Re: techwr-l digest: October 03, 2002
OK, folks, here's my dilemma. I'm an English major with an MA in Literature. I
worked for 2 years as a technical writer, then lost my job. Looking around at
other tech writer jobs, I realize that a majority of them ask for programs that
I don't know--Visio, Dreamweaver, and so on. SF State and Cal State Hayward are
schools close to me; should I go back and get a certificate in technical
writing, which wouldn't necessarily teach me all those programs but would give
me the basics? Or should I just keep looking?
You seem to be making the common mistake of assuming that you need all the qualifications listed in a job to apply for it. My own experience, as well as that of several consulting companies (whose combined experience must be equal to at least twenty years) suggests that that's not so. Ads are often wish lists. Unless they're tailored to an internal candidate, and the ad is a gesture to appease company policy, you often have a chance at a job if you have as little as two-thirds of the qualifications listed in the ad.
Also, while tool knowledge is often used to filter applications, most people on this list will tell you that their importance is exaggerated. If you can show related experience or market yourself well enough in other ways, you can often overcome the lack of knowledge of a specific tool. For example, if you've never used RoboHelp, you can emphasize that you've done on-line help. Even if your experience isn't with WinHelp, the fact that you've done any sort of on-line help can sometimes overcome your lack of familiarity with a specific tool.
However, if the tools continue to concern you, why not use the money you'd spend going to school to buy some of the programs you feel you need? If you're actively looking for work as a tech-writer, they should be tax deductible in most jurisdictions. Do some makeovers or dummy documents to familiarize yourself with the tools, and you'll not only have added to your knowledge, but also created something to add your portfolio.
Others may disagree with me, but I suspect that if you've worked for two years as a tech-writer, there's probably not too much that a certificate program can teach you.
--
Bruce Byfield bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com 604.421.7177
http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield
"And it takes a stranger to understand,
What the wind says in a strange land,
And the wind says, "This year, next year ..."
-OysterBand
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Buy ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 6.0, the most powerful SINGLE SOURCE HELP
AUTHORINGTOOL for MS Word. SAVE $100 on the full version and $50 on upgrades.
Offer ends Oct 31, 02 (code: DTH102250). http://www.componentone.com/d2hlist1002
All-new RoboHelp X3 is now shipping! Get single sourcing, print-quality
documentation, conditional text and much more, in the most monumental
release ever. Save $100! Order online at http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
Follow-Ups:
- RE: techwr-l digest: October 03, 2002, David Cooper
References:
Re: techwr-l digest: October 03, 2002: From: Shavon Walker
Previous by Author:
Re: Joing STC and breaking into Technical Writing
Next by Author:
Re: Tools for newbies...
Previous by Thread:
Re: techwr-l digest: October 03, 2002
Next by Thread:
RE: techwr-l digest: October 03, 2002
Search our Technical Writing Archives & Magazine
Visit TechWhirl's Other Sites
Sponsored Ads