Re: Can this career be saved?

[Chantel Brathwaite <brathwaitec -at- castupgrade -dot- com>]

Becca,

I like Indeed.com for job searches, but when I was looking, made sure 
that my resume was on the various job boards (Monster, Careerbuilder, 
Dice, Sologig etc.).  I always got calls from recruiters that way.  
Sometimes state and local agencies/organizations have their own job 
listings that might not show up in indeed.  I would definitely recommend 
that you search those also.

While I like Indeed.com and still keep abreast of it even if I'm not 
actively looking just to see what the trends are - what employers are 
looking for etc, sometimes jobs are posted on employer's websites a 
while before they show up there.  So, it is a good idea to check job 
boards for companies that you are interested in regularly to get a leg 
up on the competition.  I've heard of people using Linkedin to contact 
recruiters for companies that they are interested in, but I haven't done 
that, so I don't know how receptive they are.  I did cultivate some 
relationships though with different recruiters and that helped a lot.

I personally believe that if you think you'll benefit from the 
certificate program, then go for it.  I can't really think of a downside 
except for expense.  But, I don't think you have to wait until you are 
finished with a program though before you apply for jobs.  Apply and go 
to school if you can.  There are some pluses to being a student. I think 
you can get a cut-rate on STC and other professional organizations. If 
you have the cash - you can get student pricing on a number of software 
tools.  (Not sure if you can use them afterwards professionally or not 
... but if you can then that's an excellent savings for you.)  The Adobe 
educational licensing discounts are excellent.

We all know that STC can be a good place for networking, but if you can 
find other places where writers or creative/IT-savvy people meet, you 
can sometimes network that way too while you learn.  For example, there 
are Adobe meetups in some cities where they discuss InDesign and more.

I've been a writer since 1996.  Over the years, there have been a number 
of changes in the job market.  I landed my first job over the internet 
in 1997 for SAIC.  I found out about my current job from a headhunter.  
He did a good job of really seeing if there would be a good fit and also 
of helping me to decide whether this was the right company for me.  
Because he had developed a good relationship with the client, it helped 
me.  For me, the recession meant that I had to become a lot more 
resourceful and quick.  For example, I had to respond to job ads and 
recruiters - sometimes delivering a tailored resume within an hour or 
two - no later than a day.  (The unemployment rate in my area is higher 
than in most other parts of the country though.)  When I was having a 
tough time finding a writing job, I started a business and wrote 
online.  Before, I focused on becoming diverse; learning how to do many 
things.  Now, I'm becoming more focused.

I think that you won't have much of a problem landing a job with your 
experience, especially if you update your skills a bit.  Your idea of 
contacting former co-workers/employers is a good one I think; anything 
that involves a personal touch seems to be helpful in this economy.   
You definitely have a career in this field; it is just a matter of you 
diving back in.

I wish you all the best!

Chantel

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does anyone here have any feelings about monster.com?