RE: Can this career be saved?

[Melissa Nelson <melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Considering there were 364 inches of snow my last year there...I can imagine she liked the weather in Vermont better! Actually it was beautiful, just ridiculously cold. I remember loving the snow..because it woul actually get above zero to snow! :)
 

 
> From: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
> To: melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: Can this career be saved?
> Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 11:57:36 -0400
> 
> I worked with a fellow writer at IBM-Burlington who graduated from Michigan
> Tech. She liked the weather in Vermont better.....
> 
> Al Geist
> Technical Communicator, Help, Web Design, Video, Photography
> Office/Msg: 802-872-9190
> Cell: 802-578-3964
> E-mail: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
> Website: www.geistassociates.com
> 
> See Also
> Fine Art Photography
> 
> "We can't solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used to create
> them." (Albert Einstein)
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of Melissa Nelson
> Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 11:34 AM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: Can this career be saved?
> 
> 
> I spent 17 years in Michigan and went to Michigan Tech. I am in Baltimore
> now, but I have heard from a few friends from college that things are
> starting to pick up in Michigan. I even have a couple of friends that are
> moving BACK to Detroit for work. Things may not be so bleek Becca. In fact,
> who knows this might be the perfect time to get back into the game! As far
> as the certificate, if it makes you feel more secure and you feel that it is
> worth it..then IT IS WORTH IT!!
> 
> Good luck and keep up with this list. I have found it invaluable over the
> years!
> 
> Melissa
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > From: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
> > To: dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > Subject: RE: Can this career be saved?
> > Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 07:46:57 -0400
> > 
> > Hi Deborah,
> > 
> > While I agree with you about good writing, I tend to disagree about 
> > your slam at Michigan. I left Michigan in 1968 and have traveled and 
> > worked in many areas of the country since that time. In the 1970s, it 
> > was difficult to find good paying electronics jobs in California 
> > because of a technology "recession." The dot-com bust that hit the 
> > region 20 years later had PHds working at Wal-Mart because of all the 
> > software companies that went belly-up. Michigan, on the other hand, 
> > was booming (my brother and friends worked in the industry in Ann 
> > Arbor). I currently live in Vermont where technical writing is pretty 
> > tight. The decision by a large technology firm to close its Vermont 
> > operations and move everything back to Germany (after
> > 30 years in the state) is only making it worse. (If you're a software 
> > writer, you probably have a better chance at getting work than if your 
> > background is hardware heavy, but both fields are pretty tight.)
> > 
> > I have found the similar situations in Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona 
> > when I lived in those states. Each place has had its ups and 
> > downs....Michigan is no different. Currently, there are opportunities 
> > in the Michigan's Southeast (Detroit, Ann Arbor, and so on) where old 
> > auto factories are being converted to solar panel and wind turbine 
> > production. In Holland, Michigan, a new Lithium Ion battery 
> > manufacturing facility is being constructed that will employ an 
> > estimated 1,000 people. (A friend is in charge of setting up the
> > factory.) The plant will manufacture batteries for the Chevy Volt in 
> > the beginning and then expand to support other cars. It's changes like 
> > these that open up opportunities, because they will require new 
> > manufacturing procedures and training programs.
> > 
> > California's "silicon valley" in the early 1980s, good talkers used to 
> > be able to increase their income every six months because there so 
> > many job openings. Today, the same area is hit with the double whammy 
> > of high unemployment and outrageous housing/renting costs. The weather 
> > may be great, and California wines are excellent, but if you can't 
> > find a decent paying job or, if you do, you can't afford a suitable 
> > apartment or house, you can't enjoy the weather or the wines.
> > 
> > When I lived in Alaska (18 years), it was not exactly a hotbed for 
> > technical writing. Yet, I found work as a field producers for national 
> > coverage of a
> > 1,000 mile sled dog race and freelance articles from Alaska were 
> > always good sellers. I also headed the Academic Services for a 
> > University of Alaska Fairbanks research institute, and developed 
> > proposals for an Alaska Native Village Corporation (I am not native) 
> > responding to local, state, and federal RFPs. At the latter, we 
> > offered support services for government facilities all across the 
> > country and it was quite successful. (I only left because the kids 
> > were grown and gone, and 18 years of 50 below nothing winters was 
> > getting tiring.)
> > 
> > So, every place has its ups and downs. In my opinion Michigan is 
> > coming back, Vermont is sliding down. Regardless of the local 
> > economics, the key to success is versatility, as I found out in 
> > Alaska, and that is what Becca needs to focus on. If she has good 
> > writing skills, she can apply those skills in both traditional and 
> > non-traditional situations. It all depends on how hungry you are and 
> > how strong your writing drive is. The tools are easy to learn....
> > 
> > As for Michigan....after 43 years and a lot of travels, I am retiring 
> > back to my home state and look forward to basking in the sun on the 
> > shores of Lake Michigan (Ludington area) with the morning paper and a hot
> cup of joe.
> > 
> > Al Geist
> > Technical Communicator, Help, Web Design, Video, Photography
> > Office/Msg: 802-872-9190
> > Cell: 802-578-3964
> > E-mail: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
> > Website: www.geistassociates.com
> > 
> > See Also
> > Fine Art Photography
> > 
> > "We can't solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used to 
> > create them." (Albert Einstein)
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+al -dot- geist=geistassociates -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
> > om] On Behalf Of Deborah Hemstreet
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 12:39 AM
> > To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > Subject: Re: Can this career be saved?
> > 
> > >
> > >
> > 
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