Category: Uncategorized

There’s a good chance recruiters could be biased, but there are ways to overcome this problem.

Source: How To Impress Recruiters When You’re Unemployed

I found this article through LinkedIn.  While the article has sound advice, I would add two more pointers that I think are especially important for technical communicators.

1. While you are unemployed, don’t sit around. Do something to keep your skills fresh or add new ones.  Take courses either in person or online, create an e-portfolio of some of your work or other content that can showcase your abilities, if possible. If you do something that’s not easily something that can be showcased, then blog about it. When blogging, either write original articles or curate content and comment (much like I’m doing at this moment) to show that you have an understanding of the topic in the “real world”. Take a part-time job or volunteer for a group that can use your skills. All of these things keep various skills fresh, or give you new skills. It shows that you can keep active and grow.
2. Tell the recruiter that you are taking that course, writing that blog, been working on that e-portfolio, and include that volunteer or part-time work on your resume if it’s applicable.  Any of these things show that you haven’t been in a holding position until your next job. It shows that you are pro-active, and that’s a positive attribute to have while job searching, and a positive attribute to employers.

How do I know this? Yes, experience. There are jobs that I’ve gotten for my writing ability because of this blog, for example. I have an e-portfolio which I’ve generally kept up to date as my work has been published or promoted. There are experiences from my volunteer work first with the Cub Scouts, and then with the STC that have given me an advantage when talking about interviews about certain topics.

Always learning, and always growing–whether you are unemployed or not–is the key to staying competitive if you are ever in the position of wanting to move ahead, or just get a job in the first place. It’s been a big advantage to me as I’ve moved from position to position. Give it a try.

What do you think of this article? Is this sound advice? Do you agree with the “not staying still” during employment? Include your comments below.

–TechCommGeekMom

If you grew up listening to Pearl Jam, you can kiss your high-tech dream job good-bye.

Source: The Unforgivable Sin in Silicon Valley: Being Gen-X | Inc.com

Many thanks to Rachel Houghton, fellow technical communicator and Gen X’er, for finding this article and passing it along to me.

Oh, I’m so delighted by this article! This is a very good explanation of what’s going on in the tech field, and it does affect those of us in technical communication as well.  Even I admit that I don’t put my college graduation year on my resume, and even the least recent thing I have on my resume is about 18 years old (it’s when my shift to IT/tech comm happened, so anything before that doesn’t really matter much anyway)–with a gap, no less, where I leave little part-time jobs that don’t pertain to tech comm out, and were also the years that I spent as a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom).  We can’t forget that part–that parents who take time off to care for their children, or people who have to care for someone ill in their family and need to take extended time off–get penalized, too.

But this has become a bigger and bigger problem as time moves along, and this article validates this problem. The author of this article suggests that we form unions and such. Well, our generation isn’t used to doing that. How many tech unions are there anyway? I would join up if I knew one existed. How do you join a union if you are a perpetual contractor, because you can’t get anything but contract work rather than full-time employment? That’s an issue in our industry.  This is where the professional societies really, REALLY need to start stepping in more.  That means STC, IEEE-ProComm, ISTC–you name them, they should be helping with this endeavor, or providing more support on these issues, as we are not only a large group, but we are also the same ones who are trying to keep these professional societies afloat.

What do you think about this article? Include your comments below.

–TechCommGeekMom

Summary of Adobe DITA World 2017 Day 3. By resident blogger Danielle M. Villegas

Source: Adobe DITA World 2017 – Day 3 Summary by Danielle M. Villegas – Adobe Technical Communication Blog

Here’s the summary for Day 3.  Another thing that I didn’t mention was that this was the second largest tech comm conference to date ever held! Wow! Over 2500 people registered and attended. We also had very active chat pods/rooms all three days, and some really great questions were asked, as well as many had a good time making some jokes along the way. Isn’t that what conferences are about? Bringing people together with a common interest to learn and commune with each other? If so, mission accomplished with Adobe DITA World!

Hope you enjoy the Day 3 summary.

–TechCommGeekMom

Summary of Adobe DITA World 2017 Day 2. By resident conference blogger Danielle M. Villegas

Source: Adobe DITA World 2017 – Day 2 Summary by Danielle M. Villegas – Adobe Technical Communication Blog

This is the summary from Day 2 of my Adobe DITA World coverage.

I can say that all three days were great, and my head was spinning for at least a day or two afterwards with the overwhelming amount of information rattling around in my brain that was provided. Some of it was a little over my head, and much of it wasn’t. There was a little something for everyone.

Enjoy the Day 2 summary!

-TechCommGeekMom