Re: Anyone need a job? Very badly?

["William Sherman" <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com>]

Ok, a lot depends on what you want to do, what you are willing to do, and 
how bad you want to do it.  Then you use those writing skills to be creative 
in the piece of paper that sells you - your resume.

What I see is a decent potential to a resume.  Fatten it up a bit with items 
from each job and you have a start. At this point, it is as important to 
show you know the tools as well as the process. Toss the education to the 
end, so that you are stressing the work experience.

==============

Experience:

Over 6 years experience in editing documentation for business, media, and 
engineering groups.

Over 6 years experience using editing software and computer software such as 
Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Office 2003, Office 2007, Windows XP, Windows 
7, and Photoeditor.



Work History:

Editor - <Have a name Engineering Group>, June 2011 - present.  Editing 
engineering documentation for a radio telescope array.  Used Microsoft Word, 
Windows 7, blah, blah

Editor - Crowdsourcing Company, May 2010 - present. Editing company 
documentation for ... Used Microsoft Word, Windows 7, blah, blah

Editor - Big Name University, Oct. 2008 - May 2010. Edited university 
accounting policies and procedures. Used Microsoft Office 2003, Word, Excel, 
Access, Windows XP, blah, blah, blah

Copy Editor - Our News,  Sep. 2004 - May 2006.  Copy edited weekly articles 
for publication. Responsible for local community articles, interacted with 
writers to improve overall quality. Used Microsoft Office 2003, Windows XP, 
Photoeditor, blah, blah, blah



Education:
Big Name University, BS Technical Communications

===========

After you get it put together, you can run it past here as there are lots of 
people who have had decades of experience with resumes and getting jobs with 
them, and then stick it on the usual job sites like Monster, CareerBuilder, 
and Dice.

Since I have no idea where Back End, North America is, you may be in a 
wonderful spot where there are several opportunities within 25 miles of home 
or you may discover all your offers come from 3 or 4 states away.  Then you 
have to decide, how much do you want it?

Most offers will probably be contracts. DO NOT be lulled into the temp to 
hire scams. These invariably never get you hired, but they succeed in 
getting you cheaper with that carrot in front of you only to dump you at the 
end date instead of hiring you.  Remember also, and this is VERY IMPORTANT, 
that you have to view yourself as furniture. to the company, you are like a 
chair or desk. As long as they can use you, they will. If they decide they 
can't, out the door you go.

No one promises a chair a retirement pension and a gold watch for great 
service.

If you hit a few contracts on the road, you'll become seasoned quickly. 
You'll learn the tricks and you will be able to command higher rates. 
Remember, the only thing that counts in contracting is the money. Sounds 
pretty mercenary, but it is. Insurance dies when you leave, 401k typically 
never amounts to much, you rarely get vacation and only if you survive more 
than a year, which is about the time you get booted.

And when you get booted, don't take it personal. They just don't need that 
chair right now. Say goodbye, and walk away. They don't care that you are 
$5000 in the hole, that you can't make rent, that you didn't earn enough to 
pay for the trip there.  Contracting is about being a professional and the 
more professional you are, the better your contracts will be. Remember, you 
are the same as any other vendor, just smaller.

The contracting business is screwed up right now, and they value lower rates 
more than experience, so odds are you can get picked up quickly if you 
willing to go to a job. Remember, it is a contract and it is temporary. Do 
not take more than you can pack in your car and leave with when the job 
ends. You aren't moving there, you are only going to work a job, and then 
come home.

Along the way, you may find a great "permanent" job that you can be a direct 
hire and get benefits. Until then, make all the money you can and gather all 
the experience you can.

Good luck.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jessica Behles" <j -dot- e -dot- behles -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 4:10 PM
Subject: Re: Anyone need a job? Very badly?