Industry Experience (offshoot of Getting Hired)

["Karen Murri" <kmurri -at- comcast -dot- net>]

I've been watching the conversation about resumes and getting hired with
avid interest. I've mentioned before that I'm looking hard and having little
luck. I obviously need to work out some different tactics. I've had some
good advice on cover letters from Beth (thanks, Beth) and I'm planning to
try the T-letter and revamp my resume.
 
My questions are for you IT writers (and hiring managers) about getting into
the industry.
 
Most of my background is in manufacturing and I've documented some pretty
intense manufacturing control systems. It's much the same -- writing-wise --
as IT. You document screens or the tasks you accomplish with the screens or
both. But, the development processes and environment seems (based on what I
see you folks talking about) quite different. If an interviewer asks me if
I've ever written help (to which I have to say no) or user manuals (that's a
more ambiguous answer), I know I won't get the job.
 
So my questions ---- 
Can I successfully sell my controls experience as IT experience? Would YOU
hire someone with controls background for software documentation jobs? If so
-- how do I phrase it or sell it or whatever? What are the key words and
phrases that would show them I'm capable of the work?
 
I'm extremely confident in my writing, organizing, researching, and
interviewing skills. I've got 6 years tech writing experience with 3 more in
instructional design and procedure documentation. I've got the chops but I'm
obviously doing something wrong.
 
Feel free to address my question off-line, if'n you'd rather not keep the
getting hired thread going ad nauseum.
 
Thanks,
 
Karen Murri
Web: HYPERLINK "http://www.km-wordsmith.com/"www.km-wordsmith.com 
 
 

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