This space does little justice to the guest I am about to introduce. But here it is...

Altaf Tyrewala is the author of the critically acclaimed books, No God in Sight and Engglishhh: Fictional Dispatches from a Hyperreal Nation. He has also edited the crime-fiction collection, Mumbai Noir. Altaf's works have been published and anthologized worldwide.

In this tete-a-tete, Altaf shares his journey that merges e-learning and creative writing. He shares an interesting perspective of how the trifecta of communication, technology, and education have always been front and center of everything he's done, and how this trifecta has contributed to his awe-inspiring career.

Guest Bio

Altaf Tyrewala is the author of three fiction books and editor of a crime fiction anthology. His works have been translated into Marathi, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, and Italian. He was awarded the DAAD Artist-in-Berlin literature grant in 2011 and served as Director of Chandigarh Literature Festival in 2013-14. He lives in Dallas and works as a Learning Manager for a multinational.

Opinions expressed in this podcast are solely his own and do not express the views or opinions of his employer.

Teresa Nguyen has navigated the fields of journalism and tech comm in the not-so-distant past. She currently practices UX research. In this episode, Teresa shares some amazing insights on how she leveraged her transferable skills and the common "through-line" of human experience to weave through these intersecting fields. 

Guest Bio

https://www.linkedin.com/in/technicallyt

Ron Gardner pursued a degree in agricultural journalism, but "fell" into technical writing.  Ron shares how his background in journalism, some sprinkling of "schmoozing", and bootstrapping have contributed to his long and successful career in technical communication. Ron also talks about the inverted pyramid to "trim the fat" from your writing. Now, aren't you intrigued?

Guest Bio
Ron Gardner has been a technical writer for over 20 years. He graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station with a BS in Agricultural Journalism. 

His first job out of college was as a QA analyst and technical writer for a small start-up, and he has been technical writing ever since. 

He really enjoys being a technical writer and loves learning new things and connecting with people as part of his job. He currently is the Lead Technical Writer for a healthcare software company in the Dallas area. 

He lives in McKinney, TX, with his wife, Shannon, and four cats.

Timothy suggests that no matter what profession you belong to, you are doing technical writing at some level. Drawing from this philosophy, he shares an interesting perspective on how his nursing students became invested in tech comm after taking an introductory tech comm course. Understanding the nuanced difference between audience and user can be the difference between good and bad communication. Listen in for a fascinating conversation from an academic and practitioner who brings a 360-degree view of the field.

Guest Bio

Dr.  Timothy Ponce holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas in Literature, as well as an MA and BA in English from Sam Houston State University. He currently serves as a Senior Lecturer of Technical Writing and Professional Design and Coordinator of Internships in the Department of English at the University of Texas Arlington. While his doctoral research focused on perceptions of heroism in sixteenth and seventeenth-century England, he has since published and presented papers focused on technical communication, writing pedagogy, literary pedagogy, and curricular accreditation. He also serves as a board member at the Society for Technical Communication Loan Star Chapter, as well as on grant review committees for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

He currently lives in Mansfield, Texas with his wife, daughter, and poodle. In his spare time, he enjoys baking, sewing, painting, quilting, hiking, and vegetable gardening.

I happened to attend a webinar of Steve Wiseman, titled "Beyond the Publication - Bringing the World of Technical Communication and Enterprise Content Strategy Together". In this webinar, Steve discusses what content strategy is, the relationship between content strategy and helping organizations scale, and how the technical communication content creation and iteration process is valuable across the organization.

You will hear references to this webinar in this episode as the primary theme continues in our conversation. Steve refers to technical writers as the "beacon of content". He shares some amazing tips on how technical writers can help businesses by leveraging your existing skills and know-how. It is a matter of recognizing how your skills lend to the overall business value and going after it.

Guest Bio

Steve Wiseman has over 25 years of experience in the documentation field having run his own writing company, and providing consultancy and writing services to both small and enterprise customers. He has also worked in implementing customer service platforms. His unique outlook covers CX, support, and where that all fits in the technical writing world. Steve can be reached at [email protected].

Faith had long been seeking a stable opportunity that would pay the bills. But in doing so, she found a career that she loves. She discovered that this field satiates many facets of her personality - all in one job.  How many of us can say that?  Faith also shares an interesting perspective on why she thinks technical writing is the inverse of creative writing. Perhaps that sentiment resonates with you...

Guest Bio

In her own words.....

Hi, I’m Faith Peralta!  I’m a Technical Writer at a software technology company in the health care industry.  I’ve been a tech writer for almost six years.  Thus, my journey into tech comm was roundabout.  However, once I started on this tech writing path, I felt I’d finally found my career!

I graduated in 2003 with a B.A. in English from the University of North Texas and have worked in some form of health care ever since.  I’ve been an STC (Society for Technical Communication) member for two years.  Additionally, I joined my local Lone Star chapter and have met some wonderful people in the tech comm industry! 

In my personal life, I love to cook!  I like challenging myself to make new dishes!  I’m also a portrait photographer.  I love telling stories through art.   

Beth Allphin was on a path to an accounting degree when tech comm appeared on her radar. While still in college, Beth got her first gig to do some editing work on the side. As they say, one thing led to another, and Beth found herself in a tech comm role.  She has had a long inning in this career as she has worn both hats - that of an individual contributor and manager. Beth shares some amazing tips on how she acquired project and management skills while on the job to further her career.

Guest Bio

Beth has been a technical communicator for 30 years in both the healthcare and the telecommunications industries. She currently works for NETSCOUT where she develops software and hardware documentation and online help.  Beth has been married to Brian for over 25 years and they have two daughters, Olivia and Elizabeth.  Beth enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.

If you have thoughts to share, please do write to me at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.

Addison Kliewer grew up in a family of technical writers. However, this field was not his first choice. As luck would have it though, Addison graduated with a degree in tech comm. He put his portfolio to good use to find his first gig and he is rocking it. 

If you are a student or a recent graduate trying to launch your career as a technical communicator, then this guest's journey may just be the answer to many of your questions. Tune in to this episode to hear about Addison's journey and the smart steps he took to find that foot in the door.

Guest Bio

Addison currently works as a junior technical writer for a pest control software company. The technical communication topics that interest him the most are aviation, software, and video games. He really enjoys creating and transforming information around technical topics and making them quickly and easily accessible to their users. When he's not working, he enjoys visiting the coast, exploring local history museums, playing basketball, and spending quality time with his family.

Recommended Resource: www.cofolios.com

If you have thoughts to share, please do write to me at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.

Agnes Crentsil believes "language is access". By applying this mantra, Agnes has managed to establish a long and successful career in the field of technical communications. Agnes provides some invaluable tips on how you, as a technical writer, can provide value to the business and build successful connections with the C-suite executives.

Guest Bio

Personal: 

• Married, 2 young adults, Aston- mixed breed dog (terrier, lab, Pitbull)
• Loves traveling and vacationing with family

Career:  Work at NETSCOUT – Product Marketing

• Served as President of STC Lone Chapter from 2017-2018, also held previous other positions.
• Board member: UNT TechComms (2+ years)
• Past VP of Public Relations – Toastronix Toastmasters group at NETSCOUT
• 9 Years Technical Writer – wrote documents for various technical products
• 11 Years Manager – Managed anywhere from 12 to 10 writers at a given time
• 4 years Product Marketing Manager – Responsible for initiating and driving alliance for key technical products to promote awareness and thought leadership for my organization.

Volunteer:

• North Texas Lone Star Chapter -Mentoring Program
• STC Diversity Inclusion, Equity, Panel
• STC CAA Awards Panel

Education:  Amberton University

• BSc – Computer Information System and Business
• Master of Science – Human Relations and Business

Recommended Resource:  

• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson

If you have thoughts to share, please do write to me at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.