On Your Career Path

by Louise Tincher

On January 17, the Southwestern Ohio chapter met in the Brethren Hall at the Beavercreek Church of the Brethren. The program was a Job Progression, where speakers at different tables made short presentations about job topics, and chapter members switched tables and topics every 15-20 minutes.

Resumes
Rebecca Forrest, Forrest Design LLC

Rebecca Forrest owns Forrest Design LLC, providing services in communication and instruction services. She has more than 20 years' experience in technical communication, with emphasis on information structure and design, proofreading and editing, customized training, policy documentation, procedures writing, technical reports, software documentation, and proposals. She has worked primarily for the high-tech, GIS, and DOD industries but also has experience editing textbooks. Her skill has been recognized by a dozen publication awards and standing-room-only audiences at national, regional, and local conferences and workshops.

• Handout: Resumes for Success, her resume as an example
• Notes: Proof-read, proof-read, proof-read again. Invest the time and effort to develop a killer resume. Make every word count. Make it letter perfect. A single mistake could put your resume in the reject pile.

Cover and Thank You Letters
Mark Sisson, University of Dayton

Mark Sisson is Associate Director for Career Advising at the University of Dayton. In addition to career advising for undergrads, graduate students, and alumni, Mark works extensively with first-year students. He acts as a liaison to the Counseling Center, International Programs, and many Arts and Sciences majors. Before coming to UD, he was a secondary social studies teacher and is an active musician.

• Handouts: Sample Cover Letters
• Notes: Keep cover letters to one page. Omit the salutation if you don't have a specific addressee name. Focus on the job requirements. Include any personal links to the company. Mention something about the company that is not in the job ad. Always send individual thank you notes to each interviewer. These can be handwritten notes or formal letters. Reiterate your qualifications and interest; include anything that you left out of the interview.

Interviewing Skills
Bob Miller, O'Neil and Associates

Bob Miller is a long-time employee of O'Neil and Associates, a Dayton company that employs approximately 100 technical writers. Bob is the Manager of Human Resources for the company and has extensive experiences in reviewing resumes, selecting candidates, and interviewing them.

• Handout: Traditional Interview vs. Behavioral Interview,
  Interview Questions
• Notes: Preparation is the key to a successful interview. Do your homework on the company and the interviewer(s). Use company websites, the Internet and business news for research. Show interest through knowledge of the company that is not included in the job description and pre-interview materials. Establish rapport through common links (friends, co-workers, schools, interests). Let interviewers know that you are a person they want on their team.

Portfolios
Sandi Harner, Cedarville University

Sandi Harner is Professor of Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) at Cedarville University. She developed the TPC program in 1984 and has since served as its director. In 2001, the Society of Technical Communication (STC) named her a Fellow, and in 1996, she received STC's Jay R. Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching Technical Communication. Professor Harner served for eight years on the STC Board of Directors as the Assistant to the President for Academic and Research Programs. She currently serves on STC's Industry/Academic Leadership Summit, where she is helping to create the Body of Knowledge for the profession of technical communication. She co- authored Technical Marketing Communication published by Allyn & Bacon/Longman in 2002.

• Handout: None
• Notes: Sandi and several of her students reviewed their portfolios for us. (I'm sure that Sandi can provide their names.) They were very impressive. The work addressed fictional and real-world technical communication assignments. It ranged from marketing pieces to user manuals.

Job Search Techniques and Skills
Chris Wiley, University of Dayton

Chris Wiley has been with Career Services at the University of Dayton since 1994 and is the Associate Director for Employer Relations and IT. She acts as liaison to the School of Engineering and Alumni Relations. She has also served on the Leadership UD Development Team and continues to facilitate workshops for Leadership UD. With Mark Sisson, she has conducted research and made presentations on the use of Facebook software by students and employers.

• Handout: Job Strategy Guide
• Notes: UD's Career Services Office has seen an increase in employer queries for experienced candidates. Employers want to avoid the avalanche of resumes they receive from Internet job ads. The alumni connection provides candidates with credibility. Start your job search at your alma mater. If they are not local, ask about reciprocal alumni services with area schools. Many colleges and universities have reciprocal agreements for providing alumni career services.