General


What is STC Carolina?

The Society for Technical Communication is the premier organization for technical communication. With 6,000 members in 50 countries, STC has over 60 local communities that serve the needs of technical communicators in their respective regions. STC Carolina is one of those communities and serves central and eastern North Carolina and the foothills of South Carolina.

What is technical communication?

Technical communication is a broad, interdisciplinary field of study that has applications in virtually every discipline. Technical writing, copy editing, document design, medical writing, financial writing, user experience evaluation, interface design, publishing, and science communication are just some of the many things technical communicators do. STC members explore how their peers communicate this complex information, and learn new skills and strategies to better meet the needs of their users and readers.

Career / Jobs


I’m looking for a job or trying to break into technical communication. How can STC Carolina help me?

STC Carolina offers industry education, networking opportunities, and career services for STC members and students in central North and South Carolina. Download our brochure(external link) for more information about our services. Also take a look at our How to Become A Technical Communicator.

Where can I find local job listings?

One of the best sites to find job posts is LinkedIn. Not only are jobs posted, but you can also review connections who work at the company and might be able to share more information. STC Carolina members periodically share job listings across our social media channels, particularly LinkedIn and Facebook. Although less often, we also share higher priority job openings from local employers in our Announcements. Finally, you can check out the society-wide STC job bank.

What Triangle employers hire technical communicators?

Many technical communicators in the Triangle work for firms that develop computer hardware or software, including IBM, SAS, Red Hat, Cisco Systems, Citrix, and many others. Technical communicators also work for government agencies with offices in the Triangle and companies that support them, such as RTI International and many smaller companies.

What contract agencies hire technical writers?

Local recruiting firms like TEKsystems, The Select Group, Veredus Systems, Computer Task Group, The Creative Group, TimelyText, and TPS, Inc. hire technical writers for short- and long-term contracts.

Education / Resources


Do you offer tools training?

Yes! One of STC’s main objectives is to provide learning opportunities in many formats. We aim to provide training in tools that are in demand in the industry and plan these workshops according to feedback from members. For example, we have offered DITA training the last few years and are considering offering training in MadCap Flare or Adobe FrameMaker in 2017. Please contact us for more information or to suggest topics for future training.

I'm looking for a mentor. How do I get started?

Visit our mentoring database at Mentor.

Do you offer scholarships to students?

Yes! Check out STC’s Scholarship page for more information. We also offer hardship scholarships to our various workshops. Contact president{at}stc-carolina.org for more information.

Does STC offer professional certification?

Yes! Learn more at: https://www.stc.org/certification/(external link)

Events


What kind of events do you offer?

 

We hold monthly chapter meetings featuring presentations on topics of interest to technical communicators. Speakers at recent meetings have discussed job search strategies, training trends, accessibility, and software user assistance. We also offer tools training workshops, socials, a banquet in the spring, and career/resume workshops.

Our annual competition provides entrants an opportunity to get expert feedback on their technical communications products and judges an opportunity to see different kinds of documents and hone their editing and critical reading skills. All of our events are open to both STC members and nonmembers.

Where can I find out about upcoming events?

Check out the calendar on our homepage for upcoming events. Also be sure to sign up for our announcements. We also announce events on our Facebook and LinkedIn groups, and on Twitter.

How much do events usually cost?

Monthly chapter meetings are free for members and students. Non-members pay $5, which also includes dinner. Other events such as training workshops, career days, and socials vary in cost, but we work hard to keep prices low.

Where are events located?

We host events at venues throughout the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Morrisville, and Cary). Most monthly chapter meetings are held at TEKSystems, located in west Raleigh near the PNC Center.

I don't live in the Triangle area. Can I still come to events?

Yes! Our monthly chapter meetings offer a free virtual attendance option.

Whom do I contact to present at one of your meetings?

Please contact our Programs Manager at programs{at}stc-carolina.org.

Membership / Getting Involved


What volunteering opportunities are available?

Visit our volunteer page to see the various options for getting involved.

How much is membership?

Rates vary depending on which package you are looking for. STC also offers steeply discounted rates for students. Learn more at: https://www.stc.org/membership/ International site.

Note: These rates are for a full year. If you join in the middle of the year, membership rates may be lower.

Can I be part of STC Carolina without joining the national organization?

You can attend any STC Carolina event without being a member, but membership within the chapter requires national membership as well. If your membership question was not answered here, visit National STC’s FAQs.


Newsletter / Blog


Who are your blog authors?

Anyone with an interest and expertise in some aspect of technical communication is welcome to contribute to our blog. Our authors include students, career changers, and veteran technical communicators.

How can I write for the blog?

What is technical communication?

Technical communication is a broad, interdisciplinary field of study that has applications in virtually every discipline. Technical writing, copy editing, document design, medical writing, financial writing, user experience evaluation, interface design, publishing, and science communication are just some of the many things technical communicators do. STC members explore how their peers communicate this complex information, and learn new skills and strategies to better meet the needs of their users and readers.