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.
RE: tool nonsense (gearing up to be a tech writer)
Subject:RE: tool nonsense (gearing up to be a tech writer) From:Christine -dot- Anameier -at- seagate -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 1 May 2001 14:37:36 -0500
Glenn Maxey advocated a candid response to the tools question:"I don't know
it, but can learn it." I agree, BUT...
I've tried that approach repeatedly and haven't had any luck with it.
As a contractor I've been through this sequence of events several times:
1) A local agency calls me with a possible contract and asks if I "have
Frame."
2) I say some variation on "No, but I can learn it quickly."
3) The agency says, "Oh, well, the client wants someone who knows
Framemaker already" and starts trying to wrap up the conversation.
Usually I've pressed further, explaining that I've learned every OTHER tool
on the fly, without requiring any training from anyone, and there's no
reason Framemaker should be any different. I've said, "What if I learn
Framemaker on my own, at home, before I even set foot in that company?" No
dice. I've held my nose and said, "What if I go take a course?" Nope. I've
been told that training or independent learning are insufficient--they want
actual on-the-job use of the tool (one agency grilled me when I tried to
get past the question with vague assurances: "have you used it ON THE JOB,
and if so, where and for how many months?"). Catch-22.
This issue was a serious nuisance the last time I was job-hunting, which
was when the job market was still just peachy. I suspect it would be an
even bigger problem if I were on the market now.
*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available now at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com
Sponsored by Information Mapping, Inc., a professional services firm
specializing in Knowledge Management and e-content solutions. See http://www.infomap.com or 800-463-6627 for more about our solutions.
---
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.
