The truth about a technical writing job - An answer to Bev

Subject: The truth about a technical writing job - An answer to Bev
From: Barry Kieffer <barry -dot- kieffer -at- EXGATE -dot- TEK -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 08:39:18 -0700

That is not exactly true, Bev.

I am only bored about half the time.

Most of the engineers I deal with can speak pretty darn well, although I
never seem to understand what the heck they are trying to say.

The PM's let me document the product before it is designed, and allow me to
stay late into the night making changes.

The pay is better then most people think. I only have to eat mashed-potato
sandwiches twice a week to make ends meet. By the way, those cans of "Fancy
Feasts" are pretty darn good late at night, I especially like the "Cod, sole
and shrimp".

I do not know why anybody would give up a career at an exciting newspaper
for technical writing gig.
Working at a newspaper you get the chance to write articles about Mr.
Heffer's new born calf, do the obituaries, write exciting want ads, or go on
assignment in the Middle East.

Working in technical writing the only thing you get to do is document the
next killer app.

Oh goodie! The SME just informed me that they changed the entire GUI. No
boredom for me this weekend. I get to work the weekend straight through.

Barry, the snappish technical writer.

Bev writes:
> If you like looking at the same boring sh... i mean stuff day after day,
> and dealing with engineers who can't speak clearly (or look at you askance
> coz you don't understand them) and PMs who are on to the next product,
> leaving you in the dust to document their product with very little or no
> input, go baby go! (Oh, and the stress certainly isn't worth it... nor is
> the pay as good as everybody claims!)
>

From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=


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