1. San Francisco STC meeting, June 18th, 2008
Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
San Francisco STC meeting, June 18th, 2008
Becoming the Compelling Candidate
Andrew Davis
Synergistech Communications ,

2. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
Overview
Assumptions
Today’s Job Market
Job-Searching 101
New Tactics
The Final Touches
Part 4: Q & A ,

3. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
My Assumptions
I’m assuming you:
Have professional tech comms experience
Have relevant portfolio samples to show
Have current tools and technology skills
Have market-compatible comp requirements
Can identify the right ‘culture’ for your needs
Context
Experience — (English Major and Pre-Med in college, then a couple years of journalism and marcom followed by being staff Tech Writer, then working Pubs Manager, then Contract Tech Writer in the software, telecom, and hardware industries for 8 years, until During the last five or six of those years I was the SF STC’s informal employment manager and dealt with many recruiters and hiring managers. Beginning in 1995, I crossed the line to recruiting. From late 2001 to early 2005, I pursued other interests and ultimately returned as an IT recruiter in SF, which taught me a lot but also convinced me to hang out my own shingle once more.)
Role — I see myself as a matchmaker and adviser to both candidate and hiring manager, seeking a better outcome than they could create on their own (ie, synergy) as well as improved stature for the technical communications profession. I am particularly proud of my company’s transparency. I am candid and don’t resort to misleading, under-informing, or the manipulation so typical of other recruiters. Hiring managers often view me as their peer, answering the hard questions and giving me more insight into their needs than average, plus telling me what they’re willing to pay so I don’t over- or under-shoot. And while I like money, I’m in business for the long term and value healthy relationships and my reputation as a fair, honest, responsible advocate far more than the average salesperson. In short, I never seek to win at another’s expense.
Sources — My sources include (1) - the industry’s hiring managers, (2) - my research into the trends affecting it, (3) - my experience both reading and writing job descriptions, and (4) - my understanding of candidates’ skills and interests. I pay close attention to the Bay Area software industry. I confess I may not (yet) be the best intermediary for medical writing or government documentation jobs, but I believe I know at least as well as the hiring managers themselves (and better than their internal recruiters) what a software industry decision-maker looks for in a technical communicator’s resume and portfolio. ,

4. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
Today’s Job Market
More competitive than last year
Lots of work (if you’re geeky & S.Bay-based)
Technical knowledge (domain > tools) matters
Job descriptions more unrealistic
Publications managers’ role has changed
Profession’s stature has diminished
Keep you sane — straight talk about the market, the different players’ biased and motivations, how you can improve your odds of finding the work you seek, and – if I’m representing you – how your candidacy is actually faring)
Secure work reliably & efficiently — detailed job descriptions so you don’t wonder what you’ll be doing, quick and helpful feedback from hiring managers
Operate transparently — I’m candid, forthcoming, and some have even said generous with my advice and insight. I’ll tell you, in advance, what my interests are and when I’m conflicted. Many technical communicators, even those I’m not currently representing, turn to me for advice on how to handle certain interview questions, compensation negotiations, and even job transitions.
Give you ideas and leave you hopeful
Address your questions ,

5. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
Job Searching 101, pt 1
Write a flawless resume
Network, network, network
Put your portfolio online
Apply liberally (but not to the forehead)
Role of a Technical Communicator’s Resume
To secure an interview with a busy person needing a specific skillset
To demonstrate understanding of technology, audience, and role
To demonstrate ability to write well and present information optimally
Guidelines
Format (chronological or functional)
Structure (Name + Daytime Phone + , Objective, Summary, Technical Skills, Employment, Affiliations/Awards, Education)
Length (not one page if it forces omission of relevant facts, but also not wordy, repetitive, or off-topic)
What works?
Cite relevant achievements and (when possible) quantify your role's impact
Clarify whether you were a contractor or staff employee on each ‘job’
List relevant types of deliverables and audiences under Summary
List relevant technical tools under Technical Skills; omit hardware used or obsolete tools (eg WordPerfect)
List unusual non-technical skills (eg localization, information architecting, patent writing, English-to-German translation) in a Related Skills section following Technical Skills
Under Employment, for each employment entry, cite:
your ‘effective’ title (if it’s not your actual one, cite the latter parenthetically)
your employer or end-client (never the recruiter or temp agency involved)
the company’s location (city and state)
verifiable dates of employment/engagement, in mm/yy format
thus: Lead Technical Writer (Business Analyst), Acme Headstones, Colma, CA 1/95-8/99
For each employment entry, provide:
titles of the significant documents you authored
the audience you addressed (eg, application developers, retired petstore owners)
the tools you used (eg, FrameMaker, Dreamweaver, Flare)
the skills you used (eg, reading C++ code, authoring structured doc)
the results you achieved (eg, 'delivered online help, doc, and coursenotes three weeks ahead of deadline' or ‘saved company $2M in translation and localization costs).
Under Affiliations/Awards, list professional memberships and conferences attended. See for ideas.
Under Education, list your formal degree, major, educational institution, and any applicable technical certifications, coursework, or continuing education activity.
Examples of coursework worth noting:
computer programming
systems administration
Information Mapping
DITA/structured authoring
publications management
project management
specialized tools (RoboHELP, Flare, AuthorIT, FrameMaker, Dreamweaver, etc(
What doesn’t work?
Vapid or omitted Objective statements
Missing dates or using only years
6+ month unexplained gaps in employment
Lists of responsibilities (especially if unrelated to desired role)
Sharing info about hobbies, marital/family status, graduation dates
Sub-10pt type, sub-3/4-inch margins, more than two typefaces, pictures of you, left-and-right-justified text, failure to use tab stops correctly, inconsistent spacing, indentation, alignment, or use of text effects (bold, italics, all-caps, small caps, etc)
Underlining (ever)
Keywords out of context
Failing to edit, proofread (especially tool, company, and product names), and keep it focused
Resume-writing Resources
Synergistech’s site,
Bright Side Resumes, ,

6. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
Job Searching 101, pt 2
During phone interviews…
Do your research
During in-person interviews…
Following in-person interviews…
During negotiations…
When you get an offer…
Role of a Technical Communicator’s Portfolio
To demonstrate (1) information gathering and writing skills, (2) understanding of audience’s needs, (3) familiarity with tools, and (4) the ability to see a combine these and complete a project
What works?
Show only your best work for the audience type (see for details).
Keep samples brief & accessible, but not too brief to prove you can guide and elucidate
Preface with disclaimers, specifying:
1) its intended audience
2) the circumstances of its creation (eg, fast turnaround, SME indecision/unavailability, rewrite, patch-up job, something-from-nothing, no time for edit/review, etc)
3) what you'd do differently if you'd had resources (time, tools, willing reviewers)
See for details.
If content is proprietary, redact, narrate, or get an NDA signed (see for details).
Suggestion: put your portfolio online, with intros/disclaimers, and password-protect each document, then share that password with the hiring manager. If in Word, HTML, or Acrobat, make documents read-only to hinder copying & pasting.
What doesn’t work?
Sending the whole book or doc set without providing specific guidance
Claiming full authorship when you were really a co-author, editor, or rewriter
Claiming all your relevant work is proprietary and refusing to show it ,

7. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
New tactics
Get your candidacy noticed
Resourcefulness
Educated enthusiasm
Demonstrate real-world results
Identify Audience, Deliverables, Subject Material, Seniority, Location, Breadth, Growth Path
Customize your cover letter
Research company, industry, technology, and competition (see for useful resources).
Highlight your relevant accomplishments
Commit to remedying (minor) deficiencies transparently to the employer or client
Never answer the “compensation requirements” question
Provide your contact info and ask for the interview
Follow up by phone and in , possibly using RRR or beacons ,

8. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
The Final Touches
Chemistry
Attitude
Engagement
Growth
Compensation
Bring hardcopy of your resume, ideally at least three copies, on nice paper
Bring relevant portfolio samples to every interview
Format: either printed or on a CD, so it can be reviewed in parallel with your interview(s)
Don’t ever leave your only hardcopy
Offer to send softcopy of requested chapters (even if it requires you to scan them)
Discuss which of your professional references will best support your candidacy, then a list of names, phone numbers, and addresses to the hiring manager after verifying their contact info
Ask for the job ,

9. Questions to ask yourself, pt 1
Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
Questions to ask yourself, pt 1
Ten questions to keep your career on track
Am I making a measurable contribution?
Learning valuable skills?
Responsibilities evolving?
Evidence I’m valued?
Am I being held back? ,

10. Questions to ask yourself, pt 2
Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
Questions to ask yourself, pt 2
Who’s got it better? Where? Why?
Which other role here would I prefer?
Will this company support my evolution?
Is there precedent for taking on a new role?
Would I survive a layoff? ,

11. Becoming the Compelling Candidate, 6/18/2008
Synergistech Communications
For more info...
Please see Synergistech’s Advice pages ,