Re: Satisfaction (was ... Re: The value of technical writers)

[Marilynne Smith <marilyns -at- QUALCOMM -dot- COM>]

I have two comments about Eric's job:
1.  Eric knows how to get good stuff from good people
2.  The company got good value for its money.  By cooperating with its
writers and helping them when and where they needed it, the company got
full value from the writers.  (The writers weren't spinning their wheels,
confused and misdirected.)

So, you both made out.  It's good to know that sort of job is out there.  I
have one too.

Marilynne
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At 03:33 PM 12/29/98 , Eric J. Ray wrote:
>At 12:03 PM 12/29/98 PST, Melissa Schauder wrote:

<<Some stuff deleted.  M>
>>
>>My current employee has said that I, as a Tech Writer/Electronic Publisher,
>>means that I'll never be able to "advance" because writers are simply
>>"production personnel."
>
>Note: I'm writing this only partially in the context of
>bragging or gloating--it's actually mostly an attempt to let
>some of the students and relative newbie tech writers
>know that it doesn't have to be like this.
>
>Ahem.. A recent contract project.
>As many of you know, Deborah and I have been kicking
>around from one short project to another for a few months.
>Here's the scoop on a recent (and ongoing) contract I've
>been working on.
>
<<<<<I took all the good stuff from the middle.  M. >>>>>>>>>

>(Reminder: This isn't fiction.)
>
>Made the deadline for beta and still working on the
>project for the 1.0 release.
>
>No, not all of the projects I've been on have been like
>this, but this isn't terribly uncommon, and it's certainly
>quite possible to walk into a tech writing position and
>have/earn/not screw up a solid working relationship
>with most people. Additionally, after showing that you
>"get it", don't ask the same questions twice, learn from
>your mistakes, and are respectful of other's time and
>efforts, you can generally even improve on a good
>situation. In other words, while some companies or
>organizations are simply dysfunctional, many others allow
>you to control many aspects of your corporate
>destiny.
>
>Food for thought...if anyone else has wonderful job
>stories, it might be nice to hear some of those for a
>change.
>
>Eric

~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~  ~!~ ~!~
Marilynne Smith                 marilyns -at- qualcomm -dot- com
Sr. Technical Writer            (619) 651-6664
QUALCOMM                AE-203B
              "We'll have the whole world talking"


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