RE: Secretary Proofing Manuals?

["Beilby, Margaret" <MBeilby -at- ebuilt -dot- com>]

<<Asking to help with the manuals was my first step out of secretaryhood to
being a technical writer.>>

Several years ago, my boss told me that my department needed to have an
administrative assistant. When we hired the person, we deliberately chose
someone with a lot of administrative and English background who was
interested in becoming a technical writer. We didn't look at her position as
a dead-end, we looked at it as a "path to." She wasn't the "hired help," she
was our peer, and was invaluable to us. She proofread, edited documents,
performed usability testing, helped us put together a document management
system, and so forth. After about a year she was promoted to Jr. Tech Writer
and once she completed her Tech Writing program, she was promoted to Tech
Writer. She's turned out to be a really good tech writer. IMHO, she's a lot
better than some people with years and years more experience. We are so
lucky to have her! It was a win-win situation from all points of view!

Margaret
mbeilby -at- ebuilt -dot- com

 


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