Re: PET PEEVE #3148

[David Richmond <richmond -at- UTIC -dot- UNICOMP -dot- NET>]

Bob Morse (morse -at- inxpress -dot- net) wrote:
: Okay, folks, here's a new thread for y'all:

: Does anyone else get as aggravated as I do when browsing
: want ads for tech-writer positions, to find prospective
: employers specifying the brands/models of software tools as
: REQUIREMENTS for the positions?  E.g.:  "XYZ Corp. seeks
: user documentation specialist for its industry-leading
: SoftWidget software.  Documentation experience preferred.
: Familiarity with MS Word [or WordPerf, or Pagemaker, etc.]
: a must."

This attitude kept me out of the technical writing job market for a year.
I finally (as a pure answer to prayer) ran across a company that was
willing to allow me the time to learn their setup (Interleaf on Sun).
Within two weeks, I'd outdistanced their anticipated learning curve for
me and was ready to jump into the project, which I also finished ahead of
schedule.  I'm now about to become a permanent staff member.

Companies which follow the "XYC Corp." policy ultimately are shooting
themselves and everyone else in the foot.  Few people plan to become
technical writers.  They cross over into the field from all kinds of
backgrounds.  If someone doesn't train people willing to do a job so many
others don't care for, then the pool dries up.

--

David Richmond                                  (214) 437-1605
Contract Technical Writer
Currently working for
SRX, Inc., Plano, Texas USA
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter."