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Subject:Re: The Right Stuff From:Moshe Koenig <alsacien -at- NETVISION -dot- NET -dot- IL> Date:Sun, 8 Sep 1996 22:05:14 PDT
Lynda,
I'd say you've got what it takes to start. Getting there may be another
story, but that doesn't mean that you can't do it.
The business of standards is something that can be confusing, depending
on where you start working. If you start in a company that deals in
technical documentation, you'll be where it's at. If you work in a
department in a high-tech company, there's no way to know where you'll
be. Writers working in departments tend to tailor their knowledge and
skills to the needs of the company, and if the company is light years
behind the rest of the industry, the novice writer learns skills that
have no value in the general market place.
The ability to learn new tools quickly and without a lot of fuss is
important, because the work frequently requires that. Learning how to
evaluate tools for work takes time to learn what should be the
criteria.
Don't try to leap into the market on your own at first. You may have
all the ability in the world, may have what it takes to make it, and
be bamboozled by some double-talk from other writers who just want to
keep you from feeling that you've got something to offer. Take at
least a year or two to feel the profession a bit.
I also hope you have a low sleep requirement. Meeting deadlines may
mean that you end up dead or like a zombie, walking around on two hours
sleep on the average. It doesn't happen every day, but it DOES happen.
With that, I wish you every success!
- Moshe
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