Why STC?
You want a professional
When you need a technical communications expert, you want someone who can do the job. You check references; you may also ask to see a portfolio of past work performed by candidates. That may not be enough, however, to tell you about the whole person as a professional.
A professional who invests the time and money to maintain active membership in a relevant association shows you that person is committed to the rigors of his or her profession. That can only be good for you, your project, and your company.
One such professional association is the STC — the Society for Technical Communication — whose diverse membership are committed to standards of professional ethics and best practices in their fields.
What is STC?
STC is an "individual membership organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication." Over 15,000 professionals world-wide are members of STC. Members embrace the diversity of technical communication in all of its venues: technical illustration, writing, editing, Web design, Web content, instructional design, information architecture, usability, human factors, quality assurance, translators, and, yes, academia.
STC members affiliate with colleagues through Special Interest Groups, or SIGs, formed around topics such as: Accessibility, Independent Consulting, Emerging Technologies, Information Design, Indexing, Instructional Design, Policy & Procedures, Marketing Communication, and so forth. SIGs are virtual communities whose members may live and work anywhere in the world. Members can also affiliate with regional chapters and participate in their programs.
STC and its chapters organize and conduct seminars and conferences and offer professional training to members. The association also conducts annual competitions for the various categories of technical communication. Awards are made at the levels of:
- Distinguished Technical Communication
- Award of Excellence
- Award of Merit
Members and their parent companies or project sponsors enter their work in a competition sponsored by a regional chapter; those who are awarded the level of Distinguished Technical Communication at that level are submitted to the international competition in their category for consideration.
STC members tend to be very active in their chapters, companies, and communities. This experience builds their leadership and management skills as well as their personal professional capabilities.
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