RE: Job Market In The Next 6 Months

["Wilcox, Rose (ZB5646)" <Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- pinnaclewest -dot- com>]

<<

That's funny. I didn't even consider contractors when I read your post.
Meanwhile, unemployment in the Boston area is 5%.

>>

Ouch!  Now, isn't that just the way....

BTW, I don't know how it is in the rest of the world, but I've been mostly a full-time on-site contractor for the majority of my 19 years as a technical writer.  This is a combination of my personal preference (thrives on change and challenge) and economic drivers. Phoenix is not a hotbed of software development. IT departments here in the past often hired either all or a combination of permanent/contracting staff, and after my resume showed the tendency to contract, it was harder to switch.  

I cannot guess how the economic trends may change the contracting scene here long-term, but I can say that, should I come off contract here at PNW, I would be much more likely to accept any job, even a "captive" one.  <grin> And like it!  Secondly, I am actively pursuing going "captive" here at PNW, and yes, I will whistle while I work.   Plus, I am just generally getting older and my focus is changing in my life anyhow, but that isn't related to the theme.

In the past my contracts tended to be from 6 months to 1 1/2 years with a few 3 monthers (mostly because I myself left due to lack of challenge, etc.)  This one has lasted more than 2 years now for whatever that means.  Some of my contracts have been project-based, some work-based (i.e., picking up any technical writing for an IT department with no tech writers or picking up the slack in an already existing tech writing department.)  Currently I am the only technical writer in APS (the part of PNW I work for) IT's Projects and Deployments area.  (There is one other techwriter I know who also does Business Analyst stuff in GIS as well as some Project Managers/Coordinators who have been called "Technical Writers").  (And oh yeah they advertised for a "technical writer" recently when they really wanted a security expert who could write.)

I will mostly second Karen's observations about the Phoenix job market.  The pickings are slim.  I am not an STC member, but I do get calls from out-of-work friends and the average time for a top notch tech writer (not a stat but an observation) to be 6-8 months between jobs.  I also keep my feelers out there since my contract is only extended for periods of time.  Wages have been cut 10-50%.  More work is expected for less money.  On the positive note, I have had a spurt of job calls in the last two weeks (4 calls), but during this recession that has happened a handful of times and hasn't yet been followed by a steady stream, like days of eld (or a couple of years ago to be more precise).

Hangin' in in Phoenix, 
Rosie 



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