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by Michael Likhinin, Texas Tech University Student Chapter
I did bring a camera to Dallas, as do many people on their first visit to a city. But I never gathered enough touristy self-centeredness to pull it out. Even so, I have lasting impressions of my first STC conference, and while I may not depict the event with photographic precision, I hope to convey some of the 50th Conference's 'look and feel.'
The main motivation for my attendance at the conference was very practical: to find employment. The plan was to make as many contacts as possible. I turned myself into a walking infomercial. By the end of the conference, I doubt there were more than a dozen people left who did not know I was a recent Texas Tech graduate looking for employment. Visiting the conference's Employment Booth, however, seemed to put a wet blanket on my soaring hopes, despite Jeffrey Randolph's best efforts. I saw the regional folders bursting with hundreds of impressive résumés waiting to be impatiently perused by a mere half dozen hiring managers. The realization that the market is bad and is hardly getting better was complete when I met many seasoned colleagues, their eyes either angry or sad at the news that someone else had recently been offered a position.
Yet, the economy and the IT sector boom-and-bust life cycle do not seem to be the only valid explanation for the current state of affairs. The Closing Session and exchanges with some of the Society's members and fellows made me think that—thanks to new technology and business climate evolution—our professional ship might be sinking. The traditional notion of technical writing is going the way of dinosaurs. What a sad realization indeed for someone like me, who has already jumped the professional ship of translation.
In the future, the center of documentation production effort may move overseas, as it follows the general software production globalization trend. Visual content will displace text, and manuals will give way to smart help. Although the most experienced technical writers will still write, the demand for new original content will be relatively low. Still, as in any crisis, there is a ray of hope. We can be sure that the fittest of the technical communicators will survive, while the profession and the STC as an organization will probably persist, albeit significantly metamorphosed.
Since inefficiency is perceived by many as our primary vulnerability, we as professionals are desperate to make sure that we bring home the bacon. Enter single sourcing, promising a future where there is room for both technical writers and efficacy. While there is no doubt that single-sourcing and content reuse are our future, the rhetoric surrounding its propagation seems to be less than straightforward. On one hand, single sourcing, after initial labor pains, should cut documentation production cost, time, and effort at least by half. On the other hand, its implementation is not expected to affect employment, but to open a world of new opportunities for technical writers. Will managers maintain staff despite new efficiencies? I doubt it.
The optimistic message from Andrea Ames and other motivational speakers was that we, as professionals, need to diversify and adapt. However, this adaptation seems to be somewhat reminiscent of Henry Ford's idea of efficiency through narrower specialization: some writers will specialize in publishing and content reuse (in this way merging with the programming caste), while others will have to climb up the social ladder toward managerial positions.
The 50th Conference also had a brighter side. One of conference's most exciting experiences was the opportunity for us recent graduates to meet many of the people whose books and articles were our learning staples. The 'big names' like Karen Schriver, Geoff Hart, and Carol Barnum, were among the experts who turned out to be so much fun, friendly and charming! Not surprisingly, therefore, my pre-conception of a technical writer did not make it through even the first day of the conference. Personal revelation: not every technical writer is a boring comma stickler, or at least not all of the time! The STC Open Jam broke whatever ice remained. Listening to my professors butcher classic rock on stage and observing many of the respectable society members and fellows "shaking it" on the dance floor turned out to be a professionally bonding experience. Another 50th Conference highlight was the Texas Tech Alumni Reception. It was a definite success, the guests packing the Edelweiss Room.
The most lustrous event of the conference, for me, was the Honors Reception. This year, the Texas Tech Student Chapter received the Chapter of Excellence and Pacesetter awards, so Aubrey Hardman, my friend and our president, and I got to walk the stage twice. Cheers, hugs, congratulations, applause, pictures with Linda Oestreich – we received everything that these ten minutes of fame could bring. Alas, we were missing the remaining of the Three STC Stooges, Kevin Chou, who was unable to attend the conference to share this celebration with us. I believe that these awards, along with Dr. Thomas Barker's induction as an Associate Fellow, gave more exposure and greater recognition to Texas Tech University, its technical communication program, and our chapter. On the flip side, the awards we received set the bar higher for the new officers, who now will be shooting for the Chapter of Distinction award.
The conference also confirmed in my eyes the value of the diploma I received from Texas Tech. I felt very comfortable when conversing or listening to presentations on the most "bleeding edge" topics. Single sourcing, XML, CMM, SDLC—all these things that we learned at Texas Tech proved to be not mere academic exercises, but valuable and marketable professional knowledge. (Feeling smart came as a bonus.)
The conference also shed a new light for me on the old educational dilemma of skills vs. tools. Is the primacy of skills and relative unimportance of tools yet another academic myth? Or is the growing importance of tools a sign of the emerging professional stratification? Whatever the case, the popularity of the Tools sections at the 50th Conference confirms that students would benefit immensely if more emphasis can be placed on learning the industry's most advanced software. Yet, this will not happen without software manufacturers making a special effort to make their state-of-the-art products available to professors and students in technical communication programs, perhaps through some Microsoft-style campus or program-wide agreements. After all, this would not be charity, but smarter marketing.
Looking back at the four days I spent at the 50th STC Conference, I can see that it was an enjoyable and beneficial experience that will boost my professional development. In a way, as a first-timer, this conference was my initiation into the profession (minus hazing). It resulted in a significant makeover of my understanding of the technical communication field and its future. The conference also allowed me to start seeing the Society as an international organization that extends far beyond the confines of a single chapter. In short, this was a great conference, I really enjoyed it, and I will do my best to see "y'all" again next year in Baltimore.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Lone Star Chapter, its officers, and its members for all the support, help, and advice I have received, and for the scholarship that helped me to come to Dallas. Many of the wonderful conference experiences I described earlier would not be possible without the LSC members' hard work. Being a host chapter definitely required a lot of effort, but the fruit of their labor was very rewarding—a great conference and 1400 happy attendees.
Please send your questions and comments to email@michaellikhinin.com