I was a member of the student chapter of STC while in college. About a year after I graduated, I was asked back by the chapter to give a presentation on the "first year" in the tech writing industry.
I covered the following basic areas: - My background (how I got into techwriting) - Making the transition from student to full-time TW - Creating a writing portfolio - Creating a great resume - Applying for that first job - The job interview / interviewing tips Then I helped them look at their resumes /portfolios and pointed out good things and a few things I thought they could improve to help sell themselves better as a technical writer. The presentation was fun. I did get asked about compensation, and I was able to give them a range of possible salaries for the area. But I'll be honest, nobody I know majored in English because they thought the money was good. Now, three years after college, I'm making more than I really thought possible with an English degree--and I'm sure its less than many of you make! :) But a smart counselor once told me that there is always room at the top of every industry. So I keep improving myself and climbing the ladder. Anyway, good luck with the presentation. Hope it goes well. ----- Paul Pehrson Midvale, UT www.paulpehrson.com blog.paulpehrson.com _______________________________________________ Are you a Help Authoring Trainer or Consultant? Let clients find you at www.HAT.Matrix.com, the searchable HAT database based on Char James-Tanny's HAT Comparison Matrix. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details. Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com -- your 3D documentation community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals To post a message to the list, send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com or, via email, send a blank message [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit the TCP site at http://www.techcommpros.com To find out more about the list, including archives and your account options, visit http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com If you need assistance with the list, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
