Its not what you know, but who apparently.

I got a job offer today. It was hand-delivered by my aunt who works in the human resources of the INL. Yes, the old addage its not what you know but who that counts.

I will be working with the engineers. As an engineering technical writer. I will be the prescedent. The first techncial writer hired who didn't have an engineering degree but an actual technical writing degree. (You mean hiring engineers to write makes them want to quit after a year is a *bad* idea but hiring people who actually want to write is a *good* idea?)

I interviewed for this job back in June. I was told in the begining of August they were going to extend an offer, but they needed a million people to sign off on it. Then two weeks later talk to my aunt again and she says technically new position so some mucky muck had them go back to corporate headquarters, define the new position, make sure that it was acceptable to hire me for the position of technical writer and then start the signature process again.

Once all of the signatures were in, they had to check my references (who knew?) and they couldn't get a hold of one of them. So my aunt calls me yesterday and says: can't get ahold of one of your references. So I e-mail Kelli, beg and plead her to be a reference, she graciously agrees, I call my aunt back give her Kelli's contact info, they call her same day leave a message, then this morning they get a hold of her. My aunt says Kelli was the perfect reference so that if they decide to hire more tech writers out of USU, they're gonna contact her to spread the word.

So in my hand i have a letter that stars out The Bettis Atomic Power Laborartoy is pleased to extend an offer of employment as an Associate Engineering Writer ....