Breaking in to a new field is really, really tough these days. I have been receiving a steady stream of emails and phone calls from technical writing course graduates who are looking for work and I am asked constantly what advice I have for how to land that first job. I’ve blogged previously on what hiring managers are looking for in a CV, but what can be done beyond that? It’s no secret that it takes the right combination of education, experience, “protexia” and luck to land a technical writing job in Israel. But here is some practical advice on how you can go above and beyond and get yourself noticed in today’s ultra-competitive job market:
- Learn a New Skill. I’m sure that you’ve signed up for all the right Linked-in groups, follow Techshoret religiously and have been working your friends and family network. You are probably also on Israemploy and have sent your CV to Tech-Tav and other recruiters and contractors. But have you thought about learning a new programming language? Taking a tutorial in Word Macros? Improving your proficiency in authoring tools or XML? Document anything – your dishwasher, cell phone, etc. – and show off your new skills. Employers are impressed with initiative, creativity and drive. Here’s a great way to show you’ve got all three.
- Get Creative. Put together a video or presentation utilizing Camtasia or Captivate or Flash and include as a sample of what you can do. There are tens of people vying for every technical writing job out there, so think about what would set your application apart from the rest of the crowd. I promise you that a Flash video, or even an Animoto, would make a memorable impression. It’s something we just don’t see every day.
- Find an Internship. Internships through WritePoint or On-Target may not be the most lucrative in the short run, but in the long run they are totally worth it. In addition to looking great on your CV and offering an entry level writer valuable work experience, you just may find that the professional connections you make at your internship will help you land a permanent job or long-term contract position. Look for an internship in a big company, i.e. one with at least several technical writers for you to learn from. Steer clear of a small startup looking to take advantage of you by hiring the cheapest labor they can find. Remember, the point of the internship is to to learn new skills and techniques from more seasoned writers, so look elsewhere if you’re going to be filling in for a lone writer on maternity leave. Watch out for situations like these where you’ll probably be treated like a donkey and have very little to show for it at the end of the day. Instead, find yourself an opportunity that will help advance your career, teach you new skills and give you access to the right people...even if it means working for little or nothing. That brings me to my next point…
- Do Some Volunteer Work. Yes, I mean work for free. Worst case scenario is you’ll gain some valuable experience; best case is you’ll land yourself a full-time job. A neighbor of mine talked himself into a 6-week, unpaid internship where he worked like a dog. When the internship finished, he actually continued showing up at the office every day and kept on working. A short time later, when his employer eventually had the budget to hire a full-time employee, they didn’t even take out a single ad. He got the job.
- Get Involved with Social Media – Respond intelligently on Techshoret or Linked-in and you will get noticed. Leave me a comment on my blog and your name will be remembered (right, Yehoshua?). Doc managers and recruiters are watching and listening. Social media offers a great opportunity to make a first impression. Take advantage of the opportunity!
Hope this information helps get you called in to interview for your dream job – the rest is up to you. Good luck!
Miriam Lottner, CEO of Tech-Tav, is a “single sorceress” and technical documentation innovator whose professional passion is helping her
Glad to be remembered,
I did one and a half internships. The first was at a startup. The second, which took place after I graduated the course was at an established company for minimum wage. One of the OnTarget interns bailed on the program, and I was asked to replace him. So I can actually compare.
The startup was unpredictable, but an amazing experience. I was the only native English speaker, and the only technical writer. I was placed under a product manager who had former experience as a technical writer. I made a very good impression, and they hired me as a full time employee with benefits for the duration of the internship. During my time there I was told to do the exact opposite of everything I was taught in the course. However, among other things, I did get to edit the GUI of the software the company was developing, I got to write a 115 page user guide from scratch (you can see a heavily edited sample on my linkedin page), I was introduced briefly to Camtasia and Captivate, and even got to create some videos. Unfortunately because they were a startup they did not have the budget to extend my contract, but I am still in close contact with the people there. The main disadvantage was that I got very little feedback on my work, and I had to do a lot of self learning, which kind of defeats the purpose of the internship. There was no technical documentation. The only technical document in the company was the user guide I wrote.
I was placed on the editing team of the established company. I learned many of the fundementals there, and there were many people who taught me a lot of things. I was introduced there to my first style guide, and the first thing I did was search it for mistakes (and I found three). There was no lack of technical documents which I could browse, and it was there that I got to see how technical documents written by ESL developers appear. These were not the practice texts from the course. There were literally hundreds of errors that needed to be corrected in each document, and spotting most did not count. I was taught there that it was not the quantity of errors that you corrected that counted but rather the quality that mattered. Correcting 18 out of 20 missing periods leads to a page that is short two. The main disadvantage was that I was not expected to be familiar with the subjects I was editing, which affected my work. During the two months I was there I only gained a partial understanding of what the company does, and what I was editing. I was told this is normal, but I felt it caused me to produce substandard documents. Also, while I did receive feedback it was not always when I needed it, but rather when people had the time to provide it. The technical writers there were always busy, and the atmosphere was more business and less friendly.
When comparing the two I will say that I learned more at the established company, but I got to do more at the startup. When doing an internship, you have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of both. During the interview find out exactly what you will be doing during the internship. This will help you decide whether it is worth your time to invest four months of your life in a strange company. And, remember internships usually have a limited duration. Do not wait for your contract being extended. This may happen, but don't rely on it. Actively search for the next position so that you are prepared for the day after. Internships are great, but they tend to be temporary.
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