In an earlier blog entry about marketing oneself in the 2009 job market, I suggested creating a blog to showcase one’s talents. That was my primary intention in starting this blog (though it has gained additional value for me; namely, I do like to write and post my photos). The blog was also a vehicle to keep my job board and social networking profiles current – such as the LinkedIn “What are you working on now” feature and The Content Wrangler Community blog feature.
Today I read an interesting article from late 2007 entitled Reporter vs Expert - Why Most Bloggers Are Stuck Reporting by Yaro Starak. I’ve grappled with this: I have no particular interest in reporting what is going on elsewhere as that is being done by many others, my political opinions are best kept to myself, and anyway, the purpose of my blog is to showcase my expertise. So what exactly is my expertise and how do I demonstrate it? From Starak's article:
As fellow tech writers know, there are many components comprising a valuable documentation specialist:
--Gifted researcher
--Doggedness
--Great organizational skill
--Punctiliousness
--Expert in standard authoring and image editing tools
--Agility in written communication
--The ability to take something complicated and make it simple
--The ability to take something simple and make it complicated
And so on.
In my particular line of work, most people are only interested in the final product, not how you got there. Fellow professionals may want to know whether it’s authored in RoboHelp, Flare, FrameMaker or Word, but if a layman likes the graphic and asks what program, his eyes glaze over when I try to describe what Visio does.
For me the answer comes in just writing. If you've read any of my blog entries, you will see that from time to time I espouse professional observations (perhaps resembling what Starak calls pillar articles). But just like those who really don't want to read only authoring tool discussions, I don't particularly want to niche myself into a corner. Thus I also write about music, where my dad grew up, and hopefully soon, I will be able to feature other guest authors whose work, minds and/or writing I admire.
So if you are blogging as a showcase for your talent, become useful by producing pillar articles, go the freebie route (provide free templates or helpful tips and tricks in your field of expertise) or think hard about your particular talent and find a way to demonstrate it. Remember that you are indeed an expert.
On the Contract Technical Writing Job Front
Ordinarily in January there is little more than a trickle of contract tech writing positions as companies regroup after the holidays, shaking off the amnesia brought on by too much time off, scratching heads about projects already hopelessly behind target, and grappling with new fiscal year budgets. Having been through this “extended” holiday season more than once, it is often February before any substantial contracts surface and recruiters start to call or email.
Not to state the obvious, but this year has been different. Here we are at the end of March, and only this week have I begun to see any promising technical writing contracts offered on the internet technical job boards. Yes, there have been a handful of full time employee positions offered all along, but I’m talking contract work requiring the typical tech writer portfolio of skills – in other words, projects that don't require top-secret clearance, projects that don't require the “I’ve never heard of that and apparently neither has anyone else” tool that sit unfilled for a month or more. It’s been long enough that the “tech writing has been a good gig but maybe I ought to find something else to do” thought has niggled itself into my awareness more than once.
However, to ye of little hope let me say that my blog strategy has worked!
As I write this I am awaiting the contract for my second freelance project this month, as a direct result of someone reading this blog. Yes, that’s right – as a direct result of reading my blog. She read, she liked, she hired. Simple as that.
So start that blog. If you build it they will come.
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Today I read an interesting article from late 2007 entitled Reporter vs Expert - Why Most Bloggers Are Stuck Reporting by Yaro Starak. I’ve grappled with this: I have no particular interest in reporting what is going on elsewhere as that is being done by many others, my political opinions are best kept to myself, and anyway, the purpose of my blog is to showcase my expertise. So what exactly is my expertise and how do I demonstrate it? From Starak's article:
Most people fail to become experts (or perceived as experts) because they don’t leverage what they already know. Every person who lives a life learns things as they go, takes action every day and knows something about something. The reason why they never become an expert is because they choose not to (which is fine for some, not everyone wants to be an expert), but if your goal is to blog your way to expertise and leave the world of reporting behind you have to start teaching and doing so by leveraging real experience.
Experience can come from what you do today and what you have done previously; you just need to take enough steps to demonstrate what you already know and what you are presently learning along your journey. I know so many people in my life, who are experts simply by virtue of the life they have lived, yet they are so insecure about what they know, they never commit their knowledge to words for fear of…well fear.
As fellow tech writers know, there are many components comprising a valuable documentation specialist:
--Gifted researcher
--Doggedness
--Great organizational skill
--Punctiliousness
--Expert in standard authoring and image editing tools
--Agility in written communication
--The ability to take something complicated and make it simple
--The ability to take something simple and make it complicated
And so on.
In my particular line of work, most people are only interested in the final product, not how you got there. Fellow professionals may want to know whether it’s authored in RoboHelp, Flare, FrameMaker or Word, but if a layman likes the graphic and asks what program, his eyes glaze over when I try to describe what Visio does.
For me the answer comes in just writing. If you've read any of my blog entries, you will see that from time to time I espouse professional observations (perhaps resembling what Starak calls pillar articles). But just like those who really don't want to read only authoring tool discussions, I don't particularly want to niche myself into a corner. Thus I also write about music, where my dad grew up, and hopefully soon, I will be able to feature other guest authors whose work, minds and/or writing I admire.
So if you are blogging as a showcase for your talent, become useful by producing pillar articles, go the freebie route (provide free templates or helpful tips and tricks in your field of expertise) or think hard about your particular talent and find a way to demonstrate it. Remember that you are indeed an expert.
On the Contract Technical Writing Job Front
Ordinarily in January there is little more than a trickle of contract tech writing positions as companies regroup after the holidays, shaking off the amnesia brought on by too much time off, scratching heads about projects already hopelessly behind target, and grappling with new fiscal year budgets. Having been through this “extended” holiday season more than once, it is often February before any substantial contracts surface and recruiters start to call or email.
Not to state the obvious, but this year has been different. Here we are at the end of March, and only this week have I begun to see any promising technical writing contracts offered on the internet technical job boards. Yes, there have been a handful of full time employee positions offered all along, but I’m talking contract work requiring the typical tech writer portfolio of skills – in other words, projects that don't require top-secret clearance, projects that don't require the “I’ve never heard of that and apparently neither has anyone else” tool that sit unfilled for a month or more. It’s been long enough that the “tech writing has been a good gig but maybe I ought to find something else to do” thought has niggled itself into my awareness more than once.
However, to ye of little hope let me say that my blog strategy has worked!
As I write this I am awaiting the contract for my second freelance project this month, as a direct result of someone reading this blog. Yes, that’s right – as a direct result of reading my blog. She read, she liked, she hired. Simple as that.
So start that blog. If you build it they will come.
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