Career Paths Less Taken  

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

Career Resources: Writing a Resume

The Career Center: Writing a Resume section contains information that can be helpful when you are preparing to write a resume.

Burnett, Rebecca E. Thomson (2001). Careers>Resumes>TC

The Career Survey Scope, Design, and Implications for Training and Education  

How do technical writers develop professionally after they graduate from college? To find the answer we developed a technical communication career survey between March and July, 1992, and polled members of STC. This panel discusses career development theory, the results of our survey and the reactions of actual technical writers who completed the survey.

Philbin, Alice I. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>TC>Statistics

Careers In Technical Writing: Advising English Majors

Headlines on high technology are attracting the interest of undergraduates who aren't sure what they can do with an English major, of graduate students in English who find college teaching jobs increasingly scarce, and even of college English teachers who are hearing tempting rumors of undreamt-of consulting opportunities. Those of us who teach English in growing centers of high technology find our students and colleagues curious about this lucrative but vaguely threatening new field for liberal arts majors, while technical writing classes designed for science and engineering students are attracting (or stealing) increasing numbers of these majors. This paper provides the necessary background on the technical writing field for college English teachers who need to advise English majors and minors about career choices. My description of the profession is based on my recent experience as a technical editor for over four years. I've brought together surveys in professional journals, occupational literature available in college placement offices, and 1980 census data, as well as the more current monthly publications of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both the statistics and my own observations confirm that, for English majors and minors with appropriate aptitude for and attitude toward the sciences, technical writing promises a potentially rewarding career.

Norman, Rose L. Modern Language Association (1986). Careers>TC

Carolina Communiqué

This site is an extension of the Carolina Communiqué, the monthly newsletter of the Carolina Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication. In these Web pages, you can read back issues of the newsletter and browse through some of the more timeless feature articles. You can also find out what you can do to contribute. This newsletter's for you, about you, and from you....

Carolina Communique. Journals>TC>Regional>Carolinas

The Case for "Technical Communicator"  

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.

Martin, Maurice and Richard O'Sullivan. STC (2007). Careers>TC

Case Studies: Profiles of Two Technical Communicators  

Dr. Philbin and Dr. Ryan will first speak about creating and administering the survey and explain the reasons for conducting the survey. As husband and wife and as technical communicators, we will discuss our feelings about participating in the survey, working in the field, and our plans for the future. We encourage other technical communicators to examine their career goals as well. From the beginning, our relationship was linked to the technical communication field. We helped each other during our job interviewing processes and fortunately we both found jobs as Technical Communicators. While we have shared many of the same experiences, we have each experienced unique aspects of the profession. The discussion mainly focuses on the feelings, questions, plans, and expectations raised in the survey.

Theodore, Todd E. and Paulette R. Elsass. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>TC>Case Studies

Cases in International Technical Communication  

Solve complex and real cases in international technical communication with your peers. Have fun, learn a lot, and meet interesting people while you’re at it!

Hoft, Nancy L. STC Proceedings (1998). Presentations>TC>International

The CCCC Outstanding Dissertation Award in Technical Communication: A Retrospective Analysis    

This article presents the history, purposes, outcomes, and significance of the CCCC Outstanding Dissertation Award in Technical Communication during its first five years. It analyzes the topical areas and research methods of the 34 dissertations nominated for the award from 1999 to 2003, as well as the evaluations of the judges. Methods of the nominated dissertations are interpretive (41%) and empirical (59%), but many dissertations combine methods. In the empirical category, qualitative methods (17) outnumber quantitative methods (3). The most frequent topical areas are workplace practice (8), rhetoric of the disciplines (7), and information design (6). Topics that are not widely investigated include issues of race and class and international communication.

Selber, Stuart A. Technical Communication Quarterly (2004). Articles>Research>TC>History

Celebrate Technical Communication

he recognition activities of STC generate a key component of the value provided to its members. Establishing a Technical Communication Week celebration can help boost your community’s profile and the perceived value of our work.

Barnett, Thomas P. Tieline (2005). Articles>TC>Community Building>STC

Centres for Excellence in Technical Communication

There are little pockets of special capability in technical communication throughout the world that we rarely hear about, because the people involved maintain a low profile and just get on with the job.

Blicq, Ronald S. TC-FORUM (1997). Articles>TC>Regional

Certification in Technical Communication    

The debate over certification of technical and professional communicators has occurred with periods of relative intensity and quiescence for more than twenty years. This article surveys the historical developments of the debate; describes the arguments for and against certification; surveys technical communication curricula and theoretical arguments for literacies, standards, and competencies; and examines various efforts to study certification, including a description of published documents regarding certification.

Turner, Roy K. and Charles Paine. Technical Communication Quarterly (2004). Careers>Certification>TC>Education

Certifying Technical Communicators: An Historical Perspective  

STC members have shown interest in being certified as technical communicators for at least 37 years. The Society has made at least four studies of certification. This paper reviews the work of the 1975-80, 1981, 1982-87 and 1994-1998 committees. The three, multi-year studies had essentially the same results; significant numbers want certification, but too few to make a full certification program economically viable. The studies also revealed that creating a certification program might be divisive. The 1982—-87 study revealed an interest by employers in STC having an accreditation program.

Malcolm, Andrew and Lawrence D. Kunz. STC Proceedings (2001). Careers>Certification>TC>History

The Challenges of Technical Illustration for Customer Documentation in the High Tech Environment  

As emerging computer technology and new graphics software packages allow for the creation of illustration and design by individuals without formal training, traditional illustrators from the “pen and pencil” era are continually challenged to compete in the industry. Choosing a career path in the technical documentation field presents a unique set of challenges for the technical illustrator and designer. This paper identijes the role of a technical illustrator and the tools and skills required for success in a high tech environment.

Moore, Donna Lynn. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>TC>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

The Changing Face of Technical Communication: New Directions for the Field in a New Millennium    

Identifies four different factors shaping the future of technical communication: user-centered design, corporate universities, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and knowledge management. The authors each address how factors once considered external to the field of technical communication are now becoming thoroughly integrated with it. These four studies, in conjunction, suggest how the field of technical communication is becoming increasingly complex and how participants (practitioners, researchers, and educators) will need to adapt to this new terrain.

Zachry, Mark, Kelli Cargile Cook, Brenton D. Faber and David Clark. ACM SIGDOC (2001). Presentations>TC>History

Changing How the World Communicates: Secondary Curricula in Technical Communication  

To prepare today's students for the world of work, language arts curricula should include reading and writing about technical subjects as well as about works of literature. Many students have difficulty comprehending computer documentation, safety instructions, and product manuals. They are also ill prepared to do the kinds of writing and speaking required on the job. This panel will address the following topics, as well as others raised by the audience.

Hayhoe, George F., E. Thomas Abbott, Ronald S. Blicq, Lisa A. Moretto and Trish Pollick. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Education>TC

The Changing Role of the Technical Communicator  

How many times have you said, 'I wouldn’t have to write 20 pages of documentation to explain this if the product was designed correctly in the first place!' Given our focus on user advocacy, the melding of the Web and the desktop, and the changes—away from those with which we’ve historically been associated—in the tools we use to develop information, we’re in a prime position to become more involved in product design. This paper briefly describes how the field is changing for many technical communicators and what you need to know to move into this exciting area.

Ames, Andrea L. STC Proceedings (2002). Careers>TC

Changing to Outwit Change: Staying Motivated in the '90s  

Keeping motivation high and steady has never been easy; the changes of the 1990’s have made self-motivation even more difficult. We are expected to do more, faster, and better--with less structure and supervision. Simultaneously, other demands upon our time and energy have built, not lessened. Although the seriousness of these challenges cannot be denied, they can be met by the development of a motivational strategy requiring self-knowledge, self-discipline, and the willingness to change, as well as offering concrete ways of coping with the 90’s and making them productive, even happy. This Workshop will be a team presentation, alternating motivational theory/practice with supporting theories of brain functioning.

Weis, Monica and Alec Sutherland. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>TC>History

Changing to Outwit Change: Staying Motivated in the '90s  

Keeping motivation high and steady has never been easy; the changes of the 1990’s have made self-motivation even more difficult. We are expected to do more, faster, and better--with less structure and supervision. Simultaneously, other demands upon our time and energy have built, not lessened. Although the seriousness of these challenges cannot be denied, they can be met by the development of a motivational strategy requiring self-knowledge, self-discipline, and the willingness to change, as well as offering concrete ways of coping with the 90’s and making them productive, even happy. This Workshop will be a team presentation, alternating motivational theory/practice with supporting theories of brain functioning.

Weis, Monica and Alec Sutherland. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>TC>History

Chapter Presidents Share "Bright Ideas"

A list, organized in alphabetical order by chapter name, of the best sixteen tips from STC chapter leaders in 2000.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Tieline (2001). Articles>TC>Community Building

Chapter Seminars  

Chapter seminars help members by providing current technical communication information, significant additional chapter funding, recruitment of new members, and a proving ground for new leaders. Seminars need a definite organization and leaders need clearly defined responsibilities and authorities. Seminars must provide useful relevant information, either focused or diverse, delivered effectively by skilled speakers. Seminars are not expanded monthly meetings; they must be quiet properly equipped pleasant facilities. Seminar finances must be balanced to provide the desired surplus, or the sting of lost funds will linger long after the sweet success of a stimulating program is forgotten.

Malcolm, Andrew. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Collaboration>Community Building>STC

Charles Jeter

This blog is about Technical Communication--mostly. I may stray from time to time into family oriented posts. Located in sunny San Diego, loving the Southern California weather.

Jeter, Charles. Charles Jeter. Resources>TC>Web Design>Blogs