Linda Oestreich is a busy woman. An experienced writer, editor, trainer, presenter, and project manager, Oestreich manages the Technical Publications group for the Service Management product at Peregrine Systems (now Hewlett-Packard) in San Diego. At the STC Annual Conference this past May, she became the 1st Vice President of the Society for Technical Communication for 2006-2007. Between her job and her STC work, Oestreich seemingly manages two careers. And she’s passionate about both, which, she says, grew from her desire to serve others. In fact, words like “passion” and “service” form the golden theme that ties her roles together.
Oestreich began her career in technical communication as an editorial assistant at a Department of Defense research laboratory in San Diego in 1979. Having completed an English degree through UCSD, she used her first job in technical communication to polish her writing and editing skills. There, she met her first mentor, a woman who led her to the STC. Over the next few years, while working full-time, Oestreich immersed herself in the STC at the local and Society levels. During the 1980s, she became quite active in the San Diego chapter, and served as President there from 1988 -1990. She attended her first annual STC conference in 1984, and hasn’t missed one since.
In 1990, Oestreich moved to Houston, and she took her enthusiasm with her, plunging into activity with the Houston chapter of the STC. In fact, because of her consistent work for the STC in both San Diego and Houston, the chapters jointly awarded her the Distinguished Service Award. In the late 1990s, she successfully campaigned for the title of Region 5 Director-Sponsor and became an STC Fellow in 1996.
She returned to San Diego in 2003 and assumed the duties of the Society’s 2nd Vice President, most recently succeeding Paula Berger (the 2006-2007 STC President) to STC’s 1st Vice President position. In 2007, Oestreich is slated to become STC’s President.
If her career in the STC seems like a lot of extra work, Oestreich doesn’t see it that way.
“I’ve gotten so much from this organization,” says Oestreich. “I’ve traveled more and made higher salaries than I would have without the STC. It’s given me a perspective on life I would not have had otherwise.”
Through that perspective, Oestreich learned that technical communication is a service, one that requires passion to carry out. In fact, Oestreich says that without that lust for the job, technical communicators cannot work effectively. The STC, she says, is emblematic of such drive.
“The STC,” says Oestreich, “is less about individual members than about promoting our profession. When we advocate our work, we benefit each member individually.”
It’s a concept Oestreich carries into her work life. Her résumé and curriculum vitae reveal a career that spans fields as diverse as software development, oil and gas, and human resources. Yet, Oestreich says, “Whatever I do, it’s about helping others reach their potential. And it’s about raising the visibility and respect for technical communication.”
Not that it’s always been easy for her. In the early 1990s, Oestreich experienced a point of struggle, a flagging of her commitment to her profession.
“I was working for a consulting firm at a very high level, and I loved it—until we hired a new senior executive who focused on the bottom line to the exclusion of the employees’ well-being.”
Discouraged, Oestreich left the firm for a job as an editor with a software company. More than competent in her work, Oestreich nonetheless failed to learn much about the products she was working on.
“I was laid off three years later, largely because I didn’t understand the company’s industry. I realized then that technical communicators must really know the business we support to be valuable to our employers. There’s a balance between the bottom line and those who strive to meet it.”
So what advice does she offer others in our field? First, she says, “Make the most of the STC. Find a mentor, someone you like and respect, who can help you find your passion.”
Next she recommends, “Find out if you have a gift for translating complex information into workable language.”
She adds that she sees no shame in changing careers if technical communication isn’t for you. “If your career doesn’t truly engage you, it’s time to find something else that will.”
Many people see technical communication as a career of writing boring documents and procedures. Oestreich’s enthusiasm proves that technical communication can be about so much more than that.
