Re: Senior technical writer?

["Melissa Nelson" <melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

  I view my formal education in technical writing the same way I view
  formal education in anything...it gets your foot in the door. It is
  what you do when your butt is in the cube, office, etc. that really
  matters!
  Melissa
      ______________________________________________________________

    From:  Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>
    To:  techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
    Subject:  Re: Senior technical writer?
    Date:  Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:25:37 -0400
    >Jessica Weissman wrote:
    >
    >>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.
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >
    >I agree with Jessica.  I was elevated to Senior TW long before I
    >completed my BA.  I brought over 10 years of technical/engineering
    >experience with me in addition to several years of mentoring by
    some
    >highly experienced writers at previous employments.  I've worked
    >with several writers who had formal education in TW, one was
    pretty
    >good, most were mediocre.  The problem was they were taught the
    >tools and basic concepts of TW, something that can be found in a
    >number of books, but they didn't have the background to understand
    >what they were writing about.  The result was flowing text bogged
    >down by inaccurate content.
    >
    >AL
    >
    >--
    >
    >Al Geist
    >Technical Writing, Online Help, Marketing Collateral, Web Design,
    >Award Winning Videos, Professional Photography
    >Voice/Msg: 802-658-3140
    >
    >Cell: 802-578-3964
    >E-mail: al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com
    ><mailto:al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com>
    >URL: www.geistassociates.com <http://www.geistassociates.com>
    >(online portfolio/resume)
    >
    >See also:
    >URL: www.geistimages.com <http://www.geistimages.com> (fine art
    >prints for home for office, and note cards for all occasions)
    >
    >"When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know
    >whether to answer "Present" or "Not guilty.""
    >                         Theodore Roosevelt
    >
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