We heard about people looking for new roles, and exchanged ideas for finding a job more easily and for greater job satisfaction.
Experienced small-business owners exchanged ideas about how they started their business and shared helpful online resources. Some prefer to work as sole proprietors, to avoid the tax paperwork and cost of incorporating. Another saw the benefits in incorporating so that compensation and liability insurance are easier for potential clients and recruiters. All contractors said they took the pressure off themselves at tax time by working with an accountant. Another said that before they transitioned from another field, they researched and discovered that helping clients as a technical writer and translator was more meaningful than working in a corporate 9-to-5 job.
Attendees shared observations and tips for making job-searching easier. Job-posting websites provide many opportunities, but these often attract hundreds of applicants, many of them more qualified than you. Tools such as Jobscan can compare your résumé to the job posting and make suggestions to strengthen it. To get noticed faster, try building relationships with potential employers, so that they know you before you send in your résumé. Volunteering is also a good way to make yourself visible to people who might refer you to job leads and to demonstrate your skills, such as meeting deadlines and working on a team.
Attendees described interviews that helped them discover that they did not want to work for a company. Interviewers may have seemed strange, or the interviewee overheard current employees yelling at each other. They learned to trust their instincts when considering a potential employer. Interviewing is a two-way street; while they’re interviewing you, you’re also interviewing them to find a good fit.
Job seekers should be cautious about finding jobs through recruiters, especially online, as these sometimes focus on a speedy hire, not on finding the best match. Some even charge the applicant for finding them a position. Potential employers can bring risks of scams: asking for “writing tests” that actually provide them free content without hiring the applicant. Some job-posting sites send job recommendations that can seem random, not based on a candidate’s specific skills or experience, such as the “president” of a one-person sole proprietorship receiving ads for president positions at large corporations. One attendee had received repeated offers to apply for a job for which they have no related skills or experience, or interest.
NOTE: The Tech Comm Café is taking a break in December, and is skipping the January meeting so people can attend the STC Canada West Coast Open House on January 17. The next TCC meeting is scheduled for February 21; details below.
The Tech Comm Café provides networking opportunities, job leads, answers to work-related dilemmas, and a burst of professional energy to keep you motivated. We discuss technical writing tools and techniques, career planning, portfolios, and anything else related to working as a technical communicator.
We welcome anyone who’s interested in technical communication — contractor, in-house, student, long-time tech writer, STC member, non-member, career-changer, or recruiter. We hope to see you at the next meeting!
Next Meeting: ONLINE on Wednesday, February 21, 2024
- Subscribe to receive email announcements of future meetings.
- If you plan to attend, RSVP by 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, to receive login instructions.
Date: Wednesday, February 21
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Location: Online via Zoom
Agenda
- Introductions. Take 60 seconds to introduce yourself, your background, current activities. A good chance to try out that new elevator speech.
- Announcements and job leads. If you know of an interesting event or a job opening, or you’re looking for work, share it with the group.
- Brainstorming Q&A. Ask about a work-related problem and discuss potential solutions.
- Speed networking. Make new contacts and discuss your professional backgrounds and goals.
Ruth-Anne Klassen is a student in the Technical Writing Extension Certificate at Mount Royal University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and currently works as a retail cashier in Calgary. In her free time, she likes to go for walks, read novels, support local restaurants, and spend time with family.