Hi Dick, Thanks for all the good advice. This experience has taught me one thing (and having never been unemployed before, it took going through it to figure it out), I shouldn't have waited so long to start my job search. I was so sure one of the other things was going to pan out, but now, I need a job. I have been applying for many different types of positions, based on the varied experience I've had in my past couple of jobs, from technical writer to graphic designer, trainer to managing editor, CAD to sales positions. I even applied for a news producer position because of a combination of things I did producing a radio broadcast for my church and work I did a few years ago with the local independent film festival.
I have been advertising on Google AdWords. I have not previously included any of my personal business information in my sig line here because I didn't think that was appropriate for the list owner to do. But a friend from the list suggested off-line that I could use a separate email address for ADMIN postings, and only include my personal stuff in non-ADMIN emails. Seems like a good idea to me, so my sig line will follow this email. :) I have business cards for my computer services/training company, for TCP, i3D Everywhere, and HAT-Matrix (I do sales for them), and hand them out to anyone I meet that might use them (or who might know someone who might use them). I am quite willing to take a job in an unrelated field. I waitressed for several months in the past year, and found that I enjoyed it very much. If I'd made as much as I did at my day job, I would have done it full time! For personal reasons, I will only be able to do desk-type jobs for the next six weeks or so. After that, working a non-tech job isn't beneath my dignity. And now for the sig line (you asked for it! *grin*), Lisa Gielczyk ~rhymes with spellcheck~ TechCommPros email list, website, wiki: http://www.techcommpros.com/ Interactive 3D Documentation: http://www.i3deverywhere.com/ Computer Support and Training: http://www.GuruGielczyk.bravehost.com/ Looking for a HAT? http://www.hat-matrix.com/ Need a translator? http://www.tls-matrix.com/ On 7/31/07, Dick Margulis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Lisa Gielczyk (TCP) wrote: > > > > I'm open for contracting if anyone knows of anything, and own Word and > > FrameMaker. Something will come up, I know. It's just a matter of > > time. > > > > Lisa, > > Admittedly, I have not been following the blow-by-blow description of > your efforts to date, nor am I quite sure what business you spent all > that time writing a plan for, so some of this may cover old ground... > > 1. Transferable skills > > The last time I drew a paycheck as a computer programmer was when I had > a summer job during college, in 1965. But that, combined with only > limited exposure to PCs and some obsolete work experience in the > printing industry, a few hours of PageMaker experience on my own > account, and a few writing credits got me my first tech writing job in > 1993. The last time I was fired, in 2004, I decided I was tired of being > fired and tired of working in cubicles; so I decided to go into business > for myself. I assumed I would mostly be doing contract tech writing. > Guess again. The bulk of what I do is editing and book production for > self-publishing authors. > > In other words, think about the skills you have and the industries where > they might be applicable other than the ones you've already worked in. > Include avocational skills, too. What do you know how to do because of > living life, rather than because you took a course or had a job doing > it? Do people admire your garden? Maybe you could design gardens. Do > people love your parties? Maybe you could be a caterer or a wedding planner. > > 2. It pays to advertise > > I don't see a link to your Web site after your signature. I don't see a > link to your blog after your signature. Where is your Web presence? And > how do you drive visitors to your site? I recently suspended my Google > AdWords account because those ads brought me enough work that I don't > need to attract any more clients right now. Yes, I spent a bunch of > money to get those clients, but it was money well spent. And if my > backlog drops, I'll spend it again. Meanwhile, I keep getting new blog > visitors, and occasionally they become clients--and that's free. > > 3. Dignity of work > > Working is better than not working. And all kinds of work experience are > valuable in some way. You'll learn more about customer service working > behind a deli counter, for example, than you'll ever learn working in > any capacity in a software company. You'll learn more about consumer > psychology selling cars or magazine subscriptions than you will from any > textbook. There are lessons to be learned on factory jobs, construction > jobs, and all kinds of other jobs. Are they what you want to do for the > rest of your life--or even the rest of the year? Probably not, but take > what you can get when you can get it, and then keep working on the > long-term plan. > > That's it for my attitude adjustment lecture. Take what you want from it > and leave the rest for someone else ;-) > > Dick > http://www.dmargulis.com/ > http://ampersandvirgule.blogspot.com/ > > ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. 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