Getting That First Job: Advice from a Technical Recruiter

By Bernadette Cash

Madalyn Shea is a technical recruiter with Ware Technology Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ware is an employment agency that places technical writing candidates in mostly manufacturing and medical manufacturing settings. I emailed Madalyn, who offered the following advice for those seeking their first technical writing-related job. She can be reached by email at Madelyn.shea@warets.com.

Q: What things do you look for in candidates who are hoping to land their first technical writing/editing job?

I look for a strong verbal communicator. When someone is well spoken, it is usually an indicator that they have strong writing and editing skills. The next thing I look for is a well‑formatted, error‑free résumé. I look for typos, spelling errors, and grammatical mistakes. Your résumé is the first example of writing that your potential employer looks at, so make sure it reflects your skills.

Q: What tips would you give to job seekers about what they should do? Also, what should they not do?

Job seekers should be open to networking and maintaining strong relationships in their field. Technical writing can be a small world, and so many times I’ve seen candidates who land a job fairly quickly because they have established a network they can tap into.

Another tip is to avoid burning bridges with employers or recruiters. Recruiters may know about jobs that aren’t even posted to a company’s website and you never know when a poor reference could harm your chances of a new position. Again, my main tip is to establish your network and take time to develop those relationships.

Q: Any advice about résumé writing? Should candidates have a portfolio to show? If so, what should they include in it?

Résumés that are clear, concise, and detailed stick out the most to hiring managers. I routinely look for the following items:

• A brief summary of your professional experience.
• Goals that highlight personality strengths or tell why you would be a good fit for a certain job.
• 2–5 highly detailed and quantified bullet points that sum up what you did for a previous employer.
• An easy to read font and layout that still has a touch of your personality.

Include dates of employment, education information, and clubs or organizations in which you held leadership roles. However, keep details about leadership roles, internships, or part­­‑time jobs to just 1–3 bullet points each. If you have an online portfolio, website, or blog that relates to your professional goals, include the URL.

Q: Should candidates expect to be given an editing test of some kind?

I typically have not seen an editing test; however, that could be a requirement at some companies.

Q: Any other helpful pointers you would give to candidates?

Be open to opportunities when you first start job searching. Your perfect job may not be out there right away, or you may not be qualified for it yet. Consider different industries, titles, and even contract or freelance opportunities. This can help to get your foot in the door at a company you’ve been targeting, or to develop skills to help land that dream job.

You might even find that your tastes change later and you discover a new dream job to work towards. Contract assignments are also a great way to try out a few different options in case you don’t know what you want to focus on yet or if you’re thinking of switching gears.

Q: Are there any soft skills that new hires should have or develop?

Organization is a soft skill I see that most technical communicators develop or already possess. When boiling down very complex information, it’s important to know the details, prioritize, and of course, meet deadlines. By staying organized, the writing or editing process will be much less complicated and you can work much more efficiently.

Q: Aside from writing and editing well, how else can newly hired people succeed in their jobs?

You can succeed in any job with a positive attitude. Negativity kills your individual motivation and definitely a team’s dynamic. By keeping things positive, you’ll learn to adapt in any environment and succeed regardless of the hurdles you have to overcome. As cliché as it sounds, positivity trickles into every aspect of your life. The same goes for negativity as well.

 

Bernadette Cash is a technical communication graduate student and winner of the 2016 STC Chicago Scholarship. She was motivated to volunteer for the Technical Editing SIG because she enjoyed her technical editing courses. She is eager to learn about the field and volunteers as the Technical Editing SIG as the watercooler chat manager. Contact her at blcash@belomca.com or connect with her on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/belomca.