Re: Isolation and the technical communicator

[Charmaine Brandon <cbrandon -at- NOLACOM -dot- COM>]

The situation can be very different if can work with other technical writers, and/or the documentation is viewed as crucial to the project. My first experience as a  technical writer was with three other writers on a government contract where the reports we wrote were the deliverable on which the contract depended. The engineers were always happy to help because their jobs depended on the work we did, and we tech writers formed a bond that I hadn't found before or since in the workplace. I had colleagues with whom I could discuss document content, organization, etc.. I had someone  to back me up when I insisted, "No, 'interbuilding' is NOT spelled with a hyphen".  Unfortunately, that contract came to an end, as they all do. I've been the lone tech writer in every position I've held since then, and no other organization that I've worked for has felt that documentation was nearly as important. 

Being versatile can really help the isolation factor. I'm always willing to try something new. I talk with the SMEs outside of 'meeting times' whenever I can, and if they mention problems in areas outside of documentation where I know I can help, I volunteer my services if I have time (you have to be careful not to overload. If volunteering for something else means you may miss your deadlines, talk with your supervisor first). Doing this makes me a valued team member (something you always need to make sure of), and it gives me human contact. Also I belong to tech writing/info design listservs so I can keep abreast of the issues, plus getting mail makes me feel like somebody actually knows I'm here :-).

Charmaine
cbrandon -at- nolacom -dot- com