Thursdays @ STC Chicago | October 6

October Chapter Meeting: Job Hunting Secrets that May Surprise You
STC Chicago Tech Comm Competition: Entry Deadline Extended

STC Chicago Tech Comm Competition: Apply to be a Judge

STC Launches 2012 Membership Drive

2012 Program Manager Wanted

STC Webinars
Alliance Meeting

2012 Summit Update: Articles to Appear in 'Intercom'

At-a-Glance Photo Contest

STC Chicago Social Networks

Join fellow technical communicators for lunch on October 6 at the following locations:
 

Caffé Baci at 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

2 N. LaSalle Street (entrance on Madison)

Chicago, IL 60602

Northern Location

Noodles & Company at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

900 North Milwaukee Ave.

Lincolnshire, IL 60069

DuPage Inn at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

2410 Ogden Ave.

Downers Grove, IL 60515

Panera Bread 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

622 E. Golf Road (between Meacham and Roselle)

Schaumburg, IL 60173

To help us try to ensure seating for everyone, please email the site contact (listed above for each location) and let him or her know you're coming. Drop-ins always are welcome, but reservations are recommended. Questions? See our "Thursdays" FAQ.

Want to start a group of your own? Contact thursdays@stc-chicago.org to learn how.

2011 is showing an uptick in job posting as companies come out of recession mode, but with so many people still looking for work, the competition for jobs is at an all-time high.

At our October 20th meeting, Jack Molisani of ProSpring Staffing, will share actions you can take to move to the front of the line when applying for a new position. Have you ever applied for a job you wanted, but didn't even get an interview?

Whether you are unemployed and looking for a job or are employed but looking to move up or move out, don't miss our October 20th meeting! For additional details, see our event page. 

To register now, visit our registration page.  

Bronze Sponsor of Our October Chapter Meeting

The deadline for accepting entries to the 2011-2012 Technical Communication Competition has been extended to Friday, November 4.

The chapter competition is open to everyone who produces technical communication, instructional materials, user support, or promotional materials. Entrants are not required to be members of STC. You may enter work as an individual or on behalf of a colleague or subordinate. For the 2011 competition, students are also invited to participate.

Submission categories include the following:

• Information Materials
• Instructional Materials
• Promotional Materials
• User Support Materials 

Competition entry fees are $75 for professionals and $25 for students. Payments must be made online.

Please ship entries with paperwork to the following address:

Elizabeth Burke

706 New Mexico Trail

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

More information is available at www.stc-chicago.org.

Interested in becoming a judge in STC Chicago's 2011 Tech Comm Competition? You'll now have until Friday, November 4, to complete our online application form. 

Though all judges should have some experience in technical communication, graphic design, or a related field, you don't need to be a 20-year veteran to be a judge. Just be willing to devote some time to give quality, constructive, and impartial feedback.

Judges will be invited to a Judges' Orientation meeting to learn about categories, forms, and guidelines for the participating in the competition. Check our website soon for more information.

STC's 2012 Membership Drive is under way through December 31, when annual memberships for 2011 will expire. STC dues for 2012 are unchanged from 2010 and 2011, and chapter membership is included by default.

This year's drive includes a Member-Get-a-Member Campaign. If you refer a new member to STC, you get $10 off your dues (when the new member joins) for each member you recruit, up to five members. This could reduce your dues by up to $50 for the year.

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In addition, new members who join from October to December 2011 get the remaining months of 2011 free along with all of 2012. That's up to 15 months for the price of 12.

For information about the benefits of STC membership, or to join or renew your membership online, please visit http://www.stc.org/membership.­

STC Chicago is looking for a manager for the Program Committee for 2012. The Program Committee plans, schedules, and coordinates program meetings to meet the professional growth needs of chapter members. The program manager reserves locations for meetings and works with meeting venues to arrange food and beverage service, room setup, and other logistics. In addition, the program manager finds speakers for meetings and coordinates logistics with speakers.

Interested volunteers should contact Elizabeth Burke at president@stc-chicago.org or Linda Kelley at vicepresident@stc-chicago.org.

Check out this month's live webinars from STC:

Metrics that Demonstrate the Value of Technical Communication
Vic Passion
Wednesday, 12 October

Don't Suck at Social Media
Robert Rhyne Armstrong
Thursday, 13 October

Change, Trust, Collaboration: Adapting to Single Source Technologies
Paula Toth
Wednesday, 19 October

Documentation in a Collaborative World
Larry Kunz
Wednesday, 26 October

Registration Rate: $79 for Members, $149 for Non-members, and $29 for Student Members

>> Additional Details

 October 26: CISPI Crackerbarrel

The Chicago International Society for Performance Improvement (CISPI) will hold its annual fall event on Wednesday, October 26 in Chicago. This year's theme is "Taking Back Our Human Performance Technology (HPT) Roots." If you attend this event, you'll have an opportunity to choose from 10-12 presenters and hear three, 20-minute presentations over the course of the evening. Don't forget your business cards, as networking is an important part of this event. Details are available at the CISPI website.

Can you identify the building in the photo at the top of this newsletter? If so, let us know. The first person to reply with the correct answer will win a $20 gift card from Amazon.com. Hint: The building is home to a large greenhouse and a popular exhibit of live butterflies, with over 75 butterfly species available on any given day. Please send your replies to contest@stc-chicago.org and check our website for news of a winner. Good luck!

Contestants are eligible to win only one prize within any 12-month period. We will notify the winner via email. Additional information about the photo will be posted on our blog.