Re: Out of Work Tech Writers

[Steven Brown <stevenabrown -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

I just landed a job after three months of
unemployment. Having reflected on that stressful
period, a few things come to mind.

- If you see yourself as a writer (and it's important
to know that many TWs do not), write as much as you
can. Spend time browsing and contributing to online
forums that interest you (e.g., this listserv,
Beliefnet, Yahoo! groups, etc.). Write reviews of
movies and books for sites such as IMDB.com or
Amazon.com. Write your congressman about issues that
concern you.

- Read books about technologies in your field(s) of
interest.

- Build your own Web site. Write your own blog (like
we need more of them!).

- Don't go to job fairs. I went to a few and found
that the recruiters were focused on filling very
narrow needs. One idiot tried to recruit me as a
financial salesman without asking about my interests,
experience, or personality.

- Solicity harsh critisism of your resume. Practice
interview skills with friends and family, or even by
yourself.

- Get out of the house during the day. Go to the
library and read all those newspapers and business
periodicals you never had time to read before.

- Write and prepare essays or articles for
magazines/newspapers and offer them for publishing
only when your unemployement benefits are ready to run
out.

- Watch "Days of Our Lives" and let me know how Bo and
Hope are doing.

Steven Brown
Senior Technical Writer


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