Applied for the Job I Really Want

So I wrote a cover letter and revised my resume yesterday for the job I really want. Thanks to my peer reviewers, Lindsey, Chris, and Adriane.

It was an electronic application, but I still got to write a traditional cover letter, which is what I really prefer.

And, though they did have a box for cutting and pasting my resume into, they also had an upload Word document option, so I got to use my branded resume. You know, it has my name very large so people will remember me and a font that hopefully captures my professional persona.

I do worry that with a Word document, they will have a different version of Word and things will shift and look messy, or they won't have the same fonts, so it will default to something ugly (nervous smile face). I wish I could have uploaded it in PDF format, but that never happens.

I'm excited, and I really hope I get this job. I do need to keep applying for other things though. It would be very silly to put my eggs all in one basket, especially with such a well-known company that will probably receive hordes of applications.

Productivity--Always Difficult to Define

So I've been pretty productive.

1. I cranked out a miniature crochet object that will remain mysteriously non-descript for now.
2. I have finished the basic form of the bluebird hat for my mom, complete with wing-shaped flaps. I also completed the white portion of one eye.

Well, really that's it, but a lot of time went into those things.

I haven't, however, applied for any jobs this week. I need to. Saturday, I better behave myself and commit to the time consuming process.

I will need to tailor my resume to each job. Research each company and write cover letters. Send it all off. I will probably be forced to fill out some of those tedious and redudant online applications, which are so hard to do well. I really do prefer a quality cover letter and a resume to those online systems. They strip away ones humanity, and really, it's a particular manifestation of humanity that makes a good documentation specialist.

I mean, to write something that communicates important information, you have to be able to get into the shoes of other people. Not everyone is good at that. Documentation specialists need to be attuned to the needs of others to increase communication. I'm not talking empathy here; I'm talking awareness, even logic. A strong sense of the social interworkings that make communication work is necessary.

I guess these systems could work if you're looking at experience, if you're relying on the resume to do all the work. I'm applying for entry-level jobs, the resume can't do all the work. The cover letter has to make the impression, and it's almost impossible to do so in those online structures--at least most that I've seen.

So please, cross your fingers that I don't have to fill out those things. They are not my forte.

Looking for Jobs

I'm not nervous. I mean, I certainly come across a lot of things I am not qualified for, but I come across a lot that I am qualified for. The prospects look promising.

KC is a great city to want to be in if you're looking for a job as a Technical Writer/Documentation Specialist, too. A lot of other cities don't have half as many options. I'm even seeing some positions seeking people with English degrees. Woohoo!

So far, a lot of the jobs are temporary and contract. That's one of the downfalls of looking in the tech writing field. However, I am a smart, efficient, detail-oriented professional. I know from past experience that people will be impressed with my work ethic and quality of work, so even if I move 13 hours away for a contract job, I may end up with a permanent job by the end or at least some productive experience to add to my resume.

It will probably be very competative, but the job I'm the most excited about is with H&R Block. They need someone to produce training documentation and to run trainings. That is my favorite part of my current job, and I think it's something that could be a lot of fun. Being in training is like being central to making an organization a well-oiled machine, and I think proper training and support materials can make a big difference in helping other employees to be happy with what they're doing. Frustration can ruin a workplace, and as a training documenter-editor-provider, I could really help alleviate some workplace frustration.

I dunno--we'll see if I actually have a job in a month-and-a-half when I'm done here, but I really do have a positive outlook. Any other outlook is a waste of time. If anything, seeing Big Cartel hire someone else when I really wanted that job was sad, but when I looked at the website of the person they did hire, I knew why. Her talent was immediately apparent in the web presence she had, and while I know I could have done a very good job, she was clearly going to be absolutely amazing.

If I don't get a job, it's because someone of oustanding caliber did. The only way to respond to that kind of rejection is to seek to be more awesome. Every time I am rejected, I will not whine about the system. Instead, I will review what I have and improve. Then I will try again.

Time to go to work. This evening, the application process begins.