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 Beelia's advice. Set up job alerts and profiles for yourself on
LinkedIn.com, Indeed.com, CareerBuilder.com, and Monster.com. When you
receive relevant job alerts (you will also receive a lot of irrelevant ones)
follow them to their source on other job boards, recruiting agencies, or
company career sites, and register on those sites, too. You never know where
you might find positions that you want to pursue.
I've been in this business a long time, with long (3- to 5-year breaks when
my daughters were small, and other shorter ones because of economic
downturns), and came back into the field. But I've done more short-term
contracts than permanent job stints. (In fact, some of my contract positions
were longer than my direct-hire perm positions.) Also, go back through
whatever you have from you prior jobs, and select or create several short
excerpts that you can email as writing samples, and offer to supply writing
samples in your cover letter when you apply for positions.
I'd also recommend that you consider short-term contracts at first, because
there are often more of them than permanent ones right now (Companies are
being cautious until all the kinks in the healthcare law get worked out.)
and because they will give you more current experience and samples to use in
getting a permanent position in the future, if that is your plan, or to
prepare yourself to become an independent individual corporation.
Margaret Cekis, Johns Creek GA
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help: new website, content widgets, and an output that works on any screen.