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For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Okay, this question may not come out right, but it's a serious
nonetheless:
Has anyone's age been a factor on a tech writing assignment?
My motivation behind asking this question is...well...my own advancing
age:^) I've been a technical writer for 11 years. I started doing
this when I was 31 (you do the math.) When I first started out, it
seemed that I could work and socialize with just about everyone
assigned to the project (developers, upper-management, etc.) I look
younger than my age and I'm fairly well-rounded, so I can keep up with
just about any topic of conversation.
I'm currently working on a project where most of the development team
is in their early to mid-twenties. Upper management doesn't look a day
older than I do. So here's my dilemma: I feel like I'm 'in-between.'
I've gone out to lunch with the 'cool group', and feel as if I'm
chaperoning a senior prom. I identify more with upper management but,
and let's be serious here, there are caste lines drawn between staff
and upper management, so asking a VP to go to lunch is not really an
option.
Anyone else ever have a similar situation? I know that I am only there
to work, but interacting with coworkers (outside of work related
things) is inevitable. What is the next rung on the ladder for tech
writers? Is there any management positions open to tech writers in
general besides supervising a team of writers? In the future, I'm
wondering if I'm going to be able to handle being a 62 year old tech
writer going to lunch with engineers thirty years my junior:^)
Like I said, weird question, difficult to express, but serious...for me
at least.
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