Re: job (long)

[Candace Bamber <cbamber -at- CASTEK -dot- COM>]

Chris Fitzgerald wrote:

>Hi everyone.  I'm new to this list and am new to tech. writing.  I'm having
> a difficult time in getting started because everyone wants experience, but
> no one wants to give me a chance to GET experience.  I can move anywhere
> for now, and am taking courses to gather somewhat of a portfolio of
writing
> samples.  Is there anyone out there who has some insight as to how to get
> my foot in the door and still make a decent wage?
> I interview well, have always done well at work, but look weak on my
> resume. (teaching English doesn't seem to count to recruiters)

Andreea Rotaru wrote:
>So, as you see, I am working
>hard (I am an INFJ) but I have no real life experience so nobody  would
>hire me.
>
>Yes, the seniors idea is "No experience... no job".
>
>And yes, the juniors question is "How can I get experience when nobody
>gives me the chance to prove what I can do?"
>
>So, how do you,veterans, see this problem?

I am interviewing this week: 15 candidates from about 100 resumes to fill 3
well
paid internship positions. We hire at least 2 interns every four months, pay
them a living wage and then some, and work their brains out at real tech
writers
stuff. I spend time with the interns and actively give them opportunities to
grow as writers and analysts. The full time staff here is "on board" for the
intern project and are all eager and marvelous mentors. If we don't have
budget
to hire an intern on full time after the internship, and if they aren't
going
back to school, and if they show lots of promise, I'll use my contacts to
help
them find a full-time job. This is a great company that offers outstanding
perks
and opportunities. And I have a heck of a time finding decent candidates.

So how do you get your foot in the door? Shift your weight to your left foot
and
stick your right foot out forcefully before the door closes. Make sure your
right foot is extended sufficiently that it blocks the door from being
closed.
Seriously. It's not just a matter of wanting a job and educating yourself.
Gumption, initiative, nerve and enthusiasm are required. You have to be
willing
to jump into the fray. No one is going to do it for you.

I assume no experience for intern and entry level jobs. Here's how I decide
who
to interview:  ("quotes" are not direct - but they are representative of
stuff
we see all the time)

*Cover letter: I ask specifically for a cover letter in my ad and do my
initial
sort based on cover letters alone. If there isn't one, the resume goes in
the
"no" pile. "Form" cover letters also go to the no pile: you've got to figure
that someone asking for a job as a chemical engineer, airline steward or
social
worker in their letter is likely not too motivated to be a tech writer. I
also
eliminate resumes with cover letters that are genuinely badly written or
riddled
with errors, or if they spell my name wrong or the company name wrong. In
general, I'm willing to live with a typo or two. Of 100 resumes, about 25
got
moved to the "to be considered" file.

*Cover letter again, second pass: Does the cover letter address my job
posting
in some way? Does it indicate the candidate read our website and tried to
figure
out what our corporate hotspot might be? Is the candidate enthusiastic about
the
job and the opportunity? Is there something in the letter that indicates
that
they went the extra mile in some way to impress us? Is the letter
well-written
and well organized? Is the style engaging?

I eliminate as well - is the candidate realistic about their experience? (a
new
grad does not have "extensive experience" as tech writer when the only thing
they have written is essays and second year lab reports) Is the tone
arrogant?
("As a petroleum engineering grad, I am obviously well-suited to your
position"
or "I am a psychology graduate who clearly deserves a  management job in the
software industry") Is the person in reality? (this goes to general
craziness or
to obviously not having a clue what techwriting is about, but trying to
convince
us that it's perfectly obvious that spending 12 years trying [but failing]
to
earn a PhD in medieval French history makes them the ideal candidate,
without
actually coming up with any relevant arguments). Or my favourite: "I am
eager to
make a difference at your company. For example, I can show you how to be
more
efficient, how to cut costs and how to write more usable documentation. In
addition, I can coach good writing skills and would be willing to hold
writing
clinics for your team members." All this from a three year BA in English
without
even a single part time job to her name. Not.

After this pass, if we're lucky, there will be two resumes in the yes pile.
Usually there is one or none.

*Resumes: at this point I go back to the "to be considered" pile and read
the
resumes. I look at the degree work: I'm after someone with
multi-disciplinary
course work. I look at work history: I'm after someone who was able to hold
down
a part time job during the school year - I don't much care what the job was,
but
that work ethic is critical. I look at volunteer and extra-curricular
activities: I want to hire someone who is engaged in the world around them.
Sometimes something jumps out: this one is a competitive athlete or a
serious
musician - usually indicates strong focus and ability to concentrate. This
one
published a book, this one funded university by starting a small business -
usually indicates initiative... and so on.

At the same time, the team is doing their own review - everyone participates
including the current interns. This time they came back with 8 choices. I
added
three additional.

The remaining four interview spots (for a total of 15) are "wildcard" spots.
One
person earned one by calling to follow up and saying outright he thought it
was
a great opportunity, that he really wanted the job and asking me straight
out
for an interview. Another person earned one by sending me an extremely
polite
email saying that she hadn't been contacted for an interview, but she would
really appreciate it if I could give her some feedback about her resume and
cover letter so she could do better next time. I gave contact information
for
current and past interns in my posting. Only two people contacted one of
them.
One of those people asked great questions - they got a spot. The final
"wildcard" spot went to someone who called up front to clarify the
requirements,
followed up to make sure I received his resume, and then sent me an email to
invite me to look at his website.

I don't know who we're going to hire. But I do know that it will be the
people
who seem to want it the most, who indicate they are willing to focus and
work
hard, and who show that they really want to learn, who expect to earn what
they
get rather than have it handed to them. Attitude, gumption, initiative,
willingness to learn, desire to participate, ability to focus and take
responsibility, and enthusiasm are what I'm looking for here. "Experience"
isn't
even taken into consideration for entry level jobs.

So my advice is to sell what you do have and sell it hard: your desire to
work
hard, your energy and enthusiasm, your excitement about learning and
contributing, your initiative. I'm not the only employer out there looking
for
enthusiasm and drive.

Good Luck!

Candace
*****************************
Candace Bamber
cbamber -at- castek -dot- com

Castek
--Putting the Future Together
*****************************

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