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Subject:Re: The STC and me From:Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- aps -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 28 Jul 2004 11:34:41 -0700
T.W. Smith writes:
> Still, were I a hiring manager (have been, am not now), most other
> things being equal, I'd prefer STC members over non-STC-members,
> because the former are demonstrating an interest in the profession,
> rather than just being truck drivers or lawn-care guys who fell into
> the profession by accident when their previous gig ran out.
I have also been a hiring manager. Although statistically it probably
isn't a great sample (I hired probably about 30 people over a period of
3-4 years for various contract technical writing positions), I didn't
find STC membership or non-membership correlated to performance as a
technical writer. I myself have been a member of STC in the past and
presented at the Region 5 conference during that time. I am not a
member now but go on and off and have a lot of friends in the local STC
chapter. Many of them are great writers, but I also know many great
writers who are NOT members.
Not all great technical writers are "joiners" for various reasons. Some
have other things going on in their spare time like families, hobbies,
et al, but they still do a more than competent job at work. I could now
go into a long analysis of the spare time activities of many of the
brilliant technical writers that I have been privileged to work with,
STC members and non-members alike, but I will, no doubt much to your
amazement and gratitude, resist the impulse!
Rosie
Rose A. Wilcox
Center for Process Excellence, CHQ 8th Floor
602-250-3195
Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- aps -dot- com
When the only tool you own is a hammer,
every problem begins to resemble a nail.
Abraham Maslow
"MMS <apsc.com>" made the following annotations.
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