P&P SIG’s Virtual Meet & Greet: March 27

Join us for conversation, P&P talk, and networking at our next Meet & Greet on March 27 at 7 p.m. ET!

P&P SIG Meet & Greets are informal and relaxed so feel free to drop in as your schedule allows.

There will also be time to learn more about the P&P SIG. Your questions and suggestions for improving the SIG are welcome!

The event is free, but you must register to receive the link. Register here.

If you have any questions or need further information, don’t hesitate to contact Sam Lee, P&P SIG Manager.

Feedback Needed for Upcoming Webinar

In response to our membership survey that identified the importance of educational opportunities, the leadership team is working on offering a webinar on AI.

The presenter would like to know how P&P SIG members are currently using AI and their concerns so she can focus the presentation on members’ needs.

Help shape the webinar’s content by completing our two-question survey! We would appreciate your comments by March 17.

Survey link

P&P SIG Survey Results

Thanks to everyone who responded to P&P’s 2024 Survey this January. The goal of P&P’s leadership is to provide members with opportunities they find most valuable, and your responses will help inform programming for the upcoming year. Interested to see how everyone responded and how yours compared? Check out the results below.

Which P&P initiatives do you find valuable?

    • 80% – Educational webinars
    • 20% – Virtual meetups

How can the P&P SIG help you more in 2024?

    • 40% – Opportunities to build skills and portfolio
    • 40% – Educational opportunities, i.e. webinars and panels
    • 20% – Networking opportunities and community building

What topics are you most interested in learning about? (could select more than one)

    • 80% – New and emerging trends
    • 60% – Career advancement
    • 40% – Best practices and tips

It’s exciting to see how interested our members are in educational and career development opportunities. With all of the changes our industry is experiencing, from figuring out how to adopt AI and the continual expansion of our roles as technical communicators, it makes sense!

P&P leadership is eager to start planning events and educational webinars. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions, ideas, or feedback. We’re excited for all we’ll do as a SIG in 2024!

~Melissa Pagnotta, P&P SIG Membership Manager

Virtual Meet & Greet: February 29

Join the P&P SIG for conversation, tech comm talk, and networking for a Leap Year Meet & Greet on February 29 at 7 p.m. ET!

Don’t miss this event or you will need to wait four more years!

P&P SIG Meet & Greets are informal and relaxed so feel free to drop in as your schedule allows.

There will also be time to learn more about the P&P SIG. Your questions and suggestions for improving the SIG are welcome!

Are you a leapling or leaper (born on a Leap Day)? Join us and receive a surprise gift!

The event is free, but you must register to receive the link. Registration Link.

If you have any questions or need further information, don’t hesitate to contact Sam Lee, P&P SIG Manager.

‘Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot’ Answer to January’s Contest

Location: Grand Canyon

Winner: No winner this month.

P&P SIG mascot Monte in a nature scene. Readers are asked to guess where he is as part of the P&P SIG's fun monthly contest, "Where in the World is Monte?"
Can you guess where Monte is in this photo?

After a fabulous Summit in Phoenix in 2014, I took a full-day excursion to the Grand Canyon, with members Lisa Mileusnich and Tricia Spayer.

We toured the South Rim and enjoyed many fabulous views.

It’s always fun to add a side trip to a Summit. It helps cement fond memories of the Summit.

I am off on an adventure this month so there is no February photo contest. See you at the Summit in May!

~Monte Carlo

January Contest: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?”

Tricia Spayer has posted another fun photo of me, your world traveling mascot.

File photo of Monte, the P&P SIG mascot
Monte Carlo

Guess where in the world I am in the photo below. Good luck!

The closest (and most precise) guess wins! Example: if I post a Summit photo, and participants guess ‘Colorado,’ ‘Denver,’ and ‘Hyatt Regency Denver,’ then the most precise answer (Hyatt Regency Denver) wins.

Please note: Only P&P SIG members are eligible to participate in the contest.

Here is January’s photo. Contest directions follow.

P&P SIG mascot Monte in a nature scene. Readers are asked to guess where he is as part of the P&P SIG's fun monthly contest, "Where in the World is Monte?"
Can you guess where Monte is in this photo?

To participate:

Continue reading “January Contest: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?””

“Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?” Answer to December contest

Each month, P&P SIG members try to guess SIG mascot Monte’s location in a “mystery photo” provided by SIG leadership team member Tricia Spayer, who takes Monte along on all her travels. Here is the answer to December’s contest:

Location: Hard Rock Cafe, Atlanta
Winner: Ann Marie Queeney, P&P SIG Treasurer

December photo for the "Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?"
Can you guess where Monte is in this photo?

I’ve been to 13 Summits, three of which were in Atlanta!

I paused for a photo op outside of the Hard Rock Cafe, just steps away from the Summit venue. Several community leaders took a break from Leadership Day in 2009 to have a fun networking lunch.

It’s those moments outside of the Summit sessions where you get to know other STC members, who share stories, tribulations, and triumphs. These are the moments you remember for a long time.

Thank you to all who participated in the December edition of our “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P mascot?” contest. We look forward to your guesses for January’s challenge. Good luck to all!

~Monte Carlo

January 2024 Meet & Greet

Welcome the new year at the P&P SIG’s virtual Meet & Greet on January 31 at 7 p.m. (EST)!

Join us for conversation and an opportunity to meet the SIG’s official mascot, the intrepid (and photogenic) world traveler, Monte.

We also have a fun, optional activity to launch the new year. Do you have a special quotation or saying? Please share it with attendees at our Meet & Greet. The leadership team will compile the quotations to share with the membership.

There will also be time to learn more about the P&P SIG. Your questions and suggestions for improving the SIG are welcome!

The event is free, but please register to receive the link to the Meet & Greet: Registration Link.

P&P SIG Meet & Greets are informal and relaxed so feel free to drop in as your schedule allows.

If you have any questions or need further information, don’t hesitate to contact Sam Lee, P&P SIG Manager.

P&P SIG: Year in Review

Thank you, P&P SIG members, for helping to make 2023 a productive, fun year for the P&P SIG. Here is a list of SIG accomplishments and member services for this year. The P&P SIG leadership team looks forward to another great year. See you in 2024!

    1. P&P SIG Wins 2023 Pacesetter Award for creating an efficient budget tracking system. STC’s Community Pacesetter Award recognizes innovative and successful community initiatives.
    2. Free member educational webinar: “How to Become a Cybersecurity Professional” by Ben Woelk, STC Fellow
    3. Free member educational webinar: “Freelance vs. Captive: Making an Informed Decision” by John Hedtke, STC Fellow
    4. Virtual Meet & Greets: Opportunity for informal networking held several times during the year
    5. In-person Meet & Greet opportunity at the Summit in Atlanta: P&P SIG representatives greeted members and promoted the SIG with attendees at the STC Summit’s Community table/Meet & Greet in the Expo Hall. SIG also offered a fun give-away (mini notepads with inspirational messages) and held a raffle for a $25 Starbucks gift card for all attendees who stopped by to chat.
    6. P&P SIG Monthly Newsletter: Includes announcements for SIG webinars, Meet & Greets, and other activities, provides Society-level information important to our members, and more.
    7. NEW: The SIG has an official mascot, Monte! Tricia Spayer, P&P SIG member, has agreed to allow Monte, her traveling companion to become the SIG’s official mascot. Watch for Monte to become more active in 2024! Monte’s motto: “If it’s not fun, it won’t get done.”
    8. NEW: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?” Photo Contest: Tricia Spayer posts a photo of her globe-trotting companion in our monthly newsletter. Members submit their guesses regarding Monte’s location and compete for a $15 Amazon gift card and bragging rights.
    9. P&P SIG’s channel on the STC Slack Workspace: Available for members to post questions, network, and share information. Not a member yet? Join the free STC Slack Workspace: https://www.stc.org/membership/slack
    10. P&P SIG website: Offers SIG information, links to recorded webinars, past newsletters, and more. Check out the website! Click here. https://www.stc-pp.org/

‘Freelance vs. Captive’ Webinar: Catch Up Here if You Missed It

John Hedtke recently shared his expertise on a freelance vs. captive career path. If you missed the webinar in November, you can catch up here:

‘Freelance vs. Captive’: Making an Informed Decision’

Presenter Bio

John Hedtke

John Hedtke has over 30 years of experience as a writer and documentation manager. John has developed and written documentation and books for many leading software products. He has published 27 books and 200 magazine articles on technical subjects. Lists of books, articles, projects, and awards can be found online at his website, www.hedtke.com. John also does numerous radio and magazine interviews and frequently travels to do keynotes, lectures, and guest appearances at conferences and seminars.