Re: Anyone need a job? Very badly?

[Jessica Behles <j -dot- e -dot- behles -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Dear Whirlers:

Thank you all so much for the great advice and encouragement I received in
response to my request for advice on getting my freshly hatched career
started. I just got yet another application denied, but with so much great
advice to draw on, it comes as less of a blow. I will be responding to your
e-mails off list; I just wanted to thank everyone publicly in case I forget
anyone. This is a great community, and I'm very happy and proud to be a
part of it.
Thanks again!

-Jessica

On Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 2:10 PM, Jessica Behles <j -dot- e -dot- behles -at- gmail -dot- com>wrote:

> Yes I do need a job. Very badly. But sadly, I'm not experienced/good
> enough for that one, or any job above minimum wage, apparently. As a newly
> minted tech writer (just graduated last May), I'd be thrilled if I could
> get a job or contract that paid that much. Heck, I'd be thrilled if I could
> even FIND a techcomm job where "entry level" actually meant that, rather
> than minimum of a Bachelors and 2-5 years of experience in both tech
> writing AND the specific field (e.g., medical writing, etc.). In this job
> market, I'm competing with people with way more experience for the same
> "entry level" positions.
>
> I keep reading on this list over and over that new grads like me are
> taking cheap jobs like the one mentioned in this thread and ruining the
> field's pay as a whole by undervaluing themselves. I really don't think
> it's us, because of all my colleagues who graduated while I was in
> university, only one has been able to get a techcomm job -- all the rest
> had to take administrative or similar jobs because that's all we former
> students can get. I don't know. It's extremely frustrating when people
> compare $21.50 to working at McDonalds, when I can't even secure anything
> near that amount. Some days I feel like McDonalds is the only place I'm
> qualified for.
>
> And to turn this e-mail into less of a whine-filled rant (cheese,
> anyone?), I guess I'll ask for any advice about how to actually get a job
> in techcomm. I've been shooting for editing jobs because that's what I love
> to do. I copy edited the university's student paper for two years, I edited
> the university's accounting policies and procedures for two  years, I was a
> writing tutor for a year, I've been a part-time contract editor for a
> crowdsourcing company for almost two years, and since last June, I have
> been editing engineering documentation for a radio telescope array. Yet I
> still don't have enough experience for an "entry level" editing position
> (in or out of techcomm). I'd be willing to write, but I have next to no
> experience there, so my prospects are even worse. So how do I A) leverage
> this experience to get a job; or B) get more experience even though nobody
> will offer me a job?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> -Jessica Behles
> Documentation Specialist
> NRAO ALMA Project -- Back End, North America
>
> On Sat, Jan 21, 2012 at 7:17 PM, William Sherman <
> bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com> wrote:
>
>> Here is the ad on Monster.
>>
>> Technical Writer
>> Company:   Adecco Technical
>> Job Category:  Editorial/Writing
>> Reference Code:  204083
>>
>> Location:   Tampa, Fl 33610
>> Job Status:   Temporary/Contract/Project
>>
>>
>> Here is the pay.
>>
>> 12 month contract
>>
>> Pay - $21.50/hr
>>
>> I guess if you are desperate, it is better than working at McDonald's. I
>> would think these contract houses would become a bit smarter and realize
>> that the more they help us make, the more they make.  At this kind of pay,
>> they have to get someone desperate who will quit at the first chance of
>> something better or someone with no experience who will only make Adecco
>> look bad.
>>
>>
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>
>> Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with
>> Doc-To-Help.
>> Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
>> Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
>> http://www.doctohelp.com
>>
>> ---
>> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as j -dot- e -dot- behles -at- gmail -dot- com -dot- 
>>
>> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
>> techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>> or visit
>> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/j.e.behles%40gmail.com
>>
>>
>> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>>
>> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
>> http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and
>> info.
>>
>> Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our
>> online magazine at http://techwhirl.com
>>
>> Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public
>> email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
>>
>
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
http://www.doctohelp.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives