Re: Current job market for tech writers

["Jonathan Soukup" <JSoukup -at- at-track -dot- com>]

>>> "Gary Clark" <Gary -at- wtw -dot- org> 05/24/02 04:20PM >>>
>Also, in looking at the posted openings for the last month currently
on the
>TECHWR-L web site, where there are only 28 listings, I am forced to
>conclude
>that this tight job market exists all over the US.
>
>Anyone else care to comment.
>
>Gary Clark
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I probably did something last week that wasn't the smartest thing in
the world, I quit my tech writing job.

Well it was really wasn't a tech writing job any more, after working
for two years as a technical writer and supporting our configurations
manager (making copies, helping her print files, taking minutes at
meetings for her) our company was split up and merged with another
company and it was magically decided that I was qualified to become a
configurations manager. My tech writing duties magically evaporated!

Of course I didn't get a title change, I didn't get a promotion, I
didn't get a raise, I didn't get any formal training, I was supposed to
figure it out and keep everything running at the same pace as before. Oh
and by the way, you have to pass an ISO audit next month. (2 days after
my last day now.)

tried doing it for about six weeks. It was my worst nightmare realized
in my job, so I gave my two week notice. 

This hasshowed me that it's an employer's market right now. They think
they can do anything to anybody and they'll just suck it up because
times are bad. Six months ago we were asked to start paying for part of
our health insurance. A sign of the times I guess.

Configuration managementis rough in a medium sized company with a one
man staff, it'sdang near impossibleon a newbie learning curve. Heck,
give me a dozen product guides due next week and we'll have product
guides, but don't throw me to the wolves withconfiguration
managementduties. I guess they thought they were being kind to me.

The bright side is I've always been in the bottom 10% of the tech
writer pay scale, so it's going to be a bit easier to find odd jobs to
fill the gap until something new comes along. I just hope something else
comes along soon.

Jonathan Soukup
Fort Worth, Texas
(where we're all waiting for Lockheed Martin to start hiring people for
the Joint Strike Fighter)


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Check out RoboDemo for tutorials! It makes creating full-motion software
demonstrations and other onscreen support materials easy and intuitive.
Need RoboHelp? Save $100 on RoboHelp Office in May with our mail-in rebate.
Go to http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l

Free copy of ARTS PDF Tools when you register for the PDF
Conference by May 15. Leading-Edge Practices for Enterprise
& Government, June 3-5, Bethesda,MD. www.PDFConference.com

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.