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Subject:[Fwd: Re: Is this really a tech writing job?] From:Lisa Roth <roth -dot- lisa -at- jimmy -dot- harvard -dot- edu> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 14 Feb 2005 15:33:06 -0500
Just another quick note too:
While some of the requests may not appeal to many of us (e.g.,
maintaining travel schedules), other tasks from the list are quite
suitable for a position that apparently involves interaction with
government regulatory agencies.
The requirements for government submissions and approvals requires
meticulous record keeping and versioning, as well as very strict
scheduling because the deadlines are often very rigid and very soon.
Additionally, although I am no expert in FDA submissions, I understand
that many of the tasks being criticized here are in fact HIGHLY related.
While maintaining someone's expenses or "filings" may not sound like
typical technical writing, these items often have to be included as
attachments to submissions. Hence, they're part of the documents being
written, like it or not! Since the technical writer will more likely
than not be the person assembling the submissions--including both what
they've written AND the related files--the writer certainly needs to
have a finger in that pie. That being said, if the most reasonable thing
is to have that writer also maintain those related items, then why not,
I suppose... I'll be the first to admit that each of us often has an
administrative aspect of our jobs that we'd rather have someone else
take care of, but that's not always possible or wise. (Some of these
types of submissions are so critical and/or sensitive, that I can
certainly understand why some companies might not want to leave it to
"just a secretary," and I'm not the kind of person who thinks in "just
the secretary" terms!)
My best guess from working in a vaguely related field is that the desire
is not for someone to do "two jobs," but rather for someone to take care
of the necessary, related extras.
Lastly, all I can say about the requirement for "one year experience as
an Admin. Asst." is wild conjecture, but here goes anyway:
In fields where government submissions are frequent, the documentation
person often needs to not only write and edit the documents, but also
play an important role in coordinating the submission (read: bugging
reviewers for feedback, pow-wowing with everyone to gain consensus,
etc.). For this reason, I would like to look on the brighter side of the
Admin. Asst. requirement and imagine that the company is looking for
someone who can serve as a go-between and coordinate the pow-wows.
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