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Andrew Plato wrote:
> Otherwise, you're caught in the classic job seeker's trap: how do you get
> experience if everybody already wants experience. That's not an easy
question
> to answer. Generally, you have to acquire the experience via indirect
means.
> Such as - get a job with a consulting firm that does SOX work and then
help out
> on SOX projects.
Very useful advice... this is exactly the way I got CFR Part 11 experience.
I expect if I wanted SOX experience I'd go about it the same way.
Also, it's important to understand what they mean by "technical writer."
Some firms expect very little from their technical writers other than to
adhere to templates and procedures they hand you. If you have no experience
with something like SOX, this is the perfect job to start with. You will be
part of a team and will basically be told what to do. I did this for almost
a year, and as an experienced TW it was kind of difficult for me to deal
with... but at the end of it I had experience and certification in FDA regs.
There are also tech writing positions where a lot more is expected. Maybe
you will be expected to advise an individual client on how to create
compliant documents. This is a higher level of experience that probably
shouldn't be attempted without prior industry experience.
You can spend as long as you like reading the text of the regulations -
knock yourself out; it can't hurt. But you need real-world knowledge. You
need to read case studies of other organization's compliance efforts, you
need to read the trade publications, you need to schmooze with the auditors,
and all kinds of other activities that you normally wouldn't think of as
part of "studying" the regulations.
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