Converging Skill Sets for Content Producers Rahel Anne Bailie, Intentional Design Inc. www.intentionaldesign.ca

Photo: “Mike Mertz” Creative Commons

Photo: “Mike Mertz”

Creative Commons

Proofreader Production Coordinator Manager Technical Communicator Techcomm Team Lead Usability and IA consultant CM consultant Chair, cci2008

Project Officer Sales Engineer Independent Contractor Owner, Staffing Recruitment Agency ED, Lavacon Source: LinkedIn

Reality check #1: Some companies value certain skill sets more when labelled by an alternate name Photo: “cursedthing” Creative Commons

Reality check #1: Some companies value certain skill sets more when labelled by an alternate name

Technical writer with XSL skills = XSL programmer with communication skills minus $20,000 Photo: Clarissa Boschiero Creative Commons

Technical writer with XSL skills =

XSL programmer with communication skills

minus $20,000

Photo: Kris Krug Creative Commons

Photo: Fred Cavazza Creative Commons

At a basic level: Instructional design = procedures plus objectives Support site topics = help topics without the TOC Refine skills and make the move Photo: “trp0” Creative Commons

At a basic level:

Instructional design = procedures plus objectives

Support site topics = help topics without the TOC

Refine skills and make the move

Contract description: Set up a CMS Write the documentation Send output to a tech support site What is the job title?

Contract description:

Set up a CMS

Write the documentation

Send output to a tech support site

What is the job title?

Whatever is most advantageous Advantage of a certain career path Advantage of more influence within company Advantage of better-paid job Beware of: Getting hung up on a job title Confusing job title with job description Confusing job title with job identity Confusing job identity with personal identity

Whatever is most advantageous

Advantage of a certain career path

Advantage of more influence within company

Advantage of better-paid job

Beware of:

Getting hung up on a job title

Confusing job title with job description

Confusing job title with job identity

Confusing job identity with personal identity

Examples: Community-based documentation - Do they even realize documentation is out there? Who is editing the wiki? Setting something up - Who is taking on the taxonomy? Social networking initiative - Who is monitoring it, culling it for ideas? Who is coordinating, doing exciting things with it? Who is creating governance policies?

Examples:

Community-based documentation -

Do they even realize documentation is out there?

Who is editing the wiki?

Setting something up -

Who is taking on the taxonomy?

Social networking initiative -

Who is monitoring it, culling it for ideas?

Who is coordinating, doing exciting things with it?

Who is creating governance policies?

How can you develop expertise in what you don’t use? Gotta play for pay ... del.icio.us Twitter Dopplr Flickr Open Parenthesis Mag.nolia Upcoming Digg StumbleUpon Google LinkedIn SlideShare Last.fm YouTube Wiki FaceBook Blip.tv Eventful Pownce Socialight Blog Jaiku

How can you develop expertise in what you don’t use?

Gotta play for pay ...

Build your business case Learn the language Build expertise Become a value-add Articulate your worth

Build your business case

Learn the language

Build expertise

Become a value-add

Articulate your worth

Skill sets in demand Related fields Communication skills Interview skills Project planning Critical thinking Conflict resolution User advocacy Quality control Accessibility Business analysis Programming Compliance Communications Content management Localization Marketing Project management Product management QA Training Usability Source: ProSpring Inc.

Skill sets in demand

Related fields

Communication skills

Interview skills

Project planning

Critical thinking

Conflict resolution

User advocacy

Quality control

Accessibility

Business analysis

Programming

Compliance

Communications

Content management

Localization

Marketing

Project management

Product management

QA

Training

Usability

Strategic career moves can result in significant salary or rate increases Strategic aspect is tied to professionalism Lots of opportunity as the content industry undergoes its next shift Focus on content strategies: content management, convergence, integration, syndication, portable content Focus on social media, user-generated content, sharing and managing content

Strategic career moves can result in significant salary or rate increases

Strategic aspect is tied to professionalism

Lots of opportunity as the content industry undergoes its next shift

Focus on content strategies: content management, convergence, integration, syndication, portable content

Focus on social media, user-generated content, sharing and managing content

Rahel Anne Bailie www.intentionaldesign.ca Jack Molisani www.prospring.net

Rahel Anne Bailie www.intentionaldesign.ca

Jack Molisani www.prospring.net