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Continuing the thread (from Eric J. Ray, Tom Johnson, and Jane Carnall) on
the subject of being resourceful and/or recognizing resoucefulness or the
lack of it in tech writers before they are hired:
I think that questions in the interview about how the writer expects to
learn what to put in the manual that the company wants him or her create
would indicate the writer's resourcefulness (or lack of it). Similarly,
questioning about how they structured projects in previous employment (or in
their academic program, if this is their first position) would indicate
whether they were dependent on others or thought for themselves.
This is probably more relevant for short-term contract jobs where the person
hired will be the only writer, and will be left to their own resources, than
for a large department with well-developed processes and mentoring, etc.,
but hectic tech pubs departments need self-starters, too. I have been asked
these kinds of questions by managers or recruiters who thus made me eager to
work for them. [People who only ask me about my tools experience turn me
off.]
I once worked at one of the Bell Labs, which at the time staffed their
support groups (which is where they put tech pubs) with half the direct
employees that the workload required, and half with contract staff (which
they called "resident visitors" -as the badges were labeled- or "RVs"). One
contract writer who had been there 5 years, was amazed when I got to know
the typists, artists, and printers, as well as the SME's on my projects, in
less than 6 months, and I could tell him whom to see for help with a
drawing, or how to get something printed on short notice.
When you jump into a contract (or any other situation) you have to learn the
territory, not only the official org chart, but who really knows what, and
who will tell you how to get things done (like your boss's secretary). Look
for writers who can tell you how they get to know the territory! (My salute
to Meredith Wilson!)
Margaret Cekis
Margaret -at- mediaocean -dot- com
Atlanta GA
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