Technical Writing

Lesson 4: Breaking Into the Field

Writing Your Resume & Other Tips On Getting Hired

An attractive, well-written resume that emphasizes your skills, knowledge of software tools and experience in technical communication is critical to your landing a job as a tech writer.

Teaching you how to write a resume is beyond the scope of this course. There are many books and web sites offering you help in this regard (See the resources section.) There is even an excellent resume writing course available through Suite University.

Most modern resumes include a summary listing your professional skills and expertise and outstanding achievements relevant to your employment objective. Often, an additional section is included for software and hardware expertise.

Since most people taking this course are trying to break into the field, you should slant your work experience to show any writing or technological experience that you have gained. For example, though you have been working as an accountant, you may have written reports and used a computer.

There is a link to my online resume in the resources section (Technical Transformations - Thomas Martin) which you may find interesting as an example of the resume of an experienced tech writer. There is an online portfolio there also.

For more examples of resumes, just do a search on the Web for "technical writing resumes." You will also find some companies who will help you develop your resume for a fee. I personally do not feel that you need to pay for a resume, especially if you study the many examples available on the Net, but that is up to you. I do know some tech writers who have used such services with success.

After you have built a portfolio and written your resume, what do you do next? While you could mass mail your resume to high tech employers in your area, the author feels that a more efficient way to break into the tech writing field is to work with a staffing agency.

Many such agencies are very open to helping job seekers looking for entry-level work. Additionally, many of the agencies offer training in various computer software applications which is helpful if you need more computer experience. Several agencies which specialize in placing technical communicators also offer training in many of the software tools necessary to obtain a tech writing job. For example, a local agency in the Pacific Northwest where I live offers classes in RoboHelp, FrameMaker, DreamWeaver, Photoshop, Word, etc.

Getting an interview can be tough sometimes even though there are a lot of openings for tech writers. You should realize that hiring mangagers are under a lot of pressure to hire the best people for the job.

Companies want experienced people, and, consequently do not always look favorable on job seekers without the applicable experience. As a matter of fact, in my opinion companies often spend months looking for the right person when they could have hired and trained someone in a few weeks.

However, here are some stragegies that will help you land that first job:

• Keep up with the latest technologies. Visit the web sites of staffing agencies or ask for an "informational interview" to find out what attributes employers in your area are looking for. Is the market hot for tech writers who can write about Java programming? Go take a course in Java at your local technical college. Sometimes you can even find courses online. Are web skills needed? Beef up your resume with a course in HTML. Try to stay ahead of the curve!

• Networking is very important in your job search. The more technical writers and other technical people that you know, the greater your odds of stumbling onto a job opportunity. Attend job fairs armed with a stack of resumes in your briefcase. Try to talk with as many people as possible.

• One of the best avenues for networking is to join the Society for Technical Communication (see resources). Depending on the group in your area, there are often meetings every week which you an attend. Some groups even have seminars for "newbies." Most local organizations also put out an employment newsletter that is often free to members (or you can pay a subscription fee).

• Be positive and confident that you will find a job. Take the attitude developed by salespeople who often must face rejection constantly. They will tell you than every "no" just gets you closer to a "yes."

  Recommended ReadingThe Complete Idiot's Guide To Technical Writing, Review pages 39-41

  Print this page
  
  

    1  2  3  4