TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Techical Writer vs. Secretary From:Jo Bin <aname_01 -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com Date:Fri, 14 Apr 2000 11:51:47 -0700 (PDT)
Fellow Technical Writers,
I have been working for a over a year now in a company
that never had a technical writer before. I followed
with great interest all the exchanges on how to
"prove" to developpers how vital our job is.
Well, in my current working environment, only the
Sales Manager has openly voiced the importance and
respect he has for my work. I did several white papers
and other technical documents that were useful to him
that did not exist before or where poorly written by
developpers.
The thing is, my boss does not respect technical
writers. As a true engineer, he treats me like his
secretary because he cannot write two lines without
seasoning it of a least....28 mistakes. He makes me
write his letters and belittles my requests to be more
involved in the development process (meetings and
technical documentation). Also, when I have asked him
to get me a quieter spot in the new section where all
the department is about to move to (about 14
telephones ring constantly around me in the room I
work in, surrounded by 14 people who have phone
conferences and meetings at their desk several times a
day), he has decided I would me sit right next to the
door where the 30 programmers go to the bathroom and
to lunch. A room that contains a pool table right in
my back....Probable the most noisy area of the entire
floor.
One programmer is outwardly rude to me. He once said
women have no business in computer science. Every time
I work with him, he is extremely unpleasant and orders
me to add blatant mistakes in the documentation. He
deliberately twists facts when he reports situations
to my boss who lets him have the last work all the
time. The thing is, my boss never put abusive
programmers in their place, either for conflicts
between me and this programmer or between junior
programmers and senior programmers.
The atmosphere here is similar to high school.
I have been searching for a new job for two weeks now.
Do you think there are signs that you can detect for
environments like this one in an interview? Do think
think this is the norm? I am so disgusted by this
situation that I am really considering a career
change.
The lone TW
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites. http://invites.yahoo.com
