Bay Area Resources for Technical Communicators

This page features pointers toward professional organizations, educational institutions, and other useful resources for job seekers and those looking to enhance their technical communications skills. If you've come across other relevant resources and organizations, we'd appreciate hearing about them by email.

Thanks for your interest, and for sharing any suggestions you may have.

Society for Technical Communication (STC)

STC is a non-profit, almost entirely volunteer-run, educational organization for professional technical writers, technical editors, publications managers, production folk, and other technical communicators. It is an international organization with chapters throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia.

There are five Bay Area STC chapters and a sixth in Sacramento, all with local monthly meetings, newsletters, job announcements, and much more. STC headquarters also publishes a monthly newsletter, Intercom, a quarterly professional journal, Technical Communication, and nationwide job listings, as well as sponsoring an international technical publications competition and an annual society-wide conference. Annual membership costs $95, plus $10 for new members.

STC members join a specific chapter, and receive that chapter's newsletter. In all other respects, though, they are members-at-large and are welcome to participate in events (meetings, seminars, competitions, etc) sponsored by different chapters.

Attending a meeting is the best way to find out whether STC is for you. You don't have to be a member to attend these meetings (although you'll pay less if you are), so we suggest attending a few chapters' events before deciding which one to join. Each chapter has its charms and unique personality (personalities?).

Once you join, the best way to benefit from STC is to volunteer. Andrew knows — he did it for ten years!

In the Bay Area, most STC members are technical writers working in the computer hardware and software industries. Many of them used to be editors, production specialists, or marketing writers, so they tend to focus on communications- and tools-related issues rather than the technical details of the products being documented.

Meeting topics are practical and usually computer-industry specific; recent presentations have focussed on FrameMaker, HTLM, VRML, Information Mapping, NetHelp, and the state of the job market. Meeting fees include either a meal or self-serve hors d'oeuvres, and the schedule typically consists of networking (aka milling around trying to look important and/or learn something), job and chapter business announcements, and then the presentation itself.


The following is a list of local STC resources:

Bay Area Organizations for Editors

 By their own description, editcetera ia a "nonprofit mutual benefit corporation designed to help publishing professionals improve their skills and share resources. Since 1971, [they] have referred qualified freelancers to publishers, businesses, institutions, and authors." It's also an educational organization and a job referral service for local editors that you can join by taking and passing their rather rigorous editing test. Most of the editors working through editcetera do not work in the computer industry, but they may broaden their focus to include more technical editing in the near future.

editcetera offers some very worthwhile editing classes to the general public. Some classes are one day or one evening long, others are as long as 6-8 weeks; all are very reasonably priced. The classes are all taught in downtown Berkeley, either on weekday evenings or on Saturdays.

Note: You do not have to be a member of their group to take classes; in fact, most class attendees are not (yet) editcetera members.

 A nonprofit, volunteer-run professional organization whose membership includes staff and contract editors working in all aspects of Bay Area publishing. Monthly meetings include presentations on various related subjects, job announcements, and a chance to talk to others in your field. Membership costs $40/year. No charge for meetings.

General Purpose Commercial Communications

Media Alliance
814 Mission at 4th Street., Suite 205
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 546-6334
info@media-alliance.org
This is a good place to start for anyone new to the Bay Area and interested in any kind of writing or editing work. MA offers job listings, classes, access to computers, and pointers to other writing, editing, job referral, and educational organizations, and their fees are usually quite reasonable. They also offer medical insurance at group rates to their members. Call for cost of annual membership.
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
One Hallidie Plaza, #600
San Francisco, CA 94102
San Francisco chapter
Silicon Valley chapter
This organization provides professional-development resources for marketing communications ("marcom"), corporate communications, and public relations ("PR") professionals, including seminars, networking opportunities, and special events.
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
(212) 995-2230
Oakland-East Bay chapter
Silicon Valley chapter
PRSA is a professional-development group for public relations ("PR") professionals.

Continuing Education for Bay Area Writers & Editors

 A well-respected program offering classes in editing, publishing, technical writing, book production and more, all at reasonable prices. Classes are offered in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Atherton, in the evening and on weekends. Another well-respected program that offers classes in desktop publishing, online help, graphic design, editing, publishing, technical writing, book production, and more, at very reasonable prices. Most classes are taught in Sunnyvale in the evenings and on weekends. SF State offers a degree program in technical writing, as well as individual classes on various related subjects. Their web site contains course descriptions and schedules, Frequently Asked Questions, faculty profiles, and pointers to other useful information.

SF State's deservedly famous Multimedia Studies Program is located in their Financial District facility at 425 Market Street in San Francisco.
 
Online Educational Resources

General job-finding resources in the Bay Area

A very well-respected South Bay resource for those seeking new jobs or new careers. The Career Action Center offers a large assortment of job-finding resources available to members for an annual membership fee. Resources include thousands of job listings, a video library of job-finding material, career counselling, seminars of interest to job seekers, and much more. Visit their very informative web site for more details. Located in downtown San Francisco, open to women and men who are recent (and not-so-recent) college grads for an annual membership fee. Their focus has been on women's employment issues, but they welcome everyone. Regular offerings include seminars related to career changes, exploring new careers, managing your job search, interviewing, and many other related topics. Call, email, or visit their web site for membership and other information. This is the kind of place that can refer you in hundreds of different directions. Lifeprint is very highly recommended by those who've used it.

Great books for general job-hunting

 Updated annually. The single best job-finding book on the market today. A very good book on overcoming perceived obstacles to creating a strong resume. She also helps people revise their resumes, for a fee, and rumor has it that she lives in Berkeley.

Resources for Translators

Miscellaneous Helpful Links