By Sheila Loring, Carolina Communiqué Managing Editor

Autumn is upon us, and most people are busy shuttling kids from soccer to dance lessons, working towards pre-holiday deadlines, and trying to squash worries about the economy.

Take a break from shuttling, working, and squashing. This quarter's newsletter offers sound advice to boost your career and points you to fun chapter activities.

Andrea Wenger, the chapter's new president, and the administrative council have been diligently planning events for the upcoming year. She tells us what's in store...from the SpeedCon Unconference to competitions and a skating social in November. Read on and save the dates on your calendar.

Christina Eftekhar, veteran copyeditor for the Carolina Communiqué, writes about her accidental path into technical writing. While majoring in English literature at East Carolina University, Christina discovered her passion in the Technical and Professional Communication program.

David Dick, STC Fellow, shares his bumpy but ultimately successful implementation of Microsoft SharePoint as a content management system. Don't miss David's article for tips on convincing skeptics and promoting best practices.

Jamie Gillenwater, Carolina chapter secretary, introduces us to Klout, a web site that measures your influence in the world of social media. How widespread is your audience? Find out with Klout.

Sheila can be reached at newsletter at stc-carolina dot org.