JOB TITLE: Technical Writer

LOCATION: Duluth, GA

START DATE : May 21st.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Ability to explain and document complex, technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Ability to independently research topics, identify subject matter experts, and effectively conduct subject matter interviews.

Excellent written communication skills. Ability to group and organize information in a logical manner. Excellent grammar skills.

Excellent time management skills. Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with aggressive deadlines.

Good people skills. Works well with all personality types. Has the ability to be collaborative, relate to others maturely, and be a team player.

Bachelor’s degree in the area of technical writing, computer science, information science, or laboratory science. Equivalent Unix-based experience as a technical writer, technical trainer, or business analyst/technical product manager may serve as a substitute.

Experience documenting enterprise, server-based software for the video-on-demand, cable, or telecommunications industry is a plus.

Experience writing for multiple concurrent audiences, including end-users, administrators, developers, and integrators, is a plus.

Familiarity or experience creating documentation for commercial software in an Agile development environment is a plus.

Information Mapping certification is a plus.

REQUIRED SKILLS: Microsoft Word (Expert level), Adobe Acrobat

EDUCATION:Bachelor’s degree in the area of technical writing, computer science, information science, or laboratory science. Equivalent Unix-based experience as a technical writer, technical trainer, or business analyst/technical product manager will serve as a substitute.

If this is your expertise and you would like to be considered for this position, please send your resume asap to: Shirley@peak-resourcce.com

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

This will be a 6 month contract-to-hire opportunity located in Marietta, GA. The Technical writer will focus on explaining technical ideas and processes into a simple language which can be understood by the average reader. The position will be responsible for writing procedures and policies, instruction and installation manuals, everyday usage manuals, and aiding in building a knowledge base.

REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor’s degree or sufficient business experience with a concentration in technical writing.
Must be proficient in MS Outlook, Excel, Word
Must be proficient in Adobe RoboHelp and Adobe Captivate

Ricardo Brown
Senior Recruiter
Information Technology
T: 770 821 5720
C: 404 520 8795
ricardo.brown@experis.com

You can find your profile by accessing the Dashboard that is displayed at the top of your screen after you login. Your Profile page can be found under the Users section of the Dashboard.

Among other reasons, the Your Profile page is where you want to be if you’d like to change you password, for example. Note that your Username cannot be changed. You can, however, use the other fields to enter your real name, which I recommended. I don’t know why, but the theme we use requires a nickname. I just entered my username, but you can put whatever you like. Also, this is where you can change which name to display along with your posts.

Many members have a “once and done” approach to their profiles, but if you’ve not visited Your Profile page in a while, maybe it’s time to give it a look, especially if you are an officer or active member in the Society. Displaying our avatars and accolades shows others we’re active members and encourages them to get involved with our community too.

On our site, whenever you write a post, the attribution section displays three pieces of information. The first two bits come from Your Profile page:

1. Your name, as you selected it under the drop-down menu titled “Display name publicly as”
2. Whatever you typed into the “Biographical Info” section

You can enter any text in the “Biographical Info” section, but I recommended you toot your horn. Maybe you’d like to share a brief greeting or salutation. Anything is better than nothing. Remember to click the Update Profile button at the bottom of the page when you are finished writing your bio.

The third piece of information displayed is your avatar. The avatar is a thumbnail image you associate with your profile. It can be anything. It doesn’t have to be your picture.

For our site, we use a popular, free and secure service called Gravatar.com. It’s easy to use, and works automatically. Use the email address you used when you registered here, up-load your images, and Gravatar does the rest. We use 80×80 pixel thumbnails, but Gravatar will automatically resize for you, if needed. It’s fun, try it out!

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s new avatar and bio. If you get stuck, post your issue here and I’ll help if I can.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Next meeting: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm, Home Depot SSC

Present:  Michelle Schoonover, Buck Wilbur, Howard Speck, Jane Wilson, Roberta Heinlein and Mirhonda Studevant.

I. Approval of Minutes from April Meeting

Several corrections were made to the minutes. The minutes were approved as amended.

II. Goals for the Year

The team presented our current goals. The group provided input about the goals that include:

• Increase volunteers  – an ongoing effort
• Have quality chapter meetings – we will continue to meet during the summer and possibly try a virtual meeting in August. There are two kinds of virtual: physical meetings where virtual people also attend or completely virtual meetings where there is no common physical space.

Action Item:  Howard will contact John about a virtual meeting plan.

Action Item:  Roberta will check with Holly regarding any penalties with canceling space in lieu of a virtual meeting.

• Have educational workshops – current plans include an employment workshop and the Leah Guren workshops
• Increase and improve communications with membership – this goal permeates through all other goals; we need to use multiple methods of communication, including social media
• Create income for programming and reserve – income from workshops and sponsorships are primary sources of revenue. We need to become more self-sufficient

III. Committee Reports

A. Programs – no official report, Jen will forward.

Valerie will work on the half-day, Saturday Employment workshop with Howard. The goal is to promote the event 4-6 weeks in advance. Previous topics included networking, resumes, portfolios, interviewing and social media. All components were interactive. We should also invite other professional organizations to the workshop. Resume reviews were also offered for an additional fee. Resume reviews are actually an ongoing service offered by the chapter.

Action Item: Roberta will advise Jen about booking through the summer.

Action Item: Howard will ask Jen about forwarding information from the previous workshops.

Action Item: Jane will research whether the Knowledge Center charges by the hour or a per-use basis.

B. Website – all updates completed to date.

C. Membership – rolls purged on March 31. We need a Student Liaison and/or to revive the Student SIG. We need to increase awareness of STC on college campuses –SPSU, KSU and Mercer. The group discussed having phone calls as part of a membership drive.

Action Item: Roberta will discuss suggestions with membership. If we do a phone drive, we will need a script for the calls.

Action Item:  Buck will research which service powers other professional organization emails he receives.

D. Hospitality – Michelle is working on an attendance spreadsheet as well as letters to respond to those who express interest in volunteering or membership.

E. Employment –  no official report

F. Sponsorship – Buck touched bae with MadCap, ProEdit, Adobe and Google (local Atlanta Google office). Big companies prefer in-kind donations of software or speakers rather than financial contributions. Pro Edit also offers workshops targeted towards Technical Writers.Buck has plans to follow-up with ProEdit once fall workshop logistics are solidified. He needs specifics about dates, audience and attendance to better interact with potential sponsors.

G. Summit Host – Jane has contacted the Atlanta Convention and Visitor’s Bureau regarding information for the booth at this year’s Summit in Chicago. Buck is working the booth with her. The STC Atlanta banner will also be used at our table during this year’s Summit.

Jane also submitted the chapter’s financial report.

H. Nominations – Roberta suggested that Howard start targeting people early and advise people about other available positions – that we do not have to wait for the next election cycle.

I.   Secretary/History – Roberta review expectations regarding level of detail for meeting minutes. The group also discussed the importance of archiving records and preserving history via our chapter documents.

Action Item: Mirhonda will consider methods and make recommendations about ways to preserve the official records of our chapter history.

IV. Review Action Items

Completed

• John completed the website leadership updates.
• Buck completed the research regarding pricing for other professional workshops.
• Roberta forwarded information to Buck regarding sponsorship rewards.
• The council found a great speaker (Dr. Keith Hopper from SPSU) for the April meeting.

In Progress

• Everyone: Forward email and telephone contact preferences to John and Buck
• (ongoing) Forward meeting space/general TCOM photos to John
• Roberta: Ask John for his input regarding the best email approach (name vs. position) for leader listing online.

Roberta explained that name-oriented approach makes accounts portable, regardless of the person’s position. Jane explained that some previous position-centric emails were previously set for paypal and may still exist.

• Jen: Leah Guren workshop locations research
• Howard/Valerie: planning Employment workshop
• Jen: Forward list of target companies for Employment workshop
• Everyone:  Bring any STC Atlanta awards (chapter, not individual) to the next council meeting.

V. Other Items

The June council meeting is the 2nd (not first) Tuesday of the month – June 12th, to accommodate various schedules.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Next meeting: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 6:45 pm, Home Depot SSC

Present:  Michelle Schoonover, Holly Harkness, Buck Wilbur, Howard Speck, Jane Wilson, Roberta Heinlein, Valerie Cyrus, Mirhonda Studevant and Jen Collier

The group discussed expectations regarding the meeting minutes. Howard moved to approve the March council meeting minutes. Jane seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The council also clarified that minutes are not required for general meetings. The council agreed that most recent council meeting minutes could be posted with a disclaimer that they were drafts. Posting drafts allow members and interested parties to review minutes in a timely manner.

I. Announcements

The council discussed changes in leadership positions. Current leaders are:

• Roberta Heinlein – President
• Buck Wilbur – Vice President
• Mirhonda Studevant – Secretary
• Jane Wilson – Treasurer
• Howard Speck – Nominating Committee
• Jen Collier – Immediate Past President, Program/Events Manager, assisted by Valerie Cyrus
• Holly Harkness – Membership Manager, Doreen has volunteered to assist
• Michelle Schoonover – Hospitality Manager (joined council last month)
• Sharon Wade-Cook – Employment Manager
• John Douglass – Webmaster

Greatest Needs: Sponsorship Manager, Student Liaison (Keith Brooks resigned)

Action Item:  Need John to remove all Currents, SIG and Competition Manager positions from the website leadership page. Remove Keith Brooks and Chapter Historian positions. Add Valerie and Doreen to the leadership positions: Valerie as assisting with Program Management and Doreen as assisting with Membership.

Jen would like the group to consider Social Media Manager as an official future position/addition to the leadership list. Roberta has information about the STC Atlanta twitter account. Michelle explained that twitter could feed to FaceBook account.

The group discussed phone numbers. Jen cited instances where someone called her posted work number and she was able to answer their question immediately and providing a personal touch/connection. Roberta would like her office number added to the website contact info:  770-433-8211 x19827.

Action Item: Forward contact preferences to John and Buck.

The council also discussed the use of stcatlanta.org email addresses as aliases for the current council. Buck suggested an approach of allowing current officers to indicate their preference for the name aspect of their email address (such as vicepresident@stcatlanta.org that would route emails to Buck’s personal email address). Others suggested following the nomenclature at the Society level and just changing back-end alias annually as officers change.

Action Item:  Ask John for his input regarding the best email approach for leader listings online.

II. Committee Reports

Membership

Holly reported that March 31 is the membership cutoff date. December is the official cutoff date and members must renew by February to vote. Holly presented a list of 90 non-renewing members. She also had a list of 36 members who live in Georgia but are not members. Membership development recommendations included:

1. Emailing non-renewing people

2. Calling personal acquaintances

Doreen volunteered to assist with membership. Holly will train Doreen about accessing the STC membership system. Holly confirmed that new members are added to lists in constant contact (email campaigns).

The group discussed offering free meetings as well as pricing and the importance of conveying the value of the meetings and STC membership. Jen explained that social events are offered at cost, not for a profit. The Society’s recommendation is to charge members for meetings. The council liked the idea of offering passes to students, corporate sponsors, etc. to allow free admittance to a single meeting (for non-members).

There is an annual what’s your STC value open house program. Jane emphasized the importance of highlighting what the chapter and Society given you. Buck is interested in fully developing a value proposition. Roberta explained that a Society-level value proposition information already exists.

Treasurer’s Report

Jane reviewed zero-based budgeting. Budgets are submitted at the end of the year. Maximum funding is based on the number of local members and reserve percentage.

Funding from national office to the local chapter is based on membership rolls as of August 31 of each year. Jane updates the actual vs. budgeted amounts by the end of April, including reserve percentages.

Workshop

Jen is anticipating speaker and logistical expenses as well as generated revenue for the Leah Guren workshop. This workshop will be held in lieu of Currents. Leah’s workshops are very interactive. Leah has requested round tables and a way to present visually. Jen is researching locations for the workshops as well as effective pricing models. We have a formal agreement with Leah, locking down the workshop dates. In addition, the workshop will include a Vendor Expo area (food, networking) that includes a sign-off where attendees may receive a prize or be entered in a drawing for a prize by collecting signature from all of the vendors.

Holly suggested offering a keynote or something for those unable to attend the full workshop. Roberta advised that we need to start advertising for the summer. Roberta believed we needed to have a marketing spin to distinguish Leah’s workshop from those offered by Pro Edit.

Action Item: Jen is researching workshop locations (Jane suggested Kennesaw State University; Roberta suggested Southern Polytechnic State University; Jen suggested that workshop could be hosted at a hotel and people have lunch on their own nearby) and offering additional activities a la carte.

From a pricing standpoint, Buck suggested researching the price of Jeff Haas’ Cool Tools workshop. Roberta suggested researching the cost of upcoming Pro Edit workshops.

Action Item: Buck will inquire and research the pricing for the other workshops.

In addition to Leah, the group discussed hosting an employment workshop. The previous one was very popular. Holly explained that the previous workshop included presentations about online portfolios (Rachel did previously and Michelle offered to cover); Job Search and using Social Media. The employment workshop was six hours on a Saturday and the registration costs included lunch. The event was free to members and $25 for non-members. In addition, attendees could get their resumes professionally reviewed for an additional $25. The employment workshop could be hosted at the Knowledge Center. The group discussed timeframes and thought August was a good compromise between June or July for recent grads and late fall when we plan to offer the other workshop. Holly also views the employment workshop as an opportunity to partner with other firms. The group agreed that we needed to involve our Employment Manager, Sharon, in the employment workshop planning.

Action Item: Jen and Howard will begin working on the Employment workshop.

Action Item: Jen will compile a list of target companies (those directly associated with technical writers) to assist with or help support the employment workshop.

Sponsorship

STC Atlanta offers multiple sponsorship levels. Jen has inquired with some previous sponsors, but none have responded. Funds or in-kind services (such as books or registrations) have been received in the past. In exchange, sponsors receive publicity agreements (promotion on the chapter website, tables at local STC workshops or conferences), based on their sponsorship level. Buck expressed a desire to get more corporate sponsors. As a precursor, we need to show the value and what sponsors receive. We want to be positioned well for hosting the Summit next year.

Action Item: Roberta will forward information to Buck regarding sponsorship rewards.

The group also believes it will be relatively easy to secure sponsors once (Leah Guren) workshop logistics are finalized.

Promotion

Buck asked whether there is any local marketing expense beyond email. Howard wondered whether it would be possible to get Pro Edit to send email to their contractors. Jen advised reviewing findings from the previous survey where members specifically stated what they wanted from STC Atlanta. The group also thought it was important to reach out to other organizations. We should also include some of our previous awards (or mention them on the chapter website).

There was discussion about offering the first meeting free. The group agreed this would be ideal for students and STC partners – not necessarily working professionals.

Action Item:  Everyone should bring any STC Atlanta awards (chapter, not individual) to the next council meeting.

Hospitality

Michelle has created a spreadsheet and updated the visitor sign-in sheet to obtain more information. In addition to name and email, visitors will indicate whether they are a first-time or return visitor; whether they would like information about volunteering or membership. Michelle will follow-up with visitors based on responses.

Holly explained that the speakers and networking/personality of the group are key components that help drive membership. Buck suggested having copies of publications available for visitors to see, especially those who are new to the field.

Programming

Buck asked about the ability to set speakers/programs for the rest of the year for stronger promotion. Several members of the group advised about risks associated with locking in speakers too early and having schedule completely committed may translate to reduced flexibility if someone needs to change a date. Since speakers are volunteers, the group agreed that ideally we’d like to have speakers booked for each quarter or perhaps on a rolling three month basis.

Action Item: Jen will update the calendar blog post on the website.

Jen is researching presenters for this month. Her travel schedule will prohibit her from presenting this month. Roberta suggested Rob Houser as a potential speaker. He presented at WritersUA a few weeks ago and has long-standing ties to STC (including previous service as a director-sponsor).

Action Item: Roberta will ask Rob about presenting at the April 19th meeting.

Host Chapter Committee

Jane reported that the ATL Summit host chapter committee will most likely meet after the Chicago Summit.

We are looking for an experienced technical writer to design and develop documentation and training material for a suite of product offerings. Documentation and training will be developed for a broad audience of users, ranging from highly technical system support personnel to system end-users. This position will report to the Vice President of Engineering.

What you need for this position:

- 2+ years’ experience in the design and implementation of a variety of documentation types for a wide range of uses and audiences.

- Advanced knowledge of MS Word, RoboHelp HTML, Adobe Acrobat, Frame Maker, and a graphics package such as Paint Shop Pro.

- Experience creating user guides, online help systems, training materials, and corporate style guides

What’s in it for you:

- We offer a dynamic a forward-thinking workplace for people who want to use their creativity to accomplish great things.

- Opportunity to develop overall documentation strategy for new and existing products.

- Create and maintain information products development plan, including tasks, deliverables, and milestones.