STC is broken

[Beth Agnew]

I wholeheartedly echo David's comments. Our students are exposed to 
every facet of technical communication that we can throw at them, from 
technical training to technical marketing, project management, and web 
development.  They are shown related opportunities in knowledge 
management, content development, and technology transfer. They are 
encouraged to leverage their technical communication education in 
whatever way suits their backgrounds, personal strengths and individual 
inclinations.

A good technical communicator is an adept life-long learner who is often 
self-taught in many areas, who adapts readily to new situations, who has 
the skills to build relationships, who facilitates communication in 
whatever form they encounter it, and who can see both the big picture 
and the smallest of details. They can empathize with both the expert and 
the neophyte, have a knack for explaining things, for simplifying the 
complex, and making the incomprehensible clear and straightforward. Not 
only do such people become directors of departments and business 
leaders, but they create and manage their own companies, or even become 
educators.

The editorial by Susan Burton in the April 2007  issue of the Intercom 
noted that the STC was trying to get this definition for technical 
communicator approved by the US Dept of Labour for the Standard 
Occupational Classification (SOC) System: "Develop and design 
informational and instructional tools needed to assure safe, appropriate 
and effective use of science and technology, intellectual property, and 
manufactured products and services. Combine multimedia knowledge and 
strong communication skills with technical expertise to educate and 
inform across the entire spectrum of users' abilities, technical 
experience, and visual and auditory capabilities."

Sorry, you'll probably get an error message if you try to look that up 
on the society's website, because that page is the part of the STC that 
_is_ broken. :-}
--Beth

Beth Agnew, Professor
Co-ordinator, Technical Communication Program
Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology
Toronto, ON.

David Hailey wrote:
> The technical communicator who understands the entire collection of fields related to corporate communication and who stays abreast of
> innovations in the profession can become communications director.
>
> I'd love to hear examples of people who have done just that. What were their backgrounds? What were their career paths? What type of education did they have?
>
> Short answer:  They practice a habit of life-long learning.
>
> Longer answer: We often have such people among our students. One that comes to mind is Gary Hernandez. He is now a director of communications for BP.  Another is Rose Greer, she became technology manager at IBM. I often have students ask for dispensation for being behind on a project because they are being moved to a more demanding professional track at their workplace.
>
> The key, IMHO, is to develop a pattern of life-long learning. Not go to graduate school, necessarily, but to always know what is happening in the fringes of the industry, where the changes are taking place. 
>
> ...
> David E. Hailey, Jr., Ph.D.
> Associate Professor -- Professional and Technical Writing
> Utah State University
> dhailey at english.usu.edu