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Subject:Re: Should we hire this guy? From:"Michael Collier" <mcollier -at- arlut -dot- utexas -dot- edu> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 5 Jun 2000 13:58:35 -0500
It sounds like you are looking to hire an inexperienced individual for a
position that by your own description is difficult to do. Does this position
have to be filled by an entry-level individual?
I think you are better off filling the position with an _experienced_
*writer* who has some of the engineering background you are looking for.
It doesn't sound like the candidates you are considering are actually
preparing for a technical writing career, are they? I would be wary of
offering a position to such a candidate, as they would seem to be more
interested in engineering than writing and might not stick with you very
long.
I question your apparent reasoning that a college technology graduate
without work experience can do the technical writing job better than either
an experienced or inexperienced tech writer with a technical edge. I think
a savvy technical writer could do the job.
...............................................................
Michael Collier, Technical Writer Office: N546
Information Systems Laboratory http://isl.arlut.utexas.edu/
Applied Research Laboratories: The University of Texas at Austin
Voice: 512-835-3408 e-mail: mcollier -at- arlut -dot- utexas -dot- edu
...............................................................
Dave Neufeld (Dave_Neufeld -at- spectrumsignal -dot- com)wrote:
>
> Our company is hardcore high tech and we're interviewing potential
> candidates. My audience are hardware and software developers who
> make nifty
> telecom and signal intelligence stuff with our DSP hardware and support
> software. In other words this stuff does not make to the shelf of Office
> Depot.
>
> I've come to the conclusion, that this type of writing demands a technical
> background. All our current writers have at least 2 years of technical
> education in engineering or computer systems. I've got 4 years of hardware
> and software education behind me, plus work experience, and this
> stuff makes
> my brain hurt and my eyes glaze.
>
