Boost your professional development skills at the 2018 STC Summit with rock ‘n roll, monsters, and The Dark Side
By Cheryl Landes | STC Fellow and Professional Development Track Manager
It was a slow ride down the highway for the Professional Development Track as we rocked through a jungle of 35 submissions for the 2018 STC Summit. At times, we thought we were on the Thunder Road, but we didn’t stop believin’ and took care of business. So, right now, here are some highlights from our Yellow Brick Road of sessions.
Are you facing the Wind of Change but don’t have the experience to push against the wind? Consider helping with an open source project. In “From Open Source Volunteer to Full-Time Tech Writer,” Gale Naylor will share how she got noticed and landed into paid technical writing. She’ll give you tips for finding open source projects and a resource list for getting started.
Ever feel like when you’re managing a bunch of small projects, a gigantic one, or both that you’re doing The Monster Mash? Fear no more. Elizabeth Bailey shows how to tame these beasts in “Managing the Monster, Managing the Zoo.” You’ll learn about the management skills you need to tackle these projects and how to enhance those skills.
The lines between technical and marketing communication have been blurring for a few years, and there’s no end in sight. For technical communicators who also create marketing content, it may seem like you’re moving toward The Dark Side. Bernard Aschwanden says it’s OK in his presentation, “Give in to the Power of the Dark Side: Marketing and Tech Comm are Converging!” Learn how to coexist in these two worlds so that you, too, can always look on the bright side of life.
There are times you’ve probably been caught off guard while facing the eye of the tiger and you just want to let it be. But you don’t have to dream on. Instead, come to “Yes And…: Improv’ing Your Corporate Communication Skills,” facilitated by Jack Molisani and Ben Woelk. This two-hour improv workshop is held twice during the STC Summit on Monday and Tuesday, 21-22 May. This interactive workshop introduces you to the basics of improv comedy, with exercises designed to build your confidence in corporate communications and networking. There’s a $20 fee for this workshop, but you’ll call yourself a hero after making this worthwhile investment.
In case you’re wondering why we have a rock ‘n roll theme for this post, it’s because we were inspired by Aiessa Moyna. So will you, when you check out her presentation, “All I Know About Collaboration I learned from Rock & Roll.” Aiessa says we can learn a lot from such famous bands as U2, The Beatles, and Nirvana. She’ll prove it by examining song lyrics and stories of popular rock bands to discover how successful collaborators “seek diverse perspectives, build trust, bust barriers, work their networks, manage conflict, and, when their best-laid plans go astray, improvise.” There’s that “improv” word again!
There’s much more we could share, but because our word count is limited, we encourage you to go to https://summit.stc.org/schedule/ and browse the entire roster. Enjoy, and we’ll see you on The Other Side at the 2018 STC Summit in Orlando.