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RE: Career moves? What jobs are technical writers likely to move toward
Subject:RE: Career moves? What jobs are technical writers likely to move toward From:"David Locke" <dlocke -at- texas -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sun, 23 Nov 2003 14:36:07 -0600
It used to be hard to get into TW, not like now when they let anyone in if
they are cheap enough.
I had a manager that wanted to hire me, not as a TW, but as a business
analyst for his soon to dot bust business. He wanted me to change and take a
$25K plus pay cut. It wasn't like I applied for this position.
You can go into sales, management, or tech. The hard part will be keeping
your salary where it is today. Changing careers usually means earning less
money for a while. But, if you manage your career, so that it takes you to
adjacent, related positions you can make the switch without this problem.
I've seen QA people move into product management. They can do that, because
they have "client contact." A rare few do.
In writing my last resume, I was challenged to put dollar figures on the
results of my work. If you can quantify your results in dollars, it will be
easier to move. Working at the bottom of a development department makes most
of us TWs well away from the money. And, most of the value adds we profess,
are cost controls rather than revenue, and even if we sell individual
manuals that isn't the real revenue of the business.
Capture your results. Focus on what and why. How really doesn't matter. The
quarterly goals and accomplishments statements, a lot of have to write, are
about quantified results or should be. Take those statements and their
measured results and get them on your resume.
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