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You may want to try the U.S. Government labs and facilities instead of Al Gore
directly. B-) It might be a tad quicker. Every major city has a job listing
telephone line that you can listen to for government positions, and they do
post writing positions occasionally. You may also want to contact State Houses
(in state capitals) and see if they have departments such as Consumer Affairs
or Environmental Affairs as they may be more likely to offer paid internships
(although probably poorly). Lastly, when you are in Chicago, go to STC
meetings and look in the yellow pages, call some technical writing contract
agencies and talk to the people who place technical writers. I've found in the
Boston area that most of these contract agency owners/placement people are
former tech writers themselves with lots of experience, loads of contacts, and
very friendly, helpful attitudes.
Also, call the big publishing houses and see if they offer internships; try
scholarly publications, hospitals, etc.
Good luck.
Laura Praderio
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
lpraderio -at- whoi -dot- edu
Allison
Here's another idea.
You might drop Al Gore a note about your availability. Seriously.
I suspect there is a wide open market for technical communicators
for writing some of the documentation for Internet. From what I
have seen so far -- this list excepted, of course, there is a great
need for people who understand the new audience of these related
networks and could put out some more friendlier stuff that I have
been subjected to. I have only been on Internet for a few weeks and
I have been verbally assaulted in a number of ways by listservers
who mast have taken lessons at the Marquis de Sade school of writing
and torturing. Also, they lie.
Try it. What can you lose?
AKRA
Albert E. Krahn E-Mail AKRA -at- MUSIC -dot- LIB -dot- MATC -dot- EDU
Division of Lib. Arts and Sciences Fax 414/271-2195
Milwaukee Area Technical College Ph (H) 414/476-4025
Milwaukee, WI 53233-1443 Ph (W) 414/278-6519
