New York State of Mentee

You may have seen my last blog post, #STC_Spectrum2020 is next week! What’s Spectrum, and how did I get involved in a conference out of Rochester? Please, pull up a (virtual) chair.

Spectrum (9/19-9/21/20) is an annual conference hosted (remotely, this year) by the Rochester STC chapter. I’ll be serving as a backup producer alongside my mentor, New Yorker Bobbi Werner.

The mentor board is one of the best features of a paid membership with the respected organization STC (Society for Technical Communication). Creeping through the mentor listings feels a bit like evaluating prospects on a dating site but is entirely worth it because you might find somebody like Bobbi. Bobbi’s a smart and generous networker, and an hour-long chat with her is probably more valuable than some college degrees.

I was at a TechComm event recently where a local writer bemoaned competition from an influx of newcomers. I get it, but we’re all new at some point. Thank goodness Bobbi feels the same - throughout one video call, several emails, and multiple LinkedIn messages, she’s clued me into some great industry insights.

Both mentorship and networking are more conducive to virtual efforts than ever. Do you have an outstanding mentorship or networking story? Share in the comments!