Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC
March/April 2004

Editor’s Message

by Becky Rude
Acting Managing Editor

Hello Readers!

In the movie Life and Death, Woody Allen says, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” This statement may have been true for technical communicators during the dot-com boom when jobs were plentiful, but it’s no longer enough to just show up and expect that you’ll be successful in your career. Putting in that extra twenty percent can give you the edge you need to stay ahead of the pack.

The discussions we’re having at chapter meetings, at the Society level, and in various online communities are causing us to examine our roles as technical communicators. We’re finding that we need to be more proactive about learning skills outside of technical communication and to expand our roles in the organizations in which we work. At the last chapter meeting where we had a panel discussion on trends in technical communication, I was particularly struck by a comment from Marie Highby who said that an active mind and continual learning are the most important skills to have to prepare for the future of technical communication.

This issue of DMV strives to offer you information about areas that many of us are interested in learning about: project management, document management, and time-saving tips. It’s my hope that this issue will give you a few basics on these skills so that you can continue to grow in your profession and be more than someone who just shows up.

In This Issue

Jon Rude writes about aspects of project management that can be applied to any project, including technical communication projects. And yes, he’s my husband, in case you were wondering. At Jon’s going-away party with a previous employer, he kept introducing me to technical writers. I’d never seen so many technical writers in one place outside of STC! I’m guessing that because he listens to me talk about what it’s like to be a technical communicator, he is able to understand the difficulties we face and to advocate for those issues in projects he manages.

Vesa Purho encourages us to take time to plan for any project as it will save time in the long run. David Dick and Kathy Bine give us pointers on creating a document management strategy. Elaine Parrish has a great time-saving idea of keeping a personal list of “doubles,” which are words that you easily confuse when in a hurry (they’re versus their). And finally, to help us stay ready for job hunting, Dara Golden provides some helpful tips on polishing your resume.

Have fun shamrock hunting and have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Becky

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