A few months ago, I challenged job seekers to stand out from the technical writing crowd by putting together a Flash or Animoto presentation to help them learn new skills and differentiate themselves in a crowded market. I got a few responses to my challenge, but I felt this one was really worth sharing. Just this week, Yitzchak (aka Superhardworker) sent me a Flash video that outlines his reasons why he thinks we should hire him as an entry-level technical writer. If you want to make an impression, follow his lead and do something creative and different. Check out his Flash movie and make sure you click “View Full Screen” to see what I’m talking about.

Kudos to Yitzchak for rising to the challenge! There are many applicants for every job and it is up to you to grab the attention of the hiring manager and get yourself a chance to show off your talents.

Stay tuned for more super stuff next week.

As we approach the end of 2010 and look ahead towards 2011, many technical writers here in Israel have been asking me what I see as the future of technical documentation. Some are out-of-work senior writers with years of relevant experience who saw their jobs sent to India or China. Some are newbie writers recently out of college or training programs who want to know what the most lucrative job paths might be. To be honest, the most important person asking me that question each day is ME! Before I close the lid of my laptop each night, I generally spend a few moments pondering where I think things are going and what I plan to do differently tomorrow.

So with all that pondering, I have come up with more than a few ideas about what to expect in 2011 (and beyond):

What’s happened to the tigers? According to a recent prediction by the WWF, Tony the Tiger and friends are well on their way to extinction – unless major resources are invested in saving the species.

This week, our Israeli technical writing community was witness to the near extinction of a once very bright and shining star, modu. And round after round of layoffs at other big companies reminiscent of the “dot bomb” era are refocusing, re-shifting and changing things up here in the Israeli hi-tech scene.

At last year’s Techshoret convention, I spoke about the changing role of technical writing and the evolution of technical writers into knowledge engineers and information architects. Not surprisingly a lot of people blasted me at the time. But not so today. (Please note: I do not claim to be a prophet and no, I do not read tarot cards or palms.)

Remember the technical writer's Wake-up Call that I showed at Techshoret? It's not just technical writing jobs that are at stake here. This Op-Ed piece from the New York Times by Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas L. Friedman, “Their Moon Shot and Ours,” is another wake up call for us and a reminder about what China is doing right. Instead of getting depressed, I’m re-inspired to think different and find new ways to get innovative.

Let’s just hope the rest of the world wakes up soon, too.

Drumroll please...Star Search results are in. Besides a few worthy standouts, the quality of respondents was underwhelming, to say the least. So without further ado, here are a few friendly pointers for getting your technical writing CV noticed instead of being sent directly to the recycling bin. To those of you who recognize yourselves in one or more of the examples below, no need to thank us for the free tips:

Save your CV as a PDF or as a well-formatted Word Document. And by all means, pay attention to the file name! We really don’t need or want to know which version this is or when you revised it. If your name is Joe Smith, then save your CV as Joe Smith CV or even Joe Smith Technical Writing CV. But whatever you do, do NOT name it “Resume IT-Tech Update 10-07 Rev IL2b-1” It may make sense to you, but to a hiring manager it simply looks ridiculous.

There are some excellent technical writing courses being offered in Israel and via distance learning. And with a steady stream of graduates entering the technical writing market on a steady basis, you’d think that finding outstanding candidates to fill jobs would be a cinch. But for some reason, a good man (or woman) is hard to find these days.

It takes more than being a great writer to make it as successful technical writer. I’ve written about this before and can’t stress it enough:  The “tech” in technical writer has value. Real value. I am not interested in debating the issue further, suffice it to say that after nearly 20 years in the business, experience has shown us that technical people make the best Tech-Tav writers. So if you are a native English speaker with strong writing skills and experience or training in engineering, computer programming, IT, mathematics, etc. and either live in Israel or are thinking about Aliyah, I invite you to send me your CV (even if you have never taken a technical writing course). Technical writing is a great option for native English speakers since it allows you to work and write in English while utilizing your technical skills and education. Not a bad combination. Let’s try and figure out whether technical writing could be the next step along your career path – we really enjoy training new people and providing opportunities for personal growth and professional development, so what have you got to lose?