Job market in the U.S. Re: Job Opps for British Writers

["T.W. Smith" <techwordsmith -at- gmail -dot- com>]

I have a contact in the U.K. who can help you get work in the U.K.,
maybe the U.S., contact me offlist please if interested.

Regarding the job market in the U.S., it seems well stocked with
ex-90s software-type technical writers, with some jobs starting to
leak to India and other such places. STC membership seems down.

Still, I believe the tech writer market, certainly in New England, is
better than it has been for three years, but salaries are down,
competition is stiff ... but, for technical writers with some
technical knowledge, a solid knowledge of telephony, networking,
fluent and technically proficient in a foreign language, etc., there
are choice jobs out there. I don't believe relocation is offered much,
though.

So, for a European technical writer coming to New England, I'd say
there are jobs if you have a work permit already, if you are
proficient you might land one, don't expect a great salary but it will
be comparable to what you were getting after you add a bit more cash,
subtract vacation, healthcare, and other family-oriented stuff. For a
British technical writer, would Canada be a better point of entry?

As for a soccer trainer, you have to pick your spot. I've been
coaching competition squads for 3 years, am licensed, and it is
volunteer work in my neck of the woods; go to Fairfield County, N.J.,
and maybe Maryland, and you get paid reasonably well for the hours you
put in ... but expect stiff competition from Americans, as former
college players abound.

Do my 2.5-hour-through-the-snow post-commute thoughts make some sense?
I hope so.

Cheers,

Sean

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:46:46 -0500, Ed Wurster <glassnet -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> 
> Mark Lewin wrote:
> 
> > Hi
> 
> > I'm a British technical writer and my wife and I are hoping to move
> > out to the States.
> 
> > As most of the people on this list come from the US, I wondered what
> > you thought about the likelihood of an American company hiring a Brit
> > for a tech writing role.  I hear you're crying out for writers over
> > there, but are American companies desperate enough to look at
> > sponsoring someone from abroad?
> 
> My opinion is that tech writing will not rise to previous employment
> levels in the states. The task of tech writing has been outsourced,
> nonsourced and ignored throughout the past 20 years.
> 
> But you should come for a visit, hand out a few resumes, and pick up a
> few dollars as a soccer trainer. The rate is $60-75 per hour in New
> Jersey.

======
T.

Remember, this is online. Take everything with a mine of salt and a grin.

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