By MaryKay Grueneberg | Senior Member
I have been a member of STC since 1996. Yet, the 2009 Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, was my first Summit. Why did it take me so long to attend my first Summit? I'm not really sure. It was not a matter of cost and it was not a matter of time off work. I think I simply never really paid attention to it before then. I know now that was a big mistake.
In the months just before the 2009 Summit, I was elected as Vice President of the STC Chicago chapter, so I thought it might be a good time to check it out. Then, I lost my job. My first response was, “Well, my time will be better spent looking for a job than attending the Summit.” Then I started talking to STC colleagues, who said the best way to land a new job was to attend the Summit, learn some new job search techniques, and make some new contacts.
Frankly, I was skeptical. Having almost ten years of experience as a hiring manager of technical writers and a technical writer myself, I thought I had a good grasp on what hiring managers were looking for. I wasn't altogether convinced that it would be worthwhile. But I registered for the Summit and while I was there, I made many new contacts and friends, and I concentrated on sessions related to job searches, resumes, and portfolios. In fact, I attended several job-search related sessions presented by Jack Molisani, president of ProSpring Technical Staffing and an STC Fellow. All of the presenters were well-qualified, experienced technical communicators who each had something unique and fresh to say.
I learned at that Summit that I was wrong about what I knew about finding a job. That is to say, I was not entirely correct. While the basics remain the same, there are new things to consider in these hard economic times. It is no longer good enough to be a good writer. Gone are the days when job postings garnered 5-20 applicants, with only a handful that are truly qualified for the position. Job postings today garner hundreds of applicants—many of them equally qualified. So what's an unemployed technical writer to do? First, clean up and tighten up your resume. Then, once your resume grabs the attention of the potential employer, use your portfolio and your interviewing skills to set yourself apart from all the other qualified candidates. Position yourself as an expert in your field and then prove it with your portfolio.
How do you do all these things when you haven't created a resume or updated a portfolio for years? You look to your colleagues, your mentors, the experts in the field. You can find them all in one convenient place—the annual STC Technical Communication Summit.
I landed a job within a week of returning from that Summit. I can honestly say that the tips and tricks I learned at that Summit are what made the difference between getting the job and getting passed up. In fact, my new employer told me after the interview that one of the things that impressed him was my attendance at the Summit, because it showed him that even while unemployed I was committed to the technical communication field and to enhancing my skills and advancing my knowledge.
Why did it take me so long to attend my first Summit? I'll never know. But I am glad I listened to my STC colleagues about that first Summit. Now that I have attended, I'm hooked! I hope to see you in Sacramento in May.
