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Subject:RE: What *is* a documentation specialist? From:Viv Crawford <viv_crawford -at- hotmail -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 1 Feb 2010 16:38:17 +0000
I've been a 'documentation specialist' where it has started as something akin to a filing clerk and ended as records' manager, document manager and eventually document management system procurer/implementor/project manager. The salary was increased to reflect those elements which meant towards the end when I was just filing, I was being paid really, really well to file. Suited me. And this came about because I was a creative and inquisitive filer -- it could easily have remained 'just filing', which would have been to mine and that company's detriment.
These days (different company) I'm still the document manager, but that just means I hand out IDs from a spreadsheet for any doc of any type that's going in front of a customer. If the company grows I would fully expect that implementing a proper doc management system would fall to me. It has done in several jobs.
And my main job is, and always has been, writing technical documentation.
And if they're paying, I'll also make the coffee, load the dishwasher and water the office plants.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Neilson" <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
> >I found an ad on line for a "tech writer / documentation specialist" and
> > the job description seems to say that the writer will get stuck doing
> > all the clerical tasks, including arranging everyone else's stuff in
> > file cabinets.
> >
> > That job is called "file clerk" where I come from, and is generally
> > entry level. The skills of creativity and investigation that are
> > required for being a tech writer would, I imagine, be a great hazard in
> > the person of a file clerk.
>
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Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at: http://www.doctohelp.com/
Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at: http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
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