Career Shifting

[Jean Ann Harrison <harrison -at- SOFTBRIDGE -dot- COM>]

Hi, am new to the list, been lurking for awhile and found all very
interesting.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for someone like myself.   I
am currently working in technical support but have been complimented by my
ability to explain things well, especially in written form.  After a few
months of doing some research and being encouraged by a senior level
technical writer  to shift my career path, I've decided that this is
something I really want to do.

I am technically oriented with quite a bit of writing experience, however,
not on specific projects like manuals.  I've written procedures on various
resolutions to customer problems and in college did have a heavy dose of
analytical writing from my political science professors.

Are there any suggestions you can make in terms of breaking into this
field?  I have had one excellent suggestion that I've begun to pursue;
write up my own technical manual on an application that I created in Visual
Basic.  I've contact a few agencies and even sent out my resume to one
company who was looking for someone with specific technical writing
experience.  I've found that the employers need to see specific experience
on the resume before they would consider even a contract.  I understand the
reasons for this but thought there might be something else I can I do.  I
am trying to cover as much ground as I can.  I do realize that this process
will take alot of hard work and time.

Feel free to email me at:  harrison -at- softbridge -dot- com -dot-   Thanks very much for
"listening".
Jean Ann Harrison


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