Message from the Editor: Job Hunting 101

by Stephen Wertzbaugher

As I sit down to write this column I gaze through the rose-colored glasses of time and memory at my fairly successful adult professional life. Although I have had several different careers in three disparate industries, I have been fortunate that I have never gone long without gainful employment. That’s not to say that there has never been a time when I needed to find a job to fill a paycheck gap, but such desperate straits have been rare.

Unfortunately, many people I know have not been as blessed with reliable employment. For those folks, the job hunt has been one of constant frustration and anxiety as they wonder whether they will ever again work or will instead become another welfare statistic. And despite the news that technical communicators are again in demand, finding that new position is often as easy as trapping the elusive jackalope.

Then there are those people who are already employed, but for reasons of their own have decided to move on. They may be looking for a higher salary, better working conditions or hours, a new or different challenge in a different industry, writing for a different product or audience, or maybe a promotion to management. But whatever their reasons, this group of people can and often do face the same obstacles that their unemployed brethren face: a veritable Death Valley wasteland of new employment opportunities.

Why can some people find new jobs as easily as changing socks while others seem to languish in the Bermuda Triangle of job-land? If I knew the answer I’d be rich beyond even Donald Trump’s wildest dreams. Still, finding a job isn’t all fate and luck—there are a number of things you can do to increase your odds of landing your dream job, or even any job, if that is your goal. Writing the perfect resume; preparing adequately for the interview, both over the phone and in person; dressing appropriately; even showing up on time and presenting yourself confidently during the interview process—all of these things are important. And of course, in our information age, it is just a matter of a few clicks to publish your resume online with any number of job and resume sites.

Finding a job, whether you are a new college graduate or a seasoned professional, or are changing industries or professions, can be a daunting and frustrating experience, but it doesn’t have to be the end of life as you know it, or even something to fear. Even if you don’t relish the thought of job-hunting, you should still approach it with the same care and planning as you do other parts of your professional life. We hope we can give you some tips and other small gems in this issue of Technicalities that will allay some of the anxiety you may be feeling about looking for that new position.

And if you already know everything there is to know about job-hunting, feel free to drop us a line at news@stcrmc.org to let us know how we did with preparing everyone else to find a job!