While the field of usability has existed for decades, the number and quality of careers in the field have greatly improved in the last 10-15 years. The long-term prognosis for the industry is good: there are constant opportunities in almost every industry since new products and technology come out all the time, in usability as well as user-centered design, interaction design and user experience design.
#20978
But I Don't Know Anyone: Networking 101 for Introverts 
'But I don't know anyone is a common response when I give people the advice to build their professional networks. What they really mean is 'I don't know anyone who can give me a job.' This protest and response is missing the point. Networking is not justabout finding work. It's about building a professional network of peers who keep in touch on a professional level, who can help each other out from time to time, share pertinent information, and keeping your mind in shape.
Hamer, Emma C. Hamer Associates. Careers>Collaboration>Community Building
#20371
By the Water Cooler in Cyberspace, the Talk Turns Ugly
Thousands of message boards for individual companies have emerged over the last few years, creating a window on what some employees feel but never say publicly. Often the view through this window is rather ugly.
Abelson, Reed. New York Times, The (2001). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration>Online
#19922
Hiring managers need to understand academic programs in technical communication in order to evaluate potential new hires, especially for entry-level positions in challenging, high-tech, international environments. Changes in the profession, in the workplace, and in higher education have led to the proliferation of academic programs. These may offer advantages over non-academic training, in terms of cost, comprehensiveness, content, and control. Academic programs are also different among themselves, based on credentials, institutions, instructors, and program homes. By developing reasonable, informed expectations for what academic programs teach, managers who hire program graduates can experience the payoffs of lower-risk, more cost-effective long-term hires.
Rehling, Louise. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Interviewing>Management
#18295
California Labor Market Information System: Technical Writers
Technical Writers compose communication from product developers for users of the products. Users include consumers as well as scientists, engineers, plant executives, line workers, and production managers. Writers must write in a concise and easy-to-read manner for consumer publications or in highly specialized language for experts. With the increased use of desktop publishing, Technical Writers increasingly are responsible for the publication process including graphics, layout, and document design. Technical Writers create product instructions, reference and maintenance manuals, articles, project proposals, training materials, technical reports, catalogs, brochures, online documentation and help systems, Web pages, multimedia presentations, parts lists, assembly instructions, and sales promotion materials.
State of California (2002). Careers>Writing>Technical Writing>California
#31434
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.
D'Aprix, Roger. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Careers>Management>Public Relations
#24954
This workshop exposes attendees to the complexities of capital equipment budgeting and purchase, specifically in the areas of depreciation, useful life of a product, and accounting and company policy. By role-playing in a simulated business environment, attendees 'learn the ropes' and sharpen their skills.
Caernarven-Smith, Patricia. STC Proceedings (1994). Careers>Management
#23125
The Care and Feeding of Freelancers
Freelancers can be bright, savvy, ornery, creative -- a thousand descriptions apply, but 'conformist' usually isn't one of them. Here are some tips for hiring and working with freelancers, and for keeping your employees happy at the same time.
Adams, Eric J. Creative Pro (2004). Careers>Freelance>Management
#20765
The Care and Feeding of Teams: Strategies for Team Leaders 
Teams, like individuals, go through various developmental stages. Understanding these stages enables a team leader to know if the team is developing normally. Although the team leader’s role and level of involvement vary from stage to stage, there are strategies that the leader can use to spur the team’s growth at each stage.
Hansen, Lauren Y. and Susan M. J. Lester. STC Proceedings (1999). Careers>Management>Collaboration
#14728
The Care and Feeding of Your Customers
Fugate discusses how self-employed technical communicators can maintain long-term relationships with multiple clients while still catering to their current customers.
Fugate, Alice E. Intercom (2001). Careers>Freelance
#27561
As an agile coach, I get the opportunity to facilitate many teams’ first iteration planning meeting. Now these meetings do start out like typical meetings, with everyone sitting around a table and one person talking. But as the meeting progresses and discussions begin around the work, it can begin to look like chaos to an outsider. What I didn’t realize however, until recently, was that it can also look like chaos to some of the insiders as well!
Sliger, Michele. On Becoming Agile (2006). Careers>Management>Agile
#18195
Career Assessment in Changing Times
It used to be the prospect of retirement that made us stop and think about who we are and how we want to spend the productive years ahead. Not any more. This kind of thinking and planning is critical for everyone today, given the dramatic changes taking place in the business world. As companies shed staff of all ages, we need to assess our own strengths and weaknesses and career options. This experienced panel talks abut reinventing yourself, overcoming obstacles - real and imagined, practical considerations for the part-time, home-based business and 'dream' career alternatives.
Jones, Sheila C., Roger A. Grice, William A. Mattingly and Coralyn K. McGregor. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>TC>Assessment
#28940
What do you want to be when you grow up? Some people think there is only one choice, but Christina Wodtke shows us that there are as many choices as there are people making them.
Wodtke, Christina. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Careers>TC>Design
#14953
Career Coach Offers Survival Skills for Challenging Times
Condon encourages people to search for networking opportunities. She suggests reading the technology section of The Oregonian on Mondays to find out about meetings of professional groups in addition to STC. She said she often attends events simply because the announced speaker sounds intriguing. She visits meetings of Rotary clubs, Lions, and environmental organizations. She finds out what groups her friends and neighbors belong to and asks if she can attend a meeting with them. When she goes, she doesn't attempt to meet everyone, she just tries to make two or three new contacts. She exchanges business cards, and then, the next day, she follows up with a handwritten note to one or two people saying what a pleasure it was to meet them.
Riley, Erin. STC Williamette Valley (2002). Careers>Advice
#31570
A Career in Technical Communication: What's in It for You?
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.
#31901
A Career in Technical Writing: Beach Time
Beach time and bench time refer to paid or unpaid time off between consulting contracts. When you are a contractor, it is best to take initiative and find other options no matter how much you trust your recruiter. Never trust a company to have your best interests in mind.
Hewitt, John. Writer's Resource Center (2008). Careers>Unemployment>Freelance>Technical Writing
#31898
A Career in Technical Writing: Life as a Wannabee
I couldn’t picture myself as a big time advertising writer, but technical writer was something that I figured I could do. I had plenty of computer experience. Half of my personal debt was related to computer equipment. I had been on the Internet since before there was a World Wide Web. I had a degree in creative writing and I had been an editor and writer for a few minor publications. Technical writer seemed obtainable.
Hewitt, John. Writer's Resource Center (2008). Careers>Writing>Technical Writing
#31899
A Career in Technical Writing: Two Dates to the Prom
In the world of contracting, the entire hiring process can take place over the phone. Knowing the right tool (even a little) can get you the job.
Hewitt, John. Writer's Resource Center (2008). Careers>Freelance>Technical Writing
#21405
A Career in Technical Writing: What Can You Expect? 
What can you expect from a career in technical writing? The answer depends on a couple of factors. Specifically, will you be a lone technical writer or part of a technical writing team? Will you be a freelance technical writer or an employee?
Docsymmetry (2003). Careers>TC>Writing>Technical Writing
#14547
Career Options for Technical Communicators in a Restructured World
In a booming economy, promotions and advancement 'up the career ladder' seemed like reasonable expectations for capable technical communicators. But in the new downsized business environment a new career pat tern is emerging called the portfolio career. In a portfolio career, a person develops a range of skills and applies them in a series of jobs or assignments or responsibilities. Technical communicators are in a unique position to take advantage of this new trend in the workplace because they often possess a wide range of transferable skills and have a good overview of the company's product line and business processes.
Fisher, Lori H. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>TC>Workplace
#21675
Career Outlook for Technical Writers and Editors
The U.S. Dept. of Labor’s 'Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-03 Edition, Writers and Editors,' is recommended reading for those considering technical writing as a profession. Some of the main points highlighted in the handbook make interesting reading.
Klariti (2003). Careers>TC>Writing>Technical Writing
#31655
Career Outlook for Technical Writers to 2010
Most professional writing jobs still require a college degree either in the liberal arts with a preference for Communications, Journalism, and English. Competition is expected to be less for lower paying, entry-level jobs. Writers who fail to gain better paying jobs usually can transfer readily to communications-related jobs in other occupations.
Klariti (2007). Careers>TC>Technical Writing
#28495
The Career Path for Usability Professionals: A Review of the UPA DC June 7, 2006
Learn about the career path of usability professionals from three speakers who have extensive experience in the usability profession, including managers of usability departments and independent consultants.
Dick, David J. Usability Interface (2006). Careers>Usability
#29743
For many practitioners, technical communication can--and should--be the springboard for a different career. Many technical writers and editors have made transitions to related disciplines from which they can influence industry and academia. They now have titles such as marketing and web content writer, usability lab manager, product marketing manager, business operations strategist, and more. This paper summarizes the career evolutions of the author and several colleagues in technical communication, and provides advice to help readers broaden their career horizons.
Rosenbaum, Stephanie L. STC Proceedings (2004). Careers>TC>Usability>Marketing
#23620
Career Preservation in a Volatile and Competitive Work Market
The ideas presented in this paper reflect my 25 years of observations and work experience, and recent period of unemployment in 2002. These ideas apply most appropriately to the software, high tech, and telecom industries, but could easily apply to other industries, academia, government, or non-profit organizations.
Emerson, Nathan F. STC Proceedings (2003). Careers>Unemployment>Planning
#26538
Folks on the Interaction Design Discussionion mailing list posted some tips and Web sites helpful in conducting a job search.
IxDA Resource Library (2005). Careers>Usability>Mailing Lists>Interaction Design
