Skills, strengths, and/or experiences that make the new technical communication graduate “market ready”:
- Internship (paid or non-paid).
- Relevant paying jobs while in school (i.e., school newspaper or other publications).
- Volunteer projects (non-paying)—such as for local church, community, professional organizations.
- Knowledge and/or working experience with some of the more popular authoring tools and/or concepts—such as Adobe Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat); XML-based tools (i.e., content management systems–CMS)
- Any knowledge, awareness, or experience with processes and procedures one would encounter in a tech. comm. setting, such as: global translations, UI and UX, Agile project management, etc.
- Experiences that demonstrate: a) good written and verbal skills, b) problem-solving abilities, c) successful project management, d) good people skills–negotiation and team involvement, e) adaptability, flexibility, creativity, f) the confidence to learn and adapt to any new technology.
In summary, the more of these experiences you accumulate, the stronger your job search