Re: Speaking of specific job requirements...

[Dick Margulis <margulis -at- fiam -dot- net>]

The "dream job" ad that Darren posted is a great opportunity. It is a 
clear indicator that the company that posted it needs a writer to help 
them formulate job ads. I'm not kidding. A recurring theme here is that 
HR types don't know what tech writers do, and we know that most of them 
are not writers themselves, in any sense of the word. So how do most HR 
departments handle job postings? They take what the hiring managers 
write up in the way of a job description and post it pretty much as is. 
And who are the hiring managers? Well, to start with, they're managers, 
often engineers or MBA types who also can't write and don't know it.

What's my point? A self-contradictory, illogical, badly written job 
description is a strong indicator that the company needs your services, 
Ms. or Mr. job-seeker. Call the company president and say so. Create a 
job opportunity for yourself at the executive level. Make a pitch for 
becoming the writer/editor who keeps management's feet out of their 
mouths. Offer to review the HR department's policies and procedures 
while you're cleaning up the job postings.

Okay, maybe it's not a full-time permanent job. Maybe it's not your 
first choice writing assignment, but for those of you who are out of 
work and looking for something to keep food on the table, a badly 
written ad may be a good place to start.

Darren Barefoot wrote: