categoryallspace2-Careers Interviewing http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Careers/Interviewing A directory of resources about careers and interviewing in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Careers/Interviewing http://tc.eserver.org/31525.html http://tc.eserver.org/31525.html As with many things on the Web, job-hunting on the Internet has brought new meaning to the phrase "level playing field." Currently, there are literally thousands of "jobs boards," or Web sites tracking new job openings, in cyberspace these days, which together represent a potential career jumpstart that is far ahead of the traditional newspaper advertisements http://tc.eserver.org/31388.html http://tc.eserver.org/31388.html Like many of you, each of us has played on both sides of the fence: We've worked as editors in the position of hiring freelance writers, and as writers on constant prowl for new markets and ways to make editors happy. Even if you've not strayed between camps, we're all communication professionals-so why does mutual disappointment or even frustration characterize the editor/writer relationship so often? http://tc.eserver.org/31381.html http://tc.eserver.org/31381.html The interview is where jobs are generally won and lost and the job interview techniques you employ will determine your success or lack thereof. During the interview process, the hiring manager gets to meet you face to face and decide whether or not you are someone they want to look at everyday should they hire you. http://tc.eserver.org/31382.html http://tc.eserver.org/31382.html Hear the one about the job candidate who brushed her hair during an interview? Or the man who sniffed his armpits on the way into the interview room? They may sound like jokes but these are two of the top 10 gaffes to feature in an annual survey of the most outrageous interview mistakes by candidates compiled by online job site CareerBuilder.com. http://tc.eserver.org/31383.html http://tc.eserver.org/31383.html Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Because they're generally brief, phone interviews save companies time. They also serve as a more realistic screening alternative for cases in which companies are considering out-of-town (or out-of-state and foreign) candidates. So the chances are pretty good that, at some point in your job hunt, you'll be asked to participate in a 20- to 30-minute phone interview with either one person or several people on the other end of the line. http://tc.eserver.org/31123.html http://tc.eserver.org/31123.html Here are a few brief, practical tips for preparing for your first interview. http://tc.eserver.org/31076.html http://tc.eserver.org/31076.html A no-nonsense approach to finding a great tech writer, even when you don't know what to look for. http://tc.eserver.org/30851.html http://tc.eserver.org/30851.html Creating policies and procedures for selecting and interviewing job candidates is usually the responsibility of a company's human resources department, often with the guidance and approval of its legal affairs office. Such requirements are designed in accordance with U.S. federal and state laws related to civil rights, gender and ethnic rights, age discrimination, disabilities, and family leave, among others. These laws govern the conduct for companies during the recruitment process (Andrews and Baird, 2005), and though federal laws affect companies with US$50,000 or more in federal contracts and more than 15 employees, most U.S. companies tend to comply because of the threat of litigation. In speaking with Jim Olson, a retired auto industry executive, it became clear that compliance with employment laws regarding recruitment practices are largely influenced by corporate culture. http://tc.eserver.org/30373.html http://tc.eserver.org/30373.html Economic concerns require hiring writers (contract, freelance, and permanent) quickly and surely. Employers can make better use of the resume and interview processes to hire the right writer. In this workshop, managers will analyze resume and participate in a mock-interview process. Further, they will learn how to assess job candidates using four screening tools developed by the presenters in a three-step process designed to provide a means of consistently making the most appropriate selections for job openings. http://tc.eserver.org/29579.html http://tc.eserver.org/29579.html There are four parts to any interview: Opening (small talk), information giving, information taking, and conclusion. Before you go into an interview, know your: job strengths (writing, media contacts); managerial strengths (organized); personal strengths (energetic); weaknesses. http://tc.eserver.org/29580.html http://tc.eserver.org/29580.html When you sit down with the hiring manager, that's the point where you see if this is really what you want and they see if you are what they want. If you prepare yourself ahead of time, you'll do well. You can find a wealth of information on the Internet about interviewing. The following is a checklist of items to consider in preparing yourself, during the interview and follow up after the interview. http://tc.eserver.org/29549.html http://tc.eserver.org/29549.html What is a behavioral interview? Behavioral based interviewing is interviewing based on discovering how the interviewee acted in specific employment-related situations. The logic is that how you behaved in the past will predict how you will behave in the future i.e. past performance predicts future performance. http://tc.eserver.org/28862.html http://tc.eserver.org/28862.html Remember when interviewing meant dressing up, grabbing your best samples, and heading over to meet your potential employer face to face? Today the industry trend is to conduct most first interviews over the telephone. With the emergence of telecommuting and a global workforce, I don't see the trend toward telephone interviews going away any time soon. http://tc.eserver.org/28595.html http://tc.eserver.org/28595.html Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion wrote about 'Telling Questions' prospective design employers may ask the job applicant. Some of the questions are obvious -- others not so. So, we teamed up with Anne-Marie to find out if YOU can correctly answer these Questions for Designers. http://tc.eserver.org/27870.html http://tc.eserver.org/27870.html The author discusses how managers can best prepare for an interview to ensure that the perfect candidate for the job is selected. The article also includes charts that can be used to assess a candidateï¿ï¿ï¿s performance in key areas such as tool skill level, knowledge of online help, and analytical ability. http://tc.eserver.org/27096.html http://tc.eserver.org/27096.html So, you're in the throes of job search. Perhaps the job that was good enough to take in order to make ends meet just isn't good enough anymore. Maybe you're working 60-hour weeks, coming home completely burned out, and you're tire of being tired. Perhaps your job did the unthinkable — laid you off. Whether it's your first job search or your fourth, you are not alone, and there are ways to maximize and even enrich the process of job search. http://tc.eserver.org/26913.html http://tc.eserver.org/26913.html Before you worry about interviewing, consider this: good interviewing does not make a good candidate out of a bad one. The higher the quality of the people coming in to your interviewing process, the higher the quality of those that will come out of it. Do not rely on HR or some other person to decide who enters the process. The more energy you, as a hiring manager, invest in recruiting, the better your results will be. http://tc.eserver.org/26921.html http://tc.eserver.org/26921.html Looking for jobs is tough. I remember when I looked for my first industry job about ten years ago, how frustrating a process it was. I had everything to prove, and every desire to prove it, but few opportunities to do so. And worse, by the time I graduated in May of 94', all of my friends were gone: they moved away in response to job offers. Many of them had jobs lined up before the spring semester even started. Meanwhile I struggled to find good interviews, and maintain the work needed to graduate on time. I think most people, especially students, underestimate how much energy job searching requires, and there really isn’t that much honest guidance on how to be smart in going about it. This essay is an attempt to offer some good advice - the kind I wish I had back in 94'. If you find it useful, please pass it on to other job seekers you know, or if you’re in school, to professors and other students. If you have other suggestions to add, please let me know. http://tc.eserver.org/26600.html http://tc.eserver.org/26600.html If you are a newly-appointed documentation manager hiring your first technical writer, you are probably wondering what you have gotten yourself into. Do you know how to attract quality applicants, assess candidates’ qualifications, effectively interview , compare candidates, ensure a good fit, make an offer, negotiate compensation, and measure success? Where should you start? Hiring employees can be difficult whether adding one employee or staffing a full team from scratch. http://tc.eserver.org/26174.html http://tc.eserver.org/26174.html Running a translation business is not easy. As small as the industry may be, we as business owners face a full set of business challenges: personnel management, sales and marketing, client relations, and the list goes on. Everyday, we go into work hoping to improve the business, to make it more successful. Sometimes we wonder, what is the killer factor? What makes some companies more successful than others? http://tc.eserver.org/25674.html http://tc.eserver.org/25674.html Effective interviewing begins with knowing where interviewing fits within the process of finding a job. http://tc.eserver.org/24986.html http://tc.eserver.org/24986.html My face-to-face interview with the company was similar to my phone interview. So similar, in fact that more than once I found myself answering the same questions I had answered over the phone. They did throw a couple curve balls at me, however. The strangest question I was asked was, 'If we called your references, what would they say about you?' I was unprepared for this one, and I ended up talking more about my references than about what they would say about me. http://tc.eserver.org/24985.html http://tc.eserver.org/24985.html When I originally spoke to the recruiter on the phone, she gave me a brief description of the job and asked for my rate. We negotiated the rate for a few minutes and came up with an acceptable number ($25 an hour) and she sent me an e-mail with the full job description and a short agreement asking me to confirm her representation and my rate. I sent back my confirmation and that was it for a while. http://tc.eserver.org/24411.html http://tc.eserver.org/24411.html Job-descriptions.org is a free resource for job descriptions and job details. Our website currently contains over 13,000 job descriptions. These jobs are divided into categories, then divisions, then groups and finally the job descriptions themselves. http://tc.eserver.org/24378.html http://tc.eserver.org/24378.html Making a hiring decision can be one of the most important decisions made by a manager. You have a technical job to fill that requires high level skills. You also have a group dynamic and corporate culture to consider. The interview process is a set of tools and techniques for gaining information about a potential hire and making an informed decision. This workshop provides a supportive forum for learning from each other’s hiring and job hunting experiences. We also have a wealth of resources to draw upon throughout the interview process. A bibliography will be available for all participants. http://tc.eserver.org/24298.html http://tc.eserver.org/24298.html In a team interview, several members of the publications team, as well as the hiring manager, interview each candidate. Each team member interviews the candidate individually, looking for a specific type of information. The interviewing team meets afterward to share information about the candidate. Although it takes more time, having each interviewer concentrate on one or two aspects of the candidate allows interview team, as a whole, to learn more about a candidate. This process, in turn, helps the manager to make better hiring decisions. http://tc.eserver.org/23751.html http://tc.eserver.org/23751.html Good interviewing skills are critical to your professional success. Taking inventory of your own strengths and weaknesses is essential to preparing for any job interview process. The following strategies will help you navigate the job interview with success: do your homework on the company; when asked about a skill you do not possess, answer by drawing attention to a related competency; engage in active listening; exhibit calm and poise; try to meet the rest of the team; and be skeptical of the information furnished by the interviewer. These skills will keep you well prepared for job transitions. http://tc.eserver.org/23590.html http://tc.eserver.org/23590.html Technical communicators should use job search Web sites and other Internet resources (i.e., listservs and email networking) as part of their overall job search strategy. In using job search Web sites, technical communicators should choose carefully from four main categories of such sites: general job search sites, field-specific sites, professional organization sites, and specific employer sites. Each of these categories requires specific consideration. Job seekers should take into account the specific characteristics and purposes of the site and its users. To get the most effective results, technical communicators should also take special care when choosing keywords for job searches. http://tc.eserver.org/23526.html http://tc.eserver.org/23526.html Demonstrate your skills. Make your information relevant. Provide justifications to accept you with no obvious reasons to reject. Present your best work. Show enthusiasm and interest. http://tc.eserver.org/23093.html http://tc.eserver.org/23093.html Describes ways that technical communicators looking for work can identify and pursue job leads before the openings are publicized. http://tc.eserver.org/22833.html http://tc.eserver.org/22833.html Job fairs can be powerful tools in the search for employment after graduation. There are a lot of opportunities for entry level computer related jobs at these fairs, but coming prepared is the key. You serve as your cover letter, so be at your best. http://tc.eserver.org/22628.html http://tc.eserver.org/22628.html Informational interviewing, a.k.a. networking, is a very effective way to learn and make contacts, in not just technical writing, but any field you are considering as a career option. http://tc.eserver.org/22612.html http://tc.eserver.org/22612.html Whether you sell widgets or wisdom, bicycles or bytes, a technical communicator makes sure that your best thinking is reflected on paper and online. Hiring a technical communicator is the same as hiring any qualified professional. This online guide offers some suggestions to help you find and select the best technical communicator for your job. http://tc.eserver.org/22573.html http://tc.eserver.org/22573.html Offers ten suggestions for job seekers who wish to improve their interview skills. http://tc.eserver.org/21404.html http://tc.eserver.org/21404.html Technical writing jobs can be hard to get if you have little or no experience. But there are things you can do to improve your chances of getting hired. http://tc.eserver.org/21403.html http://tc.eserver.org/21403.html Hiring a technical writer can be tricky, even if you happen to be one. Where can you find a technical writer? What characteristics should you look for? How can you tell a good writer from a bad one? http://tc.eserver.org/21134.html http://tc.eserver.org/21134.html I'm now going to tell you the #1, surefire way to land a job with a great salary and benefits whenever you're ready to start working. http://tc.eserver.org/20977.html http://tc.eserver.org/20977.html A common misconception is that Human Resources departments exist to help job-seekers find their place within a company. In fact, the role of HR departments is to act as the gatekeeper. Savvy job-seekers know how to get around, over, and bypass the gates of HR, to connect with the decision-makers who can really help you.  http://tc.eserver.org/20749.html http://tc.eserver.org/20749.html If you have ever considered accepting an overseas contract, you may have already looked into the issues of visas, work permits, inoculations, and compensation. But to really thrive in an overseas job, you must learn as much as possible about the host culture so that you are prepared for the cultural rules and expectations; if possible, learn the language. This workshop raises a number of cultural issues and uses value-assessment exercises to help you determine whether an overseas job is realistic for you. http://tc.eserver.org/20730.html http://tc.eserver.org/20730.html There is a shortage of experienced technical communicators in many places. This often forces Tech Pubs managers to hire and train entry-level (or change-of-career) candidates who have no portfolio, related work experience, or references in the field. http://tc.eserver.org/20697.html http://tc.eserver.org/20697.html What skills to look for, and what questions to ask when hiring a technical writer. http://tc.eserver.org/20141.html http://tc.eserver.org/20141.html Molisani explains how technical communicators can use their portfolios to take charge of an interview. http://tc.eserver.org/20142.html http://tc.eserver.org/20142.html Describes successful interviewing techniques. http://tc.eserver.org/20089.html http://tc.eserver.org/20089.html An effective interview process better enables fhe selection of thoroughly qualified technical writers. This process is repeatable and ensures comparing “apples to apples. ” The seven steps are 1) advertise the job, 2) receive and review the resumes, 3) receive and review the writing samples, 4) set up the interuiezu, 5) hold the pre-intetiao strategy meeting, 6) hold the interoiew, 7)and hold the post-interview debriefing. http://tc.eserver.org/19922.html http://tc.eserver.org/19922.html Hiring managers need to understand academic programs in technical communication in order to evaluate potential new hires, especially for entry-level positions in challenging, high-tech, international environments. Changes in the profession, in the workplace, and in higher education have led to the proliferation of academic programs. These may offer advantages over non-academic training, in terms of cost, comprehensiveness, content, and control. Academic programs are also different among themselves, based on credentials, institutions, instructors, and program homes. By developing reasonable, informed expectations for what academic programs teach, managers who hire program graduates can experience the payoffs of lower-risk, more cost-effective long-term hires. http://tc.eserver.org/19885.html http://tc.eserver.org/19885.html You can take the subjective guesswork out of hiring by carefully analyzing a job’s tasks and creating a structured interview. With a consistent interviewing style and the use of good evaluation tools, you will be able to find the best candidate for the job. This progression topic will provide you with some tools to use for job analysis, interview development, and candidate selection. http://tc.eserver.org/18354.html http://tc.eserver.org/18354.html Interviews are particularly useful for getting the story behind a participant's experiences. The interviewer can pursue in-depth information around a topic. Interviews may be useful as follow-up to certain respondents to questionnaires, e.g., to further investigate their responses. Usually open-ended questions are asked during interviews. Before you start to design your interview questions and process, clearly articulate to yourself what problem or need is to be addressed using the information to be gathered by the interviews. This helps you keep clear focus on the intent of each question. http://tc.eserver.org/15134.html http://tc.eserver.org/15134.html Offers suggestions on finding work in technical communication for recent college graduates, professionals in other fields, and those who want to add documentation duties to their current jobs. http://tc.eserver.org/15152.html http://tc.eserver.org/15152.html Identifies several ways older technical communicators can protect themselves from age discrimination when searching for a new job. http://tc.eserver.org/15153.html http://tc.eserver.org/15153.html Offers tips for technical writers looking for work in a lean economy. http://tc.eserver.org/15221.html http://tc.eserver.org/15221.html Discusses how technical writers can prepare for new jobs by focusing on potential employers' needs and upgrading their writing skills. http://tc.eserver.org/14961.html http://tc.eserver.org/14961.html For years, would-be employees have undergone scrutiny by employers during the interview process. In addition to our resume, we have to provide personal and professional references. We have to pass drug tests and personality tests. We have to prove our education and in many cases, whether or not we actually served in the military. It's all for a good cause of course, but rarely is the topic of employer suitability mentioned in the Job Hunting context. These last few years have been unprecedented in regards to company ethics and business practices. One doesn't have to look far to hear a sad tale of over-promised benefits, stock, and promotions from companies who are now nothing more than memories. The ongoing telecom scandals have even further rocked our beliefs in the stability and ethics of Corporate America. With all the recent layoffs and 'restructuring' now is a great chance for employees to take time out to evaluate their next employer. employee happiness is possibly the most important area of a person's overall professional satisfaction. Thus, it is not to be taken lightly. Nothing else matters if you go to work for the wrong company - not even if you've been out of work for a year and you simply need the money. Sooner or later, you'll be back in the same jam. http://tc.eserver.org/14726.html http://tc.eserver.org/14726.html Olive examines the ethical and practical problems associated with providing writing samples to potential employers and suggests possible solutions to these problems. http://tc.eserver.org/13607.html http://tc.eserver.org/13607.html The interviewee entered her prospective manager's office, eager to answer the questions that she knew would soon be fired at her. Shelley had been through this process a dozen times in the past few months as part of her quest for a technical writing position, and could anticipate the line of questioning. Far from being nervous, she was calm and confident. Phil, the manager, was also well versed in the interview process. Having hired many people during his career, he knew the type of person he was looking to hire. During an interview, his mind would usually be made up within the first few minutes about whether the candidate would get a second interview or would end up having to continue his or her search. http://tc.eserver.org/13318.html http://tc.eserver.org/13318.html The thank you letter is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of job hunting. Don’t fall in to the trap of thinking it isn’t important. A handwritten note is best but a thoughtful email will suffice. And like your resume, your thank you letter should be customized to reflect the mood and content of the interview. http://tc.eserver.org/13309.html http://tc.eserver.org/13309.html It's often the final hurdle to getting a job and the point of the interview process when employers look for information they can't get from your resume or during an interview. Here's everything you need to know about references -- from whom to ask to how to ask them -- to guarantee you get rave reviews. http://tc.eserver.org/13310.html http://tc.eserver.org/13310.html Discrimination in hiring is illegal. But how do you know when an interviewer is discriminating? Our FAQ on illegal interview questions prepares you before you're in the hot seat. http://tc.eserver.org/13234.html http://tc.eserver.org/13234.html In this technical communicator’s market the average time it takes for a professional to get hired in less than 30 days. Due to the short time these professionals are on the market hiring managers, in order to find and quickly bring on board quality people, may need to adjust their expectations and their hiring strategy. http://tc.eserver.org/13041.html http://tc.eserver.org/13041.html Have you ever wondered what was going on in the mind of someone interviewing you for a job? Did you wish you could have had a 'cheat sheet' to prepare for the kinds of questions she might ask? Thanks to Lori Lathrop, a freelance indexer of technical manuals, we have a 'Cliffs’ Notes' for job interviews. Lori Lathrop is the principal of Lathrop Media Services. Her experience includes more than sixteen years as a technical writer, editor, and professional indexer. http://tc.eserver.org/10073.html http://tc.eserver.org/10073.html Interviewing is an excellent primary source of information for any research project. Interviews with subject-matter experts can expose the most up-to-date information and introduce new material that may shatter your originally held ideas about a subject.