RE: Bad Salary Omens (Dana Worley)

[Melissa Nelson <melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Excellent point!! My first TW job was at a low salary. I did not complain, was happy to have it and I learned so much..it was literally like getting paid to learn! I would not want that low of a salary now..but for a first job, it would not be bad! Even Technical Writers have to start somewhere!

 

As for the Executive Assistant positions, the ones I have known earned EVERY penny of whatever salary they recieved. The one at the last company I worked for was everything from Event Planner to Office Manager to HR...she did it ALL!!!

 

Melissa

 


 > The low salary indicated that years of experience were not
> necessary. So what's wrong with that?

 

 

 

 
> From: lkiewiet -at- earthlink -dot- net
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Bad Salary Omens (Dana Worley)
> Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:28:01 -0800
> 
> Bravo to Dana! 
> This thread had several good observations: 
> Where was the job with the low salary? 
> The low salary indicated that years of experience were not
> necessary. So what's wrong with that? We were all young once.
> The position could be an entre to someone on unemployment, a
> disabled Veteran, etc.
> And Dana's, that the "executive assistant" job is not the same
> thing! And is deserving of higher pay.
> I worked my way to graduate school in the 1970s for two years as an
> Executive Assistant in the Corporate Finance world. In those days, the
> executive assistant was female, and was more important from 9-5 than the
> wife. And took the stress of the work day, whereas the wife did not.
> Executive assistants make a fine salary because they function as a partner
> to their boss. Not only are they technically adept in the subject matter,
> but they have personality to field phone calls, (email nowadays), office
> politics, etc. Interpersonal skills are key, as much as technical knowledge
> is key in these positions. Example: I couldn't say that my boss was away, or
> where he was, or that he was having lunch with so and so, because any and
> all of these things could tip off a competitor. But I still had to be
> pleasant and helpful to the colleague who was calling. It was kinda like
> being in the CIA. 
> 
> --Lorraine
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
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> Subject: TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 50, Issue 29
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> Today's Topics:
> 
> 1. RE: Using conditions in multi-destination docs (McLauchlan, Kevin)
> 2. Re: Bad Salary Omens (Dana Worley)
> 3. Re: Bad Salary Omens (Pro TechWriter)
> 4. Nice articles - thanks for the links (Cardimon, Craig)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:08:07 -0500
> From: "McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Using conditions in multi-destination docs
> To: Rick Stone <rstone75 -at- kc -dot- rr -dot- com>
> Cc: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID:
> 
> <D1E2C829C5011E4A84DAF8A184DD7CDA95CEAA13 -at- BEL1EXCH02 -dot- amer -dot- sfnt -dot- local>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> It's "defunct" to me.
> 
> We switched to Flare 1-dot-something years ago, when the RH owners were
> being deliberately obtuse and obscure about their intentions for the
> product, and haven't looked back. Thus I know and can talk about RH
> behavio[u]r only from the last version that I used.
> 
> - K
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Rick Stone [mailto:rstone75 -at- kc -dot- rr -dot- com]
> Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2009 2:51 PM
> To: McLauchlan, Kevin
> Cc: Suzette Leeming; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Using conditions in multi-destination docs
> 
> Hi Kevin
> 
> I just wanted to clarify that things still work this way with RoboHelp as it
> exists today.
> 
> The comment
> 
> (as in RoboHelp from several years ago...)
> 
> Seems to infer that either things no longer work this way in RoboHelp or
> that RoboHelp is a defunct product. And neither are true. ;)
> 
> Cheers... Rick :)
> 
> McLauchlan, Kevin wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Suzette Leeming inquired:
> 
> 
> Just curious... can you only use "not" conditions? Why can't you use
> something like "if Prod1", "if Prod2", etc. Then it would be
> easy to add a
> "if Prod3".
> 
> I know the software I use has both inclusive and exclusive
> conditions, so
> that's why I'm thinking this way.
> 
> Suzette Leeming
> 
> 
> 
> In MadCap Flare (as in RoboHelp from several years ago...) all content is
> included in published output unless it carries a condition that has been
> marked as excluded.
> 
> But... the "notProd1", " notProd2" was just a naming convention; they can be
> called whatever you like. It just seemed clearer to call them "notProd1" or
> "excludeProd1" given how Flare's conditions work. If anyone ever has to pick
> up my pieces, that would be one less thing to puzzle about. :-)
> 
> - Kevin
> 
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:54:14 -0700
> From: "Dana Worley" <dana -at- campbellsci -dot- com>
> Subject: Re: Bad Salary Omens
> To: Technical Writing <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID: <4B39D1C6 -dot- 15599 -dot- 40ED56 -at- dana -dot- campbellsci -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> 
> On Monday, December 28, 2009, Pro TechWriter wrote: 
> 
> > I'm considering executive assistant positions--they pay more and are
> > much less responsibility--and next-to-no overtime!
> 
> Have you ever worked as an executive assistant?
> 
> If you are a true executive assistant (not just a secretary with a fancy
> title), the job can be 
> quite stressful. And if you're going to keep up, you'll be putting in OT.
> 
> I worked as an executive assistant for about 8 years. I was so relieved when
> I left the 
> company and took a position as a technical writer/applications engineer. I
> no longer had to 
> worry about the financial state of the company, hiring/firing, or keeping
> the CEO "up and 
> running". My tech writing job was blissfully stress free compared to my
> responsibilities as an 
> executive assistant.
> 
> I have worked my way back into a higher stress job, though I still think the
> exec asst job is 
> the most stressful I've ever done. 
> 
> YMMV,
> 
> Dana W
> 
> 
> ***************************
> Dana Worley
> Software Product Manager/Manager, Software Support Group
> Campbell Scientific, Inc. 
> Microsoft MVP, Windows Help
> 
> www.jestersbaubles.etsy.com
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:26:49 -0600
> From: Pro TechWriter <pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com>
> Subject: Re: Bad Salary Omens
> To: Dana Worley <dana -at- campbellsci -dot- com>
> Cc: Technical Writing <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID:
> <6b35bddb0912290926w322fddf5rf0d475d0199a21b8 -at- mail -dot- gmail -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> My first career before technical writing, so yes I have, and did it for more
> than 12 years. In my opinion only, I did not find it as stressful, nor did I
> work nearly as many hours, as I do as a technical communicator. I *never*
> worked months in a row without a day off, or worked 70-75 hours a week as I
> did in my last job!
> 
> With a good boss, assisting can be a lot of fun, especially if there is
> event planning involved, which I also did.
> 
> I was just saying, if I am going to work that that little money, I'd prefer
> a job without constant deadlines, stress, and overtime. Exec assisting is an
> option :-) which would allow me to avoid retail, which I hate.
> 
> PT
> 
> On Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 10:54 AM, Dana Worley <dana -at- campbellsci -dot- com> wrote:
> 
> > On Monday, December 28, 2009, Pro TechWriter wrote:
> >
> > > I'm considering executive assistant positions--they pay more and are
> > > much less responsibility--and next-to-no overtime!
> >
> > Have you ever worked as an executive assistant?
> >
> > If you are a true executive assistant (not just a secretary with a fancy
> > title), the job can be
> > quite stressful. And if you're going to keep up, you'll be putting in OT.
> >
> > I worked as an executive assistant for about 8 years. I was so relieved
> > when I left the
> > company and took a position as a technical writer/applications engineer. I
> > no longer had to
> > worry about the financial state of the company, hiring/firing, or keeping
> > the CEO "up and
> > running". My tech writing job was blissfully stress free compared to my
> > responsibilities as an
> > executive assistant.
> >
> > I have worked my way back into a higher stress job, though I still think
> > the exec asst job is
> > the most stressful I've ever done.
> >
> > YMMV,
> >
> > Dana W
> >
> >
> > ***************************
> > Dana Worley
> > Software Product Manager/Manager, Software Support Group
> > Campbell Scientific, Inc.
> > Microsoft MVP, Windows Help
> >
> > www.jestersbaubles.etsy.com
> >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >
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> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:43:17 -0500
> From: "Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com>
> Subject: Nice articles - thanks for the links
> To: "Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- riverainmedical -dot- com>
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Message-ID:
> <19C7D9BC73C7914BAB5D21A6C05F2AD70439ACC6 -at- Delmar2 -dot- m-s-g -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Craig 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf
> > Of Dan Goldstein
> > Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 5:02 PM
> > To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > Subject: RE: Bad Salary Omens
> > 
> > As far as I'm concerned, technical writing has been one of the 50 best
> > career fields for at least 50 years -- probably longer.
> > 
> > (The link
> > <http://www.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2009/12/28/technical-
> > writer.html> worked fine when I tried it; YMMV.)
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Marguerite Krupp
> > > Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 4:24 PM
> > > To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > > Subject: Re: Bad Salary Omens
> > >
> > > According to this week's U.S. News & World Report, technical
> > > writing is one of the 50 best career fields for the next decade:
> > >
> > > http://www.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2009/12/28/the-50
> > > -best-careers-of-2010.html
> > >
> 
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