the remainder and bulk of this report, and constitute its chief claim to significance. http://tc.eserver.org/30076.html http://tc.eserver.org/30076.html Leveraging on the success of my business, DocuStar, this paper describes some of the strategies I have used to grow my one-person freelance gig into a business employing over 65 employees on our own premises and servicing over 200 hi-tech companies per year. While the profit margin may not match that of the up-and-coming dotcoms, the needs of the market foretell a solid and ever-growing future within the technical documentation niche. With a strong commitment to hard work, an adventurous excitement for conquest and a paramount and obsessive commitment to quality and integrity, technical writing can certainly be grown into a big business venture. http://tc.eserver.org/30063.html http://tc.eserver.org/30063.html While we understand how BLS could have stuck with the term 'technical writing' for so long, it's time to change this policy. To that end, STC proposes that the Standard Occupational Classification 27-3042, Technical Writer be replaced with 27-3044, Technical Communicator. http://tc.eserver.org/30057.html http://tc.eserver.org/30057.html If a recruiter called you today with your dream job, would you be prepared to send out an up-to-date resume right away? http://tc.eserver.org/30054.html http://tc.eserver.org/30054.html I'm a writer. Shouldn't I be able to write something as simple as a resume? http://tc.eserver.org/30056.html http://tc.eserver.org/30056.html We need to revise our job descriptions. Rather than authoring printed manuals and on-line help panels, we should be involved in or leading projects that make them unnecessary. Why? Because consumers increasingly demand intuitive interfaces to the products they use. Users and administrators of more complex products expect interfaces that guide them through decisions rather than require them to read details. We must stay ahead of this trend, rather allow ourselves to be flattened by it. http://tc.eserver.org/30003.html http://tc.eserver.org/30003.html The need for TCs with traditional writing skills will remain fairly stable, but the need for TCs in total will grow. The new technical communicators will come from the world of game design, where they know all about 3D-vector animation, and they will come from the world of TV and video production. http://tc.eserver.org/30004.html http://tc.eserver.org/30004.html If you have the stomach for it, technical writing can be the path to a full-time writing career. I did it for three years before switching to general business writing, which offers more variety. If you decide to go technical, be sure to keep reading the work of authors you admire so your day job doesn't make you forget everything you ever knew about 'real' writing. http://tc.eserver.org/29993.html http://tc.eserver.org/29993.html During March and April 2003, Cherryleaf, in conjunction with HyperWrite, carried out a survey into the current trends in technical communication. We have been analysing the findings, and here is a summary of the results. http://tc.eserver.org/29989.html http://tc.eserver.org/29989.html Perhaps the most obtuse way of explaining what a technical writer is to say that the profession is misnamed; the real description should be non-technical writer. In other words, a person who turns technical text into non-technical information. http://tc.eserver.org/29938.html http://tc.eserver.org/29938.html 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. http://tc.eserver.org/29914.html http://tc.eserver.org/29914.html It is possible to survive in a start-up. As new technologies emerge so do start-ups where, more often than not, process and procedures have yet to be implemented. This article takes a look at the three key elements needed for Tech Pubs to survive in a start-up. http://tc.eserver.org/29915.html http://tc.eserver.org/29915.html What was supposed to be a six-week out-of-town technical writing assignment became nine months of torture. Mired in poor planning, wasteful spending, unbearable working conditions and internal politics, the project resulted in bankruptcy for one company and unused user documentation for another. I survived the project by seeking ways to keep up my personal morale. This included regular exercise, organizing special dinners with co-workers and involvement in local activities. http://tc.eserver.org/29908.html http://tc.eserver.org/29908.html This is a brief overview of Six Sigma principles and an introduction to basic methods used in a Green Belt project in a technical publications department. This Green Belt project addressed the impact of declining return rates of technical reviews to both quality and cost. The author explains how the project originated and which Six Sigma methods were selected and implemented. She will review several examples of methods used to identify feasible solutions. The intended results of this project are to increase the return rate and, more importantly, to improve documentation quality and greatly reduce the department's cost of rework. http://tc.eserver.org/29909.html http://tc.eserver.org/29909.html Many technical communicators and managers find themselves in organizations that have undergone significant reorganization, acquisitions, or mergers. Many of us also work in teams that are distributed worldwide. In such a dynamic, fast-paced environment, we found the SWOT analysis to be a simple, cost-effective tool for gaining insight into the workings of our organization. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Whether you are a manager, an individual contributor, or someone who wants to improve how your company’s Tech Pubs organization works, you can use SWOT analysis for organizational planning.