Re: Summary: TW Dept. Hierarchy - Reclassifying TW

[Rose Wilcox <RWILC -at- FAST -dot- DOT -dot- STATE -dot- AZ -dot- US>]

Peggy Currid wrote about TW dept. hierarchies.   I didn't
respond to her original post, because I am currently a lead
on a contract with only two other tech writers.  However, I wanted
to pass along my experience in a similar situation.

I was once contract-to-hire at a company where I was the only writer.
The technical writing permanent job was classified at a low pay
rate for which I could not afford to work.  Therefore, my boss,
who wanted me to work there permanently, allowed me to write
a new job description for a senior tech writer.  I titled the position
"Documentation Analyst."  What I had to do was find out what system
the personnel department used to classify the job in terms of salary.
I don't remember the system my company used, but I studied it
and wrote my job description with as many of the high-$ buzz words
that the system used as possible.

This allowed me to reclassify my position's salary and title and take
the permanent job.  (The happy ending of the story for me was that
although the company re-structured only a few months after I was hired
permanently, they provided me with a sizable severance pay.  I
was able to pay off my vehicle and go back to contracting at my
regular contracting pay rate!)

So try to find out how your audience (the personnel department) classifies
job's descriptions.  In my case, words such as "evaluates", "manages"
"edits", etc. were powerful, along with levels of other departments
hierarchies
worked with (for instance, works with upper level management to determine
documentation needs for the company), and technological knowledge (such
as understands CASE tools, such as IEF, etc.).  Amount of education
required also had an affect on the salary level, but you might not want to
tie your department into that limit when hiring.

Good luck!

Rose Wilcox
rwilc -at- fast -dot- dot -dot- state -dot- az -dot- us
ncrowe -at- primenet -dot- com

'Well,' said Owl, 'the customary procedure
 in such cases is as follows.'
'What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean?'
said Pooh.  'For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain,
and long words Bother me.'
'It means the Thing to Do.'
'As long as it means that, I don't mind,' said Pooh humbly.
 -AA Milne