RE: Alone from the start

["Jane Carnall" <jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com>]

Milan Davidovic wrote:
>Has anyone on this list been the lone writer on their
>*very first* job (i.e. working in-house) or project?

Yes. Sole technical writer (the second one they'd ever hired, and the first
to stay for more than six months) for a small-ish (30+) company. My second
job was with a team of 5-to-12 technical writers for a large-ish (300+)
company.

>If you had to do it again, would you still plunge in
>or would you wait for a gig that put you in the
>company of other more experienced writers?

No, I wouldn't "wait". I'd do what I *did*: apply for all the technical
writing/related jobs I could find that didn't specify "must have a minimum
of two years experience", and take the first one that would consent to hire
an enthusiastic graduate with no direct experience. You have to get the
experience to get the work, you have to get the work to get the
experience... So long as they're not doing "defense" work or sacrificing
small furry animals in the cellar, I would have worked for anyone.

I learned a lot the first year. And I learned even more my first year
working with a team and having other technical writers around - but *that*
company would never have hired me with no experience. I do regret not having
access to this list back then, but it was interesting and useful experience:
I don't regret anything else.

Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Digital Bridges, Scotland
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone. Apologies
for the long additional sig: it is added automatically and outwith my
control.


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