TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I agree with the previous message that mentioned networking. In today's job market you've got to be uncommonly aggressive. Getting together with STC people. Cold-calling & re-calling potential employers. Marketing yourself via a Web site, brochures, online & print portfolio (school projects are just fine).
I'm 57 years old & have been in tech comm for 25 years both as a writer & manager. And at some major tech comm companies. For years I never even bothered to seek out employers for consulting work--they just found me. But that climate has changed. A couple of years ago at my last employer my entire group was let go. Finding a new job was not easy. It took 9 months of mostly not getting even a nibble--despite a quite respectable resume & a hefty portfolio--to find a job. Most people said, if they said anything at all, that I was overqualified. That's newspeak for too old.
But finally I found an employer that doesn't skew their hiring towards the young.
I think the major thing you should be doing is NOT apologizing for your age or for anything else. Present your portfolio with pride. When I was a hiring manager I considered projects done for courses as very acceptable portfolio material (I also taught tech comm at the college level for 5 years). Openly express your engagement with and excitement about your profession. Be up on the current issues and relevant technologies (by reading Tech Comm & Intercom). Write some articles for your local chapter newsletter or for a professional journal.
And go out there and knock 'em dead.
Hope this helps,
Kathy
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-178785 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:bounce-techwr-l-178785 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Kirk Turner
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 12:10 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Employment Advice needed!
I need advice badly. First, some background. I was received a medical discharge from the Navy in 1976. From 1976 to 1992 I was on medical VA Disability. From 1992 to 1994, I was in a rehabilitation program that changed my life. As a result, in 1994, I enrolled in college in order to better myself, which I did with an English degree. I had always enjoyed writing, so it seemed like an English degree was appropriate for me. I had dropped out of high school in 10th grade to join the service, so graduating from college was no small feat. I graduated with a 3.45 GPA.
When I graduated in 1998, I married, began a family, bought a house and became a regular guy. It was very difficult for me to land an entry-level job at my age, even with an employment specialist helping me. The problem is that I have no work experience due to my years of medical problems, which were resolved in rehab.
My advisor suggested that I might better my job prospects with a graduate degree in something that involves English in the private sector. See where I 'm going? So now, I am about to complete my master's degree in technical communication with, hopefully, a 3.9 GPA, and I'm almost fifty years old.
I've taken all the usual classes and have skills in many areas. However, I'
ve posted my resume on the big web sites and replied to job postings on the STC web site to no avail. I'm about to concede that the past 10 years have been an academic exercise in the truest sense of the phrase.
Don't get me wrong. I have a great life, and there isn't any reason to feel sorry for me. My wife, son and I have a farm in N. Georgia that requires a lot of work, which I enjoy, and I create and maintain web sites with Dreamweaver for a number of clients in an office I have adjacent to my house, although the pay isn't very good; If I have to, I can ride off into the sunset taking care of the critters and the web sites. But I would just like to complete the long-term goal that I set 10 years ago and work in a job for which I worked hard to qualify. Also, it would be nice to make money writing for a living, and I would like to be a good role model for my son.
I don't know how these things work in the field. I do know that outsourcing is diminishing my chances even more than usual.
I don't have a snowball's chance of being hired, do I? Any advice that you might have would be greatly appreciated. I know that you are problem solvers, but I don't think that even you can solve this one.
ROBOHELP X5 - SEE THE ALL NEW ROBOHELP X5 IN ACTION!
RoboHelp X5 is a giant leap forward in Help authoring technology, featuring all new Word 2003 support, Content Management, Multi-Author support, PDF and XML support and much more! View an online demo: http://www.macromedia.com/go/techwrldemo
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
