tekom - Tagungen

Personal Branding for Technical Communicators

  • Workshop
  • Karriere & Junge Technische Redakteure
  •  Kees van Mansom

    Kees van Mansom

    • Accenture

Inhalt

When I lost my job in 2014, after a career of job hopping and taking any role that involved (technical) writing and explaining technology, I made an interesting discovery. When I responded to open positions by listing my work experience, I often didn't get a response or was rejected after the first interview. Since my last position was technical product marketer at a software company, I unwittingly compared my situation with that of a company that wants to pitch themselves and their products. And I asked myself: What do succesfull enterprises like Coca Cola, Heineken, Nike, Apple and Microsoft have in common? These are different companies with different types of products and different types of employees, but with one thing in common: a strong brand.

Just like in enterprise or product branding, I realized that personal branding is all about defining how you want to be seen and it helped me . This pressure-cooker workshop - specifically targeting Technical Communicators  - can be the first step towards building up your own brand, taking control over how people perceive you and making steps to dramatically increase your professional network. You are in control!

Das lernen Sie

During the session, participants will be guided towards a new profile text through a proven, step-by-step approach. When they leave the room, they are ready to start their Personal Branding journey. 

Vorkenntnisse

Some working experience

Referent:in

 Kees van Mansom

Kees van Mansom

  • Accenture
Biografie

In 1991, I wrote my first technical instruction. The objective of the instruction was to prevent cold cracking in welding steel bridges. It was then, that I learned to put myself in the shoes of the user and to tailor my documentation to their specific context and requirements. A welder doesn't read a long manual, so the instruction had to be minimalistic and memorable.

My main motivation – you could call it my purpose - has always been helping other people, and I feel at my best when working on solutions that have a positive impact on people’s work and life. Like the welding instruction that explained a new way of working on just 4 pages, allowing welders to deliver bridges that can stand for over a 100 years.

Fast forward >30 years and I find myself now building bridges in organizations, innovating the way Technical Publications are developed and used. Though my role has changed over time, deep in my heart I am still that technical writer: combining innovation, storytelling and writing to design and explain innovative solutions. I can activate real change in complex technical publication landscapes and get the commitment from key stakeholders to maximize the impact of technical innovations and process transformations.

As a leader in technical publications, I help my clients in transforming their technical publication processes using state-of-the-art technology and introducing innovations. By constantly challenging the status quo, I drive changes that have a real impact on people, processes and technology.

In 1991, I wrote my first technical instruction. The objective of the instruction was to prevent cold cracking in welding steel bridges. It was then, that I learned to put myself in the shoes of the user and to tailor my documentation to their specific context and requirements. A welder doesn't read a long manual, so the instruction had to be minimalistic and memorable.

My main motivation – you could call it my purpose - has always been helping other people, and I feel at my best when working on solutions that have a positive impact on people’s work and life. Like the welding instruction that explained a new way of working on just 4 pages, allowing welders to deliver bridges that can stand for over a 100 years.

Fast forward >30 years and I find myself now building bridges in organizations, innovating the way Technical Publications are developed and used. Though my role has changed over time, deep in my heart I am still that technical writer: combining innovation, storytelling and writing to design and explain innovative solutions. I can activate real change in complex technical publication landscapes and get the commitment from key stakeholders to maximize the impact of technical innovations and process transformations.

As a leader in technical publications, I help my clients in transforming their technical publication processes using state-of-the-art technology and introducing innovations. By constantly challenging the status quo, I drive changes that have a real impact on people, processes and technology.