STC France Connexion September 2008: Special Rentrée Edition!
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September 2008 Welcome to the special rentrée edition of the STC France Connexion newsletter! In this issue:1. Save the date(s): Preliminary calendar of events for the STC France 2008-9 season --------------------------------------------------------------------------- EditorialLa rentrée is upon us once more and the STC France leadership team is busy finalizing an exciting program of educational and social events for the coming 2008-9 season. See our preview of the year in this issue and start marking your calendar today! There is still time to sign up for our first workshop of the season: "How to set up and run your own business in France." This comprehensive one-day workshop will take place on Saturday 20 September in Paris and is hosted by experienced financial advisor Samina Arnoult. See below for details and reserve your place today! Also in this issue, we have more information about STC France's plans for World Usability Day in November, and we end with our feature article by STC Associate Fellow David Dick who provides some valuable advice on how to get the most out of your next job interview. There's certainly a lot in store for you in this issue - and plenty to be excited about in the year ahead. I hope your rentrée goes as smoothly as possible and look forward to seeing you at a future STC France event real soon! --- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Save the date(s): Preliminary calendar of events for the STC France 2008-9 seasonSeptember October November Also in November, leading industry expert Dr. JoAnn Hackos has kindly agreed to stop over in Paris on her way home from the DITA Europe Conference for a special STC France evening event. On Wednesday November 19, Dr. Hackos will present a talk entitled "Information Development in a Flat World," where she will examine the latest requirements for building a successful career in information development. Mark your calendar now and watch out for more information coming soon. December January February March April May June If you have any suggestions, or would like to volunteer to help out with any of these programs or events, please email us at volunteer@stcfrance.org. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Workshop Reminder: How to set up and run your own business in FranceThis one-day workshop will take place on Saturday 20 September in Paris and is hosted by experienced financial advisor Samina Arnoult. There are still places available, but don't delay: Registration closes September 19th at noon. Register today to avoid disappointment.
The first half of the workshop explores various business creation options in France, including "travailleur indépendant" (freelancing), "portage salarial" (freelancing through an agency), and EURL/SARL (incorporated companies). You will learn the advantages and disadvantages of each option and the various social charges and taxes associated with each. The second half of the workshop covers setting your business objectives, determining your fees, financial planning, time-management and different aspects of marketing to find clients. Please note that while the workshop will be given in English, Samina can provide additional explanations and answer questions in French if necessary. To register, complete the online registration form at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/152975554
See the full workshop description on the STC France website. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. World Usability Day 2008: All aboard!Following our call for ideas in the previous issue, we're asking members of STC France to help us celebrate World Usability Day 2008 by participating in an informal study of usability in local public transport systems. In accordance with the Transportation theme of this year's WUD event, we're looking to collect first hand reports of usability and accessibility issues in bus, tram, metro, or train services in France. Other STC chapters across Europe will be carrying out similar studies and our aim is to analyse and collate the observations received into a report which we hope will highlight some best practices and areas in need of improvement. You can post your photos and stories directly to the World Usability Day website, and STC France will also be setting up a collaborative website where you can showcase your findings. We're particularly interested in the following topics: Security & safety; Modes; Infrastructure; Technology, tools & resources; Signage. The week of 16-22 September 2008 is also European Mobility Week. There are hundreds of transport and mobility-related events being organized all over Europe. Why not join in and report back on your findings for our study? On November 13, we'll organize a "virtual" meeting via the web so that as many people as possible can participate (without having to travel anywhere!) We hope to line up a speaker on a transport-related topic and present the results of our study. Watch out for more information coming soon on how you can contribute. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. FEATURE ARTICLE: Take Advantage of a Defining Moment: Ask QuestionsBy David Dick Have you ever been to an employment interview where the interviewer asked, “Do you have any questions?” If you said “no” then you missed an opportunity to take advantage of a defining moment of your interview. Dalton Hooper writes in Getting Yourself Hired Lesson 3: Do You Have Any Questions For Me? that asking questions is a precious gift; and never throw it away. Leveraged to their fullest, the questions you ask can carry more weight than the answers you have given up to that point. The interview is an opportunity for the interviewer and you to establish a rapport, and that only happens if you contribute to the interview by asking questions. Having passed up opportunities to ask questions during interviews, I decided to educate myself on the questions that I should ask. I want to make a positive impression of my character and competence—what questions would do just that? What questions are appropriate to ask during an interview? Should I ask if Friday is casual day, and if I can work from home? Although these questions are important to me, asking them may not project a professional image of me to the interviewer. Certainly, if I have personal obligations that affect my working hours, or special needs that the employer should be aware of, I should talk about them during the interview. I posted my question to the Lone Writer Special Interest Group (SIG) e-mail discussion list. To my delight, several members replied with questions they considered essential to ask an interviewer. I grouped their questions into four categories:
Background of the CompanyAre you pursuing a job (i.e. pay check) or a place to work? Nick Corcodilos writes in Pursue Companies, Not Jobs to look for good companies that are in a business you want to be involved in. If the company has people, a culture, a product line and a future that appeals to you, then investigate it in detail and craft your questions accordingly. Learn as much as you can about the company before the interview. A good place to begin your investigation is the company’s website to learn about services, customers, and corporate culture (i.e. About Us). The following are some questions you may want to ask the interviewer about the company: Ed Marshall (Lone Writer SIG member) suggests asking a question or two about who uses the company’s products and for what purpose, who their main competitors are, and what the long-term projects are. These questions emphasize that you have done some research and are interested in the company. This gives you a good lead-in to the next question. Ask the interviewer to explain the project to which you would be assigned and documentation deadlines. Marshall suggested asking the interviewer to explain how to handle priorities and progress reporting, how to work with subject matter experts, project stakeholders, and the process for work order fulfillment. Ask to see where you would be working. A technical writer wrote to me that she had an interview with a company that provided all the right answers and assured her that their writers were valued members of the company. She asked to see where the writers work. The manager walked her by all the neat cubes and offices to where the writers worked—in one large cube, divided into four triangles, wedged into the corner of the attached warehouse. If you work as a contractor, ask the interviewer the status of the contract. If the interviewer tells you that the contract was recently awarded, you can be confident that the position is stable. Process to produce and manage documentationMost companies have processes to produce and manage documentation that adhere to ISO 9000 and/or CMMI standards to some degree. During your interview, learn as much as you can about documentation control such as the process to plan new documents and tools to manage them. The following are some questions you may want to ask the interviewer about the process to produce and manage publications: Ask about processes the company employs to ensure quality of documentation such as peer reviews, technical reviews, and usability testing, and how you would participate in those processes. Susan Park (Lone Writer SIG member) wrote, “If I were interviewing, I would like to know what processes they use to ensure the quality of documentation (e.g. peer reviews, technical reviews or nothing).” Park would ask, “How do current writers gather information? Do they work closely with testers, programmers, trainers, or are they expected just to re-hash specs and not ‘bother’ other groups?” Kris Westrum (Lone Writer SIG member) recommends asking what types of user assistance and tools are used to create embedded help, online help (format types), and books. If you have a background in development of Help solutions or are interested in learning how to develop them, ask the interviewer what opportunities would be possible for you. Ask how the writers gather information; for example, do they work with testers, programmers, or trainers? Sometimes, employers view Technical Writers as experts in formatting text to page. This question offers you an opportunity to discuss the job description, and verify and clarify your roles and responsibilities. “I like to know what people think of as good writing.” Elisa Sawyer (Lone Writer SIG member) wrote. “I was once asked, in an interview, what I thought of a specific manual. The people interviewing me wanted someone who could make substantial improvements while preserving the self-esteem of the author, who had good writing skills but did not understand some finer points in handling the material. Apparently I handled the interview with enough tact, and got the job.” Professional developmentGenerally, you are responsible for your own professional development in order to keep your skills fresh. Many companies pride themselves on the professional development of their staff such as certifications and advanced education, and offer tuition assistance and advanced training. The following are some questions you may want to ask the interviewer about professional development: Kris Westrum recommends asking the interviewer what training opportunities the company offers to enhance your skills, how other writers stay current, and what cross-training opportunities the company offers that could help you get a better handle on the company and possibly lead to advancement. “Ask what career advancement opportunities are available to you”, Teresa Trujillo (Lone Writer SIG member) wrote. “If they haven't given a lot of thought as to why, or how, someone in this position might advance you can be assured that it is a dead-end position,” she continued. Trujillo believes that a good employer will like that a new hire is looking for long term advancement. Ask about the company’s policy to support membership to a professional society and attendance to conferences. Take this opportunity to explain your involvement in the Society for Technical Communication (STC) and participation in your local chapter, and at annual conferences. Explain how membership to the STC contributes to your professional development, and how you contribute to the STC. Are you qualified?The final question to ask will allow the interviewer to close and provide you feedback about your qualifications. According to WikiAnswers, a very good end of interview question would be: “Do you have any concerns that would prevent you from recommending or selecting me for this job?” This question will give you an opportunity to directly address any concerns the interviewer might have about you. Final ThoughtsAlthough this article identifies a few questions to ask the interviewer, the number of questions to ask will depend on the interview. If you and the interviewer have a good rapport and time permits, there is no limit on the number of questions to ask. Asking well thought-out questions will not only show the interviewer that you are interested in the position and paying attention to the discussion, but also provide you the vital feedback you need to determine whether the job opportunity is a good fit for you. Recommended ReadingHooper, Dalton (2007, September). Getting Yourself Hired Lesson 3: Do You Have Any Questions For Me? Retrieved September 2008 from datelinehouston.wordpress.com/?s=getting+yourself+hired. Originally made available in the September 2007 issue of Connections (STC Silicon Valley newsletter) Corcodilos, Nick. Pursue Companies, Not Jobs. Ask The Headhunter. Retrieved April 2008 from www.asktheheadhunter.com/hapursuecos.htm Questions to Ask about a Company. Synergistic Communications. Retrieved April 2008 from www.synergistech.com/qs-company.shtml Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview. WikiAnswers. Retrieved April 2008 from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_questions_are_important_to_ask_at_the_end_of_the_interview About the AuthorDavid Dick is an Associate Fellow, member of the Washington, D.C. Chapter, Assistant Manager of the Usability Community and editor (in transition) of Usability Interface. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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