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> It's been almost 10
> years I'm in this field and somehow I cannot get out of it because my resume
> seems to only say "tech writer" as a title. Now, if I change that title to
> "business analyst/illustrator/project manager" or anything else, do you
> think they will give me the same credit as others? They probably wont.
I can't agree with this. Nothing prevents you from changing what you do,
if you have the skill and desire to do something else. I managed to get
into tech writing with a 15-year gap on my resume, about which all I could
tell my interviewers was that I played with some pretty good rock bands.
You're only trapped in a career if you choose to be. I'm the poster boy
for Plan B. And that's starting from scratch. Surely after 10 years of
tech writing you've gained skills and insights employers (perhaps even
your current one) will find valuable outside the field of tech writing.
It's a matter of identifying those skills and capitalizing on them. Don't
expect somebody to do that for you, or to suddenly give you a job title
that opens doors for you (which leads me to the next quote from Grace's
post).
> I will keep you posted with what I find in my search but in the meantime I
> will be patient and wait for the best opportunity that knocks at my door.
YOU are the one who needs to knock on doors. Then open them, walk in, and
introduce yourself (to stretch a metaphor). Your career will not improve
if your role in it is solely as a spectator.
Good luck!
Keith Cronin
Tech writing. If you're not completely miserable, you're doing it wrong.
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