It’s All About Networking

At first glance, Craig didn’t think technical writing would be his kind of thing.

After growing up in Buffalo (NY), serving in the US Army working as a photographer/photojournalist, and earning a degree in public information journalism, Craig took a technical writing class in Portland, OR.

"When I finished my class, I realized that I enjoyed technical writing and had a knack for it," he says. "I was working as a Fedex courier, and one of my regular stops was a software company. Out of desperation, I asked them if they ever hired  technical writers. The person I asked gave me the card of the technical writing manager, and I ended up with a one-year internship."

Craig was hooked. He moved to the San Francisco Bay area, and write user  documentation for medical hardware and software companies, most notably a manual for a hemodialysis machine.

Re-settling in Cincinnati

Craig’s last place of employment in San Francisco was at Oracle. After leaving Oracle and working several contracts here and there, Craig says  "My landlord served notice he was getting divorced and wanted his town home back. Then my sister (who lives in Cincinnati taking taking care of their elderly father) called me for help with Dad. Since I was thinking about leaving the Bay Area anyway, I thought ‘Now is the time.’"

In November, Craig left San Francisco for the Tri-State area. As a contract writer until the end of April, he produced user documentation for a Dayton company that manufactures large scale industrial water treatment systems.

"The assignment turned out to be pretty good. I actually wrote a software application at this place–a touch-screen user interface for a program that controls all the treatment systems. That shows that I am a well-rounded writer and a quick learner. Just show me the design docs and give me access to the SME."

Now that the contract has ended, he’s in the job market again with some very specific job requirements. "When I look at a contract or job opportunity," he says, "I consider three things:  money, learning opportunities, and fun working environment."

Craig’s Job-Search Strategy

• "It’s all about networking. When people with really good credentials and experience do nothing but send out resumes on the Internet, they’re sending them down a cyber black hole."
• "STC is really helpful. with networking. You’re with other people who are serious writers and they can usually spot the real McCoy from the fraud. These are the first people who will hear about a job, and they may recommend you, or at least inform you."
• "I also look in the usual places: DICE, HotJobs, Monster. You have to basically upload your resume and repost it every three weeks, so you move up to the top of the queue."
• He expects to be successful.