Job Hints

by Employment Manager Ken Evans

This page is devoted to general information aimed at making you more marketable in the currently depressed economy. There will also be helpful links to other web sites that you might find useful in your job search.

Note: STC in no way endorses the services of the web sites included here. They are provided only as a convenience, to be used or not used at your own discretion!

1. Polish that resume! Resume writing is a tricky business, because potential employers are constantly changing their minds about what they want to see and how they want to see it. There are several ways to ensure that you have the most up-to-date resume possible... First, ask anyone you know who might be in the position of hiring (even if they don’t hire tech writers) and ask them what they look for in a resume... Second, use the resource available to you through STC. Contact Us for our current Resume Counselor. Finally, you can also buy one of the many books available on the subject of resume writing. Just be sure to get one that was written within the last year!
   
   
2. Search job sites! (courtesy of Susan Harlan). Making the rash assumption that we ALL have internet connections available to us, use some of the sites out there.

   http://brilliantpeople.com

   http://kforce.com

   http://myjobcoach.com

   http://smartjobguides.com

   http://www.monster.com

   http://www.craigslist.org

   My Job Coach has an excellent behavioral study that you can take. I had some friends at work try it and they all agree that if you answer the questions honestly, it’s very accurate. Check it out, along with the other sites!

3. Punch up your portfolio! Every technical writer has been asked at one time to provide samples of his or her work. Even if you’re just starting out, you can gather together samples of articles you may have written, a brief work of fiction, or “imaginary” user guides. (If you’ve never written a user guide, make one up! Write instructions on how to program a VCR. THAT should impress them! Or how about setting the clock on your microwave? If anyone can provide me useable instructions on that subject I would be eternally grateful!)

   Traditionally, this type of information is placed in an attractive binder and carried with you to interviews. While gathering these documents into a binder is still highly recommended, we now have electronic alternatives to consider as well.

4. Get your own URL! Wouldn’t it be great to put your own web page URL, containing samples of your work, right in your resume? For a nominal fee (in most cases) anyone can have his or her own web page. I just recently got my own through one of our STC members. It’s officially called an “eBusiness Card” and it’s incredibly easy to use. Check out the website for http://www.exyst.com and see how easy it is for you to use this service, too!