RE: Senior technical writer?

["Claire Conant" <Claire -dot- Conant -at- Digeo -dot- com>]

Well, the case I was citing specifically, the writer did * not * have
the relevant experience but was promoted anyway. It happens. Often.

I didn't think formal education in TW was necessary to qualify a person
to be a senior tech writer until I got the formal education myself, with
a certificate from the University of Washington. I had many years of
tech writing experience and consistently produced what I felt was
top-notch content. I took the course to "certify" myself, thinking that
alone would help move my career forward. However, what I got was much
more. I learned terminology, usability concepts and practices, refreshed
my grammar and writing skills, learned techniques about page layout and
design, learned the lingo and process of publishing documents, and
generally rounded out and refined my knowledge base. I think that, with
my extensive experience, has qualified me to be not only a senior
technical writer, but a documentation manager as well. 

This is my experience and view. Other people's views may vary. 

Claire

-----Original Message-----
From: Jessica Weissman [mailto:Jessica -dot- Weissman -at- hillcrestlabs -dot- com] 
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006 4:49 AM
To: Claire Conant; Ronald Schwarz; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Senior technical writer?

You're a senior technical writer when someone promotes you or has to
justify your salary.  It's unlikely for someone to get to there without
lots of relevant experience.  

I don't understand why formal education in TW should be a requirement,
though it might help.  A writer who produces good work without the
formal education is extra-qualified, I think.  We are constantly faced
with developing content without enough access to the sources; someone
who has technical writing skills without the formal education has
demonstrated this skill.

Jessica Weissman
Hillcrest Laboratories

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