TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
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.
Re: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication - the drawbacks
Subject:Re: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication - the drawbacks From:"William Sherman" <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:38:24 -0400
Sorry for jumping in late.
Years ago, IBM called many of their technical writers Information
Developers, sort of in line with they Software Developers.
Goodyear Aerospace had both Technical Writers and Procedure Writers.
McDonnell Douglas called theirs Technical Data Engineers. They had some
called Work Control Document Analysts for their procedure writing in some
areas.
Most places seem to have Technical Writers but Procedure Writers stand out
in the Nuclear industry.
Many industies and businesses today have applied Technical Writer to anyone
doing work they consider technical, versus what most have considered
technical for decades, like electronics, computers, avionics, mechanical
systems, aerospace, and so on. As such, because there are "techincal specs"
in architecture, the building industry now hires technical writers, however,
most are way down the scale of technical expertise we normally associate
with true technical writers. They also seem to be paid very low, like $10
to $15 an hour on contracts and under $10 an hour if salaried. They
basically embody the "technical secretary" sort of person from decades ago,
in that often they are expected to do the office clerical work, department
typing, department correspondence, and so on.
Here is the drawback of all this that I see.
If your resume has you as an Information Developer, and you worked in
software on C++ or Java manuals, you get calls from recruiters looking for
software deveolpers who have experience in C++ and Java. You won't get
writing calls.
If you have Information Engineer or Data Engineer, you get calls about
engineering positions in the IT field, and the requirements of the job
frequently have CCNA, CCNE, or other ceritfication needed. You won't get
writing calls.
If you have Technical Communicator only, you never get any calls for
Technical Writer postions unless the recruiter searches for "technical
writing" or "writing" and you mentioned that in the job description, because
the recruiter has no idea what a technical communicator, Information
Developer, or even a Technical Writer does. He just knows his client is
looking for one.
Most of us know what they are, but the recruiter won't. And you need him to
know what you are if you want a job.
Yes, we could go down an entirely new path on the ineptness of the current
generation of headhunters, but that can be another thread.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help. Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need.
Try Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
