Re: Enrty, Entry Level Tech Writer Position Sought

[Judyth Mermelstein <Judyth_Mermelstein -at- BABYLON -dot- MONTREAL -dot- QC -dot- CA>]

Mike Reid <miker -at- OIL -dot- CA> wrote:

>I am looking for an Entry, Entry Level position in technical writing.
>Unfortunately, I do not have the required 2 years experience that is
>demanded of Entry Level positions.

Dear Mike:

Your message puzzles me a bit. "Entry-level" in Canada usually means
just that: a position in which a beginner in that job learns the ropes
and earns (a lot) less than a person who already has good working
experience in it. Since you have a B.A., Computer Science diploma
and work experience, you should be a suitable candidate for one of
these jobs.

In my opinion, there is no good reason for you to have to move
around the world or work for free to get a beginner's job.

There may be good reason to revise your resume, with some help from
an experienced TWr or a resume specialist, to make sure you are
presenting your skills well.

There is probably very good reason to sit down and think hard about
exactly what kind of tech writing you would like to do, then prepare a
set of good samples of what you can do. If you haven't got them from
previous jobs, there is nothing to stop you from preparing some
"third-party" documentation for an existing product or contacting
a shareware author who has lousy docs and offering to write better
ones free in return for permission to use them in your portfolio
and a decent recommendation.

If your resume and samples are already in good shape for a
junior tech writer, it may be necessary to look at other reasons
why other candidates beat you out for the entry-level jobs.
- Are you expecting too much? (Entry level in Canada is often $18k or
less, depending on the firm.)
- Are you familiar with the type of business you are applying to and
what they need? (If you can demonstrate a knowledge of the specific field,
and ideally the specific company's activities, you'll have a much better
chance.)
- Are you comfortable and confident at interviews? (Many people
don't show their competence due to nervousness, and it might be
worthwhile practicing your interview skills.)
- Are your references from previous employers hurting you?
(Sometimes the reference will come from an ex-colleague who
didn't like you, or from somebody who has no idea who you are and
can only confirm the dates and job title. If so, perhaps a couple of
short-term contracts with local employers are all you need to
establish your qualifications as an experienced worker.)

Obviously, any company will gravitate towards the best qualified,
most experienced candidate who is willing to work for the least
money and benefits. That's natural these days, but I'm not
convinced it's good for that individual's career (or self-esteem)
or for technical writing as a profession. The people who seem to
do best are those who know who they are and what they can do,
and are able to demonstrate that to employers or clients without
coming across as doormats or arrogant SOBs; they ask for a
decent wage and are worth it, so decent employers are willing
to pay them accordingly. Believe me, however much you want to
work, you will only be miserable and chronically underpaid if
you undervalue your abilities or can't convince others that you
have them.

HTH,

Judyth
<judyth_mermelstein -at- babylon -dot- montreal -dot- qc -dot- ca>

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