Career changing into tech writing, DTP

[Michael Calvert <michael_calvert -at- MSN -dot- COM>]

Hello, Techwhirlers--

I normally hesitate to post personal requests for help to lists, but I've been
lurking on techwr-l, on and off,  since last year and you seem like such nice,
helpful folks-and, in the immortal words of Blanche DuBois, "Ah have always
depended on the kahndness of strangers."

I'm a former college English teacher (PhD, UConn, 1991) and library
administrator (Newberry Library, Chicago) who was recently laid off because of
budget cuts.  Truthfully, I had been comtemplating a career change since I got
laid off from my first teaching job (guess why!) in 1994.  Now I'm looking
into business/technical writing and desktop publishing.  It's such a broad
field, tho, one hardly knows where to begin.  My current feeling is that I'd
like to get a position in a corporate setting producing various kinds of
documents from the ground up-i.e., writing, editing, and seeing through the
production process.

A few words about myself.  I have a strong background in general writing-aside
from ten years of college level teaching experience (grad school and three
years post-grad), I have a journalism background and I wrote proposals,
reports, and brochures in my last job.  I'm no propeller-head, but I would
describe myself as computer-literate-I've got a reasonably state-of-the-art PC
and am currently busily upgrading my skills on Win95, WordPerfect, MS Office,
and Quark.  Like most academics, I've been using the Internet for years.  I
came to Chicago two years ago for the job I recently lost, and I'd like to
relocate.  I like Chicago well enough, but I've decided I'm just not an urban
person-I'm looking to go back to the kind of semi-rural environment I lived in
when I was in grad school in Storrs, CT.

I'd be pleased to hear any advice from you professional tech writers or other
lurkers who are in a similar situation.  Job-hunting/career changing is a
lonely business and we humans are social creatures.  You may email me direct
at michael_calvert -at- msn -dot- com, or phone 312/943-4823 (I'll gladly return your
call if you are calling long distance).  Or you can Fax me at 312/943-2933.

TIA,

Michael T. Calvert
1100 North Dearborn  #502
Chicago, IL  60610-2772

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