Employment

by Deborah S. Ray

Question: I just got back from a job interview. I'm interested in the position, and they seemed pretty enthusiastic about my experience and qualifications. Now what? Should I send a follow up thank you letter? If so, should I send a business letter, email message, or hand-written card? And, what should I say?

Good thinking! In general, you should indeed consider sending thank you letters after job interviews, as doing so can offer some specific benefits:

• It can help you get the attention of potential employers.

by Deborah S. Ray

Searching for a job is hard work, no doubt, and it often isn't as simple as sending out a general resume and strolling through an interview process. Instead, it's often a multi-phase process that takes time and effort: You update your resume. You craft a letter of application. You select samples from past projects that best showcase relevant skills. You then go to the interview and show your stuff. That's a lot of work--even for people who are practiced in the job search process.

by Valerie Ford

Any technical writer working as a contractor knows the importance of self-marketing. Although referrals and agencies are fine ways to secure contracts, finding a new client completely on your own is as exciting as discovering buried treasure.

Just how do you find unadvertised companies in need of technical writers? Here are five less-traveled routes. They may not offer the faster rate of return of conventional job search methods, but each will help you achieve your goals--circulating your name and making new connections for future contracts.

by Lain Chroust Ehmann

Every freelance technical writer dreams of working from anywhere in the world, at the hours that suits him or her best. But before you pack your swimsuit and laptop and head off for the shores of Maui, you'll want to make sure all your bases are covered before you're thousands of miles from the office.