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Re: [Fwd: Re: Is this really a tech writing job?]

Subject: Re: [Fwd: Re: Is this really a tech writing job?]
From: Sarah Stegall <siliconwriter -at- comcast -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 10:02:28 -0800



On Tuesday, February 15, 2005, at 08:42 AM, Gene Kim-Eng wrote:

I realize that apparently Pam and I are the only ones on the
list that have seen the actual ad,

Except me. :) I posted the original ad. As a refreser to the rest of the list, here are the job requirements, complete with misspellings:

Responsibilities:
• Write quality documents with support from FDA consultant.
• Manage corporate quality document sign off; online and hard copy storage and updates.
• Co ordinate transfer of documents with Strategic Partners, consultants and suppliers.
• Manage calendar, travel plans, expenses and filing for COO and two engineers.
Qualifications:
• B.S. in Science, business or equivalent.
• One year experience in technical writing – quality experience a plus.
• One year experience as an administrative assistant.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Proficient in MS Office, in particular: Excel, Word & PowerPoint.
• Strong attention to detail

TEMPORARY,PART TIME TO REGULAR POSITIOIN: 20 hours a week to start

Their plan appears to be to hire
someone who lacks the qualifications to be a medwriter but
is willing to do their office dirtywork in return for a chance
to get a foot in the door and learn a position he or she would
otherwise not have a chance of ever getting into.

I must respectfully disagree, Gene. My (admittedly cynical) experience tells me that more likely they will boot out the tech writer/secretary and hire a "real" FDA writer with a bio/med degree as soon as they can afford it. I've seen it happen a couple of times. And I also remember two different occasions at tiny startups where, when we needed more technical writing help, management simply assigned a spare secretary to be a "technical writer". These inexperienced newbies slowed us down immeasurably, as we struggled to teach them the basics while working under a deadline. I guess I resent management's tendency to view technical writers and secretaries as interchangable.

I've been an administrative assistant. I've been a technical writer. I can tell you flat, Gene, you can't be both, not at the same company, and expect any kind of respect. That goes double for technical folks like developers and engineers. They will NOT, repeat NOT respect someone whom they view as a jumped-up clerical aide, and foisting a secretary with tech writing tasks on them as a "technical writer" will only undermine what little respect they have for the field as it is.

How are we to expect respect in this field if we let management treat us like this? How can we expect to be treated as professionals if we allow ourselves, even at the entry level, to be hyphenated into a non-professional job? I wonder how many engineering graduates would accept an entry-level job labeled "Engineering/Admin Assistant". How many software developers would want to be a "Programmer/File Clerk"? They would not stand for this kind of professional dilution, and we should not either.


!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!- !-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!
"Be a scribe! Your body will be sleek, your hand will be soft. You are one who sits grandly in your house; your servants answer speedily; beer is poured copiously; all who see you rejoice in good cheer. Happy is the heart of him who writes; he is young each day."--Ptahhotep, 4500 BCE

Sarah Stegall munchkyn at munchkyn dot com


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Re: [Fwd: Re: Is this really a tech writing job?]: From: Gene Kim-Eng

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