Question:
To be blunt, the job hunt situation sucks right now.
Some areas are in a small upswing, but we're all
pretty much in a slump (in the USA).
To help your search:
1. Custom tailor your resume and cover letter to the
company and position to which you're applying.
2. Follow up with each lead about 2 weeks after
sending your resume to confirm they've received it.
(No begging.)
3. Take a temp job. It'll get you experience and will
give you *some* income. If you're worried about
timing, take shorter temp jobs.
4. Don't get discouraged.
Answer:
- You realize, of course, that you're job hunting in a depressed market,
right? There are far fewer openings these days, and many companies are
looking for mid- to senior-level skills while only offering entry-level
wages. So unless your area has a fair amount of tech-writing
opportunities, you're going to find the pickings are slim, the money is
low, and the competition is fierce. Be willing to start out at crappy
money, then use your performance to justify asking for more. And/or be
willing to move to where the jobs are.
As far as resumes and cover letters, many members here tout the advantages
of the T-letter (search the archives), a methodology also preached (under
a different name) by Martin Yate in his excellent "Knock 'Em Dead" series
of books. For me, Yate's books are the bible for job hunting. Whether you
go with his philosophy or not, there are tons of good
job-hunting/resume-writing books out there. Do some reading and see if
your current rez is in line with what the pros recommend.
- I am a recent graduate in technical communication (B.S.). I have been
working as a web designer / technical writer at a non-profit for two years
as a co-op, but now it's time for a "real job." I graduated at the top of
my class, have some experience, think my resume and cover letters are
good, but haven't had any luck finding a job. I've probably sent out more
than 200 resumes and cover letters between Feb-present and I have only
gotten three calls back, all for temp. jobs that don't pay very much that
are out of the area.
I'm just wondering if anyone could get me some suggestions as to what
technical communication hiring managers want to see in a resume and cover
letter. Should they be plain? Should any graphical elements be included?
Should cover letters be persuasive or just present the facts?
I feel as if I'm being looked over, but I know I have what it takes to be
a successful technical writer and/or web designer! I just wish the people
looking at my resume and cover letters would see that too.
- The hiring managers want to see the relevant skill sets that the job
requires. So customize your resume for a position giving prominence to
the skills and achievements relevant for that position. It is a good idea
to write your resume and cover letter in 'plain' language. You can use
some simple designs to make it attractive. But don't use graphics
excessively and make your resume long and bulky. As you are a fresher, it
would look good if you limit the number of pages to two or three.
The cover letter should communicate your key skills to become a
technical communicator. You can make it creative and persuasive, but you
should support your claims with facts. If you have some specific skills
or knowledge that the employer wants, mention them in your cover letter.
Edit your cover letter and resume to make them consistent, clear, and
coherent.
Design skills will definitely help you in your job hunt. Technical
writers do some amount of design work as part of their work. There are
some companies where technical writers take care of some amount of the
web design and graphics design work. While competing for positions in
such companies, people like you will definitely have an edge over others.
