Newsletter of the Society for Technical Communication, San Francisco Chapter
October/November 2008
| Newsletter of the Society for Technical Communication, San Francisco Chapter October/November 2008 |
At the September 2008 meeting of the San Francisco Chapter STC, Linda Urban discussed the importance of networking and contributing to successful technical communicators. She presented a number of key principles for finding and keeping work, and engaged the audience in several interactive activities to demonstrate these principles.
Linda introduced herself as a technical communicator with more than 25 years of experience in information design, content development, project management and training. She has taught for many years at UC extension campuses.
She began her presentation by asking members of the audience to think about their own job experience and the variety of roles they have held throughout their careers.
"Paths to Success" can mean many things. It's not necessarily about how to become rich or famous. To Linda, success means:
People often ask the question, "How do you find work?" The short answer is through "word of mouth," and the longer answer is about how you get "word of mouth" to happen.
Basically, finding work involves doing good work and continuing to learn and build new skills based on your interests. Beyond that, you need to build your network of friends, acquaintances and associates, and continue to make contributions to others.
A strong network develops from the right kind of day to day experiences with the people you know, whether through work or other avenues. The dictionary defines "network" as both a verb and a noun. To network is to engage or interact in informal communication for mutual assistance or support. A network is an openwork fabric or structure in which cords, threads or wires cross at regular intervals.
For Linda, network "threads" connect the various kinds of work she has done over the years. While the threads vary in length and shape, they all involve relationships with people. She presented a graphic representation of how threads are connected, and then invited the audience to identify similar threads in their lives. Ask questions like:
The audience then broke into small groups to share their experiences and describe their own threads and motivations involved.
Motivators come from a number of sources including:
Focus on threads extending out from you, toward others. How did you help people? Perhaps you told them about a job, recommended them, or showed them how to do something. Consider where those threads may have gone. Why did these contacts happen? What motivated you? Share these examples with a person next to you.
People will remember you when:
Be generous in helping beginners as well as professionals. Be active and engaged through enthusiasm, participation, curiosity, and asking questions.
Again, in small groups, audience members took turns discussing a current challenge or area of interest, and then receiving suggestions or potential contacts from others. Through this kind of interaction, network impulses can arise which help to cultivate an attitude of looking for opportunities to help people. Sometimes people you help will reciprocate, but not always. Such exchanges are not linear or even, and the rewards, if there are any, may come from unlikely sources. When you help others, you become open to possibilities.
Contributing helps to build your network:
How and where you contribute can vary widely. It could be with your company, through professional associations or in the general community. How you are viewed can vary as well. You don't have to be a star or the leader out front. You can serve very effectively as a resource. It's up to you. The contributions you make are likely to extend in ways that may not be immediately apparent.
In summary, do what interests you. Value your relationships, follow your generous impulses and find ways to give back. Most important, enjoy your work!
Jim Kirk is relatively new to the world of technical writing. He has been a Program Manager at Cisco Systems for approximately 10 years and prior to that held a variety of marketing and sales positions in telecommunications. He can be reached via e-mail at cptjaskirk@gmail.com or cell phone, 415-730-3731.