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A lot of the jobs anymore listed are contracts, and I can't remember seeing
any contract job offering relocation pay. Even many of the direct jobs are
a "contract to hire" type where the first three months are their trial
period where they can dump you without penalty.
Also, if you were a doctor or a millwright on a boiler system or a tech in a
nuclear power plant, yes, I can see them needing you back to the job fast.
But a tech writer?
"Quick! Get in here! We have a rush on a tech manual for a ____. We have to
write a new one and get it out tonight! We have five hours to get this
procedure right or the Earth will split open!"
In 30 years, I've never seen a tech manual emergency.
Let's get real. If you live in Chicago and apply for a job in Dallas, you
know you aren't commuting and you need to move there. Why is it their
concern if you move or not, since they aren't paying for the move? If you
are willing to travel 1500 miles to take that job, you are investing a lot
more of yourself than the guy who drives down the road from 20 miles away.
He is the guy who has a $40 investment in the job - the price of his gas to
get there for the week. If it doesn't work out, he is out very little at the
end of the week. The Chicago person is out several hundreds of dollars, and
needs to make it work at least 4 months just to recoup the cost of getting
there.
Margaret,
You are lucky you are getting technical writer jobs at least. I found that
Career Builder likes to send auto service writer jobs like someone said and
more. I have had several in the automated search they email to me that has
jobs like delivery driver for Best Buy, maintenance man at local school,
grounds keeper at some community, nursing assistant, and so on.
The only search I have created is for "technical writer".
I have heard of some places not looking at candidates who live more than 20
miles away. When they want you in, they want you in FAST.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Margaret Cekis
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 11:40 PM
To: 'William Sherman'; 'TECHWR-L -at- LISTS -dot- TECHWR-L -dot- COM'
Subject: RE: Back again.... looking...
William Sherman said, "For some inexplicable reason, I often see ads which
request local candidates only. It is almost like the management thinks you
must be local in case of being called out for work."
_____________________________________
William:
It's not inexplicable at all. None of them want to pay relocation costs for
non-local candidates.
What bugs me is job boards that send me alerts for jobs supposedly in my
area (Atlanta GA) that request local candidates only-- in Massachusetts,
California, or Texas.
Margaret Cekis, Johns Creek GA
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