Are you looking for technical writing work in Seattle? Check out these tips.
- Update your LinkedIn profile. Emphasize your availability and highlight your skills. Make your profile publicly visible. If you’re just starting out in the field, I highly recommend adding samples to your profile.
- While you’re at it, go ahead and update your profiles on other social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
- Reach out to local staffing agencies. Ask your coworkers which ones they can recommend. Some agencies I can recommend include Steyer & Associates, Linda Werner & Associates, and Writing Assistance, Inc.
- Tell your friends and family that you’re looking. You might be surprised what connections pop up!
- Network, network, network! You know that saying: If you’re not networking, you’re not working. Attend meetings at the Puget Sound chapter of Society for Technical Communication (STC). Join the TECHWR-L email list. Check out Digital Eve Seattle.
- Set up daily job alerts on dice, monster, indeed, linkup, and other job search sites. Make sure your latest resume is uploaded.
Okay, so you’ve put in the time to implement these tips, and now you have a job lead. You heard about a technical writer position opening up at a software company in Seattle. What do you do?
- Search LinkedIn for contacts who work at that company or with that staffing agency. Ask them how they like it. Ask them if they could serve as a reference, or perhaps bring your resume to the human resources department there.
- Is the job lead with a staffing agency? Be specific about needs: rate range, support for telecommuting, etc.
- Prepare for your interview. See these great tips by a technical writer in the Rocky Mountain chapter of STC.
Good luck!
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