Things have been turning up. I accepted a short-term contract that will get some money in the door and I have a couple of places interested in me as a response to an application, though no followups other than initial cotact as of yet. So we'll see.

I am on LinkedIn and I get messaged by recruiters all of the time... how I got this short-term contract.

The reality is right now we'rer all working remotely... and when you work remotely, your competition is world-wide. Now, technical writing in English means most people will hire a native English speaker, but therer's tens of thousands of technical writers around, and perhaps a tenth of those not yet employed. So competition is fierce.

But even though the contract is six weeeks, it will be nice to get some money coming in!

 

I hope you can keep your head above water. I was unemployed for 6 months back in '12, it was sudden and unexpected. I turned my hobbies into money and sold off a bunch of stuff that I had collected over the years and it sustained me- I kept my house, my cars (daily & my vintage) and didn't starve. After it was all over got rid of stuff I really felt no atterchment to, and I don't miss any of it.

I take that back, the only thing I sold off that I miss was a complete 1965 Linhof Technika kit (large format camera) in the factory case with every accessory made for it. It took me 3 years to source every part and the effort I put into assembling it was what killed me selling it. But someone through the photo world knew someone else that was interested and he offered me $3k cash for it...hard to turn that down when you have no income.

 

I had a habit of buying a lot of thiings I didn't need... this has changed over the past six months. I've already looked at a number of things I might have bought and... didn't.

 

I’m aware this answer comes a bit late, but for others who might have the same question. I'm sorry to hear you're struggling to find a job in technical writing. I'm sure you'll find something soon, but in the meantime, I think it might be worth considering an alternative career position.

 

Given the fact that the OP recently passed away, it's hard to imagine a first post that is in worse taste.

 

I was prepared to defend the new member Dan, but since you always appear very wise I gave it some thought and this is a very strange first post indeed. Especially when you consider that the thread about Tom’s passing is still on page 7.

@AlexanderFranc please read this.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/member-skunkprince-has-passed-away.155932/

 

Right. Even if Tom were still around to read this response, the "advice" is completely unhelpful (and patronizing, in fact) in the context of this very old thread, to say the least.

If the new member isn't simply trolling, he might want to make a fresh start with an intro thread elsewhere.

 

Egads, what a bizarre way to make an entrance. I'm going to go join a technical writing forum and make my first post an unhelpful critique of someone's watch collection.

 

Wow this this is the thread that got me and Tom talking more frequently as my wife’s place was posting a technical writer position and we were trying to find it. I think he ended up finding something solid before we located the official posting. Another one of those “kind a hit me a bit” when I saw it. Damn that was 2020. I was trying to remember. Tom had no need to switch fields unless he was burnt out and wished to do so. He was good at what he did just hit a rough patch and who the hec doesn’t.

 

My only conversations with him were about this thread. Some companies in my line of work have technical writers on staff. But it was not the same type of technical writing he practiced, so I was able to help with any leads.

 

Oh man ... I see this at the top and my heart fluttered a bit ... and now I'm a grown man about to cry the day before his own birthday lamenting the passing of his internet watch nerd friend.