From the President
As I sit here tapping this out on the nicest day of the year, I feel justly punished for being a procrastinator. The sun is shining, the cicadas are making a racket in the elm trees outside the window, and our newest family member, a four-month-old cat called Bebop, is sprawling ludicrously on an armchair, silently mocking me for spending a hot Sunday working. Welcome back, and here's to 2015!
How's your Professional Development (PD) Plan for 2015 shaping up?
TechCommNZ has a lot on offer for members this year. The Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch branches have raced into action, and I definitely recommend coming along to meet your colleagues and swap ideas. Maybe your PD this year will involve presenting at a branch event? There are plenty of spaces left for later in the year, so get in touch with your coordinator if you've got an idea brewing. We welcome presentations on a wide range of topics.
We'll be telling you about workshops and webinars very soon, and the Mentoring Scheme also offers an opportunity for members to connect and grow. The guidelines for being a mentor or "mentoree" are detailed to ensure that it is a positive experience for all involved - take a look and consider how you could participate. We are interested in hearing from anyone who has a story to tell about mentoring - just email Rhiannon, our Comms Coordinator.
Keynote videos from the 2014 Conference now available to view
You can now view two of our most distinguished speakers delivering their keynote addresses at last year's conference on the TechCommNZ YouTube channel.
While you're there, browse the other videos that are available. We are hoping to post more soon.
A new feature - What's the Evidence?
I'm terribly excited to announce a new column, inspired in part by Geoffrey Marnell's article in the October edition of Southern Communicator, where he challenged us to follow evidence-based best practice. Our new What's the Evidence? column aims to present peer-reviewed, evidence-based information that can guide you in your daily work.
If you have questions you'd like researched - on any subject of interest to the field of technical communication - please email Rhiannon, our Comms Coordinator.
Update on Communications and Salary Surveys
Ten million thank yous to everyone who participated in the two surveys we ran over the December/January period, both of which are now closed. We were pleased to dispatch $100 Prezzy Cards to Lindsay Botham and Kaye Rayner.
We'll let you know when the Salary survey results are up on the TechCommNZ website.
Meanwhile TechCommNZ member Denise Grealish generously prepared a report on the results of the Communications survey, which is at my elbow as I type. We'll update you on what she found next month.
Well that's more than enough for now…
Enjoy the rest of your summer,