Re: New TECHWR-L Poll Question

["John Fleming" <johntwrl -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

"John Posada" <jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote in message
news:20020401152041 -dot- 74029 -dot- qmail -at- web14205 -dot- mail -dot- yahoo -dot- com -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
> 
> | We've updated the TECHWR-L Poll with a new question:
> | 
> | How would you assess your competence in doing your 
> | current tech writing job?
> 
> Somneone said they couldn't wait to see someone enter Other and the
> reason.
> 
> I did and here's the reason.
> 
> I don't only do one thing. Some things I'm very competent. Other
> things, I'm hanging on by my fingernails. I'm getting better, but I'm
> learning. 
> 
> I'm surprised that not everyone enters Other...unless they either
> don't know what being highly competent is really like, or they do the
> same thing every day.

I'm going to disagree with you here, John, purely for the purpose of
starting a discussion on assessment of one's abilities.

I suppose, a person who has done a wide variety of projects and has
excelled at those projects could classify him or her self as highly
competent.

For example, a person with a text book, several user manuals, mounds of
policies and procedures, a few installation guides, some report writing,
a magazine article or two, and a corporate style guide could classify
themselves as highly competent.  This person has a wide selection of
projects on which to base their assessment of their skills.  He or she
probably knows where their weaknesses are.  Probably has a fairly good
idea of their level of skill with the tools of the trade.  And knows how
fast he or she could pick up a new skill when needed.  I would probably
agree with that person's assessment of him or her self as "highly
competent".

A person who has worked at the same job for several years and who
routinely produces a limited number of deliverables (I know some people
hate that work--tough) could easily classify him or her self as very
competent.  He or she knows they could do projects similar to the ones
worked on with a high degree of skill, but may have some doubts about
how quickly he or she could do a different kind of project.  But this
person would have a track record to back up the claim to being very
competent.

Competent might describe a technical writer with limited experience, but
who might have a technical writing degree or diploma under his or her
belt with above average marks.  He or she has a basic command of the
technical writing body of knowledge and something on which to base a
claim to competence.

Not very competent might describe a person who has recently entered the
field and is still developing a track record.  He or she may have little
or no formal training, or if he or she does have training, has had a
less than stellar record with the employer.

Not at all competent.  That's the person who, when asked if he or she
can use MS Word, gives a blank stare and says, "What's MS Word?"

Within that kind of bench marking, "Other" could be a way of saying, "I
don't really know."

What do others think?  What would you expect from someone who claims to
fall into any of the categories in the poll?

--
John Fleming
Technical Communication Contractor/ SAS Programmer/ Counter of Inmates
Edmonton, Alberta  

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