Re: Definition of Tech Writer, was STC is broken

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

I would say that the people who are "confused and
uneducated" about the real world are those who think
that technical writers can sit in a little silos pounding
out text, expecting their employers to provide them
with SMEs who spoon-feed them information and
other "technical communicators" as support staff to
generate illustrations, compile online help, manage
document project schedules, etc., and not be
perceived as "glorified secretaries," or at least as
dinosaurs.

Everything on Dan's list would be on my list of minimum
requirements for a senior level technical writer with one
exception:  I wouldn't necessarily expect a senior-level
technical writer working for me to be able to deliver a
professional live presentation to customers, just a
reasonably effective Powerpoint slide and meeting
talk to our own internal company audiences.  Most of
today's engineers no longer have drafters and
engineering aides to do drawing and heavy calcs for
them, they use computers, CAD and other tools;
technical writers in the real world need to be able to
be capable of the same end-to-end functions of their
profession as well.

Gene Kim-Eng





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Hailey" <david -dot- hailey -at- usu -dot- edu>
> Goldstein says:
> "When people have interviewed me for positions as a tech writer, they've
> made it clear that text, graphics, live presentations, and collaborative
> meetings with SMEs were all part of the package. I don't think they were
> confused at all -- or "uneducated," for that matter."
>
> I think they are both confused and uneducated.  It comes from using names in a 
> casual manner. For people outside the profession, using the titles 
> interchangeably is not unreasonable.  But people within the profession should 
> be more careful with their terms. Using terms about the profession more 
> carefully makes it possible to discuss our profession at a greater depth and 
> with greater accuracy.

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