Re: Agencies

["Klopfenstein, Ed (AFS)" <EdK -at- ACCU-FAB -dot- COM>]

Haley makes a good point (desktop publishing and administrative work are
professional occupations).

However, Nina obviously wasn't trying to thumb her nose at these
professions.  She seemed to saying more, "If you're a tech writer, be a
tech writer."

I think Nina's point is an excellent point for people seriously entering
the industry.  If fledgling tech writers don't demand the pay and
position they strive for, employers may not take them as serious
professionals when it comes time to divvy out the more important
contracts.

The tech writer without the niche loses their edge.

Ed

Technical Writer
Accu-Fab Systems, Inc.
Corvallis Oregon

>-----Original Message-----
>From:  Documania [SMTP:dcma -at- MAIL1 -dot- NAI -dot- NET]
>Sent:  Thursday, July 24, 1997 4:18 PM
>To:    TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject:       Agencies
>
>Nina wrote an excellent summary of how to work with agencies, what they can
>do for you, etc.
>
>I would like to take exception to one point. She wrote, "The biggest
>problem I've had is with recruiters trying to get me to accept jobs that
>pay well below the minimum I need to pay my bills or that involve my doing
>unskilled,
>unprofessional work (such as pure desktop publishing or even
>administrative-assitant work)."
>
>Excuse me, but pure desktop publishing and administrative-assistant work
>are both skilled, professional occupations. They may not rate the same wage
>as technical writing, but they qualify as careers! "Skill" describes a
>spectrum, not an exclusive echelon. Ditto "professional." Different
>agencies will handle these different skill sets and expect different levels
>of professionalism. If your skills bridge occupations, you will need to
>register with not only many agencies but different kinds of agencies in
>order to get work.
>
>Carolyn Haley
>DocuMania
>dcma -at- ct1 -dot- nai -dot- net
>
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