#20265
Weathering Transition: Is the Grass Really Greener? 
This panel discusses three perspectives of transitions upon selecting, changing, and starting a job or career in the technical communication field. Changing jobs or careers is stressful. Technical communicators must adapt to different corporate cultures, technology changes, and job or career adjustments. Individuals face several challenges when changing jobs or careers-a technical communicator must evaluate the existing situation and any potential offers to determine whether a new opportunity is actually what it seems. Having obtained another degree, changed careers, and transitioned through three jobs in nearly three years, I will present my suggestions for evaluating your current job, determining your needs, andfinding a new job or career that interests you.
Sippel, Martha K. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>TC
#20264
Weathering Transition: New Kid on the Block
This panel discusses three perspectives of transitions upon selecting, changing, and starting a job or career in the technical communication field. Beginning a new job or changing careers is stressful. It involves selecting a corporate culture in which you-feel comfortable so you can successfully contribute to the company while maintaining your self-esteem. After working as a geophysicistfor 20 years, obtaining a new degree in technical communication, and being ar my current job for three years, I will present insightful hints on choosing and starting a new job while keeping your self-esteem.
Stark, Mary Jo. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>TC
#20266
Weathering Transition: What Skills Do You Really Need?
Most industry recruiters are looking for writers with both education and experience. Moreover, they assume that if you have a college degree, you should possess a fundamental skills set in a particular field, and you should have proven that you can commit and follow through on a major learning task. Having the fundamental skills is important to employers because your job training can then focus on the company’s specifics (such as, technology, products, and platforms).
Burroughs, Dia H. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>TC
#22472
A Week in the Life of a Technical Communicator
A website which details the events in one technical communicator's (active) week.
#19873
What Does a Manager Do Anyway?
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.
Coffee, Mary K., Jean M. Jahnke and Sarah C. Yeo. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Management>TC
#13513
What Do Technical Writers Find Stressful?
If you are new to the technical writing profession or are considering technical writing as a career, you may be wondering whether technical writing is a high-stress occupation. According to The Jobs Rated Almanac 2001 by Les Krantz, technical writers are rated as having a 'relatively moderate to medium level of stress' when compared to other professions. The Almanac ranks 250 professions based on a range of job demands that are considered to cause stress; the stress ranking for 'technical writing' is based on the large workloads, tight deadlines, stringent demands for quality, and the exposure to criticism characteristic of many technical and marketing writer jobs.
Singer, Warren. TECHWR-L (2002). Careers>TC>Assessment
#30182
What DOES a Manager Do Anyway?
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.
Coffee, Mary K., Jean M. Jahnke and Sarah C. Yeo. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>Management>TC
#21485
What DOES a Manager Do Anyway?
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.
Coffee, Mary K., Jean M. Jahnke and Sarah C. Yeo. STC Proceedings (1996). Careers>Management>TC
#14617
What Does It Mean To Be a Technical Communicator?
The author presents a description of his job that he gives to people who ask what he does. The article is reprinted from the May 1998 issue of CommLink Online, the online newsletter of STC's Atlanta chapter.
Houser, Rob. Intercom (2000). Careers>TC
#19799
In their book Reengineering the Corporation, Michael Hammer and James Champy describe reengineering as 'the radical redesign of a company’s processes, organization and culture.' This presentation describes the conceptual framework of reengineering, relates reengineering to the work of technical communicators and calls on technical communicators to take leading roles in reengineering their own organizations.
Janicko, Raymond P. STC Proceedings (1994). Careers>TC>Management
#20730
What Makes a Great Entry-Level Candidate?
There is a shortage of experienced technical communicators in many places. This often forces Tech Pubs managers to hire and train entry-level (or change-of-career) candidates who have no portfolio, related work experience, or references in the field.
Sakson, Donna M., Leah Guren and Shirley Hancock. STC Proceedings (1999). Careers>Interviewing>TC
#13514
What Strategies Can Technical Writers Use to Cope with Stress?
This article offers some practical suggestions for increasing your ability to cope with stressors. Rather than attempting to cover solutions in depth, this article provides a range of ideas to explore in addressing the stressors discussed in Part One. The 'See Also' section at the end of each topic provides links to additional resources related to the topic, which help clarify or expand on the strategies briefly described under each topic.
Singer, Warren. TECHWR-L (2002). Careers>TC>Assessment
#14672
What to Do While You're Waiting
Carruthers suggests several ways technical writers can use their downtime more productively.
Carruthers, R. Bruce. Intercom (2000). Careers>TC
#20441
What to Include in a Portfolio
You have started to save your money to buy what is necessary to put your portfolio together, and now you want to decide what to include in it.
#31884
Whether you’re a full timer or a contractor, you’ll eventually part ways with an employer. When you step out the door for the last time, what will you leave in your wake? A mess, or a way for your co-workers or replacement to quickly pick up where you left off?
DMN Communications (2008). Careers>TC>Collaboration
#28557
What's to Become of the Tech Pubs Department? Technical Communication and Content Management
As technical publications groups are finding themselves thrust upon the main stage of the global economy, they face new demands such as reconstituting themselves internally and resituating themselves in their wider organizations. Read on for ideas about how to incorporate content management (CM) into the process.
Boiko, Bob. Intercom (2007). Careers>TC>Management>Content Management
#21379
When Scribes Were Honored in the Streets
The growth of the information technology industry and the focus on ease of use combine to offer technical communicators an unprecedented opportunity. If we seize this opportunity, we will no longer feel the need to justify our jobs. By developing proactive user assistance, we can act for customers and make their tasks easier to complete. If we make customers’ jobs simpler and reduce their reliance on static information, our perceived value will increase. To create proactive user assistance, however, we need to develop computer-programming skills.
Harding, Andrew R. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>TC>Programming
#28864
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
#21378
Where Are the Jobs? Work Alternatives for Technical Communicators
As the 90's come to a close, there have never been more options for technical communicators to ply their trade and make a good living. Today, in addition to working as company employees, we are thriving as temporary employees, independent contractors, and owners of temporary agencies and outsourcing companies. Consequently, temporary employment, independent contracting, and the management of technical communication businesses have become a way of life for many technical communicators.
Cheirrett, Peg A. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>TC>Outsourcing
#25984
Where Do You Want to Work Today?
This article explores the work habits of technical writers in different regions of the world. The article is based on a a survey and publishes the results based on the responses of 900+ technical writers worldwide.
Doulton, Melanie. Indus (2005). Careers>TC>Regional
#20783
Who Wins and Who Loses as Jobs Move Overseas?
The outsourcing of jobs to China and India is not new, but lately it has earned a chilling new adjective: professional. Advances in communications technology have enabled white-collar jobs to be shipped from the United States and Europe as never before, and the outcry from workers who once considered themselves invulnerable is creating a potent political force.
Kinetz, Erika. New York Times, The (2003). Careers>TC>Outsourcing>Offshoring
#28105
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
#19742
Why Technical Communicators Make Good Usability Advocates
Usability is rapidly becoming an important skill for technical communicators and a growing interest for those seeking to expand their role as technical communicators into other areas of product development. The STC usability SIG now has over 2000 members, and the conference sessions at STC regional and annual conferences increasingly focus on usability. This year, a new 'stem' was created at the annual conference, which combined Information Design and Usability, because they just naturally belong together. It worked so well that it will be continued in future conferences.
Barnum, Carol M. Indus (2002). Careers>Usability>TC
#14421
Writers Write: Technical Writing Jobs List
Be sure to visit The Write Jobs for recent job listings for technical writers. Click here to view the technical writing job listings.
WritersWrite.com (2002). Careers>Job Listings>TC
