Re: Can this career be saved?

Subject: Re: Can this career be saved?
From: Chantel Brathwaite <brathwaitec -at- castupgrade -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:42:26 -0400

Becca,

I like Indeed.com for job searches, but when I was looking, made sure that my resume was on the various job boards (Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice, Sologig etc.). I always got calls from recruiters that way. Sometimes state and local agencies/organizations have their own job listings that might not show up in indeed. I would definitely recommend that you search those also.

While I like Indeed.com and still keep abreast of it even if I'm not actively looking just to see what the trends are - what employers are looking for etc, sometimes jobs are posted on employer's websites a while before they show up there. So, it is a good idea to check job boards for companies that you are interested in regularly to get a leg up on the competition. I've heard of people using Linkedin to contact recruiters for companies that they are interested in, but I haven't done that, so I don't know how receptive they are. I did cultivate some relationships though with different recruiters and that helped a lot.

I personally believe that if you think you'll benefit from the certificate program, then go for it. I can't really think of a downside except for expense. But, I don't think you have to wait until you are finished with a program though before you apply for jobs. Apply and go to school if you can. There are some pluses to being a student. I think you can get a cut-rate on STC and other professional organizations. If you have the cash - you can get student pricing on a number of software tools. (Not sure if you can use them afterwards professionally or not ... but if you can then that's an excellent savings for you.) The Adobe educational licensing discounts are excellent.

We all know that STC can be a good place for networking, but if you can find other places where writers or creative/IT-savvy people meet, you can sometimes network that way too while you learn. For example, there are Adobe meetups in some cities where they discuss InDesign and more.

I've been a writer since 1996. Over the years, there have been a number of changes in the job market. I landed my first job over the internet in 1997 for SAIC. I found out about my current job from a headhunter. He did a good job of really seeing if there would be a good fit and also of helping me to decide whether this was the right company for me. Because he had developed a good relationship with the client, it helped me. For me, the recession meant that I had to become a lot more resourceful and quick. For example, I had to respond to job ads and recruiters - sometimes delivering a tailored resume within an hour or two - no later than a day. (The unemployment rate in my area is higher than in most other parts of the country though.) When I was having a tough time finding a writing job, I started a business and wrote online. Before, I focused on becoming diverse; learning how to do many things. Now, I'm becoming more focused.

I think that you won't have much of a problem landing a job with your experience, especially if you update your skills a bit. Your idea of contacting former co-workers/employers is a good one I think; anything that involves a personal touch seems to be helpful in this economy. You definitely have a career in this field; it is just a matter of you diving back in.

I wish you all the best!

Chantel

-----------
does anyone here have any feelings about monster.com?

-becca
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--
Chantel Brathwaite
Technical Writer
Cole Engineering Services Inc.
Web: http://www.coleengineering.com
Email: Chantel -dot- Brathwaite -at- coleengineering -dot- com
Phone: 407-207-1773 ext. 4138

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References:
Re: Can this career be saved?: From: beelia
Re: Can this career be saved?: From: Becca
RE: Can this career be saved?: From: Pinkham, Jim

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