Garrett Miller Interview

George Andrews
Intro to Technical Communication
December 1, 2008
Interview of a Technical Writer

Garrett Miller at FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters business

Introduction

Recently, I was presented with an opportunity to interview a technical communication professional working in the industry that I would like to enter. Specifically, I had been assigned to interview Garrett Miller who works with FindLaw at Thomson Reuters. Garrett began working for FindLaw as a SEM (Search Engine Marketing) Specialist. He has since been promoted to SEM Consultant and then again to Senior Consultant for FindLaw’s SEM/A program and is now in charge of 50 of FindLaw’s highest paying clients.

While preparing for this interview I completed a research exercise to find out more about the area of work that Garrett is in. The information I was able to find was very encouraging to me, especially since this is the industry I am most interested in working in. Let me go into more detail about what kind of salary one might expect as a SEM Specialist, the skills required to be a SEM Specialist, and what kind of advancement opportunities are out there.

On average, a SEM Specialist makes $86,000/year or 35% more than the average salaries for all job postings nationwide. This is based salary information gathered from indeed.com.

The starting salary for a person entering the industry may be a bit lower; I found additional information on the site that, when spelled out, a Search Engine Marketing Specialist earns an average salary of $43,000/year. I am not sure why there is a descrepancy here between the spelled out version and its acronym counterpart, but as a SEM Specialist you should expect a salary within this range.

A SEM Specialist requires a number of skills that may not seem apparent at first glance. While perusing many job listings at job search marketplaces such as Monster and indeed.com, I was able to come up with a long list of skill sets required by a SEM Specialist. Required skills include consulting, knowledge of Internet marketing concepts, written and verbal communication skills, ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, ability to multi-task – yet focus on details, and leadership qualities. A SEM Specialist must also be well-versed in the following skill sets: Analytics, Authoring/Publishing, Business Analysis, Coding, Paid Search Marketing, SEO, and Web Design.

The information I was able to gather regarding the skills required to be a SEM Specialist was incredible and gave me a greater understanding for how this position could command a salary that is 35% higher than the average salary. This understanding included that a SEM Specialist seems to be a culmination of many other positions, each of which requires a different skill set. These requirements tell me that a SEM Specialist is more of a target position than a place to start. As far as job advancement is concerned, I think Upper-level management would be the next logical step for someone with such a wide arrangement of skills and abilities. An example of one such position might be a CIO (Chief Information Officer). In Garrett’s case, advancement opportunities came in the form of a promotion to SEM Consultant and then to Senior Consultant.

My research gave me a better understanding of the requirements for working in this industry and I was able to come up with some workplace-specific questions for Garrett about his own experiences as a SEM Specialist. Here is a summary of Garrett’s responses to my questions about working as a SEM Specialist, at Findlaw, in my own words:

Interview

Tell me a little bit about your company; how long you have worked there; and how you grew into your current position?

“Well, I work for FindLaw which is part of Thomson Reuters in Eagan, MN. We specialize in the sale and creation of websites for lawyers across the nation. I have worked here since May of 2006.” Garrett went on to describe how he was hired on as a SEM Specialist to complete people’s overflow work. After six months with FindLaw he was promoted to SEM Consultant where he found himself on the phones consulting directly with lawyers regarding their sites. He then was moved to what is called the Refresh team where he worked with clients in their second year and looked at traffic reports and strategized on how to make these sites work better with search engines. Recently, Garrett was promoted to Senior Consultant for FindLaw’s SEM/A program and is now in charge of 50 of their highest paying clients.

What are your responsibilities in the workplace for your current position?

Garrett’s current responsibilities fall mainly under the category of “keeping my clients happy!” This means he is in charge of making sure his clients get qualified traffic to their websites. He does this by completing both on-site and off-site optimization. On-site optimization involves tweaking title tags, meta descriptions, contextual links, and content. Off-site optimization includes link-building strategies, reputation management, and social networking.

Do you have a set of tasks that you are responsible for completing each day? Describe a typical day spent completing these tasks.

Garrett described how every day is different when it comes to tasks. Sometimes he finds himself completing fulfillment processes which include submitting new sites to Google Webmaster Tools and writing anchor text.

Overall, his tasks involve paying attention to his client’s sites and keeping a sharp eye on traffic. He described the typical day as being one that starts with “getting breakfast first!” and then going through client traffic reports. At the time of the interview, Garrett’s daily regime also involved going through consults with each of his clients. The consults would involve discussing, directly with the lawyers, future strategies and what they can do to help. His consults also involved going over the product, and scheduling the next consult.

What qualities do you think are helpful for someone applying for a position in the technical communication field? What skills and/or characteristics do you have that you feel make you a good worker in this field?

Garrett confirmed some of my earlier research by describing technical communications as possessing a multi-faceted approach. He went on to say that technical communications can include technical writing, design, training, and more. In regards to the qualities that would be helpful for someone applying for a position in the technical communication field, Garrett felt that open-mindedness is very important and that technical communication graduates can go into an interview confident that they can do any job. Garrett’s main advice when applying for jobs is to apply for the job even if you don’t think you are qualified. He states that employers appreciate motivated people; people willing to learn as they go. The worst thing that can happen is they turn you down.

The characteristics Garrett possesses that make him a good worker in his field include being a quick learner, being ambitious, and being motivated. Even without any experience in search marketing he was able to attain three promotions in less than three years. He accomplished this by learning as he moved forward.

What advice would you give someone early in their career about jobs in the technical communication industry?

Garrett didn’t feel that he could give a solid answer to this question because, though his job is somewhat technical communications related, he doesn’t feel like he’s in the technical communications field. He reiterated his previous statements by encouraging anyone just starting out to apply for any job they would enjoy regardless of the qualifications. He says to let the employer decide if you’re right for the job and be open-minded about new options in your career. Lastly he says that the best advice he’s ever gotten and the advice that he would give is to, “Make your vocation your vacation. Enjoy what you do as you will be doing it for many years!”

Summary

I’ve been pretty fortunate with the interview projects I’ve had to complete in the past two years at university. First, I was able to interview an industry leader in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Bruce Clay. This time I was able to interview Garrett Miller, an up and coming Senior Consultant for FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters company. Each interviewee was able to give me a unique grasp of the SEM industry and I’ve learned quite a bit about what my foreseeable future has in store for me.

Some very important realizations I can take with me as I enter into the Search Marketing industry include learning that becoming an SEM Specialist requires mastering a number of different skills and skill sets. I need to become skilled at consulting, Internet marketing concepts, written and verbal communication skills, prioritizing and managing multiple projects simultaneously, and multi-tasking. I must also be well-versed in:

Analytics, Authoring/Publishing, Business Analysis, Coding, Paid Search Marketing, SEO, and Web Design. The final realization I can take away from this experience is that as long as I continue learning and applying myself there is no position unattainable to me.

Work Cited
“Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling. | Monster.com” Monster. 1 December 2008 http://www.monster.com/.

“SEM Specialist Salaries – Free Salary Search” Indeed. 1 December 2008 http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=SEM+Specialist&l1=.