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Re: what do you get out of the STC or what would you?
Subject:Re: what do you get out of the STC or what would you? From:Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 14 Jul 2004 12:00:20 -0700
> Me? I get to occasionally present, which I enjoy, and occasionally
> attend worthwhile sessions about technical writing--not all matter to
> me and I tend to skip those that don't. I read Intercom 4 times out of
> 5, my local STC newsletter 100% of the time, neighboring chapter Web
> sites monthly, but admit to not bothering with Techcomm 7 times out of
> 8. I also get to meet some nice folks who do what I do and I get to
> use the job resources.
>
> While the latter is probably the benefit I use the most, I have never
> had a job interview because of the STC job line nor been contacted for
> a job because of my affiliation, though I have had both these
> opportunities because of my participation on Web-based, non-STC list
> servs.
I made a very similar analysis some years ago, and decided that the STC was not
worth the cost. Apparently, not much has changed.
Trying not to rant, I suppose the main reason I would give for avoiding the STC
is that it tends to be too insular. Attending and presenting at non-STC events
can put you in touch with the people who can hire you. At the very least, you
can get to understand the developers with whom you have to work. I find this
approach not only more productive, but much more interesting as well.
As for employment listings, you might find a few on STC sources that don't
appear elsewhere, so you might want to belong just so that all your bets are
covered. By the same logic, you may run into a few people who can hire you at
STC meetings. However, given that I only have so much time and inclination for
meetings in workday evenings, I prefer more productive sources.
In the end, all I can say is that I've thrived far more without the STC than I
ever did with it. For example, instead of being asked to speak for free, I'm
currently contemplating a subsidized trip to Berlin to present. How can being on
the executive of the local STC chapter possibly compete with that?
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