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I recently requested and received from list members information on
recruiting technical communicators. Using some reverse psychology, I
also asked people where they looked for jobs. As promised, I am
summarizing my findings for the list.
Note: If you have any comments to add, they are still most welcome. Send
to the list or to me at moorej -at- nando -dot- net -dot- Just to clarify, I am using
this information to write an article and am not currently job-searching :-).
Resources Used to Recruit Technical Communicators:
Mentioned 5 times: Local Newspapers
" 4 times: TECHWR-L
" 3 times: STC local job hotlines
" 2 times: newspapers in nearest big city
" 1 time: newspapers in areas with high concentrations of software
companies, usegroup ba.jobs.offered, local STC newsletter, local Frame
users group, word of mouth, head hunters
Resources Used by Persons Seeking Technical Communication Positions
Mentioned 7 times: Local newspapers
" 4 times: STC job hotline- local
"3 times: word of mouth, USENET jobs newsgroups
" 2 times: TECHWR-L, networking in local STC chapter, STC
jobline- national, government and school joblines
" 1 time: E-span on America Online, other online job databases- not
specified, contracting agencies, recruiters/ headhunters, online
resources- not specified, company outplacement center, local BBS,
networking with friends working in high-tech companies, Web sites of
local Internet service providers, local STC newsletter.
Other information I found interesting:
Newspaper ads were reported to yield the highest number of applicants in
most cases. There tended to be a fairly high percentage of these,
however, who were not qualified for the position.
One respondent mentioned problems with recruiters/ headhunters
overlooking rather serious problems with the employees they referred.
Both those hiring and those looking for jobs reported confusion resulting
from offers and applicants in distant locations. The Internet allowed
people to recruit and job-search internationally and nationally, but most
were interested in local or regional applicants/ opportunities.
Jennifer Moore
moorej -at- nando -dot- net
Speaking for myself and not my employer.
