The Umbrella of Technical Communication: Experiences of Novices and Pros

Considering a Master's degree in Technical Communication? Ever wonder what other professionals are really doing in their jobs? Join STC-TC and TC3, Metropolitan State University's student chapter, for a great evening as we showcase a variety of interesting work available in the field. From recent Masters graduates to other Twin Cities professionals, our seven speakers will give brief summaries of one or two aspects of their jobs or careers, and then your questions will spark a lively discussion about our profession.

 

Schedule 5:30 Registration, dinner, and networking. 6:00 Welcome 6:05  Panel 1 7:15  Panel 2

 

Julie Jacobs is a senior health information technology (HIT) consultant, providing services to ensure that clients achieve meaningful use of their electronic health records (EHRs). She serves the federal HIT regional extension center, which helps medical providers in clinics, small hospitals, and other settings in Minnesota and North Dakota implement and effectively use EHRs.

Kenny Bellew is Lead Technical Writer at Hewlett Packard. Some of his areas of interest are XML authoring, illustration, usability testing, and the future of tech writing. Kenny has been a technical writer for 20 years and will share tips on how to have a successful career.

Gayle Werner is a Technical Writer at Boston Scientific. Her works spans a variety of documentation projects related to product literature and labeling in the Cardiac Rhythm Management division. She will share the ways that she utilized the Master's degree program for a complete career transition.

Twin Cities professionals will provide a glimpse into their current job duties and career moves within technical communication.

Eileen Potter is a Business Analyst and SharePoint Consultant for Digineer, a business and technology consulting company. With more than 15 years of technical communication experience for several software companies, she will highlight leveraging technical communication skills in the broader context of requirements gathering, business process improvement, and SharePoint development. Eileen currently serves STC-TC as Chapter President.

Matt Abe is an Information Developer employed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services.His current responsibilities include writing for software user manuals, content management using an XML-based system, and developing standardized tools and processes. For this meeting, he will focus on collaboration in a distributed team.

Elizabeth Stuck is a Technology Consultant at Hennepin County Medical Center. She will discuss some of her job responsibilities, which include instructional design and e-learning development, and she will describe the path of her career in tech comm.

Mike Funck is a Senior Technical Writer in the Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management division at Medtronic, Inc. Based on a broad experience in a number of business sectors, he will address issues in technical writing for a regulated industry.