Modules 1 and 2 of TECM 5200 were definitely like jumping straight into the deep end of the pool for me. I am a former stay-at-home parent with children who are now adults. I have a degree in chemistry yet never worked in that field due to raising my children, and as the field of technical communication barely existed when I was in college I have scant experience there. However, I have been technology-adjacent for decades, as my spouse is a software engineer and keeps me thoroughly informed on important developments over the dinner table. So while I have a strong personal interest in learning about and doing technical communication, it was a bit overwhelming to get through the first modules of the coursework.

As I made my way through the videos and readings, my confidence grew. I realized that it is just a matter of repeatedly exposing myself to the material and especially learning by doing. This course is designed to do just that, and I look forward to all of the new material that I will learn about in Digital Content Strategy.

What did you read or watch that surprised, delighted or disappointed you? Why?

Most surprising to me is the fact that content is essentially NOT a centralized asset within a business. I really had no idea that so many stakeholders are involved in content creation within the content ecosystem of an organization. A content auditor must therefore be multi-faceted in order to collaborate with the stakeholders within the organization to formulate a plan for the audit, the content creators from many divisions to discover their input, as well as possibly venturing out to gather information from the users of the content.

Planning out an audit is a vital step to begin the process, yet the auditor needs to be ready at any moment to re-strategize and re-think the audit plan. As each audit is different from the last, I learned that to an auditor, the audit can be “like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.”

What was most meaningful for your own career goals? Why?

For my personal career goals, meeting with my assigned teammates to establish our Team Charter to work on our content audit project was a good experience for me. I was impressed with how organized and professional my teammates were, and how they had prepared input on how we should consider customizing the template for our charter. They embraced me as a team member, although it was clear that I am the least experienced one of our group, because content audits benefit from collaborative work. It was a good example of how I should approach my work and always plan, even if I don’t know everything about the topic at hand. It also gave me the confidence to begin looking for opportunities to get hands-on experience in technical communications, so I started the application process for a few summer internship jobs. There is no time like the present, and even though it may take a while to start getting interviews and offers, that timeline doesn’t start until I jump right in.