Technical Writing

Lesson 4: Breaking Into the Field

Handling the Interview

Handling an interview for a job in technical communication is very similar to handling interviews for other jobs. You want to look professional at the interview. Usually this means wearing business professional clothing not business casual.

Save the business casual look until after you land the job. By the way, I should point out that many times when I have been called back for a second interview by a hiring manager, I have actually been told to come in dressed casually as if actually going to the job!

Be sure to have extra copies of your resume on hand as well as samples of your writing in a brief case. Eventuallly you may want to invest in a portfolio case.

You have probably read or been told the following advice many times, but it bears repeating:

• Be sure to research the company before the interview. The Internet is a wonderful resource in this regard as often you can find out just about everything you need to know just by going to their Web site. If you know someone who has actually worked for the prospective employer, it is of course a great idea to talk with them. After all, knowledge is power!

• If you are nervous, try taking some deep breaths before you are called into the manager's office. Remember some nervousness is normal; eventually you will get used to the interviewing process. You may find it helpful to relax and review positive experiences from your past, such as interviews where you made an excellent impression and landed the job or other successful activity. An excellent book in this regard in Claude Bristol's The Magic of Believing.

• Be sure to ask questions. Interviewers expect you to ask questions, as it shows that you are bright and interested in the company, its products and the type of job duties performed. You may want to jot down a few questions you plan to ask at the interview, especially if you tend to get so nervous that you forget what you intended to ask.

• Your research of the company and confidence in your own skills and abilities should help you answer most of the interviewer's questions. Answer truthfully but cast yourself in as positive a light as possible. You have to sell yourself. Like the real estate agent attempting to sell an older home, emphasize the spacious rooms rather than the rather antiquated (but still serviceable) plumbling!

• Most Important: Make sure the interviewer knows that you want the job. Be sure to send the interviewer a written note or e-mail thanking her/him for the interview and expressing your desire for the position. Often the follow up is the difference between getting the job or not.

• While persistence pays off, do not make a pest of yourself in checking back with the interviewer. Do not check back more than once a week unless of course you are told a specific date and possibly time to call.

  Sometimes it takes a while to get that first job even in today's hot tech writing market. Just keep trying. Like the authors of our text, I personally do not know of anyone who wanted to be a technical writer who is not working in the field.

  Recommended ReadingThe Complete Idiot's Guide To Technical Writing, Review pages 43-48

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