Re[2]: a few questions (entry-level job)

["Lindamood, Brad" <blindamood -at- DCA -dot- COM>]

Karen-

One of the most important elements of Technical Writing is writing to your
audience (as has been discussed on this list many times). My initial
response was to a person who is going to be graduating from college soon,
not someone with 10+ years of professional experience in various
occupations. Of course you're going to be bringing different skills,
looking for different things, and may not be willing to accept an
entry-level salary. I don't have a problem with that, but that is not what
the original post was about.

>Well, what is an entry-level position? I'm changing careers, and I've
>spent more than ten years acquiring skills that should transfer
>beautifully to technical writing, but because I don't have enough
>work experience *in this field*, people ignore the skills I do have.
>I'm not fresh out of college; I *taught* college for 8 years. I don't
>expect to be hired as a senior writer, but I do expect the skills
>I've acquired through experience--chunking of information,
>sensitivity to audience--to be taken into account.

You go on to say...

>You also had a technical advantage--male writers who are technical
>have a much easier time getting work initially, in my experience.

Wow--I really didn't intend this to turn into a gender (or is it sex)
issue! I'm sorry to hear that this even _is_ an issue; in my experience,
I've worked with _many_ more women than men, at all levels, so I can't say
I agree with this view.

I wish you luck in your pursuits.

Brad
blindamood -at- dca -dot- com