Re: Experience = skill? (was various other threads)

Subject: Re: Experience = skill? (was various other threads)
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 17:33:56 -0700

jrondeau wrote:


I'm what I like to call a recovering academic.


Hey, that's my line :-) You didn't base it on Kate Clinton's routine about being a recovering Catholic, did you?


It's this experience thing that's killing me -- that, plus what seems to be an inherent suspicion of the technical capabilities of anyone with a humanities background (pace the few stories I've heard that might give the lie to this attitude). From what I gather from parts of the discussion recently, the skill/experience thing dogs TWs even when they demonstrate both. What's a poor newbie to do?


In a word: persevere. Get what experience you can, and work your way into a more technical postion when you can. That's what I've tried to do, and I was in much the same position as you six years ago - an Arts grad with little techie visible in my background. I don't suppose I'll ever be mistaken for a stone techie, but I've got enough on my resume that I can prove that I can hold my own. In fact, last week, I even had someone interested in creating a position for me because I could straddle both sides of the writing/technical fence.

In a more concrete vein, look at your resume and see how you can emphasize your existing technical expertise. If necessary, even make that a line beneath each job: "technical expertise learned." Maybe, too, this is a case in which an Interests category would emphasize useful points. Or possibly a Skills category?

Your cover letter is also a place where you could address this problem. You could also make a list of points that would prove your technical competence, and then make sure that you mention them in an interview.

In short, treat the job search as a bit of marketing. Think of the impression you want to make, and then set about to make it. Don't go through the job search with the half-scared passivity that most people do; you'll only find a job through luck that way.

--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"The heart ain't nothing but a fibrous lump
And I just wanna hear it pump."
- The Mollys, "Say Nothing"


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available now at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com

TECH*COMM 2001 Conference, July 15-18 in Washington, DC
The Help Technology Conference, August 21-24 in Boston, MA
Details and online registration at http://www.SolutionsEvents.com


---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Previous by Author: Re: Experience = skill? (was various other threads)
Next by Author: Re: Experience = skill? (was various other threads)
Previous by Thread: RE: Experience = skill? (was various other threads)
Next by Thread: Re: Experience = skill? (was various other threads)


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads