Introducing our Guest Speakers: Two Professional Communicators with Two Takes on the Technical Writing Career Path - A Guest Blog by Simon Abbott

In this blog I would like to introduce our guest speakers for Saturday's Alumni Event - Geraldine Eliot and Andrea Noble. Both are accomplished writers and know a lot about social media and self-promotion.

Geraldine Eliot – Director Meerkat Communications, Writer, Marketer.

Geraldine wrote her first epic at the age of six while growing up in South Africa. She knew then she wanted to be a writer or a teacher. She now does both at the same time.

Passionate about social media, Geraldine’s personal blog, The Canadian Chronicles, was a runner up in the 2009 South African Blog Awards. She has sites on LinkedIn and Google+ and is an active Tweeter.

Geraldine has a great range of experience in creative and business writing and editing. She is a contributor to both print and online magazines (like Suite 101.com and Entrepreneurial Woman) and has had her poetry published. She has developed content for the online destination guide Wordtravels and its companion site, Mytripreport.com. And if all of this was not enough, she has taught Business and Technical Communication at BCIT and still teaches there part time. Her courses are Business Communication and Language Development, Communication for Interior Design and Writing for the Web – part of BCIT’s Technical Writing program.

A firm believer in knowledge sharing and community building, she served as the Director of Communications for Wired Woman Society, a non-profit organization focused on education, networking and mentorship for woman in technology, new media and science. She also volunteered as their Marketing Coordinator. She currently volunteers in a communication role for Education Without Borders.

Geraldine is married and lives in Vancouver and when she's not working she’s busy wrangling her French bulldog, Spock, traveling, experimenting in the kitchen, or reading.

To contact Geraldine directly, email her at geraldine@meerkatcommunications.ca.

Andrea Noble – Copywriter and Creative Strategist

Andrea has been a working writer for over 10 years. With a background in visual art, theatre and creative writing, she enjoys generating concepts that lead to integrated marketing solutions. Describing herself as a “born storyteller”, she is a master of persuasion who loves to show B2B companies how to increase their sales.

Andrea graduated from UBC with a creative writing honours degree. She also completed the Business Entrepreneurial Skills Training at BCIT.

A trained improvisational actor, she has learned to use quick wit and on-the-spot thinking to brainstorm ideas – fast. She has performed for over 10 years in front of large crowds “making people laugh, cry, and cringe.” She uses these skills with staff, clients and anyone else who wants to participate in all levels of industry including such diverse customers as: London Drugs, the City of Richmond and the Canadian Navy.

In addition, Andrea teaches communications and technical writing at BCIT. She has also created training materials and delivered business-writing courses for ICBC and the City of North Vancouver. They said she was a “Fantastic speaker and made the topics interactive and fun.”

Andrea is married (just celebrated her 6^th anniversary!) and lives and works in Burnaby. When not working, she loves to read, write, watch TV and play with her 2 dogs Beasley and Calli. She also loves watching stand up comedy and pondering life’s big questions - why are we here? Why? Why? Why??

To connect with Andrea, visit her Contact page. Andrea is also on LinkedIn.