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Subject:Re: Techie First or Writer? From:Len Olszewski <saslpo -at- UNX -dot- SAS -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 10 Oct 1996 18:28:01 GMT
In article <199610101802 -dot- OAA09251 -at- mail -dot- inforamp -dot- net>, Jane Aronovitch
<jaron -at- INFORAMP -dot- NET> writes:
[...]
|> Th e skills/tools debate is a real issue. At our October Toronto STC
|> meeting, two employer/clients presented what they look for when they hire
|> technical communicators.
[...]
Really, really good writers can get away with blowing by familiarity
with tools, but will still need to have a minimum level of competence
there. Some will choose to focus on that competency.
Really, really competent tool users will still have to demonstrate a
strong competence in writing.
I find it incredible that, for a writing position, an employer would
leave 'writing' off of the list of job requirements. Kind of like asking
a surgeon if she could interpret CAT scans, but not asking if she could
unclog an artery without killing the patient. Sort of.
For my money, you always need to write well to be a good tech writer.
Everything else is icing.
--
Len Olszewski My opinions; you go get your own.
saslpo -at- unx -dot- sas -dot- com