Comments on: A Career in Technical Writing: Amanda http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/ Writing Career Center Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:00:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Michael from Technical Recruiters http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-222179 Michael from Technical Recruiters Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:24:07 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-222179 Hey John I love the fact that eStamps thought that they could just drag their feet for nearly two months and cut their offer, and then the technical recruiter is actually shocked that you didn't jump and down and fall for the bait. I hate it when recruiting companies to this. There's a lot of good ones out there, but also a lot of ones like this where you question their motives and thinking. Now I try and rate them for a living but it's hard - you never know when one of them is a basketcase like that unless you get a complaint from an actual customer. Best of luck with your new job in Tucson. -Mike <abbr><em>Michael from Technical Recruiterss last blog post..<a href="http://www.technicalrecruiters.org/?p=69" rel="nofollow">About Sales Specific Technical Recruitments</a></abbr></em> Hey John I love the fact that eStamps thought that they could just drag their feet for nearly two months and cut their offer, and then the technical recruiter is actually shocked that you didn’t jump and down and fall for the bait. I hate it when recruiting companies to this. There’s a lot of good ones out there, but also a lot of ones like this where you question their motives and thinking. Now I try and rate them for a living but it’s hard – you never know when one of them is a basketcase like that unless you get a complaint from an actual customer. Best of luck with your new job in Tucson.

-Mike

Michael from Technical Recruiterss last blog post..About Sales Specific Technical Recruitments

]]> By: John Hewitt http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-214953 John Hewitt Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:29:05 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-214953 Thank you for the corroboration Marc. I haven't done any corp-to-corp work. It sounds like an interesting arena to be working in. Thank you for the corroboration Marc. I haven’t done any corp-to-corp work. It sounds like an interesting arena to be working in.

]]> By: Marc C. DiGiuseppe http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-214928 Marc C. DiGiuseppe Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:11:46 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-214928 Gee Whiz! John, I guess you could call it par for the course! "Amandas" call me two and three times a week. I work for a great little documentation management company in my home state. Part of my daily assignment is to "review the queue" for Corp-to-Corp contract business. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff the recruiters tell me. I politely listen to their pitch, then I ask them three questions: Where is the assignment? What is the contract period? What is the rate? If they don't meet my criteria on all three, I turn them down. You have to make a living and you can't do that underwriting someone else's speculation. Some of them call back and try the old sales pitch on me ("They never say no."). But, my employer allows me to make that judgement call because I've been a process analyst and technical writer for nearly 30 years now. To tell you the truth, during hard times, I've pumped gas and repaired lawn mower engines before working at my profession for less than my market value. W-2 contracting was always a good way to start up again after a lean period. I guess, from my perspective, they're just kids trying to turn a buck. Poor dears; they'll learn, eventually. You are to be commended for "hanging tough." When anyone compromises your apparent value, you work for "free" to some extent. Under these circumstances, your employer can't really appreciate the fact that you have any value at all. Gee Whiz! John, I guess you could call it par for the course! “Amandas” call me two and three times a week. I work for a great little documentation management company in my home state. Part of my daily assignment is to “review the queue” for Corp-to-Corp contract business. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff the recruiters tell me. I politely listen to their pitch, then I ask them three questions: Where is the assignment? What is the contract period? What is the rate? If they don’t meet my criteria on all three, I turn them down. You have to make a living and you can’t do that underwriting someone else’s speculation.

Some of them call back and try the old sales pitch on me (“They never say no.”). But, my employer allows me to make that judgement call because I’ve been a process analyst and technical writer for nearly 30 years now.

To tell you the truth, during hard times, I’ve pumped gas and repaired lawn mower engines before working at my profession for less than my market value. W-2 contracting was always a good way to start up again after a lean period. I guess, from my perspective, they’re just kids trying to turn a buck. Poor dears; they’ll learn, eventually.

You are to be commended for “hanging tough.” When anyone compromises your apparent value, you work for “free” to some extent. Under these circumstances, your employer can’t really appreciate the fact that you have any value at all.

]]> By: John Hewitt http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-212523 John Hewitt Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:55:56 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-212523 Thank you Nick. I've gotten plenty of jobs through recruiters, and I could keep telling the stories for days. When I asked one recruiter if the company could raise it's offer, she called back an hour later to ask me what she had done wrong. I tried to tell her, isn't personal, its a business negotiation. I don't hate you, I just want to see if I can get a better offer. Another recruiter refused to tell me what company he represented, but insisted that I tell him what companies I had applications at (so that we wouldn't overlap). When I refused to be submitted for the job, he called me back three more times to have the exact same argument with me. I eventually had to screen my calls. Thank you Nick. I’ve gotten plenty of jobs through recruiters, and I could keep telling the stories for days.

When I asked one recruiter if the company could raise it’s offer, she called back an hour later to ask me what she had done wrong. I tried to tell her, isn’t personal, its a business negotiation. I don’t hate you, I just want to see if I can get a better offer.

Another recruiter refused to tell me what company he represented, but insisted that I tell him what companies I had applications at (so that we wouldn’t overlap). When I refused to be submitted for the job, he called me back three more times to have the exact same argument with me. I eventually had to screen my calls.

]]> By: Nick Corcodilos http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-212515 Nick Corcodilos Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:41:07 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-212515 John, Great example of how greenhorn "headhunters" can destroy a career. My compliments on talking directly to the hiring manager at the end. You may not realize it, but you just made a friend. And the headhunter probably lost a client, or at least his respect. Liked it so much, I added the link to the comments in my blog: http://corcodilos.com/blog/66/aim-aim-aim-shoot-foot. Same topic, different story. Nick Corcodiloss last blog post..<a href="http://corcodilos.com/blog/66/aim-aim-aim-shoot-foot" rel="nofollow">Aim, aim, aim, shoot foot</a> John,

Great example of how greenhorn “headhunters” can destroy a career. My compliments on talking directly to the hiring manager at the end. You may not realize it, but you just made a friend. And the headhunter probably lost a client, or at least his respect.

Liked it so much, I added the link to the comments in my blog: http://corcodilos.com/blog/66/aim-aim-aim-shoot-foot. Same topic, different story.

Nick Corcodiloss last blog post..Aim, aim, aim, shoot foot

]]> By: Lillie Ammann http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-212402 Lillie Ammann Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:38:10 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-212402 John, Your job exploits are addictive. I keep coming back wanting to know what going to happen. I've always either owned my own business or freelanced for a number of clients so what you've gone through is outside my experience. John,
Your job exploits are addictive. I keep coming back wanting to know what going to happen. I’ve always either owned my own business or freelanced for a number of clients so what you’ve gone through is outside my experience.

]]> By: John Hewitt http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-212352 John Hewitt Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:15:58 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-212352 Thank you for the responses Craig. I'ge gotten a lot of jobs through recruiters. In fact, there has been only one job in the past ten years that I didn't get through a recruiter. I got that one through friends, but I still worked through an agency. I just knew I had the job before I even approached them. Thank you for the responses Craig. I’ge gotten a lot of jobs through recruiters. In fact, there has been only one job in the past ten years that I didn’t get through a recruiter. I got that one through friends, but I still worked through an agency. I just knew I had the job before I even approached them.

]]> By: Craig http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-212280 Craig Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:13:59 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-212280 Answers to the questions: What experiences have you had with recruiters? None with technical writing recruiters. The experiences I've had with programming recruiters have not been fruitful. I still landed my own jobs. What is the longest period you’ve ever had to wait between an interview and a job offer? It was quite a wait. It was at least two weeks, if not a month. I was sure I was going to get an offer. I did get the offer and I took it. One reason? This was during the tech bubble burst. I had no other offers. I was still programming and the pundits were predicting the end of tech. Have you ever had to personally turn down an employer? No. Answers to the questions:

What experiences have you had with recruiters?

None with technical writing recruiters. The experiences I’ve had with programming recruiters have not been fruitful. I still landed my own jobs.

What is the longest period you’ve ever had to wait between an interview and a job offer?

It was quite a wait. It was at least two weeks, if not a month. I was sure I was going to get an offer. I did get the offer and I took it. One reason? This was during the tech bubble burst. I had no other offers. I was still programming and the pundits were predicting the end of tech.

Have you ever had to personally turn down an employer?

No.

]]> By: John Hewitt http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-211938 John Hewitt Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:39:48 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-211938 @ JoniB What can i say? It was the end of a two-month relationship. @ JoniB

What can i say? It was the end of a two-month relationship.

]]> By: JoniB http://www.poewar.com/a-career-in-technical-writing-amanda/comment-page-1/#comment-211874 JoniB Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:21:01 +0000 http://www.poewar.com/?p=4349#comment-211874 John, I'm amazed you didn't hang up on Amanda. She was totally unprofessional and sounds like a real nut case to boot. John, I’m amazed you didn’t hang up on Amanda. She was totally unprofessional and sounds like a real nut case to boot.

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