Hunting for a Tech Job (March Meeting)
By Jessica Arguilez Baris, STC SD volunteer
This is a summary of the March meeting panel discussion.
Every day there are news stories about the sinking stock market and growing unemployment rates. How has the economic crisis affected professionals in the technical writing sector? March’s STC SD meeting was an open panel discussion goaled to share panelists’ real stories and practical advice on how to maneuver in today’s technical communication scene.
STC members Miriam Happe, former chapter officers Walter Hanig and Suzanne Smith, former Treasurer Jeff Freeman and Treasurer Sandy Kinghorn participated as panelists. One of the first questions was if the panelists would apply for jobs outside of technical communication. There were a variety of responses but most panelists saw trying to change fields in the current economic climate as too risky.
Walter Hanig said it is not necessary to try and change fields, especially in a down economy. What you should do, he advised, is “craft a cover letter, a resume, a story, to go with what the position is. You don’t so much change careers as put a different mask on the career you have.”
“You shouldn’t make a radical change in your field,” said Jeff Freeman. “Try to get a tech job in a different field. You can go into a different industry with the same set of skills.”
Suzanne Smith offered one possibility for technical writers. “If you want to branch out, academic environments appreciate good writing, so consider applying for jobs at UCSD and SDSU.”
Smith emphasized the importance of networking before you find yourself needing a job.
“The people in your network are the people who help you. Surprising people come through to help you out when you least expect it,” she said.
One audience member asked why technical writers are some of the first to get laid off, and Hanig said that most companies are willing to “support a poorly documented program with tech support and customer service. We (tech writers) don’t put products on the street.”
If you sense that your job is in jeopardy, Miriam Happe said it is crucial to “go to your contacts within your job to get metrics on how your job makes a difference. They (employers) want to hear ‘I reduced calls by X amount.’”
Smith agreed, adding that “You can’t say ‘I’m a great writer, I’m great at FrameMaker.’ They don’t want to hear that. If you can lower tech support costs, if you can free up time of engineers, then you are making a good argument” (to keep your job).
Other tips the panel suggested include:
- Be sure to take hard copies of your writing samples to your interviews—and be willing to give them up to the interviewer. Even better: bring your writing samples on a thumb drive and have them posted on your professional Web site. Also be prepared to share a story for each writing sample (e.g., the constraints you faced).
- Have a 30-second “elevator speech” prepared. This means you are able to explain to someone, in a 30-second infomercial-like pitch, what you do and what you are looking for.
- Write a T-Letter as the format for your cover letter. Create a two-column table. List the job requirements in the left-hand side of the table, one requirement per cell. In the corresponding cell on the right side, list the specific skills you possess that fulfill the requirement. Whoever reviews your letter can quickly scan the check-list items.
Some resources panelists offered include:
- www.asktheheadhunter.com Find a wealth of information on job hunting, interview tips, FAQs, industry expert advice, and more.
- Knock ‘em Dead is a series of books by Martin Yate covering resume and cover letter-writing, job searching, and interview questions.
You can find more information on finding a job on our Employment pages.