Fall 2009

President's Message

Jessie Channey, STC Alberta President

Throughout the summer, your council has been busy collaborating with other Canadian chapters regarding the financial state of the Society. We've come to agreement that any surplus funds that we choose to forward to the International Office (headquarters) will be done as a unified front. The current agreed terms are that we provide X amount as an interest-free loan for 24 months, X being the surplus amount that each Chapter is willing to forward which varies for all. For background information regarding the Society's financial situation, see the Summer edition of SuperScript.

Meanwhile, here at the Alberta Chapter, we are maintaining a business-as-usual approach. In September, we held our annual Meet & Greet events in Edmonton and Calgary, and they were each a raving success! Deanne Wilson, our Edmonton Liaison, organized a pub night; see her article for more information.  In Calgary, we formed a committee to share the organizing and event tasks; thanks to

• Lucille Worone for setting up a new ice breaker activity,
• Serene Cheung for managing the venue and food,
• Ken Schatzke for handling registration and the volunteer handout, and
• Mellissa Ruryk for acting as our receiving officer for the ballots.

We handed out two door prizes for Starbucks: one to Mellissa Ruryk for traveling the furthest to attend, and one to Sheri Campbell whose birthday was the closest.

The results of our Bylaw vote are copied below in addition to the email sent directly to members. Because of the new fiscal year, we'll be holding elections in November for the 2010 council. There are several opportunities to get involved with STC Alberta. See Ken Schatzke's article on volunteer vacancies.

I'd like to extend best wishes to our Membership Manager, Erika Sakrison, who is returning to school to pursue her MBA.  Good luck with your studies!  And thank you for your past support of the Chapter.

Have you read a great article and think your colleagues would be interested in reading it too? Why not forward it to SuperScript? Send your articles or ideas to Alex Kelly, SuperScript Editor.

STC.org News and Reminders

2010 Technical Communication Summit

STC's Technical Communication Summit 2010 will be held 2–5 May 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion, in Dallas, TX. For general information, please contact Lloyd Tucker, Director of Education and Membership, at lloyd.tucker@stc.org or via telephone at (571) 366-1904.

Read STC’s Salary Database for Insights into Employment Markets

Where are salaries going up the most? How much should you expect to make if you apply for another job? For the 2008 listing of the number of technical writer jobs and salaries check STC's Salary Database, an exclusive member benefit available without charge.

While 2008 proved to be a tough year for technical writers, the profession outperformed the labor market as a whole and the market for other writers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual Occupational Employment Statistics, U.S. businesses employed 720 more technical writers than in 2007, an increase of 1.5 percent from the previous year. By comparison, the employment of all other writers shrank slightly in 2008.

In Case You Missed It …

Recently STC added to it’s member benefits, which now include:

• STC’s Notebook is a blog that replaces the monthly electronic newsletter. News stories, pertinent announcements, and informative articles will be posted frequently. You can also sign up to receive the blog routinely via the RSS feed.
• STC’s Job Seeker Boot Camp is a free program for members (log in required) who are currently seeking employment or wish to expand their contract work. The Boot Camp includes unlimited access to the STC Career Center and more than a dozen articles written by and for technical communicators.  Articles include advice on finding a tech comm job, access to audio podcasts by well-known STC recruiters, and the latest STC Salary Survey.
• STC’s Salary Database is a tool for members (log in required) to conduct more productive job searches, make a strong case for a raise and prepare department payroll budgets.
• STC’s Online Buyers Guide and Consultant Directory includes listings for companies offering tools, products and services used by technical communicators.
• STC on Twitter!  As a new additional, real-time communication channel STC is tweeting updates and links to articles and other information.  Come and follow us!

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New Members!

We welcome five new members to our chapter, which brings our total membership to 170 individuals.

If you would like to recommend a friend or colleague to the benefits of STC, encourage them to review our website, particularly our profile under About STC Alberta.  Better yet – pass along this edition of SuperScript for their reading pleasure, and invite them to join you at our next program night!

Member Spotlight: Jessie Channey

Or: How My Volunteer Career with STC Started

If you're a student (or anyone wondering about the benefits of volunteering), then this article will surely speak to you. In September, a Mount Royal University (MRU) student emailed me asking about memberships and whether they are worthwhile during the student years.

Student Memberships

Whether to become a member and/or volunteer is a question that I can answer best with my personal experience. As a student of the Applied Technical Communications Degree program at Mount Royal in the late 90s, I often felt I didn't know enough about the profession. At the time, the profession felt newer too. Or maybe it was just new to me? I had gone into the program straight from high school and didn't have much work experience to draw from.

Networking

At Mount Royal, some of the technical writing students got together and formed a Technical Writers' Society (TWS). I joined the society and this was also where I first met Ken Schatzke, now a technical writer with Smart Technologies. He was "only" a student back then; who would have known that he would go on to hold nearly every position on the Alberta Chapter's council?

During my time with TWS, I was secretary and also managed the newsletter Technically Write. One of my good friends in the program was Jeremy Schroeder. He was one year ahead of me, had just finished an internship, and told interesting stories about the real world. It was also his first exposure to a “cubicle farm,” so I asked him to write an article about it, which he did! Because I knew he liked drawing comics, I asked him to contribute a comic strip to our newsletter. He debuted his comic strip Bitter Ink in the Technically Write newsletter.

Real-life Connections

Knowing that I wanted to give myself every advantage, I got my membership in STC. During STC events, I met more technical writers working in the local market who would confirm to me that it was a good and growing industry. They shared stories which gave insight on what a technical writer would actually do in the real world. And, shockingly, not everyone was in a cubical farm. I made real-life connections to technical writers who worked full-time for software companies in Calgary, just like I wanted. It gave me more confidence in what I was studying and also a sense of security my education would be valued upon graduation.

As it was now my turn for an internship, after an interview one of the interviewers (an STC member herself) encouraged me to volunteer with the Society. She suggested the newsletter would be an ideal place to start. I decided to go for it. I was trained with the newsletter process which, at the time, involved learning PageMaker, getting to know the printing process and mailing the newsletters. The technical writers at Merak (now Schlumberger) who were managing the whole process helped me get going with SuperScript and I stayed with it for five years. During my time there we transitioned the newsletter to PDF delivery only, and I brought Jeremy's comic on board.

Showcasing STC Experience

During my first few interviews, having my volunteer work with STC on my resume definitely helped me fill an otherwise fairly empty resume. I was also able to gain management experience when the newsletter team grew through the years. This definitely helped me move into management at work as well, and much sooner than I might have otherwise. Ten years later, although my resume is now much longer, I consider my work with STC to be an invaluable addition to my overall experience and I always make room to showcase it.

Nowadays, the newsletter is in HTML format, and over the summer, Jeremy revived Bitter Ink and it was reintroduced in SuperScript.

Current STC Alberta Volunteer Opportunities

It was more than worthwhile to get my membership while I was a student and I made the most of it. The cost of student membership is kept low purposely to ensure accessibility to the opportunities presented by professional membership. Not only do you get better access to your peers in the work world, but employers value the ability of a person to give their time and expertise. Additionally, you can try new things that you might not be able to on the job. If you want a creative outlet, the newsletter and public relations roles allow that. Want to learn how to create budgets? The treasurer role can teach you that. Want to learn web skills, our webmaster can help. If management experience is what you want, why not become a member of the executive council? There are many other opportunities to explore. Check out a summary of current opportunities detailed in Ken Schatzke’s article following.  For more information, please contact me via president@stc-alberta.org.  I can provide complete job descriptions and arrange for you to speak with the current volunteer if you wish.

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STC Alberta Needs You!

Our chapter depends on the contributions of its volunteers. Several positions are available now and offer the opportunity to contribute to your profession, develop new skills and add volunteer experience to your resume. The following is a short description of available roles. 

Membership Manager
Using a spreadsheet and a mailing list tool, the membership manager maintains STC Alberta's membership records and forwards communication to members as requested by the Administrative Council.

Public Relations Manager
Looking for a creative outlet? Develop your marketing communication skills by managing PR for our chapter. The PR manager ensures the chapter communicates with external audiences. This work involves establishing contacts with other organizations, working with a team to promote chapter services and activities, and creating promotional materials.

Newsletter Team
Using the acclaimed Constant Contact tool, our newsletter is being transitioned for faster, easier turnaround. You can learn this new tool (or share your expertise with it), and develop your editing skills, all while working with a team to manage our award-winning newsletter.

Web Team
Our STC Alberta website provides many opportunities to learn about different technology and managing our online face to the world. From managing content, to enhancing layout or structure, we welcome additional help for this as one of our key communication forums.

Salary Survey Manager
This popular survey is a great way to get the inside scoop on local salaries and benefits. Using Survey Monkey as a tool, the salary survey manager updates the existing salary survey design, analyzes of the resulting data within prescribed parameters, and writes the final report. The salary survey manager also promotes member participation in the survey by putting notices in the newsletter and e-mailing members.

Treasurer
Have management aspirations? Maybe you want to start contracting? You'll certainly need to learn about budgets; the treasurer manages the Chapter's finances on behalf of the Administrative Council. The treasurer receives all monies paid to the chapter and accounts for chapter funds and records. You don't need an accounting or financial background. If you can balance a cheque book and have some basic experience with spreadsheet programs, you can be treasurer.

Secretary
The Administrative Council requires complete and accurate minutes of its meetings to ensure decisions have been properly recorded and tasks delegated. The secretary is responsible for compiling these minutes and, therefore, is vital to the council’s success.

New Heights Manager
Ever wished your favorite speaker would present closer to home? Develop your leadership skills and learn how to plan an event that does just that. New Heights, the Chapter’s flagship educational event, brings a globally recognized speaker to Alberta to present on a topic of relevance to our members. Past New Heights speakers have included Ginny Redish, Saul Carliner, and Neil Perlin. Working with a team, the New Heights manager will bring a speaker of similar calibre to our province in 2010 and coordinate the location, date and other logistics for the event.

Social Events Manager
Ever wanted to plan social events for a professional group? Our popular Meet & Greet and the Annual General Meeting, are as important to our members as our educational events. The social events manager is responsible for booking the venue, deciding on the menu and working with a team to make sure the event goes smoothly.

If you’re interested in any of these positions or would like more information, e-mail our President, Jessie Channey, at president@stc-alberta.org.

Mount Royal University is Born!

On Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said a few simple words - "by the power of an Order in Council of the Government of Alberta, from this day forward this fine institution shall be known as Mount Royal University" - and made history. After 99 years, Canada's oldest new university was born to a standing ovation, rousing applause and more than a few tears. Mount Royal University Alumni Association includes all previous alumni from Mount Royal College as members. For more news on Mount Royal University, please visit the university's website.

Source: The Office of Alumni Relations, Email sent to Alumni September 16, 2009.

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Mount Royal University’s New Bachelor of Communication – Information Design

Glenn Ruhl, PhD, Chair of Information Design, Faculty of Communication Studies, Mount Royal University

Mount Royal University’s new Bachelor of Communication — Information Design is the only major of its kind in Western Canada.  It is designed to prepare individuals for careers in this high energy, increasingly important field involving the creation and management of information. Although inspired and created from the foundation provided by the Applied Degrees in Electronic Publishing and Technical Communication, it should not be considered an extension of the previously offered applied degrees.

The interdisciplinary curriculum of this degree responds directly to current market trends. The degree combines skills in graphic design, typography, writing, project management, instructional design, human performance technology and human factors that reach far beyond traditional programs in design, technical communication or publishing.

Information design is interdisciplinary and graduates find work in a variety of settings. In this program, students gain a broad knowledge of communications with particular emphasis on information design. Graduates holding a communications degree in information design will be information design generalists with a broad yet solid understanding of:

• human and social factors,
• information,
• communication,
• work experience,
• organizations,
• systems, and
• delivery platforms.

They will have the ability to guide people and organizations toward appropriate solutions. The individual with this ability is highly sought after and responsive in the digital age. They may work as information designers, technical communicators, electronic publishers or in any setting that requires professional competencies and technical skills relevant to the information landscape.

The applied degrees previously offered by Mount Royal remain valued and the biggest advantage of the applied degree remains the work experience component. Although graduates may find restrictions concerning acceptance toward entrance to graduate study, this should not be considered a "lesser" degree. Mount Royal's reputation as a leader in the preparation of graduates for employment remains intact, and now, with the newly acquired status as a university, possibilities will grow such as additional opportunities for further study at the graduate level.

For more about Mount Royal University, please visit the university's website.

Bylaw Voting Results

Jessie Channey, President, STC Alberta Chapter

We had sufficient voters to ensure the bylaw vote met the quorum requirements. We counted the ballots on October 1 after the extended voting period ended.

The bylaws have been passed with 80% approval, 20% against.

Our next step is to file the updated bylaws with Alberta Registries. Thanks to everyone who voted in person and electronically. If you have any questions, contact Ken Schatzke at treasurer@stc-alberta.org.

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Edmonton Back to School Coffee Night

Deanne Wilson, STC Alberta Edmonton Liaison

On September 15, ten Edmonton STC members met at the Second Cup for an evening of catching up, lively discussion, and brainstorming.

Because some newer members attended their first event, we started the evening with a roundtable where everyone introduced themselves and gave a brief biography. After the introductions were done, we started the “business side” of the event by discussing topics from the September Administrative meeting. A few questions came up about the upcoming membership poll with regard to returning the Chapter surplus to head office. The Edmonton members hoped that they will have an opportunity to ask those same questions, and get answers, in the poll.

Next was a reminder to the members that elections for the new council are soon coming. Deanne announced she has already volunteered to continue with the role of Edmonton Liaison through 2010 and that Annette Wierstra is filling in as the MacEwan College Liaison while Lucille Mazo is on sabbatical. Deanne asked the group if anyone was willing to take on the formal role of Edmonton Programs volunteer. While no one stepped forward for the formal position, Zubeida, a newer member, offered to help out informally when we have evening programs in Edmonton.

Deanne announced we can use the facilities and equipment at her place of work for our evening programs and AGM. It’s located out in the “boondocks,” but there is lots of free parking (and is on the second floor, instead of downtown and on the 27th floor where she used to work).

After the Chapter business was finished, we moved on to the event ideas that were generated at the pub night in June. The main theme for the events is engaging the MacEwan College students with the STC. The Edmonton members are eager to help the students to learn more about the field of technical communication, and hope to entice some of them to become members.

The following is a brief list of event ideas that are being discussed and planned:

• A panel of members to discuss resumes and cover letters and to offer one-on-one feedback to students.
• Attend and present at the STC Awards night, followed by a panel discussion by some of the members, including a question and answer period.
• Member presentations to the students on various topics, including tools and technologies, and sharing their experiences in the technical communication field.
• An evening program about podcasting, presented by one of the Edmonton members.

As a result, one student is putting together a strategic plan for the Edmonton members to reach out to the MacEwan students, and will present the plan at our next event. It looks like the Edmonton members will be busy over the next year and a half!

Please RSVP by Monday, October 26, 2009 to edmontonliaison@stc-alberta.org for the next coffee night (Halloween costumes are optional):

Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Time: 7:00 to 9:00 pm (or later if desired)
Place: Second Cup 12336 – 102 Ave

Thanks and I hope to see you there!

STC Alberta Jobline Notifications (New!)

Jessie Channey, STC Alberta President

In addition to sending out event and newsletter announcements on the Announcement list, we've added an extra feature. We're going to send out notifications of new job postings so no one misses an opportunity. Whether you're actively looking for a new challenge, or just want to keep your finger on the pulse, you can look forward to hearing about new opportunities through this list.

Check out the Jobline page for new positions for:

• Senior Content Strategist and
• Web Content Writer

along with several previously posted positions.

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Market Overview

David Skode, President, FinneyTaylor Consulting Group Ltd.

This excerpt reprinted with permission.  Originally published in FinneyTaylor’s Summer 2009 Newsletter.

We're past the deepest point in the recession.  The Bank of Canada has even stated that the recession is officially over, though this contrasted with Finance Minister Flaherty's perspective.  Employment as a lagging economic indicator, however, is getting worse. Some recent statistics from Statistics Canada show some marked increases in unemployment from June to July 2009, specifically within certain cities of the country.

Canada's 10 Hardest Hit Job Markets

Though the numbers are pointing to deepening unemployment, we have found the contract market to be more resilient. Enclosed below is some information on contracting as an alternative career path.

Contracting as an Alternative Career Path

The job market has changed over the last eight months during this recession. From what FinneyTaylor is experiencing, we are seeing a drastic drop in both permanent and contract employment activity. But we are also seeing more resiliency in the contract market. This would most likely be attributed to employers that have projects that need to get done but are cautious with spending and are facing budget constraints. Contractors are seen as easier to let go by employers. Many candidates that we are working with would not have touched a contract opportunity a year ago but now are more open to the idea. And, of course, many unemployed people who were not interested in contracting before are now open to contract opportunities as well.

In the current state of the economy, it is very important that you as a job seeker are open to considering contract opportunities. On top of obtaining an income and keeping your skills honed, it can be an excellent way for both companies and contractors to get a trial run on a prospective employment relationship. Also there is the potential for more contract work to be offered whether it is with your current supervisor or with other supervisors in other departments.

Definition of Contracting/Consulting

Contracting

A "contractor" is typically hired for one project (via a "contract"), and the relationship is often more technical than personal. One may be hired to write a communications controller, build a website or modify some software, and, at the end of the project, you're done and you move on. Or you may even be hired for a term as a Helpdesk Analyst.

Most contractors work on one project at a time, which surely allows a great deal of focus, and though there is often a bit of “hanger-on” work after the project has finished (say, helping the in-house staff integrate your work), once the contractor has moved on, the focus goes with him or her.

This is not to say that you won't be back. Doing a good job on the first project certainly means you'll be given more consideration for a subsequent project, but it's just as often a new project as opposed to working on the old one.

Consulting

A "consultant" typically has multiple customers at a time, and it's more about a long-term relationship than it is about a specific project. There will certainly be future projects in the course of a consulting relationship, sometimes big ones, but the general idea here is that you're an always-available resource they can call on for big matters or small.

Unlike the contractor, this involves a lot of juggling when the fluctuating demands of multiple customers comes into play. It's harder to get a deeper focus because of all the context swapping going on, but long-term relationships are worth it in the long run.

For further information on contracting please contact us at 403-264-4001.

About the Author:
David Skode is the President of FinneyTaylor Consulting Group Ltd. with offices in Calgary and Edmonton.  FinneyTaylor is an Information Technology Staffing Solutions provider that assists clients in meeting their staffing demands. With over 365 clients and over 20,000 registered IT professionals Finney Taylor is Alberta’s premier IT resourcing management firm. Their clients are companies that need mid- to senior-level IT professionals and they include over 50 of Canada's biggest firms.

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Bitter Ink

Jeremy Schroeder, Guest Contributor

In response to a member’s inquiry, Jeremy graciously agreed to rekindle the Bitter Ink spirit and craft some new comics for us!  Used with permission.

About the Author:
Jeremy Schroeder created Bitter Ink way back in 1999 for STC Alberta as a favor for a friend, Jessie Channey. He created strips off and on for about four years before he ran out of ideas... or just got lazy... He can’t remember which. For more laughs (and commiseration), please visit his new website.

Quotes & Quips

"In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future." – Eric Hoffer, Philosopher

“I can’t write five words but that I change seven.” – Dorothy Parker

“Always avoid alliteration. – Author Unknown

Submitting to SuperScript

Alex Kelly, SuperScript Editor

Thank you to those who sent in articles to include in this edition of SuperScript.  I know I appreciate being able to both read and include such an excellent variety of interesting information.

Please submit your next series of comments, articles and questions to newsletter@stc-alberta.org by Monday, November 30.  Happy Halloween!

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Interesting Links and Articles – A Compilation

Alex Kelly, SuperScript Editor

The following is an assortment of information of broad interest.  Please feel free to send me even more great finds to newsletter@stc-alberta.org.  Thanks!

STC.org

• STC Members May Use a Specialized Logo to Show Their Society Affiliation Starting 2010
• The New Norm: STC’s 2010 Dues Structure and Membership Benefits
• STC’s Salary Database Provides Insight into Employment Markets
• Online Buyers Guide and Consultant Directory
• STC Joins Amazon.com Associates

Software News

• MadCap Releases Lingo 3.0
• Future Versions of Adobe Creative Suite Only Intel Mac - No PowerPC
• Google Adds Translation Program to Google Docs
• Google Wave: Many Can Ride It
• New UX Test Tool?  Testled

Other Misc. TechComm

• Apple vs. Microsoft – A Website Usability Study
• Quick Reference Guides – Strategies to Keep Them “Short & Sweet”
• Writing 101: Visual or Verbal?
• How To Respond Effectively To Design Criticism
• Wide Turns: The Art of the Eighteen Wheeler
• The Most Famous Instruction Manuals in the World?
• Online Masters Degree in Technical Communication
• Three Grammar Rules Okay to Break
• BBC News Styleguide Available Online

General Interest, Health & Wellness, Job Search and Networking

• Technical Writer on CNNMoney’s List of Best Jobs
• Technical Writer Ranks #5 Least Stressful Job
• 15 Advanced Tips for Navigating a Networking Event
• Don’t Risk RSI: Use the Speech Recognition Software You Already Have!
• Mentoring: Finding and Working With a Mentor
• Career Advice for Technical Writers: Enjoy the Ride
• Netiquette Guidelines
• 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form

Ooops! Errors and other Fun…

• The Guardian – The Rest is Fine
• NFL Jersey Misspells Player Name
• If You Encounter A Mountain Lion…
• Seven Awesome Examples of Unnecessary “Quotation Marks”

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Dear “Ab-stc” (Abby)

Alex Kelly, Editor

Dear Ab-stc,

I keep forgetting how to manage my STC Alberta email lists – could you please remind me?

Sincerely,
G. Whillikers
_____

Dear G.W.,

Good news!  Since there are monthly reminder notices sent automatically, you don’t have to remember in future.  For easy reference, here is a copy:

This is a reminder, sent out once a month, about your mailman.stc.org mailing list memberships.  It includes your subscription info and how to use it to change it or unsubscribe from a list.

You can visit the URLs to change your membership status or configuration, including unsubscribing, setting digest-style delivery or disabling delivery altogether (e.g., for a vacation), and so on.

In addition to the URL interfaces, you can also use email to make such changes.  For more info, send a message to the '-request' address of the list (for example,
mailman-request@mailman.stc.org) containing just the word 'help' in the message body, and an email message will be sent to you with instructions.

If you have questions, problems, comments, etc, send them to mailman-owner@mailman.stc.org.

Sincerely,
Ab-stc