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Learning what the Natives know — Researching your Target Market "Coming up to speed" on new technology is the most marketable skill of a Silicon Valley technical communicator. Hiring managers here know that whomever they hire will have to do a lot of learning very quickly. Too often those managers disregard candidates' proven ability to learn under pressure, and their core communications skills, in favor of the person's relevant subject-matter knowledge. Being able to learn quickly does not give you license, however, to forego doing a substantial amount of homework in advance. Q: How can you stay competitive with Dr. Science (who will always know more than you do)? A: Read the trade press, take classes, obtain appropriate certifications, network with people already working for similar companies, attend webinars, make Wikipedia your home page ... even ask recruiters. Then, even if you can't read the company's favorite programming language or have never seen their product, claim credit on your resume for being "literate about" the technology's concepts and the audience to which the company sells. For extra credit, once you're somewhat conversant with the new subject, identify a current news item or relevant technical topic that's causing consternation in the industry — and ask your interviewers for their perspective. You'll be amazed at how much more they respect you. Here's a starting point on your eternal quest to stay up-to-speed: Technical Trade Periodicals
Technical Trade Book Publishers Online Training in Geekie Technology
Technical Terminology
Thesauri, Dictionaries, Style Guides, Writing Advice, and Technical Product Doc Sets
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