Spotlight on Membership: The STC Tryout Program

The 2013 membership season opened on 1 October, and we’re already seeing plenty of renewals as well as a number of new members! Prior to the official open of the membership season, we offered what we called the STC Tryout in August to let potential members try out STC for the rest of 2012 at a special price and get a taste of what the Society has to offer. Current members were encouraged to recruit colleagues, with a prize of a free 2013 membership going to one person. We’re happy to announce Roger Renteria as the winner of the free 2013 membership! Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger spoke with Roger and the Tryout member he recruited, Samantha Miranda, recently. Keep an eye on STC’s Notebook for more conversations with members!

Roger Renteria

What did you say to Samantha to convince her to join STC?
 
Actually, Samantha contacted me about STC because she saw that I have been an active member since 2008. I am very happy that she pursuing her degree in technical communication and is actively participating in the Trinitite Student Chapter at my alma mater, New Mexico Tech.
 
I see that you’re in our New TC Professional level of membership and have previously been a student member. Can you talk a bit about how STC has helped you as you move forward in your career?
 
At first, I took advantage of the student membership in order to better understand and develop a professional footing in the field. Later on, I co-presented at the STC Summit in 2009, as well as expanding my array of professional opportunities via networking with colleagues throughout the nation. Credit to enhancing my network includes key technical communicators: Char James-Tanny, Alan Houser, Rachel Houghton, Jack Molisani, and many more.
 
What are you looking to get from your STC membership in 2013?
 
In the following year, I hope to further my career by finding work that encompasses digital media publications, content management, and research in either science or education. I am always looking forward to new opportunities within my combined interests of technical communication, science, and technology. If you are in need of a solid and ambitious technical communicator who strives to perform at the highest level possible with the added benefit of having earned a Bachelor of Science, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Anything else you’d like to add?
 
I hope my colleagues who signed up for the Tryout program will renew for 2013 and continue to see the value of maintaining a membership with an organization that can help advance careers. Over time, affiliation and volunteering with STC will pay off.

Samantha Miranda

What did Roger say to you to convince you to try STC out?

I asked Roger about STC just in time for him to forward me an email about trying out STC. He told me about the special going on and a little more about the STC conference that he’s presented at. I’m also a college student, so getting the last three months of 2012 for just $25 plus getting $25 off 2013 if I renew before the end of the year sounded like enough of a bargain for me. I was going to put off joining until next year to get the member rate on the STC Summit, but now I have access to all the member benefits too.

Had you previously heard of STC before Roger mentioned it to you? If so, what did you know about us?

Yes. I knew STC stood for Society for Technical Communication. Starting to get involved with New Mexico Tech’s student chapter of STC sounded like a good opportunity to be part of a community with like-minded individuals, so I volunteered to be at our booth at the club fair. The top question asked was, “What’s STC?” I heard about some classmates presenting at the conference but I didn’t know much about the benefits of becoming an official member.

I know you’ve only been a member for a little over a month, but would you care to share your early impressions about STC?

So far, I was happy to find a student chapter charter template and interesting articles in Intercom. I also found some archived seminars that are included with membership. All the benefits of membership make joining worth the cost.

What are you hoping to get out of your membership?

I want to learn about best practices and get access to articles for my senior thesis that I’ll be writing next year. I also want to get connected to a network of technical communicators who are either just starting out like me or can tell me about their experience and mentor new professionals in the near future. One thing I was looking for and haven’t found yet is information and promotional materials for recruiting more student members.

Any early thoughts on if you’ll renew for 2013?

I’m planning to renew for 2013.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I feel lucky to have helped my friend win a membership.