The Beginner's Guide to Freelance Writing

You have to stand out from the crowd. You have to sparkle. How do you do this? Simple. It all starts with The Big Idea.

Glatzer, Jenna. Klariti (2005). Careers>Freelance>Writing

A Beginner's Guide to Managing a Localization Project  

Managing a localization process utilizes and tests all the skills of good project management: planning, team-building, and scheduling. A successful localization project requires a commitment by management to allow time for the team to develop the necessary plans and processes to produce a quality product. For the publications manager, choosing the right translation service can be a project in itself. Comparing the core competencies of translation companies with the requirements of the documentation project is an important first step before selecting a translation service.

Packer, Phebe and Lelanie Hellmer. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>Management>Localization

Behavior-Based Performance Expectations  

Many organizations document job-oriented expectations for their employees and tend to leave behavior-based performance criteria to the individual managers. Or, they may lump so many different jobs into a single performance criteria definition that that definition becomes meaningless for any individual group. In this paper we will discuss the difference between job-oriented expectations and behavior-based performance expectations. We will describe the process we used to create our performance expectations and will show some examples.

Crawford, Vanadis, Angela Pitts, Rosalind Radcliffe and Leah Ann Seifert. STC Proceedings (2004). Careers>TC>Case Studies

Benchmarking: A Practical Guide  

Using benchmarking, a company compares its processes with another best-practice company to improve the way it does business. The panelists, who have participated in several benchmarking projects, explain the benchmarking process and offer practical, real-world advice on how to do successful benchmarking.

Caldanaro, Regina M., Barbara Isa, and Lawrence D. Kunz. STC Proceedings (1994). Careers>Management>Project Management

Benefits and Pitfalls of Coaching Employees  

Successful managers increasingly use coaching to help employees improve performance. Coaching is a better model than counseling because it presupposes that the employee is capable of making improvements. Coaching also helps maintain a good relationships between the manager and employees. However, coaching cannot be a 'pure' coaching relationship when the manager has supervisory responsibilities for the employee. Still, successful coaching can result in a win/win outcome for both the employee and the company, even in a problem situation.

Agnew, Beth. STC Proceedings (2003). Careers>Mentoring

Benefits and Pitfalls of Mentoring  

Choosing a mentor or mentee can be a powerful moment in your professional life. Making the mentoring relationship work is not always easy and requires time and dedication from both parties. This article will define and explore the mentoring relationship, listing key factors for success.

Mason, Catheryn L. and Elizabeth Bailey. STC Proceedings (2003). Careers>Mentoring

The Benefits of a Buddy for the Solo Designer

Are you a home-based studio or freelancer? The benefits are many for the solo designer, but feeling isolated can spell trouble.

Bertucci, Janet and Julianne Nardone. Design, Typography and Graphics (2004). Careers>Graphic Design>Collaboration

The Benefits of Having a Mentor  

In the first article of a new section of Intercom devoted to students, Brown recounts her experience as a novice technical writer relying on a mentor for professional guidance.

Brown, Alison. Intercom (2001). Careers>Collaboration>Mentoring

Best Jobs in America: Technical Writing

Money Magazine and Salary.com rate careers on salary and job prospects. Technical writing comes in as the thirteenth best career in America.

Money Magazine (2006). Careers>Writing>Technical Writing

Beyond Foucault: Toward a User-Centered Approach to Sexual Harassment Policy      

Our current national policy regarding sexual harassment, expressed through legal, economic, and popular discourses, exemplifies the Foucauldian paradigm in its attempt to regulate sexuality through seemingly authorless texts. Arguing that regulation through such discursive technologies need not lead to the effects of domination that Foucault recognized, I propose a user-centered approach to policy drafting that values the knowledge of workers as users and makers of workplace policy.

Ranney, Frances J. Technical Communication Quarterly (2000). Careers>Management>Policies and Procedures>Sexual Harassment

Big Brother in the Boardroom  

The lives and antics of the housemates of the reality TV show Big Brother may have drawn our attention, but do we need to concern ourselves with the activities of a real Big Brother? Has George Orwell’s vision of electronic surveillance and mind control come true in the new millennium? Many people believe that Big Brother is alive and well and coming to a computer network near you. In fact, he could already be living with you in your office, watching your every move on the Internet. their rights by monitoring their employees: They need to ensure that their employees are not wasting time browsing adult Web sites, or sending and receiving personal e-mail. Hence the proliferation of sophisticated server software, which can perform all manner of filtering tasks automatically.

Archee, Raymond K. Intercom (2002). Careers>Workplace>Privacy

The Big Huff

An hypothetical example of interpersonal communication issues which may arise in the workplace.

Tad had sketched a layout to the wrong scale, so you called him in for what you thought would be a straightforward conversation. But instead of agreeing to make the changes, he stiffened a bit, then said, 'I've been working on this account for three years, and I know how these people work. They're going to futz around with this for a few days, and then tell you they want it the way I've done it. Believe me, it'll save a lot of time and money if we just go with it as is.' What can you do to get Tad's co-operation now, and to keep it in the future? And what might you have done differently to prevent this conflict?

Hard at Work. Careers>Workplace>Collaboration

Bill Gates' Last Day At Microsoft

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.

Catalyze (2007). Careers>Workplace>Multimedia

Biomedical Writing

Learn about biomedical writing and biomedical writers, what they are doing at various stages of their careers, and what their interests are.

Velez, Lili Fox. Earthlink (1999). Careers>Scientific Communication>Biomedical

Biotechnology: Opportunities for Technical Communicators  

Tanrikulu describes the opportunities and professional requirements for technical communicators seeking employment in the biotechnology industry. The article includes a list of Web sites where readers can seek more information.

Tanrikulu, Marta. Intercom (2001). Careers>Scientific Communication>Biomedical

Body Count: Why Moving to India Won't Really Help IT

There was a story in the news a couple weeks ago about how IBM was planning to move thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- of technical positions to India. This isn't just IBM, though. Nearly every big company that is in the IT outsourcing or software development business is doing or getting ready to do the same thing. They call this 'offshoring,' and its goal is to save a lot of money for the companies involved because India is a very cheap place to do business. And it will accomplish that objective for awhile. In the long run, though, IT is going to have the same problems in India that it has here. The only real result of all this job-shifting will be tens of thousands of older engineers in the U.S. who will find themselves working at Home Depot. You see, 'offshoring' is another word for age discrimination.

Cringely, Robert X. PBS (2003). Careers>Management>Outsourcing>Offshoring

The Bottom Line  

It's not been easy for art directors and graphic designers to maintain a career amidst rapidly changing technology and design trends.

Shinn, Nick. ShinnType (2001). Careers>TC>Typography>Graphic Design

Boxes and Arrows: Jobs List

Listings about open positions for user experience designers, web designers, information architects, user-centered design and similar positions.

Boxes and Arrows. Careers>Job Listings>User Experience>User Experience

Breaking into Corporate Editing

For many companies 'information' is their most important product. Forget the myth of the paperless office; most offices are flooded with research reports, studies, white papers, marketing surveys, analyses, annual reports, reviews -- enough paper to consume a small rainforest.

Allen, Moira. Writing World (2001). Careers>Editing

Breaking News!  

This panel explores what corporate leaders in the Technical Communications field consider the hottest topics in the industry today.

Conklin, John James, Judith L. 'Judy' Glick-Smith, George Hayhoe, Thomas B. Hoyt and Deborah Rosenquist. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>TC>Knowledge Management>Localization

Breaking out of the Cubicle: How a Small, Swiss Company Got its Groove On

In the mid-1990s, Makiko Itoh and her partner left New York's cubicle land for a web shop of their own in the suburbs of Zurich. Learn from her tips on running your own web agency.

Itoh, Makiko. List Apart, A (2001). Careers>Management>Web Design

Breaking the News

How to tell your client the truth even when a project isn't working out as planned.

Holland, Anton. Writer's Block (1995). Careers>Freelance>Consulting

Breaking the Sound Barrier  

I love my job but don’t feel the managers think it’s important, partly because of the noise. I also sometimes feel that I’m just an ISO requirement. I’ve also heard from techs that customers don’t look at the manuals; they just put them on a shelf. Any thoughts?

Alroy, Faye. Intercom (2003). Careers>Workplace>Writing>Technical Writing