An Update Since Last Spring

Hello, everyone. It's been months since I last contributed to this website, but I wanted to provide an update on my situation since my previous blog post, and to give an outlook on where I'm going.

Since my last blog post, I left my position at Canary Systems in New Hampshire. As wonderful as the company and its employees are, I missed living in Connecticut and Massachusetts terribly. I wanted to relocate back to those areas, so I found a new opportunity as a Knowledge Coordinator at Boston Financial Data Services in Quincy, Massachusetts. My last day at Canary Systems was before Memorial Day weekend and I began working at Boston Financial Data Services several weeks later, on June 20th.

For the first month-and-a-half, I commuted 88 miles each way from my apartment in Concord, New Hampshire to Quincy, Massachusetts. Most of the time, I rode a coach bus, but I drove on occasion. Riding on the coach bus allowed me to sit back and reflect on my career and where I was headed. I came to the following conclusions:

• I like bigger, established companies. I love their history, what they stand for, the impact they leave behind on the community and the industries they are a part of. I see working for a bigger organization as a chance to leave my own impact in some way.
• I am a team player. Previously, I was a lone writer, and while I did work with my coworkers to find information or clarify details, I feel more productive when I'm on a team and we're working towards the same goals. I was part of a wonderful team of six at Boston Financial and they helped me get acquainted to my job and made me feel welcome at the company.
• I am an extroverted, active individual. I loved teaching because it allowed me to present ideas I found to other students and I carry that same thought process as a writer. I enjoy fact-finding missions and interacting with subject matter experts to learn something new. I take that new information and implement it in the latest document I'm working on so that readers have a much more fulfilling experience.

In early August, I moved from New Hampshire to Canton, Massachusetts. For the first time in a while, I had a short commute to work, Boston traffic notwithstanding. This allowed me to relax more at work and feel more productive. I took that positive attitude home with me and I became more like the person I was in graduate school-upbeat, a go-getter, and someone who looked forward to new challenges. Later that year, I became President of the Society for Technical Communication New England Chapter, and now I'm starting to implement new ideas and find new opportunities for the chapter to reach a new audience.

On Friday, January 13th, I was unexpectedly laid off from my position at Boston Financial. I was very surprised, but I see this as an opportunity to find a new adventure. I can find other technical communication opportunities, or move into new kinds of work where strong writing skills, presenting complex information to other people, and a collaborative spirit are necessary to help a company achieve its goals. There is uncertainty ahead, but I plan to find my way and end up in a wonderful role.