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Well, not me specifically, but the "younger" (*cough*) generation of
technical writers.
As mentioned previously, there are usually two types of tech writers:
1- the engineer/programmer with a TW certification
2- the English/Journalism major with a back door into high-tech (e.g.,
a hobbiest techie).
I've found that the first tends to be dominant with the "older"
generation of tech writers and the second most common among the
"younger." I can't say which is better, but it is certainly easier to
justify a Journalism student who understands .NET for $20/hr than the
professional with three pages of experience for $35/hr.
Depending upon your experience and education, you may want to consider
a Master's in Tech Comm. You'd not only be ahead of those journalism
"kids" who write computer games for fun, but you could more easily
convince the HR folks to pay what you want.
I'd hate to make this sound like a game of one-upmanship, but, to get
your name on top, you need something attractive to non-technical
personnel and management. Anecdotally, I was offered a contract job for
"up to $20/hr" and I explained that I (now) have a Master's. The next
day they came back with a significantly higher offer.
If you don't want to spend the time in the classroom, Texas Tech and
other Universities have Online post-graduate degrees in Tech Comm.
And, definitely, post your resume on EVERY job website you can find.
Every situation is unique, but that's my 2.5 cents worth. Good luck!
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