Views of a Student: An Introduction

Another day, another new guest blogger! Today we introduce Douglas Chow, a recent graduate from Seneca College. Douglas will be posting over the coming months on everything tech comm from a recent student's and a new professional's perspective. Welcome Douglas!

My name is Douglas Chow, and I’m a recent graduate from Seneca College’s technical communication program. I hope to deliver insightful content for the blog among the other resourceful posts from veteran writers at the STC.

To start, prior to entering the world of tech comm, I was an English major graduate from the University of Toronto. Initially I was unsure what to do with my major, possibly a boat some other liberal arts students with less connections or experience may find themselves in. This eventually led me into the field of tech comm, unexpectedly taking me to Seneca soon following my university graduation. Admittedly, this was a field that I was only vaguely aware of prior to starting (“do we write manuals?”), but the idea of combining writing and technology usage was something I was looking forward to.

You might almost say it's naive of me to simplify it that much. Among my esteemed instructors were long-time members of STC and other established individuals; they taught me how much more there was to the occupation than just “writing manuals.” Communicating, as the name of the program and the profession would suggest, involves relaying information in a wide variety of ways. And that's not to say many technical communicators don't write manuals at all (and I’ve created user guide documentation as practice), but they also exist to relay information to others, many running self-started consulting firms or working as content managers for a company.

To begin, I wanted to enter a field that would let me take advantage of some of the computer skills I had, though I had no programming background. Entering this field gave me the opportunity to combine aspects of activities that I enjoy, software usage and writing. It also gave me another opportunity to practice using tools such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign, since a side goal of mine had always been to become some kind of graphic designer. Though graphic design would not be my primary designation, I felt being able to touch on the visual side of things was already a good way to start, and tech comm gave me some leeway into that field.

Talking to my instructors was also a good way to get contacts and learn from others in the designation. For those starting off, it is a solid way to get your foot in the door and find others who could make use of your skills as a technical communicator.

How do you meet new people? Attending meetings or gatherings with your local chapter is a good way to start. As of writing I've attended two STC networking brunches with STC Toronto, which occur at the end of each month. They're a great way to meet other esteemed individuals in the field of tech comm, and overall a great time. If you're a Torontonian STC member (or even a nonmember) who can put aside a few hours of your Saturday mornings, drop by for some great discussion while enjoying a morning-midday mashup meal. Of course, sign up through the designated page first, as I'm sure our brunch coordinators probably won't appreciate unaccounted guests out of the blue.

For anyone starting off as a technical communication student in September, hopefully I can provide insightful suggestions in my next blog post.

Doug is a recent graduate from Seneca College's technical communication program, and is currently working as a technical/digital content writer for a help desk software company.  If you have any questions, you can contact him through his LinkedIn page.

0 Replies to “Views of a Student: An Introduction”

  1. Doug, welcome to stc.org and to the technical communication community.

    You’re fortunate in that you enjoy a variety of things related to tech comm: writing, technology, graphic design. I encourage you to seek jobs that will allow you to develop all of these interests, and to discover new ones. With a broad skill set you’ll be in a good position to succeed – whatever the future brings.

    You’re also fortunate to live in a place where there’s a strong and vibrant STC chapter. Keep taking advantage of the learning and networking opportunities it offers.

    I enjoyed reading your post and look forward to hearing more from you.

    1. Thanks for the comment and encouragement Larry. I’m hoping to continue some suitable learning outside work as well. The Toronto Tech Comm community has helped a lot, and hopefully others can benefit from meeting members of their own STC branches.

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