STC works best if each chapter is a thriving community of technical communicators, coming together to help each other grow professionally and give back to the community in ways that shine a light on the power and value of what we do. Coming to meetings is a way to help build that community, but it’s only the beginning. Meetings, newsletters, websites, conferences, competitions, and other activities don’t just happen. Someone has to do the work, and that work is lighter — and more fun — if many hands share it.
What goes around comes around, and when you pitch in, good things happen. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Even five minutes helping to find the best title for a blog post can be a big help. Holding an elective office is a bigger commitment, but there are many tasks in between. You just have to ask, or sometimes you just have to be there when a need arises.
Here are some of the side benefits of helping to sustain the EBSTC community:
- Other members notice you and remember your contributions when they have paying jobs to fill. Ask most STC members, and they’ll tell you about a job they got through this sort of networking.
- If you help with the website, you can learn valuable skills — like using WordPress or how HTML and CSS work.
- If you write for the newsletter, you can add to your professional portfolio. Members who attend meetings — or better yet, write articles about meeting topics — benefit when that topic comes up in a job interview.
- If you help plan programs, you have a good excuse to get in touch with really interesting people. And you can set up programs about topics that interest you.
- If you help publicize our activities, you can hone your social media and outreach skills.
- If you help to lead the chapter or any of its activities, you become a more confident leader and manager.
- The chapter recognizes the contributions of volunteers with a variety of awards, and these look good on your resume.
- It’s great to be part of a community, especially the Friendly Chapter.
We’d love to discuss a volunteer opportunity that suits your availability and interests. Please contact President Liz Miller today.
Richard Mateosian
Volunteer at Large