Re: How to get a job in these challenging times

[Tuples -at- aol -dot- com]

In a message dated 8/4/02 11:55:10 AM Mountain Standard Time, 
gilliankitty -at- yahoo -dot- com writes:

> Okay, so given all the consternation over jobs, times, etc, here's some 
data 
> for   you to chew on while you look for jobs.
>  
>  THE CURRENT JOB ENVIRONMENT
>  
>  1. Despite what our beloved commander in chump says, it *IS* the economy, 
> stupid.   If this is a recovery, I would really hate to see what the 
recession will be
>  like. The technology industries - where most of us get our jobs - is 
> suffering   badly. Hence, tech writers are suffering, badly. 

Excuse me? I am not suffering. In fact, if I could easily have more work than 
I could handle. When you say the "Technology Industries" what do you mean? I 
just did a piece on a sewing machine that uses metal cogs and followers to 
control stitch patterns. Very much a high tech product, but most likely would 
not be considered to be a Technology Industries related product.

>  2. Technology and businesses are evolving. Back in the glorious 90s you 
> could   show up at just about any company with a resume and a functional 
brain stem 
> and   get a job. That just won't cut it any more. You have to offer more 
than just 
> an   amazing ability to see fonts in the dark. Companies are reassessing 
their 
> needs   and in many cases, a technical writer is simply not something they 
have the 
> money   to support. Moreover, a technical writer who only 
"prettys-up" other
>  people's text is almost a total waste of money. And I am sorry people, but 
> what a   lot of you consider technical writing is really just advanced 
clerical work. 

I get all my work through direct contact, from people who were not aware they 
needed me. Yes, you can just show up and get work if you apply yourself. What 
I consider to be technical writing, is far from being clerical work. I will 
admit that Tech Writers are forced into doing things that were never thought 
of as being technical writing. Page and Doc layout for example. 

>  3. Which leads to the next point. Different skills are in demand. The 
> ability to   write and format text are not particularly valuable skills. 
The ability to
>  understand technology at a very deep level and explain that technology to 
> others   is in demand. 

Very true. That has always been the case. That is what we are supposed to be 
doing.
  
>  4. Maybe you're just not cut out for this job? Sometimes the reason people 
> fail   is because deep down, they do not like what they are doing. Be 
honest - do 
> you   really like pecking out incomprehensible manuals about technology or 
are you
>  waiting for something else in your life? You cannot force your job to 
become
>  something it is not. You may want tech writing to be X, but your employer 
> wants   Y. And just because you deep in your soul think the world needs 
your amazing 
> X   powers, does not mean organizations will pay for them. Y is what pays, 
you 
> can   either adapt, or you can die. This is a big problem with writers. 
They get 
> this   idea of what tech pubs *SHOULD* be and they relentlessly try to 
force it to 
> be   that. All the while, the employer doesn't give a crap about those tech 
pubs
>  theories, they want docs. Good docs and they don't care how they get done, 
> just   so they're accurate and finished on time. 

This is why I freelance. There is far more security and the money can be 
better.
  
>  5. Your profession has become extremely diluted by font fondling flakes. 
The
>  single largest factor driving down technical writers' salaries is writers 
> who   have completely missed the whole point of the profession. Every time 
a 
> writer   eschews content matters in favor of processes, fonts, style 
manuals, and 
> other   incidental BS, the salaries for competent writers decreases. If you 
want 
> tech   writing to mean something again, the profession must purge all the 
process
>  freaks, font fondlers, and academic pontificator who contribute virtually 
> nothing   to the profession and divert energy into nonsense. 

I really hate it when I am asked if I can do a layout, arrange for the 
printing and all the stuff that has little to do with Technical Writing. 
There are people who are supposed to do this sort of thing and they get their 
copy from writers. These days, writers are forced into doing page layout and 
artists are forced into being copywriters.

A technical writer is many things these days and I will tell you that it 
makes it hard on me. No, I will not learn new skills or some software package 
just to do something I should never do. I started with a typewriter and moved 
on to a computer. All I need is a few basic tools and a WP Program.

As an aside, did any of you read the Wired story about smaller corporations 
leaving the web? Apparently people are discovering that the web is more 
effort and costs more money than it returns. 
  
>  WHAT TO DO...
>  
>  So what do you need to do? Consider my 11 point action plan: 
>  
>  1. Be ruthless. In tense times the people who survive are the ones that 
look 
> out  for themselves. Yeah wouldn't it be nice if we could build a 
cooperative
>  sensibility to further the greatness of technical communication...that 
kind 
> of  goopy snuggling might make you feel all warm in places you shouldn't 
but it 
> won't  feed your cat. Either you make a place for yourself at the table of 
life or
>  you're going to have to live off what's left over after ruthless slime 
like 
> me  take a big helping for ourselves. I don't like it anymore than you 
do...but 
> I  have cats to feed. You have to make yourself competitive. 
>  
>  2. Exploit people. Get out there and network with NON-technical writers. 
The
>  largest mistake most writers make is they commingle with other jobless 
> writers.

Someone said: "It's like when your car breaks down, many seem to feel the 
best place to find help is another stranded motorist." To paraphrase - 
apologies if I read it here.

>  How on earth could these people help you? They're jobless too! Tomorrow, I 
> want  all you jobless writers to call up your local Chamber of Commerce and 
buy 
> their  directory of businesses. Then, I want you to locate all the local 
> technically  oriented companies and start scanning for free seminars or 
user group 
> meetings,  etc.. A free seminar (such as the one I gave this week in 
Portland) is an
>  excellent opportunity to network with key players in a company as well as 
> load up  on waxy pasties. You also might *gasp* learn something. 

Do not forget the bible I live by: The Thomas Register of American 
Manufacturers. Tens of thousands of potential assignments.
  
>  3. Spin those skills. Acquire an expertise that is in demand. "Hi I am 
a
>  technical writer" is the kiss of death among technical people. But 
"
> Hi, I  am technical author who specializes in documenting complex Oracle 
database
>  systems" will resonate with folks (especially Oracle developers). I 
can'
> t  tell you how many program managers, executives, and IT directors I meet 
who 
> have  complete disdain for technical writers. But they will respect a 
person who 
> has a  solid set of specialized skills. Just make sure you specialize in 
something 
> that  people want.
>  
>  4. Broaden your awareness. As I said earlier, many tech writers are 
obsessed
>  exclusively with writing issues. This pigeonholes you in the minds of many 
> folks  as "a clerical person." If you have a strong awareness of 
business,
>  technical, sales, and financial issues - you will not only be a better 
> writer,  you'll be able to schmooze non-technical writers and get jobs. You 
might 
> consider  a subscription to some industry technical rags - like Information 
Security 
> or  Eweek. Also some business rags like Business 2.0 or the Wall Street 
Journal. 
> Just  ignore the ultra-conservative bias if you're a more liberal type and 
soak up 
> the  info on businesse trends, and markets. You can save the whales next 
week 
> after  you get a rockin cool job. 
>  
>  5. Leech off others. Glom on to people and companies that are going 
places. 
> This  is how I made my fortunes. I found kewl companies that were going 
places and 
> sunk  my claws into them. But if one of those people or companies starts to 
sink, 
> drop  them like a steaming pile of dog poop. Its not personal, its 
business. I don'
> t  care how ingenious or promising some new technology or process might 
seem, 
> if it  doesn't sell it won't help you get a job. As my father always says - 
birds 
> of a  feather, flock together. If you hang around people with money, some 
of that 
> money  make fall out on to you.
>  
>  6. Time is money. Don't waste your time listening to blathering morons 
like 
> me.  Everything you do must be focused on you and how you're going to take 
over 
> the  universe. Even if you have nothing better to do, don't waste your time 
> listening  to mouthing idiots who just want to sell you something. Who 
cares if James
>  Wankenshammer of Wankenshammer Consulting has invented a new way to pro-
> actively  leverage his single sourcing synergies. Will this get you a job - 
probably 
> not.  So, blow off Don and go hang out with people who ARE going places. 
This is 
> the  fundamental problem with most STC meetings, the topics might be 
> superficially  interesting, but they are rarely going to help you land a 
job.
>  
>  7. Ignore Monster. These job boards are mostly a waste of time. You'll 
never 
> get  a decent job from them. And while you're at it, blow off recruiters. 
You 
> think  you're having a hard time getting work? Recruiters are an endangered 
species.
> 
>  Don't get to close to them, they might contaminate you with their stench of
>  failure. 
>  
>  8. Take a job, any job. Work begets work. Staying busy is better than 
> sitting at  home in a dark room and feeling sorry for yourself. You think 
its 
> humiliating to  work at Starbucks - try begging for money on the corner. 
Take any job and 
> keep  moving. Bodies in motion tend to remain in motion (and are easier to 
> accelerate).  Bodies at rest tend to remain at rest (and take a lot more 
energy to 
> accelerate).  That isn't quip Andrewisms, that's physics. And if you're so 
prideful you 
> can't  take a lowly job - well good luck. Sour and arrogant is rarely a 
winning 
> combo.  

People seem to be afraid to try anything outside their sphere. My God in the 
Heavens above, the available work out there is staggering and endless and 
exciting.

>  9. Infect yourself with mindless optimism. Bitterness, resentment, and
>  self-loathing have a tendency to infect those around you...including 
> potential  employers. If you walk in the door for an interview with a 
"I am a loser 
> with  no job" written on your face, you're likely to walk out the door 
with  &#
> 34;I
>  am STILL a loser with no job" on your face. If you walk in the door 
with 
> the  attitude of "I can do anything" you might just infect them 
with the 
> same  happiness and they'll hire you (or ask you out on a date.) 
>  
>  10. Execute your fear. Take it out back and whack it with a lead pipe. 
Trust 
> me -  NOTHING is that hard to do. I've walked into companies without a 
single clue 
> how  to secure their systems and walked out two days later with a $100K 
purchase 
> order  in my hands and blind devotion from their IT team. This is because I 
learned 
> long  ago to manage my ignorance. Not knowing something is an opportunity. 
if you 
> don't  ever test your ignorance, you'll never know how smart you really 
are. Don't
>  advertise what you don't know. Act like you do know and fudge your way 
> through.  The largest difference between and expert and a amateur is that 
an expert 
> knows  how to tactfully say "I don't know" and then look up the 
answer. An
>  amateur acts like he/she knows everything and as such often gets caught 
with 
> his  pants down around his ankles. 
>  
>  11. Pay attention to your failures. A bad job or a failed business 
> relationship  can be extremely educational if you are willing to accept and 
analyze your 
> part  the failure. Over-confidence is a common cause of career death among 
zippy
>  professionals. They get a little success and then assume they are 
brilliant. 
> They  then attempt to brow-beat their co-workers and customers into 
accepting 
> their  brilliance as fact. You are never more than a few moments away from 
total
>  failure. If you build a reputation as a peacemaker and as a dealmaker you 
> will  find out that people will be more willing to follow your lead and go 
along 
> with  your ideas then if you fold your arms and bitch that "they aren't 
doing 

I might add, be clever. For example, if you write for a corporation that 
makes air conditioners, you will learn about air conditioners. Why not write 
magazine articles about them. I can think of at least 25 different slants and 
leads. After a few articles, who knows what can come your way. 

Bob



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