Inside Tech Comm with Zohra Mutabanna

The show notes for this episode were created with the help of Cohost AI from Buzzsprout. Ever wondered how networking and vulnerability can open doors to incredible writing opportunities? Join me as I chat with the incredibly talented Kathleen Majorsky, a writer who has recently forayed into user-testing of AI tools which is both inspiring and eye-opening. By confronting her fears and setting dail...

Shaughn Kern, my nerdy friend, graces my latest episode. As a technical writer and a code geek, Shaughn has been experimenting with ChatGPT to simplify and automate mundane parts of his day-to-day. In this heart-to-heart conversation, Shaughn shares some great examples that any technical writer can use to move on from the mundane and get creative with ChatGPT's assistance. If you are a techni...

As AI tools make their mark on every business function, there is an equal proportion of excitement and fear. In the midst of this chaos, it is imperative we take a step back and consider pointers from our translation expert on what AI can and cannot offer. AI may not be the magic pill after all, at least, for the translation industry. Let's dive in. Some questions we dug into: What are some e...

In my latest episode with Erica, we dive into all things related to content research. If you are intrigued, then you are at the right place. We touch upon these questions for a deeper insight: What is content research? What types of content lend well to content research? How can you use content research to gain quick insights without costly AB experiments? Can ChatGPT or similar tools influence co...

Since late November 2022, ChatGPT has revolutionized the AI landscape. In this first episode of Season 4, I share the musings of my interactions with this magic tool. What is artificial intelligence? How does it work? How do we interact with it? How ChatGPT is helping me learn a new language. What are some pitfalls to consider as AI permeates every facet of life? Links to articles I mention in the...

Lisa Zarfl comes from the beautiful city of Graz, Austria. I met Lisa at a conference, and her presentation on machine translations inspired me to bring her on the show.  In this latest episode, we talk about all things translation. More specifically, machine translation (MT) and how it can help a business reach a global audience while saving costs. We talk about how technical writers can help the...

I have been out of pocket for the summer visiting family in India and taking some time off. I hope you are having a safe and fun summer. I am happy to be back in the saddle... In this latest episode, I chat with Jennifer Savage, a Scrum Master at FinThrive. Since Jennifer was a technical writer back in the day, she has some great nuggets to share on the parallels between the two roles, and how she...

Have you ever thought of documentation being sexy? Probably not. Caity Cronkhite argues otherwise. She wholeheartedly believes documentation is sexy. She shares excellent advice for companies and writers to embrace this low-hanging fruit that can get excellent dividends if executed correctly. What did our conversation touch upon? Caity's journey from a writer to an entrepreneur. How did Caity...

In this tete-a-tete, Swapnil Ogale shares with us the evolution of technical communication in Australia, especially since the pandemic. Until recently, there was little to no awareness of technical communication at many companies. Swapnil took it upon himself to become the voice of the field, create awareness, and advocate for its adoption and impact on business.  Some interesting questions that w...

Ellyn Hassell says, "I want to delight the customer, I want to make sure that I'm doing everything that I can to make this a really amazing experience, help them get their job done, move through the task, and move on." In this heart-to-heart conversation, Ellyn shares with us her experience and insights to create a delightful experience for the customer. She is continually striving...

In this episode, we explore how content is created, consumed and distributed at an offshore service-based company. Tejasvi Patil shares with us her journey from QA into project management. Tejasvi shines a light on what successful content creation looks like on her team, and the pitfalls of inadequate documentation.   Some topics that we touched upon: The purpose of content in areas of onboarding,...

In this episode, Bill Glynn shares with us some interesting insights on his background as a product manager, and what collaboration looks like from his perspective. We dive into these questions to understand the big picture and what is at stake: What is product management in a broad sense? What are the ways in which product managers and technical communicators collaborate? What can happen if there...

In this quick chat with Matt, we talk about Matt's background and his eventual journey into UX design. Matt works very closely with UX writers, and my goal is to spotlight what that partnership looks like. We talk about the benefits of that partnership and the challenges when writers are not at the table. Some of the questions we discuss: What was Matt's journey like to transition to UX...

We are launching Season 3 with a very special episode. In this interview with Kim Campbell, I embark on a journey to understand how academia is preparing the next generation of technical communicators. My aim is to spotlight how the Department of Technical Communication at the University of North Texas, in particular, is collaborating with the practitioners of the profession to bring a hands-on ex...

In this final episode of Season 2, Robert Delwood, a former NASA engineer, sheds light on how technical writers can pivot to API writing. It is a special skillset and mindset. Listen to this exclusive episode to find out how you can acquire this skill and make it in this high-in-demand career. Per the website programmableweb.com , approximately 2000 APIs are added each year. For each API, roughly...

Somebody has aptly said that "looking for a job is like dating". When you are looking for the perfect job opportunity, the process can be daunting. In this scenario, the recruiter or the talent acquisition manager can be your friend.  In this heart-to-heart conversation, Olivia Farmer shares with us the "behind the scenes" of hiring the right talent. As much as the days can be...

Denise Kadilak says " show that you've got knowledge about the field and that you are self-motivated, and you're willing to pivot, embrace change. If you can demonstrate that in any way on your resume. That's always going to be a big win. " We talk about what to do in an interview and what not to in this fun and fast-paced conversation.  Tune in if you are curious about wh...

Staying with the theme of Job Search and Career Advancement, David Owens dives deep to give us a hiring manager's perspective on what he looks for in a tech comm candidate for his team. If you think tech comm is all about writing manuals in a silo, then this interview may just open your eyes. The field is fast evolving if you have not noticed, and managers are interviewing to fill non-traditi...

In the first episode, Jack Molisani and I talked about how to spruce up your resume. We continue our conversation to discover how to interview for success.  Landing that next gig depends as much on your attitude and experience as it does on how you present yourself at the interview.   Jack Molisani shares secrets about how to be a hit at a content interview. We ponder these questions: How do I pre...

Season 2 - Job Search and Career Advancement Aren't we always looking for those amazing tips that can improve our chances of getting our next big gig? It all starts with that critical document  - the resume.  In this debut episode of Season 2, Jack Molisani shares some great insights into the dos and don'ts of things to put on your resume.  Some things that we cover: What is an objective...

My biggest supporter and life partner, Iqbal Mutabanna, decided to interview me for the last episode of Season 1. So here I am in a candid conversation, sharing my professional journey with you. We will pivot in Season 2 that launches in the second week of August. Stay tuned.  Thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy my episode :)

Tina Davis, CSM has done a little bit of everything - from teaching dance, working as a television editor to being an entrepreneur. Like many of us, she chanced upon the field of technical writing. Tina sought out the best education opportunity to put her on a road to success - and success she did find in her second career of choice. In this episode, she shares her journey into the world of nonpro...

Laurel Beason has covered the journey from journalism to technical writing, and everything in between.  If you are new to the field and would like to find out how you can move forward with the "think-forward" mindset, then tune in. In this episode, we chat about: The transferable skills that you can leverage to transition from journalism to technical communication. What is on-demand writ...

Sree Pattabiraman's journey is one of exciting twists and turns. She graduated with a degree in commerce but found her first break in technical writing. Today, Sree is a rising leader in the field of technical communication. She is a DITA guru, a speaker at several events, and a role model to anyone who wants to make it in the field. Sree shares her amazing story that started "back home&...

This space does little justice to the guest I am about to introduce. But here it is... Altaf Tyrewala is the author of the critically acclaimed books, No God in Sight and Engglishhh: Fictional Dispatches from a Hyperreal Nation . He has also edited the crime-fiction collection, Mumbai Noir . Altaf's works have been published and anthologized worldwide. In this tete-a-tete, Altaf shares his jo...