TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
I would write up a brief job description for myself and make two sections.
The first section is for the work that is typical of the job title and the
second section is for work that seems outside of the job title. The job
market is getting a little tight in some areas, like government and real
estate, and a little looser in other areas, like health care and sales. I
think that these days, employers are giving employees work that goes beyond
the scope of their jobs to save money and to avoid hiring new people.
Understanding your own job and what work is beyond the scope of your job
will help you to understand your value to the company and your potential to
gain new skills for a promotion or a better job. It is probably not a good
idea to make demands on your manager about work that he needs to do to
support your position, like attend weekly meetings and give you regular
feedback. You can make a job for yourself and provide weekly status reports
to your manager about the work that you have done during the week.
The important thing for you right now, is to understand what you do and what
you are required to do. Also, your job description should not be more than
a page, if even that. It is essentially the same information that will be
distilled to three or five bullet points on a résumé. Avoid vague
administrative terms such as, "other duties as required." If you were hired
with a specific job title, then you have specific job functions.
Lauren
> From: SB
> I finally had the opportunity to talk a few seconds with my
> boss (and I am
> not exaggerating when I am saying seconds). He didn't know
> what I wanted
> from him when I requested the job description so I suggested
> that I would
> write it and he would fix it.
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
