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I agree. Even if you are unemployed, you can do start your own freelancing
company and as long as you have a computer and internet access. As tech
writers, we are so fortunate to be able to be able to freelance online or
for local publications - even in this economy. Even regularly maintaining
several blogs (you can monetize them to make a bit of extra cash) can be
quite helpful, particularly if they are in the industries that you are
targeting. These types of jobs, though sometimes low paying, are fairly
plentiful for writers and can help to provide a bit of extra income and more
importantly, can legitimately let you put something on your resume when you
are in-between gigs as a permanent employee. Plus, they can help you to
keep your skills sharp and can help flesh out your skill set.
Chantel
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+brathwaitec=castupgrade -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+brathwaitec=castupgrade -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Bill Swallow
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 4:18 PM
To: Ken Poshedly
Cc: Techwr-l
Subject: Re: dumping on job applicants (was Re: Rates)
Easy solution: keep busy and make sure your resume reflects it.
Blackballing candidates with large gaps in work history (recent or
earlier) is nothing new. Take a class, volunteer for your church or
kid's school, maintain an active blog, and by all means put your name
out there as someone available for contract work.
Visibility is paramount and is proof that you have been keeping your
skills sharp. Honestly, if I saw a gap of 6+ months with no
explanation other than "laid off" or "job hunting", I'd think twice
about hiring that person as well. Gaps like this speak volume about
initiative, whether or not that message is true. Make sure you stay
active in some manner and make your resume reflect it!
On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 4:02 PM, Ken Poshedly <poshedly -at- bellsouth -dot- net>
wrote:
> Just thought I'd jump in with news of a story which appeared a few weeks
ago
> here in the Atlanta Journal Constitution that companies are now
specifically
> stating in their want-ads that those out of work for at least 6
months need not
> bother applying for job openings. They cite lack of new job skills and
it's all
> legal. Even the companies that don't openly state it do admit to doing
this. So
> rather than go for skills and experience, these conpanies go for the
jugular.
>
>http://www.ajc.com/business/outlook-poor-for-long-657702.html
>
> In today's AJC is a story that many companies now screen potential new
hires by
> checking their credit. While it may seem appropriate if the job is highly
> financial, many question why check the credit of a potential broom-pusher?
> Companies claim it indicates the "character" of those applying.
>
>
> So . . . those out of work for a year through absolutely no fault of their
own
> and are behind on their mortgage are blackballed so they can't recover and
get
> current on that mortgage so the cycle continues. And again, it's all
legal.
>
>http://www.ajc.com/news/credit-check-for-employment-693919.html
>
> For those of you who seem to have no or little problems finding work, are
> already sitting pretty, and say "I wouldn't work for them anyway," this is
big
> news here where the state unemployment rate is 10.6 percent.
>
>
> Yeah, there are tech writing jobs, and I'm lucky to have mine (though the
> round-trip commute each day is 106 miles), but when you're faced with thse
two
> handicaps, it gets even tougher.
>
> -- Kenpo
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