RE: real tech writers? RE: Out-of-Work Tech Writers and Switching Careers

[Tsrouya Rachel-BRT022 <rachel -at- motorola -dot- com>]

When I started this thread, my only problem was that I wanted to clarify what a real tech writer is.  I have no formal background in TW and I don't think it's fair to demand a BA from me in tech writing in order to call me real.  I have a BA however, from one of the best universities in the States, if not the world, and my BA is in a writing-related field and when I paid over $100,000 to get the degree, it was my understanding that it would offer me a window into many worlds and would not confine me to one profession.  I have no chosen to work as a TW, after having received an MA in teaching English.  True, I originally chose b/c of financial considerations, but you all must know that I am the type of person that used to "forget" to notify my employers that I was leaving if the job or the people were that intolerable.  I am not likely to do something just for the money -- I have to like it and be interested in it.  Though I don't participate often in TECHLWR strings, you will !
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all notice that strings I begin are usually connected in some way to my improving myself as far as the profession goes.  I think I am a real TW.  I am interested in improving and investing in myself and my advancement, I take the importance of the job very seriously and I suffer the outlook of most of the engineers in the department.

I don't think we have to necessarily convince management to look for TW BAs, because there are plenty of writers without them who are just as good at their jobs -- or can become just as good.  What we need to do is convince management that the job is important, with no relation to the BA, so that they start looking to hire people for low-level opening positions that are truly interested in becoming good and contributing lots, or to hire experienced people who have shown this kind of initiative and believe in the importance of documentation.  Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, we have to convince management that we are important so that they act that way in other issues -- like determining bonuses, but also like deciding what kind of documentation is important enough to be passed on to the TW.  In my department, for example, my poor English speaking manager doesn't think my job is important enough or that documentation is important enough to ask me to write a one page i!
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nstallation document, but prefers to ask another poor English speaking engineer to the work (who, by the way, then asks me for help b/c she knows that I'm good at my job and that she's not good at my job).  And no, I do not imply that poor English speaking is the only standard by which he should decide to more regularly employ my services, but that that is a major indication of just how unimportant I am here.

Just my two cents -- I hope I didn't rant too much.

Rachel

Rachel Tsrouya
Documentation
N2CS Division
Motorola Israel, Ltd.
Shoham-Aminadav Building, First Floor
Fax: 972-3-5684365
MIRS: 972-57-236061

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