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I don't exactly qualify, as I was promoted from Senior Technical Writer to Lead
Technical Writer almost two years ago. Still, perhaps my situation will be
illustrative.
I acquired the title Senior Technical Writer when I was hired into a job with that
title. When they wanted to promote me a couple of years ago, they had a problem in
that they had no position higher than Senior TW in the company. However, they do
have pay grades out the wahzoo, and they wanted to promote me. (I think it had
something to do with not wanting me to hit the ceiling for the pay range in was in.)
Anyway, they asked me to write a job description for 'the next level up' and come up
with a job title. Being the good writer that I am, and not being one to sniff at the
notion that my employers wanted to give me more money, I did just that.
There was/is no test here or anywhere else I have been to qualify someone for Senior
Writer (or for Lead). And if I get another promotion, I'll be happy to invent yet
another job title--maybe Magnificant Technical Writer or All Powerful Technical
Writer or maybe simply "The Man" (in my case)--and write another job description
that says I'm still doing what I'm doing and very happy with the checks,
thank-you-very-much.
(I know you think I'm just trying to be funny, but the above is a true story.)
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Tom Murrell mailto:tmurrell -at- columbus -dot- rr -dot- com http://home.columbus.rr.com/murrell/index.html Last Updated 08/30/02
--"Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another."
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary--
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