New Year Kicks off New STC Programs

As a fourth-generation Texan, I cherish this time of year for one key reason. HINT: It takes place Friday nights and Saturdays and Sundays on fields that are100 yards long and the participants wear helmets and shoulder pads. But if pigskin is not your passion, there are plenty of other reasons to rejoice in September, which is somewhat of a “second new year.” Kids are back in school being productive, temperatures dip down into the mid 90’s, and groups that have taken off for the summer start to reconvene.

STC Austin is one of those groups ready to start a new year with a full slate of programs and social gatherings. There was a lot of thought in planning these events, and most of that thought came from you, the STC Austin community. As you may recall, STC conducted a survey regarding programs several months ago. If you have not had a chance to see the results, they are pretty well reflected in the lineup of programs we have for the coming year:

• October 28 -- Jack Molisani: “Job Hunting Secrets that Might Surprise You”
• November 10– Scott Ingram: Networking Doesn't Happen at Networking Events”
• January 20 – Janet Swisher: “Purposes for Wiki and When to Use Them”
• February – Networking Event: (Lion and Rose on 360, or Opal Devine’s on S. Congress) Gary and Karen O’Neal - Recruiters from Talent Branders review resumes or possibly a presentation
• March 9 – Anne Gentle: “Strategies for the Social Web for Documentation”
• April – Social Event: The Highball - karaoke, bowling, skee-ball, food, drink, and fun
• May 26 – Janet Swisher: “Annual Salary Survey Results”

The programs address two basic areas of concern: 1.) How do I market myself?, and 2.) How do I make myself more marketable? Our director of programs, Brett Youngblood, past president of Austin STC deserves a lot of credit for finding out what you wanted and then going and getting it done.

One administrative note: There will be a $5 admission fee for programs that have featured speakers. STC has mandated that we charge a nominal fee, and this helps offset the cost of food and some of the speakers’ travel expenses.

Regarding the networking events, I want to assure you that the board will do everything possible to make these a valuable use of your time. We have discussed ways to alleviate the “cliquing” that can sometimes occur at any gathering. When you leave a networking event, we want you to feel that you have achieved something. It may be a direct lead to your dream job; it may be a tip that you provided someone else. More likely, however, your biggest gain will be a new friend and a deeper connection to the community. These are the connections that sustain us in times of need and the ones that tend to last well into the next several jobs.

The STC Board hopes to see you at most, if not all, of these events!