Chicago (Used to be) My Kind of Town

In the spring of 1992, as I was nearing graduation from college, I had the idea that living in "Chicago" would be paradise. Did I want to live in the northern suburbs, such as Waukegan or Mundelein? Did I want to live downtown? I really didn't know. I simply knew the following:

1. There were a lot of bands in the area - which meant (to me) I could find a band to play drums in - which as of this moment in time, there are 26 "drummer wanted" ads on Craigslist: https://chicago.craigslist.org/search/ccc?query=drummer%20wanted#search=1~list~0~0
   
2. There were a lot of concerts in the area - which is still true today, per this article - 10 Bands Coming Through Chicago in 2023 That Will Spark Your Nostalgia.
3. There were a lot more technical writer jobs in the area - which as of this moment in time, there are 38 openings when I used Google to search for "indeed jobs chicago il technical writer jobs" - this is the URL that came up in my search: indeed jobs chicago il technical writer jobs

Short and Unhelpful Job Description

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Nope!

This position - Software Technical Writer - Cedar Rapids, IA - Indeed.com - requires Madcap Flare experience, which I do not have.

Interesting

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Sr. Technical Writer

Req id:  20242

Lexington, KY, US Boston, MA, US Lewiston, ME, US Indianapolis, IN, US Gaithersburg, MD, US Tucson, AZ, US Southfield, MI, US Alpharetta, GA, US Tinton Falls, NJ, US Salt Lake City, UT, US Dallas, TX, US Austin, TX, US San Diego, CA, US Columbus, OH, US Brook Park, OH, US

OPENTEXT - THE INFORMATION COMPANY

As the Information Company, our mission at OpenText is to create software solutions and deliver services that redefine the future of digital. Be part of a winning team that leads the way in Enterprise Information Management. 

You Are Great At:

• Producing high-quality, clear, accurate, and complete documentation with no errors, within established deadlines.
• Organizing and prioritizing tasks and have exceptional analytical skills.
• Managing multiple projects and deliverables.
• Working in an Agile development environment and gathering information for a writing assignment from a variety of sources, including development, QA, UXD, and product management.
• Researching and learning new technologies in Technical Communications.

What It Takes:

• University degree or college diploma (BA or MA), preferably in English, Computer Science, Technical Writing, or Instructional Design, with 5 to 8 years of technical writing experience. 
• Exceptional English and communication skills. Experience writing using a corporate style guide and following documentation processes.
• Excellent knowledge of content/help authoring tools. Direct experience with Arbortext Epic Editor preferred. Sound knowledge of XML and HTML and various help formats.
• Excellent knowledge of Configuration Management tools, such as Perforce, and tracking tools, such as JIRA.
• Experience writing in a structured authoring environment and creating single-source and minimalist content. Familiarity with DITA/DocBook and topic-based writing methodologies.
• Knowledge of documentation localization processes as well as software usability principles.
• Ability to create high quality graphics using tools such as Snagit and Adobe Illustrator.
• Knowledge of video production techniques and experience with tools such as Camtasia.
• Excellent knowledge of computer development environments, operating systems, programming languages, and mobile devices.
• Ability to create customer-focused content using user personas and customer research.
• Experience defining and following documentation standards and best practices.
• Excellent at reviewing documentation written by other writers to ensure clarity, completeness, accuracy, and overall quality standards.
• Experience leading and managing documentation projects. Ability to meet target deadlines and project commitments.
• Ability to communicate clearly with all project stakeholders in distributed locations.
• Knowledge of Enterprise Information Management (EIM) products.

While OpenText is an Equal Opportunity Employer, our efforts to build an inclusive work environment go beyond simply complying with applicable laws. Our Employment Equity and Diversity Policy provides direction on maintaining a working environment that is inclusive of everyone, regardless of culture, national origin, race, color, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, family status, age, veteran status, disability, religion, or other basis protected by applicable laws. Should you require accommodations during the selection process, please contact accommodationrequests@opentext.com.

Additionally, OpenText, as a proud US Federal Government contractor, is subject to Executive Order 14042 requiring all US employees (in office or virtual) be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022. New employees joining OpenText will be required to provide proof of vaccination prior to joining or be approved for a medical or religious exemptions.

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Nope, Not for Me II

 Noticed this job that is in Madison, WI, but also lists Iowa City, IA, as a possible work location, that also has the blurb about the salary in CO. Someone got lazy with copy & paste? 

As I said on Nope, Not for Me:

I have zero plans to ever leave UIHC. God-willing, for another 14 years, 6 months, 1 week, 1 day (5303 days), I will work here as "the" Senior Technical Writer, assigned to Disaster Recovery documentation & assigned to Knowledge Management.

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Director Publishing

Pearson Madison, WI 4 days ago

Full-time

10,001+ employees · Education Management

About the job

Description

We are the world’s learning company with more than 24,000 employees operating in 70 countries. We combine world-class educational content and assessment,powered by services and technology, to enable more effective teaching and personalized learning at scale. We believe that wherever learning flourishes so do people.

Pearson School Assessments is looking for a leader for our high-caliber Publishing teams. The ideal candidate has experience working in the publishing trenches and in direct and indirect leadership roles. You will be expected to communicate with varying roles and teams with a high degree of emotional intelligence.

Publishing is responsible for transforming assessment content into print and/or online forms. Publishing works closely with the content experts (both internal and external) to obtain the final content and test maps to produce the final print or online forms. Publishing ensures those forms are available to our print operations and/or in the online test administration and delivery platforms.

The Director Leads a Team Of 75 (off-peak) To 110 (peak) That Is Organized Into Four Major Functions -- Three With Managers, And One (TBD) To Be Led By The Director

The Director, Publishing leads with an emphasis on strategy, people, processes, and technology to improve productivity and quality and reduce issues and risks.

• Publishing Implementation Management guides the publishing process. A Publishing Implementation Manager (PIM) is assigned to oversee the onboarding of a new program, migration of an existing program onto a new publishing technology platform, or to support programs with evolving publishing technology needs. The PIM is engaged in project planning, requirements capture, costing/forecasting, and solutions design. They oversee risk mitigation planning for Publishing related risks and engage in issues resolution for complex technology-related issues within publishing systems and tools. The PIM is the customer-facing point of contact to address publishing needs.
• Publishing Workflow keeps projects on track as they move through the publishing processes. Workflow Project Managers (PjMs) participate in project scope discussions and project planning, support training around workflow management system (Jira), and create/initiate all paper and online form ticket needs. The Workflow PjMs create and monitor publishing schedules, evaluate resource needs, provide status and respond to questions or issues related to publishing production, and facilitate the Publishing Change Control Board (CCB). The Workflow PjMs work hand in hand with all publishing lead team members, but specifically with the PIMs to collaborate on issues related to schedule, planning, process & risk/issue management.
• Publishing Technology is the workhorse for ensuring content is encoded properly for both print and online test forms. Publishing Technology has expertise in QTI and APIP XML encoding and how that XML is used by technology systems to produce online and paper forms. In addition to assessment content, Publishing Technology also has extensive ancillary materials experience and can support the workflow, design, production, and publication of ancillary materials. Publishing Technology making ancillary materials accessible to meet WCAG and 508 standards.
• Publishing Verification (PubV) ensures that all forms are properly formatted and functioning across a variety of technology platforms and devices. PubV uses several automation tools to ensure that items are generating and processing response data properly. PubV uses several assistive technologies to ensure forms are accessible using those technologies. PubV ensures that all print forms adhere to print standards before handoff to print operations.

The anticipated starting salary range for Colorado-based individuals expressing interest in this position is $107k - 110k. This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. Benefits available to eligible employees can be seen at: https://pearsonbenefitsus.com/Pearson is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and a member of E-Verify. All qualified applicants, including minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• 8 years of publishing experience.
• 5 years line management experience -- non-exempt and exempt workers, regular and temporary workers, employee performance, various and sensitive HR matters.
• Experience driving strategy, people, processes, and technology for the improvement of productivity and quality and the reduction of risks and issues in the publishing domain.
• Experience forecasting workload for a portfolio of committed and pipeline projects and then staffing up/down to optimize schedule, quality, and cost.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Experience in building strong partnerships to effectively deliver on projects in a cross-functional environment, driving them to successful completion
• Sharp analytical and problem-solving skills to deliver recommendations and drive to results
• Strong influencing and leadership skills
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Experience with the Microsoft suite of tools including Teams, Office, etc.

Primary Location : US-RE-Remote

Other Locations : US-IA-Iowa City

Work Locations :

US-Remote

Remote

Job : Publishing

Organization : Assessments School

Employee Status : Regular Employee

Job Type : Standard

Job Level : Director

Shift : Day Job

Job Posting : Sep 16, 2021

Job Unposting : Ongoing

Schedule: : Full-time Regular

Req ID: 2113398

 

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Nope, not for me

Once upon a time, this would have been an awesome opportunity - despite not being qualified for it. I'm not entirely sure why this blurb is in the job description below: The anticipated starting salary range for Colorado-based individuals expressing interest in this position is $107k - 110k. since the "Work Location" that is listed is "US-Remote" and "Remote" - it's interesting. I have zero plans to ever leave UIHC. God-willing, for another 14 years, 6 months, 1 week, 1 day (5303 days), I will work here as "the" Senior Technical Writer, assigned to Disaster Recovery documentation & assigned to Knowledge Management.

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Director Publishing

Pearson Iowa City, IA 4 days ago

Full-time

10,001+ employees · Education Management

Actively recruiting

About the job

Description

We are the world’s learning company with more than 24,000 employees operating in 70 countries. We combine world-class educational content and assessment,powered by services and technology, to enable more effective teaching and personalized learning at scale. We believe that wherever learning flourishes so do people.

Pearson School Assessments is looking for a leader for our high-caliber Publishing teams. The ideal candidate has experience working in the publishing trenches and in direct and indirect leadership roles. You will be expected to communicate with varying roles and teams with a high degree of emotional intelligence.

Publishing is responsible for transforming assessment content into print and/or online forms. Publishing works closely with the content experts (both internal and external) to obtain the final content and test maps to produce the final print or online forms. Publishing ensures those forms are available to our print operations and/or in the online test administration and delivery platforms.

The Director Leads a Team Of 75 (off-peak) To 110 (peak) That Is Organized Into Four Major Functions -- Three With Managers, And One (TBD) To Be Led By The Director

The Director, Publishing leads with an emphasis on strategy, people, processes, and technology to improve productivity and quality and reduce issues and risks.

• Publishing Implementation Management guides the publishing process. A Publishing Implementation Manager (PIM) is assigned to oversee the onboarding of a new program, migration of an existing program onto a new publishing technology platform, or to support programs with evolving publishing technology needs. The PIM is engaged in project planning, requirements capture, costing/forecasting, and solutions design. They oversee risk mitigation planning for Publishing related risks and engage in issues resolution for complex technology-related issues within publishing systems and tools. The PIM is the customer-facing point of contact to address publishing needs.
• Publishing Workflow keeps projects on track as they move through the publishing processes. Workflow Project Managers (PjMs) participate in project scope discussions and project planning, support training around workflow management system (Jira), and create/initiate all paper and online form ticket needs. The Workflow PjMs create and monitor publishing schedules, evaluate resource needs, provide status and respond to questions or issues related to publishing production, and facilitate the Publishing Change Control Board (CCB). The Workflow PjMs work hand in hand with all publishing lead team members, but specifically with the PIMs to collaborate on issues related to schedule, planning, process & risk/issue management.
• Publishing Technology is the workhorse for ensuring content is encoded properly for both print and online test forms. Publishing Technology has expertise in QTI and APIP XML encoding and how that XML is used by technology systems to produce online and paper forms. In addition to assessment content, Publishing Technology also has extensive ancillary materials experience and can support the workflow, design, production, and publication of ancillary materials. Publishing Technology making ancillary materials accessible to meet WCAG and 508 standards.
• Publishing Verification (PubV) ensures that all forms are properly formatted and functioning across a variety of technology platforms and devices. PubV uses several automation tools to ensure that items are generating and processing response data properly. PubV uses several assistive technologies to ensure forms are accessible using those technologies. PubV ensures that all print forms adhere to print standards before handoff to print operations.

The anticipated starting salary range for Colorado-based individuals expressing interest in this position is $107k - 110k. This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. Benefits available to eligible employees can be seen at: https://pearsonbenefitsus.com/Pearson is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and a member of E-Verify. All qualified applicants, including minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• 8 years of publishing experience.
• 5 years line management experience -- non-exempt and exempt workers, regular and temporary workers, employee performance, various and sensitive HR matters.
• Experience driving strategy, people, processes, and technology for the improvement of productivity and quality and the reduction of risks and issues in the publishing domain.
• Experience forecasting workload for a portfolio of committed and pipeline projects and then staffing up/down to optimize schedule, quality, and cost.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Experience in building strong partnerships to effectively deliver on projects in a cross-functional environment, driving them to successful completion
• Sharp analytical and problem-solving skills to deliver recommendations and drive to results
• Strong influencing and leadership skills
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Experience with the Microsoft suite of tools including Teams, Office, etc.

Primary Location : US-RE-Remote

Other Locations : US-IA-Iowa City

Work Locations : US-Remote         Remote

Job : Publishing

Organization : Assessments School

Employee Status : Regular Employee

Job Type : Standard

Job Level : Director

Shift : Day Job

Job Posting : Sep 16, 2021

Job Unposting : Ongoing

Schedule: : Full-time Regular

Req ID: 2113398

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India? Uh, No.

I think the text below describes a job I would like doing. I want to be clear about the following items:

1. I am unqualified for this position
   
2. I am not going to live in India
3. I am not interested in leaving my current employer

If you subscribe to the idea that there is a reality in which I know how to do this job, I think it would really be an awesome job! However, in my current reality, I think it would be a crappy job.

Why was I looking at this job? The reason is simple. I received an email from this company that pertains to their Document360 product about a new feature called knowledge base assistant.

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Data Scientist

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu   |   Full Time

About Kovai.co

Kovai. co, the fastest growing SaaS organization is a premier enterprise software company offering multiple products at scale both in the enterprise arena and in the B2B SaaS space.

We are a technology partner of choice for many of the world’s leading enterprises to manage and monitor their Microsoft BizTalk and Azure Serverless environments.

We always stand out from the crowd with our product team consisting of thinkers and innovators who are redefining the way robust Enterprise Software and SaaS products are built. Headquartered in London, U.K and with a development center in Coimbatore, India, our engineers have niche skills and in-depth domain knowledge.

Trusted by over 1,000+ businesses around the world.

Key Products:

BizTalk360

Serverless360

Atomic Scope

Document360

As a feather in our cap, we have made our first-ever acquisition of Cerebrata, a privately-held SaaS product company. We believe this is the beginning. (https://www.kovai.co/blog/coimbatore-saas-company-kovaico-acquires-cerebrata)

We wish to be known for our values of integrity, teamwork and excellence. As we grow, we ensure that our culture remains at the heart of Kovai. co.

We are constantly on the lookout for smart people who are passionate about building great products, designing great experiences, building scalable platforms, and making customers happy. If you’re looking to make an impact, Kovai.co is the place for you. If this describes you, feel free to have a look at our openings in our career page and apply to be a part of the $10 million journey!

Opportunity: Data Scientist

What you’ll do on the job:

• Collaborate and work cross-functionally to define problem statements, collect data, build analytical models, and make recommendations
• Undertake big data analysis by applying statistical and AI/ML algorithms
• Build Natural Language Processing (NLP) by undertaking text analysis, validate those NLP models and deploy them via an Application Programming Language (APIs)
• Implement and continuously monitor NLP models utilising Application Programming Language (APIs) from cloud vendors / third-party providers
• Produce high-quality documentation that meets applicable standards and is appropriate for its intended audience

Who’ll be a good fit: 

• Must have a technical background (ex: BE Computer Science or MCA).
• 2 + years of experience in undertaking data science projects
• 3+ years of programming experience in Python / Angular & .Net environment (C#)
• Solid expertise in building and implementing NLP algorithms
• Experience in Azure AI/ML platform
• Flask, Fast API, Django could be added advantage

Perks:

• Collaborative and fun team.
• Flat organizational structure.
• Rewards and recognition.
• Health care benefits.
• Upskill allowance.
• Located at the heart of the city with world class infrastructure

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This job title Intelligent Transportation Systems Field Technician is just a bunch of words in a row that mean nothing to me.

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Intelligent Transportation Systems Field Technician

Salary

$72,000.00 - $76,000.00 Annually

Location

60515, IL

Job Type

Technicians

Department

Engineering

Job Number

9999-06122021

Closing

7/23/2021 11:59 PM Central

Position Overview

The Illinois Tollway is dedicated to providing and promoting a safe and efficient system of highways while ensuring the highest possible level of service to our customers. Whether it's I-PASS, the Move Illinois Program, open road tolling or keeping you safe with our H.E.L.P. trucks, we are committed to delivering great benefits and services to customers.
 
The Tollway is a user-fee system – no state or federal tax dollars are used to support maintenance and operations. Operations are funded by toll and concession revenues.
 
Under the leadership of the Board of Directors and Executive Staff, the Tollway is committed to achieving the following goals: increase collaboration with regional transportation and planning agencies, promote the regional economy, maintain financial integrity, foster environmental responsibility and sustainability, maintain the safety and efficiency of the Tollway system, further transparency and accountability, enhance customer service, and maintain public trust.

 In support of this mission, the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Technician will support the day-to-day operations of the Tollway.

Essential Job Functions

Incumbents report directly to the ITS Deployment Engineer.

Incumbents are responsible for maintaining equipment installed at 82 facilities and hundreds of roadside locations in 12 Northern Illinois counties.

ITS network equipment to be maintained now includes over 1,000 camera systems, 91 RTMS (roadside radar vehicle detection) systems, 5 Weigh In Motion (WIM) systems, 39 DMS signs, 4 PEMS systems, 5 wireless queue management systems and 34 Full Matrix Portable Changeable Message Signs (PCMS).

The ITS network is constantly growing and changing. The incumbent is required to work with Tollway contractors to assist in the integration of new ITS equipment.

Central ITS network control is at the Central Administration building, with thousands of pieces of ITS equipment at various sites all along the 286 miles of roadway and at all plazas and at many other facilities.

In addition to all the equipment listed above, there is all of the peripheral infrastructure such as fiber and copper cabling, video switches, analog fiber communication cards, video multiplexers, and video recorders which are located in many Tollway buildings.

The incumbent performs maintenance on ITS equipment and infrastructure according to manufacturers’ guidelines by inspecting, testing, and servicing the Tollway’s ITS equipment to ensure proper system operation, reduce downtime, ensure compliance with Tollway security policies, and to meet manufacturers’ specifications.

The incumbent is responsible for maintenance, system testing, monitoring, and repair on all Tollway ITS equipment to ensure reliable and efficient data acquisition and reporting to the public.

The incumbent, through documentation of personal activity, equipment maintenance reports, and station logs, ensure: equipment history, inventory control, and time accountability.

The principal challenges to the incumbents are: the wide variety of data acquisition and communications equipment installed in their area of responsibility, and balancing all the varying demands of this position.

This position also requires an extensive, in-depth understanding of the Tollway’s complex ITS system, and troubleshooting techniques on state-of-the-art embedded computer and video equipment and system configurations.

Day to day responsibility exists within this job through the prioritizing of maintenance, repairs, and the various service requests.

A main function of this position is to conduct site inspections at various Tollway facilities during regular work hours as well as subject to being "on-call". This is accomplished by incumbent use of a vehicle to travel to and from respective sites. Additionally reports to Central Administration as necessary.

Qualifications

1.   Associates Degree in Electronic Technology; or
greater than 30 credit hours of related electronic courses and an “A+” Certification (documented); or 30 credit hours of IBEW “C” card Apprenticeship School.

2.   Incumbent must have a minimum of 5 years experience in analog and digital electronic systems installation, testing,  troubleshooting and field repair of video systems, sensor technology, power systems (including uninterruptible power supplies and solar power generation), Cisco networks, and data communications.

3.   The ability to read and interpret electronic schematics is required. Operation of standard, hand held field test equipment is required.

4.   The ability to expertly use standard Microsoft Office software, terminal emulators and other laptop computer applications is required.

5.   The ability to use Cisco IOS operator commands to configure level 3 switches is desirable.  Proficiency is required operating the necessary test equipment.

6.   Must have current  certification of program completion and experience with terminal emulators, TCP/IP, UDP, and RSTP protocols, network routing, spanning tree, fiber optic communications, uninterruptible power supplies, solar power, battery charging systems, grounding, surge arrestors, and lightning protection.

7.   A valid driver’s license is required and must be maintained for this position.

8.   Ability to lift objects weighing as much as 50 pounds is required.

9.  The incumbent is also required to be scheduled to work on a rotating schedule which includes weekends and holidays, to work overtime when necessary and be available for emergency call outs during off hours, non-scheduled weekends, and holidays. The incumbent must be willing to work outdoors in all weather conditions.

The Illinois Tollway is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, disability, unfavorable discharge from military services, age, order of protection status, military status, sex or sexual orientation.

Agency

Illinois State Toll Highway Authority

Address

2700 Ogden Avenue

Downers Grove, Illinois, 60515

Phone

630-241-6800 X6333

Website

http://www.Illinoistollway.com

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