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> At Datatel we don't currently have good written job descriptions for our tech
> writers, but we do have a notion of a "senior" writer as well as the title.
> We have been advertising lately, too, and although I don't believe that our ad
> says "senior," in our minds that is what we are looking for. To us that means
> someone who had been a technical writer, preferably in the software industry,
> for 3-5 years. We are looking for someone who has experience with, or at least
It seems to me that some people are unaware that between a junior writer
and a senior writer we should have intermediate writers, ie nobody wants
to be called a junior writer for very long - but that doesn't make them
"senior" (other than by relation to the juniors).
As I said to Kelly via e-mail, someone can become a member of the STC, and
after 5 yrs will receive a "Senior" membership certificate, even though
they may have done nothing except work in MacDonalds all that time!
Here's my approximate calculations:
Junior Tech Writer: 0 - 2 yrs
Intermediate Tech Writer: 1 - 8 yrs
Senior Tech Writer: 6 - x yrs
Group Leader: 10 - x yrs
Publications Mgr: 12 - x yrs
Now, I suppose I'll get a flood of e-mail from senior writers with only 3
yrs experience. Ho, hum!
;-)
> the capability to, plan their own projects and manage them. We need
This doesn't describe senior writers, but group leaders.
Any company without job descriptions is asking for trouble. Don't wait for
the human resource dept to write them, write your own (you are in fact
more qualified to do this probably) and then get the manager to sign
approval of them.
LONG LIVE INTERMEDIATE TECH WRITERS!
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_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ "Caesar had perished from the world of men
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ Had not his sword been rescued by his pen."
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