By: Michelle Nguyen

The Eagle Technical Communicators student organization (ETC) welcomed Joey Shortino, lead UX writer at CGI and UNT graduate, as the speaker at a recent "Ask the Pros" event. Joey shared his experiences as a technical communication student and how these experiences--including courses he took and projects he completed--helped him build the skills necessary to successfully land his current job.

Joey started becoming involved with technical communication as a sophomore at UNT. He soon realized that he was interested in UX and described how courses like TECM 4300: Usability & User Experience and TECM 3500: Digital Media for Professional Communication helped prepare him for his current job as a UX professional.

Joey also described how he has applied his UX skills to a passion project working with a nonprofit organization focused on creating recreational opportunities for children with special needs. In this role, he developed the Buddy League website. During his presentation, he shared the creative thought process behind the site's development, including deciding where the website should be hosted, determining how to make updates easy, and identifying what needs to prioritize.

Joey advised students to "learn new skills even if they don't interest you. Because you never know if [they] will be of interest of you."

Future Fall Events

ETC will be hosting and participating in the following events:

ETC Prefinals Pizza Party

Tuesday, November 29

5:00 p.m.

Become Involved

Students who are interested in keeping up with ETC can join their canvas page or sign up for their membership. ETC is a great way for students to learn more about technical communication, enhance their skills, network with professionals, and prepare to enter the workforce. Join the Eagle Technical Communicators today!

For students interested in learning more about what the Department of Technical Communication has to offer, follow the UNT Department of Technical Communication on Instagram.