Guest post by Cheryl Landes, STC Associate Fellow and Senior Member, Puget Sound and Boston Chapters
Regardless of the state of the economy, companies hire temporary, or contract, technical communicators. We’re hired to work on special projects, to help during major product releases, to fill in during a regular employee’s absence, or to help a start-up company or new technical communications department set up its documentation processes.
Last year, despite the economic downturn, 2.01 million contract workers were employed daily nationwide, according to the American Staffing Association. In the fourth quarter, sales from contracting employment were $14.5 billion, an increase of 8.6% from the previous quarter. During the quarter, contracting payrolls rose “at nearly four times the rate of overall employment in the U.S. economy.”* And the demand is expected to continue to grow.
Staffing agencies place most contract employees in these assignments, which can last from a month to a year or more, depending on the client’s needs. Contracts are often extended. For example, my current contract was scheduled for one month. Three months later, I am still working there, and it appears that I will continue through the end of the year.
Since 1995, I have worked as a technical communications contractor through a variety of agencies for several companies, ranging from Microsoft to start-ups in the Northeast. Contracting is rewarding for me, because I’m constantly learning something new. During my last two Microsoft contracts, I learned how to use SharePoint, which is becoming a popular content management tool. On my current contract for a client that manufactures electrical metering systems, I am learning how to use Adobe Captivate to create tutorials for customers.
How do technical communicators land contracts through agencies? What types of contractual arrangements exist? What’s it like to work as a contractor? I will answer these questions and more on Tuesday, March 16, in my webinar, “Working with Contract Agencies” [see the link for a full description and to register]. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you!