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Do you really think that a professional organization can
persuade the unconvinced that they should hire its
members? Maybe I'm just the hard to convince type,
but anytime I've spent any time looking at or paid any
attention to information from such groups it's *after*
I've decided I need someone and am on the lookout
for resumes or guidelines for choosing a candidate.
As for "earning respect" for technical writing at a place
where I haven't been hired, I'd have to say I just don't.
By the time someone calls me, they already know they
need something I can do for them or they wouldn't have
called me, so what I do is concentrate on determining
what it is they need and how I can do it for them better
than someone else they may have called. And if their
situation is that some there have decided they need
it but the person they hire will need to convince others
who aren't on board about that need yet, then I am not
the candidate for them. I'm not joining a company to
evangelize to its management or its rank and file about
the value of documentation; I'm joining because the
company already understands their need and wants
someone who can get it done for them.
Gene Kim-Eng
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Jong" <SteveFJong -at- comcast -dot- net>
> How do you earn respect at a place where you *haven't* been hired?
> Sounds like a silly question, but I have a thought on the matter.
>
> Whether an individual earns respect or not, just as whether an
> individual succeeds or not, is up to the individual. But you need to
> have the opportunity. First the req, then respect...! And that is
> something I think STC could positively influence. By telling the
> powerful story of the value of technical communication (and yes, I
> come down on that side of the title debate), we can help convince
> potential employers that they would benefit from hiring practitioners,
> thereby creating more employment opportunities for individuals.
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