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:Re: anyone else in the same boat? From:Scott Turner <sturner -at- airmail -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 21 Dec 2000 09:07:27 -0600
Dear Stranger,
Are they manufacturing? Are they software? Do they have hardware?
What are the previous documentation requirements that they had
consultants perform.
Do they produce printed manuals, do they provide them to customers?
Are your customers internal or external (are you supporting the people
inside the company, inside another company, or Joe Blow on the street),
or a combination.
Are you supposed to provide Help file for software?
Does the company want to distribute their documentation on the web or on
CD-ROM?
If you are going to send your documentation to a printer to be produced
in a book, get postscript capable printers in-house to do your proofs.
Are you going to do graphics? Color? Printed?
Are your documents going to be long, complicated, filled with tables,
and graphics, made up of multiple files?
Are they going to be short?
Lay it on the line, tell us the details.
Scott
train2 -at- sprynet -dot- com wrote:
>
> I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this:
> I was recently hired by a company as a tech writer....
> I have no previous experience and this company has no previous experience with an in-house writer. Anything they needed done was out-sourced to consultants.
> Now, it is my job to figure everything out. They dont really know what to tell me, other than what they do.
> I have no idea where to start. I'm a stranger in a semi-strange land (just because of all the studying I did). Anyone have any advice??
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY. http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.
Take XML and Tech Writing courses online! Our instructor-led courses
(4-6 hrs/wk) give you "hands on" experience at your convenience. STC members
get 20% off! http://www.online-learning.com/index.html.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
