Re: Tool knowledge versus Task knowledge

[Ginna Watts <gwatts -at- QUESTERCORP -dot- COM>]

Linda Holder wrote...

>No, a temp couldn't do that task. They tend to be less skilled with only a
>basic familiarity with the tool. The temp would have probably taken an hour
>to do the task Mike did in 5 minutes -- and probably foul up the job so bad
>that it would be impossible to edit on the next pass. Pay the temp less --
>per hour, perhaps, but in terms of ultimate cost in productivity to the
>corporation -- way more.



Wow is that ever a generalization!

Speaking as someone who temped out of University, such a task is WHAT TEMPS
DO (beyond typing, of course). No temp agency I ever heard of sent out temps
who weren't more than proficient in Word, Word Perfect, Excel, Lotus,
Access...and the list goes on. In fact, if we didn't have assignments, we
were exptected to come into the office and train on a new tool. Everything I
know about the tools I use now (with the possible exception of Frame+SGML),
I learned at temp agencies.

Such a task (porting from Frame to Word Perfect) is dead easy, even for a
*lowly* temp. (Assuming Frame is installed on the usually arthritic machine
reserved for temps). If I hired a temp now, and he or she couldn't handle
simple file translations, they would be sent back so fast their heads would
spin.

I have to agree with previous posters; if all you have going for you is your
knowledge of the tools, then why shouldn't your company hire a temp?

Ginna

Ginna Watts, Technical Writer
Quester Tangent Corporation
Sidney, BC
gwatts -at- questercorp -dot- com

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