Re: Job Hunting

["Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM>]

Andreas:

This is in reply to your seminar posting:

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Take a class in job searching. Either one finds a job by chance, or one
systematically shifts through the job market with a target job. Job
searching seminars are offered, at about $4-5,000 for 3 days.
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What on earth do they teach you for 4-5 grand?  The secret handshake?  I guess
I've studied this topic quite a bit, and I just can't see that there's that much
to it. Network, write a good resume and cover letter, practice before the
interview, study your target; that's about it.

While I'm willing to be proven wrong, I just don't believe that there's some
magic technique that will make the hiring manager smack himself or herself in
the forehead in the middle of the interview and say "Of course, you're perfect,
name your price."

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It's worth it, since you'll earn $40-50K or more.
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I also have a little trouble with "earning $40-50."  The last STC profile
places the 75% point for mid-level, non-management writers and editors at
$40,900.  Your assertion seems to be that this seminar alone will propel a
writer into the top 25 percent of the field's earning range.  Again, this
seems inherently unreasonable.

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 I can recommend this: it worked for me.
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Could you be a bit more specific?  I take it this means that you took the
seminar (or one like it) and got the job, but how much was
techniques/leads/ideas from the seminar and how much was your experience and
that MA from Hiedelberg you feature in your sig block?

As I said, I'm willing to be persuaded that I'm wrong, but I find it hard to
believe that the *incremental* value of the seminar is high enough to justify
its cost.

Doug
ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com