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Subject:Re: What color is my parachute? From:Tom Murrell <trmurrell -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 3 Jul 2001 05:24:38 -0700 (PDT)
--- mrassmussen -at- hotmail -dot- com wrote:
> The primary project I'm working on is, well, something I have zero interest
> in. Not so much because of the content, but because of the main tool
> (ToolBook II Instructor) used to work on the project. Talking to other
> tech writers, I found that none had even heard of ToolBook II, and even the
> members of my team have commented on how much they hate using it because of
> its obscurity and difficulty level. They want to move on to another tool,
> but the company, apparently, has invested too much into it for that to
> occur any time soon.
FWIW, I think you've been taken in by the fallacy that equates tool knowledge
and tool use with Technical Writing competency. Yes, recruiters and HR
departments and even hiring managers advertise all manner of tools that they
insist a potential candidate know and be able to use. But don't forget that
they are just tools. Tools you can learn. Some make the job easier than others
do, but there are a lot of factors that go into making a Technical Writer.
> I took this job because I thought I'd gain new skills that would benefit me
> during the inevitable second job search, but I'm afraid that if I stay,
> I'll just become proficient at a program that very few places use.
The above is an interesting statement. It says a lot about what you want out of
your job, but it doesn't tell me anything positive about what you will give me
as a Technical Writer. I would be concerned, if I were interviewing you, that
you were in it only for yourself and the money and would not be interested in
what you could give me in the way of product development or enhancement that
would make you attractive to me. As you have guessed by now, I wouldn't be put
off hiring someone who did not have the specific tool knowledge I was looking
for if they have a good attitude, have an idea of what they can bring to
enhance my operations, have an idea of how their writing, learning, and
communication skills would make them a good fit with my team.
If all you are looking for in a job is something that will enhance your tool
base for your next job, why do I want to hire you at all, regardless of your
experience or lack thereof?
> Sure,
> that I can learn a new skill shows ambition, but will I always be on the
> bottom of the resume pile if I'm a ToolBook II Master and everyone else has
> at least intermediate proficiency in FrameMaker or RoboHelp?
I would certainly disagree that your lack of took knowledge would "put you at
the bottom of my resume file." But your attitude that you are working with a
worthless (from a marketing yourself standpoint) tool would not be a positive
to me.
> On the other
> hand, I'm afraid that if I leave, I'll have difficulty finding a similiar
> position because of the scarcity of entry-level positions.
>
> In the world of tech writing, is it worth it to just get any experience/any
> skill?
Yes, it is worth it to get just about any experience when you're starting out.
But that's only one component. How can your experience in an area unrelated to
my current needs be translated into something I might find valuable? That's a
lot of what I would be looking for.
When I was a development programmer, every manufacturer had their own version
of Assembler Language, or so it seemed. They all had common aspects, but they
were each different languages. I got a lot of, "Do you know XYZ Assembler?"
questions, that eventually learned to answer along these lines: "I've learned x
number of computer languages, but programming is a lot more than just the code
it's put into at the end of the process of design and development. I can learn
another language; that's no problem. What you need is someone who can solve
these design problems you have--and everybody has design problems."
Tools are the things we use to develop the end product. They come into play
near the end of the process. It's the thinking mind, coupled with experience,
hard work, and a willingness to be open to possibilities that make up the
complete package that most people want to hire. Your job is to get that
experience and figure out how to apply it to a range of other possibilities.
Everytime I've changed jobs as a Technical Writer, I've gone into a different
industry and had to learn a different tool set. Obviously, they weren't hiring
only my tool knowledge, or I would never have been allowed out of the first
area where I had some knowledge in process control for papermaking and
experience using Interleaf.
I hope you find something generally applicable in my experience to your own
situation and the career path you are on.
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