TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
><snip>
>How much time do you spend on professional
>development (training, conferences, self-study,
>etc.)?
></snip>
>Given other people's responses, do you feel you're
>behind the ball or ahead of the game?
I think it's interesting that the answers are fairly evenly spread
out from 8 to over 200 hours per year. I wonder if this reflects real
differences or just differences in definitions of "self study" or
"professional development".
I put myself in the over 200 hours by counting school. I take 2
courses a semester, which is 5 hours per week in class and countless hours
doing homework. This is not TW coursework, but helps me in my work. Plus I
read other things related to my job, at last peripherally. When the boss
says, "Do XYZ" and you have no clue what XYZ is, do you consider learning
what XYZ is, how to do it, and then doing it to be professional development?
I do. I think that anytime I am learning something new, I am developing.
Even if it is just new Word tricks.
Or is there some more formal definition of "professional
development" that I am ignoring?
Janet
Janet Valade
Technical Writer
Systech Corporation, San Diego, CA mailto:janetv -at- systech -dot- com
