No Kidding!

It's really ironic.

I learned last week that John, my neighbor, began a new job at Businessolver. He said that Businessolver are in the same "space" as where he was working (Mercer). Recently, Businessolver opened an office in Iowa City 2 doors down from Mercer. He said that Businessolver had begun to "poach" his co-workers at Mercer but he hadn't really been interested in Businessolver until they offered him a salary that was 30% over what he was making at Mercer. I have no idea what John's salary was at Mercer or is now at Businessolver, so I'm just randomly choosing $50000 as the salary he was making at Mercer. Add 30% of $50000 and you get $15000. Add $15000 to $50000 and you get $65000. That's one great salary bump!

A brief side note: I suck at negotiating salaries.

1. At my first technical writing job, I was offered $17500 by John Millard as a starting salary and I countered with $18000, which became my salary. Millard told me that I would have to work "extra hard" for that $500.
2. Fast forward to when I was offered my Pearson job. I had a number in mind and when the HR person said what they wanted to offer me, it was $10000 HIGHER than the number I had in mind. I couldn't speak and accepted.
3. When I was offered my current job, there was no room to negotiate on salary so, thinking quickly, I asked to have 3 monitors at my desk. I remembered I had wanted to have 3 monitors at my Pearson desk, but was told the laptop I had wouldn't support a third monitor. It had been mentioned that a new laptop would be ordered for me so I said, "Can the laptop that is ordered have the capability to have 3 monitors?" I still remember walking to my cubicle the first time and seeing 3 monitors, which I LOVE!

Back to the subject, John and I were talking on Sunday night and I said to him, as he was walking away, if you hear they need a technical writer to work part-time, off-site, remote, let me know. Now, today, I noticed this ad, which is not new - it has been on Indeed.com since Saturday, September 23, 2017, 24 days ago. Hey, that's the day my oldest niece, Emily, got married in Davenport! Again, back to the subject, the job is for a full-time position and wants a minimum of 1+ years' experience as a technical writer. I was hired at that aforementioned first technical writing job on Friday, February 10, 1995 - a whopping 22 years, 8 months, 1 week (8285 days) back in time.

A brief side note: I will be a technical writer for 10000 days on June 28, 2022, which is 4 years, 8 months, 1 week, 4 days (or 1715 days) from today, when I am 52 years, 6 months, 3 weeks, 3 days (19199 days) old. It will be 27 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, 4 days as a technical writer.

Here is the job I saw:

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Technical Writer

Businessolver 23 reviews - Des Moines, IA

Businessolver delivers market-changing benefits administration technology supported by an intrinsic and unwavering responsiveness to client needs. Our clients trust Businessolver to take care of them and their employees with a configurable and secure SaaS platform and a culture of service, all aimed at total and measurable success and our clients’ complete delight.

We work with some of the most recognizable brands in the U.S. We look to our rock-star employees to help these clients maximize the investment in their benefits program, minimize their exposure to risk, engage their employees with our easy-to-use solution and full suite of communication tools, and empower their employees to use their benefits wisely.

At Businessolver you will have opportunities to Trust through transparency. Assume positive intent. Be real. Live a growth attitude. Embrace the reverse golden rule.

The Technical Writer role plays an integral part in communicating our high-tech services and educating our internal stakeholders and our clients on new enhancement to our product. Our ideal candidate is an excellent written communicator, enjoys learning and applying new knowledge, is adept with understanding technology, has a keen eye for detail, and enjoys working in a fast-paced environment. This is an amazing opportunity for someone looking to broaden his or her experience and work in a growing (and fun!) organization.

If you are ready to hit the ground running and help us deliver delight, this could be your dream job!

The Gig:

• Work closely with subject matter experts to collect source material, develop documentation plan and create product technical documentation as part of a formal new product launch process
• Work closely with subject matter experts to develop, adapt and follow project schedule and deadline for the creation of the product documentation
• Determine the needs of end users of technical documentation
• Study product samples and talk with product designers and developers
• Work with technical staff to make products easier to use and thus need fewer instructions
• Organize and write supporting documents for products
• Use photographs, drawings, diagrams, animation, and charts that increase users’ understanding
• Select appropriate medium for message or audience, such as manuals or online videos
• Standardize content across platforms and media
• Gather usability feedback from internal stakeholders and customers
• Revise documents as new issues arise
• Maintain and enhance existing product documentation

What you need to make the cut:

• Technical degree or equivalent experience in engineering technology, technical communications or similar discipline is required
• Minimum 1+ years' experience working in a technical writing position is required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required
• Excellent computer skills required
• Strong attention to detail is required
• Ability to work in a team environment to accomplish project schedule and deadline is required
• Experience in the benefits administration industry is a plus
• Experience with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or similar programs would be a huge plus
• Must have strong organizational skills and attention to detail

The Businessolver Way…

Our team has spent more than a dozen years crafting a culture that challenges each other to be our best – and have fun doing it. If you desire to use your skills and experience in an environment where you can make a difference, we want to hear from you! Businessolver employees experience a vibrant work culture with extensive workplace perks including:

• Competitive pay, great benefits, and vacation time. We are an equal opportunity employer with competitive benefits including medical, dental, life insurance, disability, 401(k) with company match, among others.
• Concierge Service. Going somewhere? Take advantage of travel assistance and discounted memberships.
• Wellness. Stay healthy and earn discounts while doing it! Don’t forget to visit our gym when visiting the corporate office.
• Charity and community involvement. Participate in a variety of ways to support those around us.
• Learning & Development. Continue to learn about the industry through our online and instructor-led classes.
• Recognition. Want some swag? Earn tons of it by helping out your co-workers through our employee recognition program.
• Culture. Want a culture most dream of? Most companies talk about it, we live it. Come find out for yourself!

Interested? Great, we look forward to reading your application - make sure it includes:

1. A cover letter that highlights why you think you’d be great for the gig, focusing on how your past work experience has prepared you for this kind of position – or why you think you can rock the job even though you don’t have past work experience that’s perfectly aligned.
2. Your resume.

You will receive an auto-reply confirming that we've received your application, and you will hear from us again after we've reviewed your application and decided whether or not to move you forward in our recruiting process.

If you do decide to apply, please know that every complete application will be carefully reviewed. Seriously! We know it is a time commitment to prepare an application. We will respect that effort by thoughtfully reviewing every single complete application and we are truly grateful for your interest.

Thanks for your interest in Businessolver!

Check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for a look at our vibrant culture.
24 days ago

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