Question:
Portfolios of samples as Interviewing criteria [Remembering]
Answer:
At one time, I had a very difficult time getting a job. Then, I learned a
whole lot of things, mostly from the people in this group. This summer, I
was without a job for 10 weeks. It seemed like forever to me, but I realize
that many others out there have been unemployed for much longer periods of
time.
Why was I able to get a job so relatively quickly, even living and working
in the midst of Silicon Valley of the North (East side of Seattle, in the
shadow of Microsoft)? It boils down to a few simple points:
1. Have a great resume. Get friends, relatives, enemies, and/or recruiters
to give you tips on what a great resume should include. Listen to them, and
take the best of all advice. If the advice makes sense to you, it is
probably good.
2. Work the Internet to to fullest. Post your resume somewhere that it can
be found in a Google search as well as on monster, hotjobs, dice, or
whatever works well in your area. Make sure that people are seeing it.
Tweak your monster resume every day so that it is noticed.
3. Have a great portfolio. Most of my portfolio is now on a CD with a
snazzy self-printed label. A hiring person will keep it on their desk, and
can open up things that a portfolio doesn't show, such as a sample RoboHelp
file or HTML pages. I got my current job on the basis of my personal
website, which is a mirror of my portfolio CD.
4. Be well-prepared for interviews. Know what they are going to ask, and
what your answers will be. If you aren't sure what they are going to ask,
try to find out as much as you can about the company and predict what might
be asked. If it is a large company, they are likely to ask questions about
working with a team of writers. If it is a small or new company, you will
likely be setting up a documentation life cycle schedule and making the
documentation policies for the company.
4. When my son was in second grade, his teacher posted a sign above the
classroom door: "IALAC". Every time they went through the door, they had
to repeat the words "I Am Loveable And Capable." If you need to, post these
letters on your bathroom mirror, the dashboard of the car, your refrigerator
door...
