Month: May 2018

Source: 10 Mobile Learning Trends For 2018 – eLearning Industry

This article popped up in my Twitter feed, and it’s actually rather good. I think one of the introductory lines in the article said (and I’m paraphrasing here), that there is no need to separate e-learning and m-learning as it should really all be the same thing now. Not so true when I first became interested in the field! But I totally agree with that assessment, and the recommendations in this article are a great reflection of the evolution of where not only web design and UX have evolved in the last six to eight years, but also how online learning has evolved in how it’s presented.

Take a look….Do you like what you are reading for this? Do you agree with the author’s assessment? I thought this was generally a better article about e-learning trends than others I’d seen more recently. Share your thoughts in the comments.

-TechCommGeekMom

To find high-paying jobs in tech comm, many technical writers move to urban technology hubs because companies want their workers on site. Living in an urban tech hub usually involves high costs of living and the sacrifice of a more rural, suburban lifestyle. It’s unclear why the digital revolution doesn’t motivate more companies to welcome remote workers.

Source: Do you have to relocate to an urban tech hub to find a technical writing job? | I’d Rather Be Writing

You can imagine my excitement when I saw that the top story in the STC’s Tech Comm Today newsletter was a curated article by none other than Tom Johnson of “I’d Rather Be Writing” himself, and it was an article inspired by one of my articles here! (Thanks, Tom!)

Tom takes the time to look at the STC Salary Database (which I have definitely tried to use to my advantage) to look a little deeper into the topic.  In many ways, he comes to similar conclusions as I have, and the comments included (including one of my own talking about the database) is a great reflection of what’s going on in the tech comm field right now as far as opportunity availability.

After reading Tom’s post (and mine), what do you think? Is this a topic that should be pursued by the STC at-large to help companies become aware of the many tech comm resources globally that are available if they become more flexible? Include your comments below.

–TechCommGeekMom

I was skeptical

Source: I job hunted like a man. Here’s what happened. – The Lily

This was an interesting read, and actually made me think a little bit about my approach to job hunting.  It used to be that I did job hunt like a guy–if I had most of the qualifications, then I applied. But in recent years, I haven’t done that so much. But I think that with the recession, it got to a point that so many people were out of work that employers could afford to put together a crazy wish list for employment qualifications, and they would find that person. Instead of 10 people applying to a job, 100 people would apply to the job, and more people could fill the majority of those qualifications than I could.  So, I’m not sure it’s a “female thing” as much as being stigmatized that unless I have as many of the qualifications as possible, they won’t even look at me. I’ve actually been turned down for interviews because I didn’t know that ONE thing that they wanted, but otherwise qualified in spades (and I’m willing to bet, as I would tell many a recruiter, that the ONE thing is related to something similar I’ve done, and so I’m sure I’d learn that ONE thing in a matter of a couple weeks. But no deal.)

There are also other things working against me as well, namely being a woman, having a Latino (married) last name, and at this writing, quickly approaching being 50 years old. In the tech world, that seems to be three fairly big strikes against me when it shouldn’t be in this day and age, but there we are.

So what’s a gal to do? I’m thinking that perhaps I will start this approach again when the time comes and see what happens. I don’t think it will change things. The hiring process at large is a broken system of HR professionals or machines looking for keywords in resumes and cover letters, and if they don’t see them, you automatically get passed over. You might be overqualified for that position, but if you don’t have specifically XYZ, then you won’t even be considered in the first place.  Applicants are treated as assets instead of being treated like people.  I’ve often said, “Look, I am confident I could do this job, just let me interview with the hiring manager, and I’ll bet that even if I don’t get the job, then they’ll know that there’s someone who they can consider for another position later.” But no.

What do you think of this article–as a man, or as a woman? Include your comments below.

–TechCommGeekMom