By Lori Meyer | Associate Fellow
If you are a member of an STC geographic community (chapter), you know the many ways it can enhance your STC membership. Many members have also come to know the value of Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
SIGs are virtual organizations that focus on a particular topic or area of endeavor in technical communication. SIGs provide access to online forums in which members can ask questions and share information. SIGs also provide educational opportunities and information, through webinars, websites, blogs, and social media.
Joining a SIG provides many opportunities to support your professional development and enrich your STC membership. Examples include:
- Expanding your skill set in one or more special-interest areas, which provides value for your employer, increases your marketability, and contributes to the technical communication profession.
- Keeping abreast of changes in your special-interest area and their impact on the profession.
- Networking and building friendships with fellow STC members who share your technical knowledge, interests, and challenges.
- Volunteering, developing your leadership skills, and receiving recognition for your contributions.
- Sharing your expertise through demonstrations, presentations, workshops, articles, and mentoring.
SIGs welcome members of all skill levels. They provide an excellent opportunity both to teach and to learn. You can build new skills, expand the skills you have, and mentor newcomers.
SIG membership links you with like-minded professionals all over the world. The small membership fee can open the door to good things for you, your career, and your profession. During this renewal period, add a SIG to your STC membership. Visit www.stc.org/about-stc/communities/special-interest-groups to learn about each of the STC SIGs.
Lori Meyer is a member of eight STC Chapters and four Special Interest Groups (SIGs). An STC Associate Fellow, she is currently membership manager of the Rochester Chapter and San Diego Chapters, president of the East Bay Chapter, director-at-large of the Carolina Chapter, sponsorship chair of the Northeast Ohio Chapter, and secretary of the Washington DC-Baltimore Chapter, as well as serving on the Community Affairs Committee (CAC). Lori also is a former co-manager of the Technical Editing SIG, and volunteers for the Instructional Design and Learning and Consulting and Independent Contracting SIGs.
