Recruiting a Quality Technical Communicator  

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.

Murphy, Stephen W. STC Proceedings (2000). Careers>Interviewing

Sample Thank You Letters

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.

Monster.com (2001). Careers>Interviewing>Correspondence>Business Communication

The Samples Conundrum  

Olive examines the ethical and practical problems associated with providing writing samples to potential employers and suggests possible solutions to these problems.

Olive, Eric G. Intercom (2001). Careers>Interviewing>Ethics

Selection and Interview Procedures at a Multinational Company    

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.

Burgess-Wilkerson, Barbara. Business Communication Quarterly (2008). Careers>Interviewing>Policies and Procedures

Selling to the Hidden Job Market  

Describes ways that technical communicators looking for work can identify and pursue job leads before the openings are publicized.

O'Donnell, Pat. Intercom (2004). Careers>Interviewing>Marketing

Selling Your Skills: Tips from a Technical Interviewer  

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.

Roach, Jane. STC Four Lakes (2002). Careers>TC>Interviewing

Steps to a Successful Interview: Follow-Up

Send a thank-you note for every interview. It can be an email, a handwritten note on good-quality (neutral color) stationery, or a standard business letter.

O'Keefe, Karen, Rebecca Forrest and Jean Fudge. Between the Lines (2007). Careers>Interviewing>Correspondence>Business Communication

Steps to a Successful Interview: Preparation

In an interview, you want to find out about the position and the environment, give job-related information about yourself, and leave a good impression, all while being relaxed. That’s a tall order for anyone, so we hope our advice and anecdotes will help you survive—or even thrive—in an interview.

O'Keefe, Karen, Rebecca Forrest and Jean Fudge. Between the Lines (2007). Careers>Interviewing>Planning

Steps to a Successful Interview: Presentation

Give yourself a hand. Your presentation starts with your handshake. Make it firm, business-like, and brief. Your hand should be thumb up with fingers straight. The interviewer isn’t going to kiss your hand or lead you into a waltz.

O'Keefe, Karen, Rebecca Forrest and Jean Fudge. Between the Lines (2007). Careers>Interviewing>Rhetoric

Strategies for Successful Job Interviewing  

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.

Mason, Catheryn L. STC Proceedings (2003). Careers>Interviewing

Survive and Thrive at a Job Fair

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.

Ledbetter, Jessica. ACM Crossroads (2001). Careers>Interviewing

Take Control: What To Do When Your Job Interviewers Are Tongue-Tied

When interviewing with a technical writing manager or with others who are familiar with the role of technical writers, the interview process can be a natural and productive information exchange. In such cases, interviewers can often readily define needs, assess a candidate's experience and qualifications, peruse a portfolio with their needs in mind, and initiate questions in the interview that are relevant to the position and candidate. But, what happens when interviewers are less familiar--or unfamiliar--with the role of technical writers or the technical writing position they seek to fill?

Russell, Liz. TECHWR-L (2008). Careers>Interviewing

The Team Interview Hiring Process  

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.

Billard, Trish. STC Proceedings (1998). Careers>Interviewing>Collaboration

Technical Writer Wanted

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.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2002). Careers>Interviewing>TC

The Ten Commandments of Job Hunting  

Offers ten suggestions for job seekers who wish to improve their interview skills.

Bannister Grey, Paula. Intercom (2004). Careers>Interviewing

Tooling Up: Conducting an Authentic Job Search

Scientists and engineers sometimes reveal how scary the job search feels to them when they talk to recruiters. Often this comes couched in complaints about "how the job market works." It's true that the job search does take us out of our comfort zones. But not all of that fear is justified.

Jensen, David G. Science (2006). Careers>Interviewing

Top Ten Interview Tips

As an interviewee, these actions might give you a competitive edge. As an interviewer, they might help set your standards on how you rate potential candidates.

O'Keefe, Karen. Writing Assistance (2006). Careers>Interviewing

Urban Legends of the Job Search

While it is true that employers far prefer electronic submittals to paper CV's, if you rely exclusively on the 'net for your job search, it will tank. Here's the trap: It feels like you are really accomplishing something by filling out online job applications, with very little risk. But you are just scattering seeds, few of which are likely to grow. While there is the possibility that someone will look at that package you've attached and call you for an interview, a great deal of your time is wasted.

Jensen, David G. Science (2005). Careers>Unemployment>Interviewing

Using a Bookstore to Land a Job  

Discusses how technical writers can prepare for new jobs by focusing on potential employers' needs and upgrading their writing skills.

Bush, Donald W. Intercom (2002). Careers>Interviewing>Writing

What is a Behavioral Interview and Behavioral Interview Questions and Answers

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.

Doyle, Allison. About.com (2007). Careers>Interviewing>Methods

What Makes a Great Entry-Level Candidate?  

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.

Sakson, Donna M., Leah Guren and Shirley Hancock. STC Proceedings (1999). Careers>Interviewing>TC

Write Stuff: Hiring Winners  

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.

Jensen, Susan M. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Interviewing>Management

Writing the Teaching Statement

Take pity on me and my colleagues. As a faculty member who serves on faculty search committees and a frequent reader of job applications, I dread reading teaching statements. I have even considered asking search committees to stop asking for these essays (in which applicants discuss their teaching philosophies and their anticipated approaches to teaching) because they are so often insipid and painful to read. I've never actually made that suggestion, though, and for now, at my institution (and many others), teaching statements remain a required part of an application for a faculty position. So for every permanent-faculty search I'm involved in, I end up reading as many as several hundred insipid teaching statements. Have mercy.

Austin, Rachel Narehood. Science (2006). Careers>Interviewing>Academic

You Got the Interview, Now Get the Job!  

Describes successful interviewing techniques.

Hartman, Peter J. Intercom (2003). Careers>Interviewing