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Subject:Re: Advice for Coping Strategies From:"Jessica N. Lange" <jlange -at- OEE -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 3 Sep 1998 07:47:09 -0400
In my admittedly limited experience (I've only known a few TWs), I've worked
with two people who said they loved technical writing but found they went
"absolutely nuts sitting in a cubicle and technical writing all day".
I always believed that these two choose the wrong profession: it seemed
obvious. Both are extremely outgoing, personable, friendly, gregarious,
people-loving people. Both always knew every scrap of gossip going around,
both always knew any person mentioned in a conversation, both spent a lot of
time away from their desks: neither was very productive. One quit and joined
a public relations firm: little writing, lots of people contact. The other
was the only one in the TW dept to get RIF'd when the struggling company
downsized. Both were among the nicest people I've ever known but I think
they were wrong in their career choice.
My point is that loving words and loving to write do not a happy tech writer
make. I'm *not* trying to say that TW are introverted, grouchy, unsocial
people: we'd never get anything from a SME if that were true <g>. However,
sitting at a computer, thinking and writing, is always going to be a major
portion of this job, and with email, intranets, and telecommuting, more and
more of my work is done from inside this cubicle.
The strategies for coping given by the posters are valid and valuable,
however, not everyone is suited to be a TW. Jane Bergen is absolutetly
correct when she said: "Maybe it's time to take a deep breath, step back,
and see what it is that you really want. Life is too short to go through it
in the wrong job, believe me."
Good luck.
-------Anon wrote--------
I love the art of technical writing. But I go absolutely nuts sitting
in a cubicle and technical writing all day! Can anyone give me any
advice on how to cope? Does anyone else experience this problem, or are
most technical writers content with the work style?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Jessica N. Lange jlange -at- ohioee -dot- com
Technical Communicator, Ohio Electronic Engravers, Inc.
