Yep, still on vacation. But that doesn’t mean I can’t provide useful information in absentia. Today I’ll be reviewing my general approach to people looking to change, improve, or start their career–in technical communication or elsewhere. I’ll be back to posting “live” Thursday.

Job or career hunting need not be painful or difficult. Mind you, I have no control over the employment market or how individual companies choose to hire. What I can offer are some helpful, basic tips for helping you determine what type of job you should pursue and how. My buddy Jason at Zero Point Frontiers likes to keep ideas to no more than five points, so here’s my five-step approach to job hunting:

1. Determine what you enjoy doing and what you’re good at doing.
2. Identify the required skill sets, requirements, or qualifications for that particular line of work and evaluate your experience/education vs. those requirements.
3. Identify any gaps, determine whether you have related or alternative experience that addresses the gaps, or take active steps to fill the gaps through education or other experience.
4. Organize your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience to its best effect (i.e., so that it matches what your prospective employer/customer is looking for).
5. Communicate with your network, let them know specifics about what type of work you’re looking for, and ask if they know who’s hiring (rather than asking someone directly for a job).

Happy hunting!