Tips from the trenches

by Deb Lockwood

This month's question was "How do you keep your technical communication skills current?" I received several very interesting responses to this question.

First and foremost, the contributors said that the STC was a vital source of information and support. Specifically, several individuals mentioned STC chapter meetings, conferences (both national and regional), special interest groups (SIGs), and STC periodicals.

Going to STC conferences can help you glimpse the future of technical communications. Right now the buzz is all about single-sourcing, SGML, and XML. STC can help you find out what the next big thing will be. SIGs can also give you access to many levels of expertise that you might need.

Instead of focusing on learning tools, one writer chose to broaden his/her focus beyond tools. Having always been an individual contributor, this writer chose to learn more about managing communication teams. The perfect opportunity came along in the guise of a graduate-level class in communication management at Colorado State University of Denver. This writer is learning about management issues, communication theory, corporate video production, Web site development, public relations, and information design.

Keeping your skills current can be very challenging for independents. Writers usually pay for training themselves. And any day spent in training is a day without revenue. One independent writer suggests the following ideas for independents who want to stay current:

• Read STC publications
• Attend STC and Boulder Writer's Association (BWA) meetings
• Attend STC training sessions, which are reasonably priced and have the added benefit of being local
• Attend STC conferences (annual and/or regional)
• Attend other conferences when possible, including WinWriters and FrameUsers
• Read books in new and familiar subject areas
• Participate in e-mail discussion lists (CIC SIG, STC RMC discussion, Framers, WebWorks Publisher, JavaHelp, Single Sourcing SIG, and the Usability SIG)
• Ask questions on these various lists when debating what to do

As an independent, you can also choose contracts that expand your skills with a familiar tool, or maybe even be fortunate enough to learn a completely new tool.

One person came up with an ingenious way to keep his/her writing and editing skills honed during a long period of unemployment, and at the same time help the community. He/she wrote and edited press releases and marketing materials for non-profit organizations.

Another writer working for Sun Microsystems said that he/she has been able to learn many new skills, but of necessity they have been specific to Sun's software applications. In this case, as the writer said, "It helps to keep in mind that what drew us to this profession in the first place wasn't a toolset — it was a knack for solving business communication problems. Most of us could do that ably using WordStar, if we had to!"

In these times of economic uncertainty, I'm doing what I can to sharpen my skills. And I'm certainly going to take some hints from the professionals who so graciously contributed to this article.