Hiring Writers: How To Get Results That Make You Look Good

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?

Canavor, Natalie and Claire Meirowitz. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Careers>Interviewing>Writing

How to Get a Job in Academia

The process leading up to your first faculty job is almost guaranteed to be a nerve-racking ordeal. Many applicants don't know how to make a good first impression. It is common--and reasonable--to question whether you have the right set of skills and credentials for a particular faculty job. Whether at a large research-intensive university on the West Coast or a small teaching college in New England, the recruitment process is much the same all across the country.

Fazekas, Andrew. Science (2006). Careers>Interviewing>Academic

How to Interview and Hire People

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.

Berkun, Scott. ScottBerkun.com (2006). Careers>Interviewing>Management

Informational Interviews

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.

Blair, Jennifer. STC West Coast Canada. Careers>Interviewing

Interview Basics

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.

Raperto, Marie. IABC (2006). Careers>Interviewing

Interview Checklist

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.

Young, Rich. IABC (2006). Careers>Interviewing

The Interview Process for Technical Communicators  

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.

Johnson, Jennifer Ramirez and Lee Anne Fernandez. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>Interviewing

Interviewing Basics Help You Focus on Content

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.

Goldberger, Dalya. Writer's Block (1997). Careers>Interviewing

Interviewing for a Job  

Effective interviewing begins with knowing where interviewing fits within the process of finding a job.

Lund, Arnold M. HFES (1995). Careers>Interviewing

Interviewing for Performance  

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.

Bailey, Elizabeth. Intercom (2006). Careers>Management>Interviewing

Interviewing: What Questions Are Illegal?

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.

iVillage.com (2001). Careers>Interviewing>Discrimination

Job Descriptions and Job Details

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.

Job-descriptions.org. Careers>Management>Interviewing

The Job Hunt: Rich Uncle vs. Monster.com

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.

Berkowitz, David. WebWord (2000). Careers>Interviewing

Job Hunting After Thirty-Five  

Identifies several ways older technical communicators can protect themselves from age discrimination when searching for a new job.

Carliner, Saul. Intercom (2002). Careers>Interviewing>Discrimination>Elderly

Job Hunting in an Economic Downturn  

Offers tips for technical writers looking for work in a lean economy.

Thomstatter, John H. Intercom (2002). Careers>Interviewing

Job Hunting, Web Style

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

Dysart, Joe. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Careers>Interviewing

The Job Interview: Job Interview Techniques Revealed!

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.

Find Your Dream Career. Careers>Interviewing

Job Interviewing    

One of the most challenging modules in my business communication course is the job search. Why? Because it seems that everyone has a strong opinion and a list of "do's and dont's" or "best and worst" for job seekers. In my class, students who would normally be text-messaging, doing homework for another class, or puzzled by the "you-perspective" become excited when we start discussing job search topics—the wrong and right style for the résumé and cover letter, appropriate interview attire, legal and illegal interview questions. By the end of the module, we have discussed so many different views and exceptions to the rules that some students roll their eyes and ask, "So, what are we supposed to do, Dr. Muir?" And then we have another round at it! For those reasons, I refused to teach any aspect of the job search for several semesters. Instead I would send students to my university's Career Services office (because they actually handle recruitment and placement and have their own set of guidelines), or I would invite guest speakers from industry to talk with students on a variety of topics relevant to the job search. (Note: It is particularly rewarding and empowering when the guest speaker agrees with you on just about everything you try to teach students.)

Muir, Clive. Business Communication Quarterly (2008). Careers>Interviewing

Learning How to Read an Interviewer's Mind

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.

Davis, Julie. Carolina Communique (1997). Careers>Interviewing

A Manager's Toolkit for Hiring the Right Writer-Or How to Avoid Throwing a Wrench into the Works  

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.

Sopensky, Emily A. and Laurie Modrey. STC Proceedings (1993). Careers>Management>Interviewing

Mastering the Phone Interview

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.

Vogt, Peter. Monster.com (2007). Careers>Interviewing

Notes for Job Seekers in UI Design

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.

Berkun, Scott. ScottBerkun.com (2003). Careers>Usability>Interviewing

Portfolios: Tools for Acing the Interview  

Molisani explains how technical communicators can use their portfolios to take charge of an interview.

Molisani, Jack. Intercom (2003). Careers>Portfolios>Interviewing

Preparing for an Overseas Job  

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.

Guren, Leah. STC Proceedings (1999). Careers>Interviewing>International

Professional Interviews: A Few Brief Tips

Here are a few brief, practical tips for preparing for your first interview.

beyondwords (2008). Careers>Interviewing