By Kathleen Sanchez
The Eagle Technical Communicators (ETC), a student-led organization within the Department of Technical Communication, provides students with opportunities to network with tech comm professionals and learn about emerging topics.
ETC hosts workshops to help students further develop their technical communication skills outside of classes. In the past, workshops have included résumé writing and practice with Adobe programs. ETC also invites guest speakers from different areas of tech comm to network and share their knowledge of the industry. Students can learn what to expect in the professional world and gain useful tips to be successful in their careers.
Recently, Nicolle Ketcham, marketing director at Masterplan Texas, visited to talk about marketing and metrics using data analytics. "Nicolle had a great presentation and stayed to talk with students and answer questions for an hour afterward," said Ms. Cheryl Croall, faculty advisor for ETC.
In addition to educational meetings, ETC hosts fun social activities to build camaraderie among students, such as last year's game night, and offers coffee and donuts before finals week. Ms. Croall emphasized that she wants ETC to feel like a community that supports its members.
Some of the upcoming events ETC is planning for the rest of semester include
- LinkedIn workshop
- Virtual business tour
- Career 101
- Alum guest speaker
- Managing test anxiety
"There's something worthwhile at every meeting," said Ms. Croall. "There are takeaways that students can implement in their lives, utilize immediately in classrooms, and use as tech comm professionals."
Currently, there is no set meeting day for members. The best way to keep up on ETC updates is to join the ETC Canvas page. On Canvas, students can receive announcements and emails about upcoming events.
Students interested in ETC can visit the ETC website. For updates on the department, follow the UNT Department of Technical Communication on Instagram.