Membership

1. Intercom

What new tools and technology are available for technical communicators? How can technical communicators add value to their employers? Intercom, the Society's award-winning magazine, provides practical examples and applications of technical communication. Intercom also includes Society news, columns edited by technical communication experts, and a calendar of industry-related events. Intercom is published ten times per year.

2. Technical Communication

Technical Communication, the Society's award-winning journal, publishes articles about the practical application of technical communication theory and serves as a common arena for discussion by practitioners. Technical Communication focuses on both quantitative and qualitative research while showcasing the work of some of the field's most noteworthy writers. Technical Communication is published quarterly.

3. Chapter Activities

STC has more than 140 local chapters around the world. Regularly scheduled chapter meetings allow thechnical communicators to exchange ideas with peers and participate in practical, job-related programs. Most chapters also publish monthly newsletters and some sponsor local competitions.

4. STC Annual Conference

STC's annual conference is the world's largest gathering of technical communicators. Among the many highlights of the conference are educational sessions, workshops, vendor exhibits, and displays of the winning entries of the Society's international competitions. Technical communication professionals also benefit from numerous networking opportunities and employment resources.
In addition, STC chapters organize regional conferences to address the specific needs of technical communicators in a particular geographic area.

5. Competitions

STC organizes a variety of competitions to recognize excellence in technical communication. Different competitions focus on printed documentation, technical art, technical videos, and online communication. STC also holds writing competitions for students of technical communication.

6. Special Interest Groups

STC special interest groups (SIGs) are made up of members who share common interests or specializations within the field of technical communication. There are more than two dozen Society-level SIGs, including those devoted to indexing, information design, online communication, and marketing communication. SIG activities include publishing newsletters, developing articles for Society publications, conducting surveys, and presenting seminars. In addition to Society-level SIGs, which have an international membership, some chapters maintain chapter-level SIGs.

7. Web Information

The STC Office Web site (www.stc-va.org) offers information about STC services, as well as a number of files and forms useful to STC members and chapter leaders. The site includes articles from Intercom and book reviews from Technical Communication.

8. Job Database

Technical Communicators looking for their next job can go to the STC office Web site (www.stc.org), select "Jobs Database," and search through hundreds of job openings according to geography and salary range.

9. STC Technical Communicator Salary Survey

This annual supplement to Intercom contains salary information from technical writers and editors. The information is broken down according to gender, education level, employment level, age, years of experience, and geographical area of professionals. This survey includes information from members in the United States and Canada.

10. Networking

STC activities provide excellent networking opportunities for technical communicators. You may hear about your next job at a chapter meeting, or meet your next coworker at the STC annual conference. In addition, writing for Intercom, Technical Communication, or an STC chapter newsletter is an excellent way to raise your profile within the profession.