Re: Experience VS Ability

[Buck & Tilly Buchanan <writer -at- DHC -dot- NET>]

Bill DuBay wrote:
>
> My personal opinion (and this is relevant to the certification issue) is that
> it is the company's responsibility to provide training both for the
> underlying technology and the tools to be used.
> It should be the responsibility of the background educational process to
> provide the writer with exceptional communication abilities in language and
> informational design, as well as general real-world, work-place skills,
> including networking, interviewing, document management, and
> technology-learning skills.

Hoping that you don't consider this a flame, but I consider your post to
be a wish-list.

The companies that hire us today (whether as contractors or as direct
employees) have no interest in teaching us to use the tools to produce
their documentation, any more than other industry (aircraft repair,
e.g.)expects to teach us to use the hand tools required to keep their
equipment running.

The change from hiring Apprentices and bringing them up to Journeyman
status ended with the advent of the minimum wage laws.  Companies simply
can't afford the long learning curve.

When a company buys a new software package or upgrades current ones,
however, the story is different.  They are expected to bring all users
up to speed on the new package.

I haven't seen a "Wanted.  Entry-level Tech Writer" ad in years, so
where are they coming from?  I believe, as I have for many moons, that
GOOD tech writers come from the ranks of the hands-on technical people.
Programmers with a talent for writing, become software doc people,
Aircraft Mechanics with the talent become aircraft tech writers, etc.

And the software they need to do the first job is learned at home--or
that skill is faked, or the hiring authority overlooks the requirement
for the otherwise highly qualified.

Folks with degrees (other than in TW), seldom begin their careers as
tech writers, although I'm sure I'll hear from a few who did.

For those beginners who are having a hard time breaking in to tech
writing, please buy, borrow, or steal (choose the legal route, if
possible) the four most important packages in current TW ads.  They are
Word, FrameMaker, RoboHelp, and FrontPage (in that order in the DFW
area).  Buy the "Dummies" book for each of them, then go home and spend
24 hours on each package.  You're now qualified to put the names of that
software in your resumes.

Cost?  If you don't consider it important enough to spend $2000 for a
proper start to your career, then you should try teaching.  You know
what they say; Those who can't, teach,  etc... .
--


Buck Buchanan
writer -at- dhc -dot- net
Arlington, TX

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