1. Tell your potential employer that even though you don’t know everything about their widgets right now, you love learning new things. In fact, it’s struggling through the learning process that enables you to communicate with their users.

2. Showcase professional pieces in your portfolio that not only show you’re a wiz in robohelp/framemaker, etc, but also show that you solved a problem and achieved a positive outcome for a real world client. If you don’t have these, volunteer to create them on spec for a non-profit organization.

3. Don’t sell yourself short when convincing your employer that writing matters. Make sure your employer knows that strong writing and editing is not just about juggling commas. It’s about organization, understanding your audience, usability, and ultimately creating a satisfying user experience.

4. Don’t be afraid to bring in some fresh ideas. Tell your potential employer about audio/visual/interactive elements that you think would enhance their traditional documentation. Show initiative.

5. Relax and be yourself. If you’re a geek who is passionate about technology, grammar, and the latest trends in communication, then it’ll come through in the interview. Remember that you’re trying to find the perfect fit for you.

That would be a great topic for a post. If you caught the last part of this podcast, Mark really stressed the importance of embracing change. So many technical writers get comfortable with the tools they know and feel threatened or hostile when they’re asked to use something else.

Just for fun, why don’t you tell me what you think are the top 5 ways to impress an employer in an interview for a tech writing job, and then I’ll respond with my comments as well as my own list (and invite others to do the same).

Tom