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It looks like I opened a mini-floodgate of responses, some private and some public. While I recall during my own two contract tech assignments (2005-2007 and 2007-2008) working with contract engineers in their 70s (I was just shy of age 60 at the time), I just sort-of figured that contract tech writing is (was?) perhaps at least a little immune to age discrimination because potential employers aren't faced with health care premiums (and taxes and such for 1099 contractors; both of mine were W2 contracts).
Plus another Atlanta area woman in this age classification who also participates in the email list seems to be very successful at contract writing. (She regularly copies me with job openings sent to her for which I am _very_ thankful.) And it is her success that gives me encouragement to move on.
But now, after seeing the various personal accounts, I'm not so sure about what to do. On one hand, I sure as hell am not going to leave this place until something at least reasonably good comes along, though "reasonably good" is open to interpretation. But on the other hand, I can't last here forever.
And so the mystery continues.
-- Ken in Atlanta
On Tuesday, September 13, 2016 8:00 AM, "Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com> wrote:
"You're expensive" translates into "Anyone can write."
One way around this is to get something an engineer/developer has written, and then rewrite it to be client-facing.
Then have a higher-up look at both and ask which document they'd rather place in front of a client.
If you still get the same answer, then they are simply not willing to pay for your services.
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 Monique Semp
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2016 3:57 PM
To: Wright, Lynne <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- Kronos -dot- com>; Jody Zolli <jody -dot- zolli -at- gmail -dot- com>; TECHWR-L Writing <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Subject: Re: "Age-old" question
> We believe that our skills and experience are worth high-end salaries;
> but from the company's perspective, its better to hire somebody who
> will do an adequate job/improve as they go but who is willing to
> settle for significantly less in terms of salary and vacation time, etc.
Yes, precisely. Certainly/obviously age discrimination does exist. But I believe that many times it's our demands that are "the problem", not our age, per se. And this transcends age as "an issue" to all sorts of things, such as the basic need to even have a tech writer.
Anecdote time: A client told me recently that for a new product coming out, they're going to have the engineer write the docs. Clearly the client thinks that they'll get something good enough while saving $$ by not paying the tech writer. (Said client has recently started telling me at almost every in-person meetingâI typically work remotely with onsite visits every few weeksâthat "you're expensive.")
So if a company doesn't see the value we provide, it can be totally unrelated to our age, gender, etc. We all can argue 'til the cows come home that these are bad decisions for the company. But given how short-term the ROI must always be in this fast-paced business climate, companies don't really care if the long-term effect of poor docs is angry or lost customers.
None of the above is meant to discount the very real problems that experienced, 50+ old workers have with getting hired. And I wonder if this has always been the case or is significantly worse now than 20-30 years ago?
-Monique
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