Getting a Foothold in Canada's Technical Communication Field

By Anuradha Satish

As I write this blog post for the Southwestern Ontario chapter of the STC, I have a feeling of achievement and contentment. From being a new immigrant to Canada who experienced the initial hardships of settling down with two young kids, to getting enrolled in Seneca’s technical communication program, to developing a growing network of professionals – it’s been a terrific roller coaster ride!

Thanks to Rob Cundari, the STC Southwestern Ontario Chapter president and my professor at Seneca, I am using this platform to share thoughts on my adventurous journey so far.
 
I started my career in 2004 in the field of communication — I dabbled in journalism and corporate communication before becoming an Instructional Designer. Having six years of experience writing and editing technical documents and training manuals mostly for North American clients, I presumed my move to Canada would be a step towards my passion – being a technical communicator.

Immigration comes with its share of ups and downs, and if you’re 30, it surely comes with a whole lot more! While I enjoyed the new lifestyle, I missed my work! There were a couple of consultation projects but nothing consistent came along my way. It took two years of frustration, introspection (and a trip back home!) to make me realize that I wanted to do nothing else but write and edit. But with no contacts or mentors, I was at a dead-end, or seemingly so...

The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel came in the form of Seneca College’s technical communication program at York University. There are other universities offering similar programs; I chose Seneca because of the mandatory co-op term, which promised to fill the ‘Canadian-experience’ gap in my resume. Getting through the entrance test, the orientation process and the entire ‘going-back-to-school’ feeling surely excited me, but I was equally nervous – what if I don’t enjoy the program? What if I don’t learn anything new? What if I just don’t like it?

The answers came in the first week of September 2013, when I began my life as a student. The subjects were extremely interesting – Technical Writing, Editing, Programming and Coding, Information Technology, and software tools such as MS Word, Adobe Frame Maker and RoboHelp — I enjoyed every class! 

The professors are experienced professionals who are well-versed with industry practices and share much more than bookish knowledge. They opened doors to the STC – more networking opportunities! And the classroom is full of enthusiastic and eager learners like me – and before I knew it, I was already learning so much from everyone.

The program has sharpened my writing and editing and helped me upgrade my technical skills. For someone who only drafted in MS Word, learning the benefits of Adobe Frame Maker, Adobe RoboHelp, VBA and HTML was a great confidence boost. And it showed during my interview for the co-op placement — I got hired by the first company who interviewed me!

As I write this blog entry, it has been a month into my co-op. I am putting to practice the skills I learned at Seneca and sharing useful tips with my colleagues. The positive feedback I receive is heartening – it makes the entire journey worthwhile!

I would love to hear how and why you got in to the technical communications field yourself, and any advice you have for new writers looking to join our profession. Perhaps you can encourage more people like me who are looking forward to a challenging and successful career ahead.

Thank you!

A Day with Award-Winning Author, John Hedtke

By Bo Vandenberg, STC Member

John Hedtke came to speak to our Southwestern Ontario STC chapter on Saturday, October 5th, and over the course of a full day, he gave us a series of presentations on writing, estimating, and publishing.

When you're just getting started in the field of technical communication, it's really inspiring to hear from someone who has already climbed the mountain -- In this case, the great book-writing mountain!

How many finished books have you seen someone complete in your life?

How many people do you know who want to write a book but never do?

Have you ever thought about writing a book yourself but felt too intimidated to try?

I believe we internalize some very negative expectations from the incomplete projects in our lives. Incomplete work never goes away and can take up too much brain space.

Listening to John talk about his work, with tremendous honesty, helped me see the big picture again.

John presented us with great advice, links to his website, and something I found really important - a conviction that writing a book is far from impossible. After all, he has written 26 of them.

He led us through an actual book proposal, presenting both sides of the book writing business. I really appreciated the length of time we spent inside his writing process. Many speakers don't have the experience or commitment to speak all day as he did.

John also offered us a very frank and useful presentation on estimating the time requirements on writing a book. Did you know that 70% of all books are late? I really appreciated hearing the entire end-to-end work flow straight from the writer's mouth!

I left the day with a vicarious perspective on John's work process. I really want to thank the STC and John Hedtke for such an inspiring view of confident success.

AGM In Review

By Rob Cundari, President - STC Southwestern Ontario

Looking Back At The Year That Was

One year gone. As my first year as President of the STC SOC council comes to an end, I was given the opportunity this past weekend to provide some reflection on the year that had past, as well as generate some insight on where I see things going in near future. 

We are not without our challenges. In the same breath, we are not without our fighters...our planners...our braintrust: our volunteer council.

I look back now and see that the role I assumed is not an easy one. I liken it to a freshly graduated pilot expected to fly the 747 from Toronto to Paris. Lots of responsibility, but with the talented and qualified crew supporting me, I couldn't imagine flying "this" plane alone.  There is experience and love for this profession that I see in all of our volunteers and I couldn't be more happy to lead a better group of individuals into the next year.
 

AGM 2013 - Progress to Success

Our AGM turned out to be a fascinating and engaging affair.  

Carol and Pauline - Coming home for a surprise visit and more than a few laughs

Nancy Halverson and Kathryn Bender thinking big thoughts

With five knowledgeable, accommodating, and engaging speakers to enlighten and educate the attentive group, it was inevitable that this year's final council offering would turn out to be a success.

But don't just take my word for it! Here's what others have to say about this year's AGM event:

Bill Scott

Starting off with the local networking guru - Bill Scott - the group was inundated with advice and expert recommendations on a topic that many in our profession have a tough time adapting to: networking. We are communicators by trade, but many of us have a tough time communicating about ourselves and Bill promptly showed us the way.

Bill Scott - Always Be Networking

Rosanne Burdett

Following Bill was a familiar face. Rosanne Burdett - a local HR professional and career transition consultant - engaged the group in an interactive discussion about the Dos and Don'ts of resume preparation and interviewing.  

Rob Introducing Rosanne

Martha Jack

Changing direction, Martha Jack - a local social media expert and consultant - shared her knowledge and global experience on the ever-changing maelstrom of Tweeting and Facebooking. She provided solid insight and advice on how to enter the social media realm and not get swallowed whole.

Martha Jack - Pick 1 or 2 Social Media Platforms and Do Them Well

John Rose

With wit and hard-nosed storytelling, John Rose engaged the audience with tales of real life global workplace happenings and challenged those in attendence to question "why" when faced with difficult decisions and situations. 

John Rose Introducing the Concept of "The Agreeable Why"

Rob Cundari

I had the pleasure and the honour to close out the proceedings with a brief and light-hearted talk on consulting and how important it is to have discipline and perseverence when entering the world of the "lone wolf".

Rob Cundari: Find Time to Fold the Laundry

 
I'm proud of this community. I'm proud of their commitment. I'm proud of the way we communicate with each other. It's now time to celebrate our achievements.

Messages from the Town Hall

By Fei Min Lorente

A number of local chapter members recently enjoyed an intimate chat with two members of the STC Board of Directors:  Ray Gallon and Bernard Aschwanden.

 

Bernard Aschwanden (top), Ray Gallon (bottom)

Ray and Bernard were pumped after attending The Summit, especially the Board of Directors meeting and Leadership Day. 

They’re very impressed with the new CEO, Chris Lyons. He’d been on the job for three days before the conference, and he’d hit the ground running. They see a bright future ahead for the Society of Technical Communication with him in charge of the business.

Although we have just finished an election, and the new members of the board were very recently welcomed at the conference, Ray and Bernard are already thinking about the next election. 

They’d like everyone to know that as STC members, we should:

1. Vote.
2. Be careful who we vote for because it can take just 3 members of the STC board to make major changes to the Society. Of the 9 members, only 5 have to show up to make quorum. If only 5 show up, it only takes 3 to carry a motion.
3. Vote for best business practices, not popularity.
4. Think about volunteering to be on the nominating committee. These people provide a critical service by ensuring that we have top-notch candidates to choose from at election time.

They also explained some little-known facts:

• The STC is a tax-exempt organization, not a non-profit organization. The difference is that the STC is allowed to make a profit, as long as the profits are invested in furthering the organization’s vision.
• The current vision of the STC is to promote the profession of technical communication. Its primary purpose is not to serve the members (although by promoting the profession, it does help the members). The STC could be doing a better job of promoting the profession.
• The staff at head office all report to the CEO; they don’t work for the members. The CEO reports to the STC board of directors, and STC members elect the board of directors.
• Unlike politicians who run for re-election on the strength of their record in office, STC board members cannot talk about their achievements as individuals. All decisions and actions taken by the board are taken as a single entity.
• Finally, STC board members are happy to be operating in a more transparent manner. Any member who would like to know what the STC board of directors is discussing can read a summary of the meeting minutes online. You must log in with valid STC member credentials to access the page. 
• You can also access meeting minutes details via the main STC website: log in, hover over My STC, and click on the word Governance - it will take you to the same page as the previous link.

Chocolate Lovers Express Themselves

Submitted by Fei Min Lorente

At the Southwestern Ontario chapter’s chocolate tasting party, attendees were educated about how chocolate is made and guided through the procedure to properly taste fine chocolates. They began with tasting chocolate from single countries of origin: Santo Domingo, Ecuador and Tanzania. Then they were let loose to taste samples from Reid Chocolates, Rheo Thompson, and Chocolate Barr’s, all of whom were generous enough to donate door prizes. The resulting ecstasy inspired people to communicate their love of chocolate, in any way that could be put on paper, including stories, poetry and drawings. Here is a sample of their expressions:

Chocolate assessment:
Too sweet, too bitter, just right.
Food for Goldilocks.
    - Laura Zinn

Man cannot live on chocolate alone.

But women can!

    - Sharon Tucker

Every moment of the day had been a wonder to Giselle, and now her husband had one more surprise for her: chocolate. He was amazed to discover that she had never tried it before—but her poor family sometimes couldn’t even put food on the table.

That was a distant memory now though, as her husband had rescued her. How, on the first day of their honeymoon in Switzerland, he handed her a piece of chocolate.

Timidly, she took a bite. She dared not chew and waste the experience, so she carefully let it rest on her tongue. As it started to melt, she moved it around in her mouth. She swirled her tongue, letting the creaminess overtake her senses. The flavour was earthy, yet exquisite. She savoured the experience until the last of it disappeared.

The gratitude she felt toward her new husband for introducing her to chocolate was overwhelming. She felt intense joy and hope as she looked toward their future.
    - Stephanie Steffler

Nancy Halverson, selecting a tasty treat

Chocolate tasting is to happiness
As technical communication is to understanding.
    - anonymous


If there’s no chocolate in heaven, I’m not going.
    - Rhiannon Melvin

Karen Fair, Chocolate Expert Extraordinaire

Fei Min Lorente, holding a door prize, mmm

Chicago – A Year On

By Robert Cundari, President - STC Southwestern Ontario

It was this around this time last year that I prepared to leave the relative obscurity of my life as a consultant, albeit temporarily. I say temporarily because for four hectic days in May, I had the opportunity to stow away my day job and participate in what is known as the single largest gathering of technical communicators in the world – I was going to STC Summit 2012.

For those not aware, the location of the STC Summit changes each year. As the 2012 winner of the Chapter Summit Award, which is presented to a chapter volunteer with two years of experience and a commitment to volunteering the following year, I was headed to the Windy City – Chicago, Illinois.

A lot has changed since I went to the STC Summit 2012.  My business as an independent consultant continues to flourish thanks in no small part to my interactions with other like-minded people at the conference.  Everyone has a story – success or otherwise – that you can learn from.  That’s the beauty of Summit - the people make the event such a success.

As the incoming Southwestern Ontario STC chapter president, I also had a lot to absorb with regards to leadership and STC comings and goings.  Attending the Summit allowed me to embark on a rapid-fire learning experience where I participated in panel discussions, progression sessions, and round tables.  The wealth of knowledge and experience at my fingertips was palpable.  I couldn’t help but become motivated for both my career and the future of our chapter.

From morning to night, education seminars and workshops were held to highlight the new technologies and methodologies as well as to clean out some of the practical cobwebs that I knew I had brought with me.  It was refreshing to hear about certification. It was motivating to hear that I wasn’t the only contractor struggling at times with the maintenance of a business.  There were others like me and it was great to meet them.  We still keep in touch from time to time.

You might ask if I had a chance to escape the conference for a bit and take in some of the sites that the magnificent city of Chicago has to offer.  The answer is absolutely!  While the daily education tract can become intense, there was plenty of downtime to enjoy the town.  A visit to Chicago wouldn’t be the same without a baseball pilgrimage to Wrigley Field and the “Curse of the Cubs” – joining the locals at the Cubby Bear Bar to cool off in the hot May sun.  Or perhaps Or perhaps a ride on the famous “El” – Chicago’s elevated train system to explore a bit of the magnificent downtown.  And don’t get me started about the REAL Chicago deep dish pizza.  There is no rival.

Being a volunteer with the STC and the Southwestern Ontario chapter is not without its rewards.  I was sent to represent our chapter and to learn from the experiences of others.  What I took from the conference will be used for years to come.  I urge anyone with a passion for technical communications and working closely with other like-minded people to explore volunteering with the STC.

Reaching the Summit

By Kathryn Bender

Leading up to the STC Summit, I found myself getting nervous. It was my very first conference, and I didn’t know what to expect. No one else from my local chapter was going, so I worried about connecting with others at the conference. If you are an introvert like I am, I’m sure you can relate. I felt the same way the first time I went from being an STC member on paper to attending my first in-person meeting. It was a bit daunting at first, but I somehow left the session as the Southwestern Ontario Chapter’s newest Program Manager. Sometimes these things are just meant to be.

Leadership Day

Leadership Day was my first day at the conference and ended up being the same kind of experience as my first chapter event. I showed up and immediately had to start networking. Although this can be awkward, as I began meeting people I realized that a lot of the people I conversed with felt the same way about it that I did: instant bonding moment. A few people were kind enough to invite me to sit with them, and my day just kept getting better from there. I met some of the STC leaders and was finally able to connect real people with names and emails that STC members receive. I learned about a new initiative to re-popularize the International Summit Award competition and reinvigorate STC members to actively participate in the initiative. I was also able to connect with the society on a more intimate level by learning about all of the cool things that chapters, special interest groups (SIGs), and members are involved in and actively promoting. It was impossible not to leave Leadership Day feeling invigorated and ready to get involved. 

Keynote Speaker

After Leadership Day, the Summit officially opened with a keynote address from technical communicator, David Pogue. I had never heard of Mr. Pogue before his keynote address, but I will not forget him after his crazy antics and mad piano skills. 

David Pogue giving the keynote address

David Pogue got the ball rolling, and from there the Exhibit Hall opened where Summit attendees could mix and mingle with impressive exhibitors like Adobe, MadCap, and TechWhirl. There was also a Welcome Reception with more networking opportunities. There was another exciting social event (the TweetUp) after that, but exhaustion had kicked in by that point and I had to concede.

First Official Day of the Summit

Monday was the first official day of the STC Summit and, to kick it off right, I attended Hannah Morgan and Ben Woelk’s session, “Empowering the Introvert Within” (right up my alley). Suddenly, I had a game plan for using my introversion super-powers to become a good leader. Monday was also a big day because I was finally introduced to the famous Lightning Talks for which the Summit is known. Five minutes, 20 slides, 15 seconds per slide. No exceptions. As a presenter, these talks must be nerve-wracking, but as an attendee, they were pure entertainment. The ninja talk at the end was especially entertaining because the presenters had to talk to a slide deck that they had never seen before. Dave Roach and Alan Houser were extremely good sports.  

Dave Roach giving a ninja talk

To round out my sessions that day I learned about growing opportunities in content management and social media, strategic IA (Information Architect) careers, and professional development opportunities. I also attended my first SIG meeting. There are so many SIGs with which to get involved. Did you know that the Academic SIG has developed a mentorship program that just kicked off? It sounds really cool and I think that everyone who is passionate about technical communication should get involved. Check it out!

Later that day the STC leaders took care of business at the Annual Business Meeting, followed by some fun and music at the Communities Reception and 60th Anniversary Celebration Party. I was introduced to the STC’s musically-talented members of The Rough Drafts band and others who sang karaoke until their voices gave out.  
 

The Rough Drafts at the 60th anniversary celebration

This was probably my favourite part of evening. Even though I was there by myself, within no time, I was welcomed at a table of STC members who were some of the nicest people I met in Atlanta (Hello Houston chapter)! This is also the first time I heard a song about technical writers. It is set to the tune of The Beatles’ Paperback Writer, but it hits the nail on the head as far as the ups and downs of being a technical writer. 

Day Two of the Summit

The last full day of the conference was Tuesday and it was just as jam-packed with sessions and events as Monday. It was another full day of amazing and informative sessions where I learned about interactive documents, knowledge management, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), gamification, and using mentoring programs to collaborate with industry. Before attending this conference I had no idea how many cool new technical communication projects were in the works but, now that I know, I am pumped to incorporate games into my projects, work on a MOOC (the STC will be working on one soon), and getting involved in a mentorship program. Suddenly my ho-hum work schedule is looking fun and innovative, and I am passionate to create and experience new things.

Ghostly Experience

Speaking of trying new things, while some of the Summit attendees were at the Honours Banquet, I decided to try a new experience in Atlanta: The Ghost Walk. It sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? The first thing I learned on my tour was that my hotel was built on an “ancient Indian burial ground”. Apparently that term is not only used in the movies. Needless to say, a few in the group didn’t sleep very soundly that night. The tour was great. Liz, our tour guide was fantastic and told us some amazing stories about the history of Atlanta and some of its buildings.  

On the ghost walk

It ended up being great to see downtown Atlanta at night, because I was so busy during the day attending sessions. I didn’t really want to miss anything to see the sights. More experienced Summit attendees managed to do both, so I guess I’ll have to work on that next time.

The Last Day of the Summit

The last day of the Summit was a short one for me. I only had time for one session before I had to head to the airport for my flight home. Fortunately, I managed to see the second Lightning Talk session before I left and it was just as entertaining as the first one. When you attend the Summit in the future (notice I said when and not if), be sure to fit in at least one of these talks. It will be well worth your time.

After the Summit

Sadly, the STC Summit is now over. I am finally catching up on the sleep I didn’t have time for in Atlanta. Sleep deprivation aside, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Luckily, I can relive the amazing sessions on Slideshare, where most presentations are uploaded, or through Summit@aClick when the webinars become available. If you have never been to the Summit, or are a new or prospective STC member, I hope this post will light a fire in you to get involved. Before I sign off, I will leave you with these three pearls of wisdom:

• Come to a meeting – I know networking can seem daunting at first, but we have all been where you are now and will welcome you with open arms.
• Get involved – The time and effort you put into this organization comes back to you ten-fold from the people you meet, the experiences you have, and the amazing things you learn.
• Give back – The opportunities for technical communication will continue to grow as technology grows, but, if future STC members don’t know who we are or what we do, we won’t be able to pass the torch.

I hope to see you next year in Phoenix!