communication department

From Writer to Communicator

Economist Rick O'Sullivan directs efforts to change how the U.S. government collects information on our profession.

 "If the U.S. government were to have a list of 'bestsellers,' the U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) would certainly be in the top 10," says Rick O'Sullivan. He should know--O'Sullivan, an economist and head of the consulting firm Change Management Solutions, served for more than 20 years on the Business Research Advisory Council to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). He knows all about government publications on employment--how the data for them is collected, how they're used, and who uses them. This includes Department of Labor publications like OOH, which lists hundreds of professions with accompanying job descriptions and salary data.

Unfortunately, the OOH listing most likely to affect STC members is badly out of date and skewed toward lower salaries. For this reason, STC has contracted O'Sullivan to help provide input to DOL as it revises the Standard Occupational Classification, which serves as the basis for OOH and other documents. He is also helping STC reshape its annual Salary Survey to better reflect our value to industry

The STC office and Board of Directors are working closely with O'Sullivan on these efforts. "We're approaching this as an opportunity to raise the profile and prestige of our profession," says STC Executive Director Susan Burton. "By working with Rick on a proactive plan for change in the [Occupational Outlook Handbook], we'll achieve two goals beyond the changes to this one publication: we'll be promoting the profession and generating respect and understanding for what our people do."

How the Standard Occupational Classification Affects You

To understand the impact that the Standard Occupational Classification has on your career, it's important to understand a bit about the Department of Labor. Two sections within the DOL use the Standard Occupational Classification: the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which gathers the statistical data for OOH, and the Employment & Training Administration, which administers federal government job training and worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs, and unemployment insurance benefits.

 "OOH is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives," says O'Sullivan. "It can be found in just about every guidance counselor office, state employment agency, college library, and career center, and on the bookshelf of every career counselor in the nation. It is considered a primary source on the most recent trends in the labor markets." The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the Standard Occupation Classification as its guide when gathering salary information. Because the Standard Occupational Classification frames the questions that the Bureau asks employers, inaccuracies in the classification are propagated into the OOH salary data.

The Employment & Training Administration and numerous state and local employment agencies use data collected based on the Standard Occupational Classification to help it decide how best to distribute billions in public funds. A faulty classification means tax dollars are not being used in the way that would best serve the public interest, workers, or potential employers, Career counseling, whether provided by a public agency or outplacement professional, is only as good as the data on which it is based. Otherwise, as O’Sullivan quoted a well-worn economist’s warning, “It’s garbage in and garbage out.”

 Where's Technical Communication?

 So, what's the problem with the OOH entry for technical communicator? Actually, the problem is that there is no such listing. The closest job listed is for technical writer, and the accompanying job description for that hasn't changed in more than a decade:

Technical writers put technical information into easily understandable language. They prepare operating and maintenance manuals, catalogs, parts lists, assembly instructions, sales promotion materials, and project proposals. Many technical writers work with engineers on technical subject matters to prepare written interpretations of engineering and design specifications and other information for a general readership. Technical writers also may serve as part of a team conducting usability studies to help improve the design of a product that still is in the prototype stage. They plan and edit technical materials and oversee the preparation of illustrations, photographs, diagrams, and charts.

O'Sullivan points out that activities performed by today's technical communicators go far beyond this definition. The Bureau of Labor Statistics "only collects data for writers," he says. "It leaves out all new [job] functions that have emerged over the past decade. As a result, the earnings of technical communicators are under-reported. Salary data collected by BLS for the job 'technical writer' are 25 percent lower than that reported by STC."

 Making the Case

Obviously, the BLS should begin gathering data for the job title technical communicator, using an entirely new job description--one that reflects the more sophisticated work done today. But government agencies, which have very valid concerns for “historical comparability” of time series data like wage and salary indices, don't change the way they work on a whim--to convince the BLS, a strong case had to be made.

This fall, O'Sullivan worked with the STC staff to produce The Case for Technical Communication, which puts forth historical facts, statistical data, and observations by STC leaders (including First Vice President Linda Oestreich and Strategic Planning Committee Chair Larry Kunz) to support the change. The Case for Technical Communication includes this proposed job description for technical communicator:

Develop and design instructional and informational tools needed to assure safe, appropriate and effective use of science and technology, intellectual property, and manufactured products and services. Combines multi-media knowledge and strong communication skills with technical expertise to educate across the entire spectrum of users’ abilities, technical experience, and visual and auditory capabilities.

 O'Sullivan followed The Case for Technical Communication with a series of discussions at the Department of Labor, refining and clarifying STC's argument. Currently, "The Bureau of Labor Statistics has accepted our argument in principle," says O'Sullivan. "The question now is whether they'll make the change during this upcoming information-gathering cycle, or the next one three years out."

Either way, says Burton, STC is committed to an ongoing campaign of education targeting management, career counselors, and human resources departments. The message: The time of the technical communicator has arrived. "Our members do more than writing," says Burton. "We're going to make sure everyone knows that."