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--- Jane Carnall <jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com> wrote:
> Judging by results so far, at least 2/3rds of us *do* write outside our
> regular job.
>
> Follow-up question: if you do, do you tell your employers that you do?
(I
> mention it on my CV as one of my "hobbies", but go into as little detail
as
> possible, after an interview years ago in which the interviewer
concluded
> that I wouldn't be sufficiently dedicated to my day job, so to speak.)
I publish a regional newsletter and Web site pertaining to one of my
'hobbies' - Middle-Eastern dance (aka 'belly dance'). I've used both to
learn products and tools I don't get to use in my day job. This is how I
learned PageMaker, MS Access, Adobe Acrobat, HTML, DreamWeaver, and
JavaScript. It's where I learned about good newsletter layout, web site
design, and web site management (all of which are discussed frequently on
this list). It's a one person show - I write copy, edit contributors'
copy, and produce and distribute hard-copy and .pdf files.
I *definitely* include the newsletter business (and related job skills) on
my resume! It's a thriving business and supports itself. I'm proud of it
and what I've accomplished, and I think it shows prospective employers
that I have initiative and the ability to manage multiple projects and
deliver them on time (I have paying customers, after all!). To my
knowledge, it's never harmed my chances in a job interview, and now that I
think about it, it's never come up as an issue.
Amy
(out of the belly dance closet for the past five years)
P.S. Oh all right - here's the URL: www.bellydancenewengland.com
****************************************************************************
Amy Smith, Notes User Assistance Group
IBM/Lotus
External: 617/693-9733 Tie line: 333-9733
amy_smith -at- lotus -dot- com
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