New Directions for Technical Communicators

By Lauren Womack, PR Manager

You've been working as a technical communicator for a while. You're good and you know it. Do you wonder what the next step on your career ladder is? Do you assume it's management? Are you thinking you've gone as far as you can in technical communications and may need a new career path all together?

"There are alternatives for pursuing your 'technical' career! One of these is information architecture and strategy," says STC President Andrea L. Ames, M.S. In her presentation "I'm Senior, Now What Do I Do? Go Into Management? Change Careers? - How Information Architecture and Strategy Can Revitalize Your Technical Career and Enhance Your Value," Ms. Ames will present her own career as a case study; provide some hints and tips for pursuing education, as well as a title/recognition of this path at your company (if you are a staff employee); help you determine how this technical career might add demonstrable value in your company or to your clients; and lead a discussion of how you can best "market" yourself as an information architect and strategist to your employer or clients.

Ms. Ames is a technical communicator specializing in user-centered product interface and online information architecture and design, interaction design, and usability. She has more than 20 years of experience designing, developing, and producing usable technical and scientific information for products, software user interfaces, multimedia and online information systems, and print documentation. Besides being the President of STC, Ms. Ames is a Senior Information Developer at IBM Corporation, where she leads information development for a large data management product; is coordinator for two University of California Extension technical communication certificates; and a published author and freelance writer. She teaches at the university level and speaks internationally at professional conferences.

Our own accomplished leader, LSC President Dr. Jackie Damrau, says, "Professional development is key to moving from one position to another. As we move into more senior roles within our company, we need to continue enhancing our own professional development as well as that of those that we are tasked with managing. Andrea has a unique perspective on what it takes to be an information architect and strategist. I'm sure that I'll come away from this meeting with more tools in my toolkit." Wow! If Jackie's planning on learning something, we should all plan on taking notes!

Dallas/Fort Worth UPA president Jim Carlsen-Landy echos Jackie's sentiments. "Many of those who have found success in the user experience and information architecture communities came from technical writing, information science, and other fields. With her own success as an example, I'm sure Ms. Ames will have great insights into how we can apply our creativity to bigger challenges and greater responsibility without feeling coerced into a management track."

What more incentive do you need? Join your peers and at the Crowne Plaza in Addison (corner of Beltline and Proton) for fun and networking as we contemplate a new direction for our professional development.

Meeting Time & Logistics

Join us on October 14^th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Addison and meet Lone Star Community and Usability Professionals' Association members! For more information about the Usability Professionals' Association, visit their website at www.upassoc.org.

Registration and networking begin at 5:45 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the program begins at 7:30 p.m. Dinner costs $20 for STC and UPA members and $25 for non-members. The program is FREE, but does require a registration. Registration deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 11, 2004. You may register by calling 972-558-1622 or visiting the LSC website at www.stc-dfw.org.

If you will be joining us, the menu selections are:

Upcoming Programs

Make your plans now to hear these fantastic speakers!

*Indicates meeting date other than 2^nd Thursday