Don't forget: there's always public employment!

After reading Chelsea's recent post on job hunting tips, I thought I'd weigh in with some advice myself. I think I can almost safely call myself an "expert" in my current field--which is kind of scary--but of potential help to any of you (or your friends) affected by the crappy job market of today!

For all of you but Chris, who I happened to very strangely 'run into' on the streets of Capital Hill a few weeks ago, I'll catch you up on what I'm doing and where I am briefly. But if you're more interested in the tips, skip down to the bulleted list...

You might remember I'd lined up an internship at NASA for the summer immediately following graduation. At the time I didn't have many details about what I'd be doing specifically and debated if I should even do it at all--but I'm glad I did! I spent 2 months at Goddard Space Flight Center in southern Maryland (near Baltimore) doing a lot of fairly basic document design projects. After the internship, I was offered a job in the Equal Opportunity Office at Goddard to continue projects I was unable to finish during the internship. I found a place to live in nearby Washington DC to take advantage of good public transit. The work was great but the pay and benefits (or lack thereof) sucked--so I kept my eyes open hunting for new jobs on the side! It just so happened that a very good job sort of fell into my lap; or at least that's what I thought for a while anyway, figuring that I couldn't have gotten a great job on my own merit... (clearly a lack of confidence at the time).

Since I started my present job (November '08) at the US Patent & Trademark Office, I've come to acquire a TREMENDOUS amount of knowledge in the area of human resources. I am working as an HR Specialist in this 10,000-employee agency; I am doing a lot of things a technical communicator would do, but with a more specialized focus. I write crediting plans (a guide for the person who is selecting an applicant for their job vacancy), conduct job analyses, post vacancies for new jobs (www.usajobs.com), and a variety of other recruitment and selection tasks. I have been to government-paid training equivalent to that of a semester of graduate study; cutting the time required for a degree by half! Plus, the pay and benefits are superb!

On to the advice, however... Although not everyone is quite as adventurous and whimsical with their life plan as I am (or as Bruce once said, 'impetuous'); I would urge you to consider moving to locations with high government employment, both state and federal, especially if you're finding the job outlook bleak. The federal government is one of the only large entities that is actually hiring in increased numbers (thanks to the stimulus plan)! Despite popular myth, federal jobs pay quite well; I make $42k now, and will make over $50 in November, not even 2 years from graduation day! If you're good at what you do, promotions are frequent and allow nearly unlimited career potential. Granted, a lot of federal jobs are located in this area (Maryland-DC-Virginia) but there are thousands in states all across the country. The government hires people in occupation codes covering just about everything on the map--including technical communication! You can always go to www.studentjobs.gov or www.usajobs.gov to do a quick search!

Should you ever decide to seek federal employment; here are a few tips to keep in mind. Unlike private-sector jobs, the government has completely different standards for resumes and applications--so basically almost none of what you would *normally do* applies to federal hiring! So here it is, some tips for federal applications:

• Please elaborate on your experience. We really want to know about you and everything you've done; spare no details! We can credit you for volunteer service, significant hobbies, part-time work, full-time work, internships, education, training, publishing, public speaking, etc. Often times applicants ask me why they did not meet the minimum qualifications and more often then not, it's because they did not have enough work experience because they only listed jobs, and didn't include how many hours per week they worked! So always list where you worked, what you did (bulleted list of action verb-oriented task statements), who you did it for, the pay (used to determine your federal pay potential), the dates you worked, and how many hours per week (on average).
• You paid $100,000 for that degree--make sure it counts! For education, tell us all schools you attended, how many credits you earned, what the subject area was, your cumulative GPA and what degrees or certifications you were awarded. If you're using education as the primary example of your qualifications, you may want to list out all the courses you took that relate to the job you're applying for along with a summary of the course (copying from your school's course guide is quite fine). Doing this saves us the trouble of having to extrapolate whether or not a degree in 'technical communication' has anything to do with writing--I would know this, but few other HR Specialist would--and if we don't know, we can't assume, we just don't count it!
• Submit your demographic data! Yes it's kind of scary giving us all of your information, but I can tell you we have it already anyway, so don't sweat it too much. We cannot even consider your application if we do not have the following: your date of birth, social security number, citizen status, highest degree earned, and work experience. This information must be included on your resume or in the OF-312 form (whichever the agency asks you to submit). We do this to verify that we are not hiring illegal immigrants and hardened felons. Upon employment you may optionally provide your race, disability, gender, etc for statistical purposes. However, if you have a disability, you should list it--there are direct hiring authorities for people with disabilities (referred to as "Schedule A") which may afford you a less-competitive entry!
• Be prepared to write an essay! Most agencies (mine being one of them) will post a series of statements you MUST respond to in your application. You are essentially responding to the knowledge, skills and abilities that we have determined are essential for the given position. Failure to address the KSAs will always result in your application being removed from consideration.
• Patience is a virtue, grasshopper. Unfortunately we're not (yet) as efficient at hiring as the corporate world; this is due to the intense amount of 'red tape' and standardized legal practices which we are bound to... Most agencies try to stick to a 45-day window from the time a vacancy opens to the time a selection is made. Since most vacancy announcements are open for 30 days, that only leaves 15 days for the actual evaluation, interviewing, ranking, and certification of the highest qualified candidates. I can tell you now, that's highly optimistic and it can often take about 30 days to do all of the post-vacancy actions. So, when you apply, have patience with us. You may not be contacted very often by a person, but are always welcome to contact the HR Specialist listed on the announcement to inquire about the process.
• Don't forget anything! Always look over the vacancy announcement thoroughly--you won't be notified if you failed to submit a required document--and failing to submit a required document means you will not be considered. The announcements can be lengthy but it's imperative you read it all the way through before you apply.
• Drop the formalities at the door. Contrary to what is considered 'standard practice' in the private industry, we here in government don't really need all the pleasantries like thank you letters, frilly resumes, etc. Usually the HR Specialist receiving your application is not the one who will hire you. Chances are you will never even know who the hiring official really was (unless that person will end up being your direct supervisor). Thus, there is no need to send 'thank you' letters or worry about who to address a cover letter to (in fact, generally speaking we don't even need a cover letter). We especially don't need your resume on fancy paper, and given the amount of information we want, your resume will explode from 1 or 2 pages to about 10-15; so spare yourself the expense! Give us the meat and potatoes of your qualifications, leave the frosted cake for the private sector ;-)

So there you have it, just a few ways you can help ensure your federal application is air-tight and highly informative! I'd be willing to guess that most state government hiring managers would probably want a resume packet of comparable length and detail.

If you'd like to know more about federal employment - feel free to contact me anytime!

s w a n s o n . m a t t @ g m a i l . c o m

Some job searching tips

Hi All, I figured we all need more help finding jobs or internships, etc. I've learned some things over the past year or so that have helped me get interviews, and I want to share them with you, my darling tech commers.

When searching online:

• Craigslist is a great free resource, but be careful because this means there is a lot of spam/false posts. Don't click on links sent to you via email, especially if the message seems generic and/or there are a lot of types and spaces i n b e t w e e n words. This means it's a bot.

• ALWAYS title your inquiry emails appropriately. Usually this means the position for which you're applying. Don't title it RE: XXXXXX because it's unprofessional. This is your first contact with the company, and you should make yourself sound as professional as possible. The specific email title alerts the person that you're applying for the job and it allows them to categorize and find your emails easier.

• Be aware that, if you're applying for a job you find through job boards, that probably 100 or more people have already applied before you - especially since a lot of people are out of a job right now. Because of this, it's important to stand out in your inquiry email as much as possible without looking over-the-top, unprofessional, or that you're trying too hard.

Some good tips for "standing out" in your inquiry email (aka the cover letter):

• Use eye catchers like bold lettering, bullet points/short lists
• DON'T start every sentence, and DEFINITELY not every paragraph, with "I." This is hard to do when you're trying to convey everything you can do for the company, but the extra effort makes you stand out and sound more eloquent.
• KEEP IT SHORT. Because so many people have probably emailed the same person for the same job, it's not a good idea to send him/her two pages of how awesome you are. This is why lists come in handy - you can highlight your skills/experience.
  
• Use verbage found in the ad. If the ad asks for someone who is a multi-tasker who can work well in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment, and can work well in groups, mention those exact phrases in your letter.
  
• If you're relying heavily on online job boards, make sure to surf them regularly. Like I said, if the post is more than a week old, don't bother. Try to catch new posts every day and apply IMMEDIATELY to reduce the risk that your email is #213 applying for the same job. Most places will only look at the first thirty inquiries.
  

I have honestly had more luck getting interviews using these methods. I've gotten many job offers but also have had interviews that are dead-ends. This is normal, especially for us younginz' fresh out of college.

With the rise in use of the internet for job searching, it's becoming less common to see people walk in to apply for places. I encourage you to get out and physically go to these places you really want a job at, and meet people face to face. This puts you in their memory more solidly than a faceless email.

I also encourage you to apply to places that "aren't hiring." Just because a job isn't posted, doesn't mean they will not consider you for employment. I got my current job doing this, as a matter of fact. If they're gracious enough to mention that there are no positions to fill, kindly ask them to keep your resume on file and call back every month. Sometimes you can weasle your way into an impromtu interivew if you can talk them into it - even if it's not for a job, just for a meet-n-greet.

Print your resume on really nice paper, not copy paper from Wal-Mart. The texture of good resume paper has some sort of psychological effect on the people who are handling your resume and it puts you above others who are just printing them out on said crappy Wal-Mart paper.


Have different versions of your resume.

Make one that is traditional and easy to edit. If you're sending Word documents via email, make sure to use proper layout options instead of your spacebar and tab key because it never looks the same on their end as it does on your computer.

If you can, send PDFs for your resume to prevent this problem.

Use your technical communication/document design skills to create interesting layouts that stand out from the rest. Use color (sparingly). Too much looks unprofessional.

I have three different resumes, one that is easy to copy-n-paste into text fields, one made in Word that looks professional with a couple of colored headings (this one I use for most of my serious inquiries), and one full-blown designed-to-the-teeth resume that I have in PDF form that's strictly for artsy-fartsy jobs.

ALSO: Business cards are awesome. I'm going to design my own and print it out for cheap at Kinkos or someplace. They're a good tool for networking and, of course, it looks professional.

If anyone needs business cards designed, I would be glad to help out (I need more portfolio builders).

(Oh yeah, also, physical and digital portfolios are a must-have. Look into it!)

Job Search - the preperation

I'm in my final semester and with it, I begin ramping up my job search. I constantly search for postings, but now I have started logging them. I have a db set-up where I keep track of the posting itself, along with the company's info including website and date of posting.

This should put me on the edge when I start my broadcast letters (which will be soon) to get them out quickly.

Graduate School

With my first semester of graduate school , I am able to reflect on how my undergrad degree is serving me in my program. For those who don't know, I am pursuing my masters in Training and Development.

Graduate school at Stout is not much different than undergraduate, with the exceptions being more reading and writing. It comes to no surprise that technical communication would improve my writing skills, but I was surprised at how much more prepared I was than some of my peers. This reinforces, to me, that technical communication does a fantastic job of preparing us for whatever writing we might do. Additionally, I have to mention that the project management and group skills that technical communication gave me is proving to be a huge asset. While some students fear group projects, I would not want it any other way. When speaking with another grad student from the Twin Cities, she asked me if I had any group projects during the semester. I replied with, "I have three group projects at the moment," and she about fell out of her chair! During her first semester of grad school, she had one group project and feared it to death.

Also, I am happy to say that I landed a part time LTE position on campus during the spring semester. I will be the " LTE Graduate School Web Converstion Project Coordinator," which basically means I'll be updating the grad school website both with new content and templates.

Happy Holidays!

It's not all about writing manuals

My first memory at Stout takes place in Bruce Maylath's office. I had no idea who he was or the fact that he was a "giant" in the field of Technical Communication. Anyways, *thud*, suddenly a 50 something page manual falls on the table in front of me. "This is a product of one of my courses," he says, (Ahhhhhh run away) <-- Me. But, I stuck with it, which was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm graduated, working full-time, and nowhere near a manual.

I'm not saying that writing manuals for a living stinks; it's just not right for me. As a technical communicator you can do much more with your degree than just writing. You build skills in oral communication, teamwork, computer systems, grammar, editing, writing, leadership and project management. You are soooo marketable!

That's all I have, enjoy.

The Job Search

Hey everyone--

Here is what I have learned while trying to find an internship:

--Be Patient. I have been shopping for an internship since December 2007 and it took until August 2008 to find one that fits me. I interviewed at a couple of companies during that time and the third company that I interviewed at offered me a position.

--Don't Get Upset. I felt great about how all of my interviews went but I still got denied twice. I was upset but I knew that I had to keep on searching and eventually I would find something. When I interviewed at my current job I knew that I had the position. It's pretty amazing but you will know that you're getting the job after a great interview.

--Never Stop Searching. Even though I was waiting to hear from a company I kept on job searching. It's a good thing that I did because the company that I was waiting to hear from never got back to me (even though they said that they would and after I emailed them) and I ended up getting a job while waiting to hear about a different one.

--Don't Lie. I was brutally honest at a interview and that is the job that I got. Always tell the truth because people take notes during interviews and it's easy to get caught in a lie. At my current employer they wanted five years of technical writing experience. They asked me how much experience I had and I said that other than school projects, I have none.

--Go After Your Dream Job. Internships are a great way to get into a company that you have dreamed about. I emailed a company and asked them if they could take a full-time position and turn it into an internship, and they did. After they created the internship, I got an email from them telling me to apply for the position. This company had never met me but they new that I was interested because I contacted them via email.

--Have A Solid Resume. My current employer complimented me on the document design and the usability of my resume. It was great because it gave me the opportunity to explain how and why I created my resume.

--Have A Paper Portfolio. I printed everything that I have done in school and made a portfolio out of it. I'm glad I did it because none of the companies that I interviewed at would let me turn my laptop on. Many companies are still paper based and you should have a physical paper portfolio for them to look at.

--Research The Company. If you have an interview make sure you research the company (even if you know the company, still read their Web site). I got my job because I researched the company. They asked me questions about themselves and I had all of the answers.

One time, my brother did not research a company and he told me a great story:

"I interviewed for a teaching position at a college once. They asked me what they did. I said that you're a college. They said that the interview was over."

--Accept All Interviews. Even if you don't want to work for a company, interview there if you can. The more you interview the better and more relaxed you will become. At my current job, I was interviewed by a three people at the same time and I did not feel intimidated. I was prepared because I had already interviewed at a couple other companies. After my interview, the president of the company told me that I did an excellent job because I was relaxed, confident and told them everything that they wanted to hear.


This is everything that I found to be important. I hope this helps you and good luck with the job search.

--Nate

I CAN HAZ BLOG!!1

Another day, another dollars as they say. But starting my new job here at FindLaw (followed by the required "A Thomson-Reuters business") it seems that another day follows up with...another day. But I suppose that is the start of what all these scary people call "the real world." Ooh, aah *cue the scary music*

Having started on the 20th of May, I feel like I was going to be behind everyone else. Apparently some people have yet to begin working at their respective jobs for the summer. So this eased my worries a little bit. But here I sit now computerless, nonexistent to the servers here, and using my school laptop as I write this. I suppose it could be worse...I could be grinning through my teeth, wearing a lame apron, and pretending to be nice to people. Hooray for Perkins Family Restaurant!

So this is basically the ramblings of a guy a week into his first "real world" job. And I have to admit, a lot of things remind me of Office Space around here. Especially as I sit here in my little cube, in my little world, in the enormous cube farm. On second thought, it's more like the Matrix. Endless fields of employees in respective chambers waiting to be harvested for their knowledge! Oh noes!!

But I've digressed a little too much. But I suppose that's how my mind rolls when I all of a sudden have the urge to try this "sensation" called blogging. As ridiculous as it sounds. The concept of starting actual work sparks curiosity to me because. So far lectures, orientation (three days of it), and other presentations have been the basis of my days thus far. But for now I will sit here and remain computerless awaiting that moment called "the real world." And I guess I will see what all the fuss (or is it complaints?) is about.