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Subject:Re: Oh, *anyone* can do *your* job! From:Steve Arrants <SArrants -at- DATAFUSION -dot- NET> Date:Wed, 22 Apr 1998 15:50:48 -0700
What I've found when interviewing is that you not only have to "sell"
yourself as able to do the job, you ofen have to redefine what the job
is before you get a glimmer of an offer. Most employers in
non-traditional technical communication industries don't "get it."
They've never needed a technical communicator at their company, they
have no idea *WHAT* we do, and, of course, *WHAT* we're worth.
I'm familiar with the market up in Sonoma County (I live at the Russian
River). There are more high-tech industries in the area (mostly
telecommunication and medical device firms), so it is getting easier.
Stephen Arrants, Jr.
DATAFUSION, Inc.
139 Townsend Street Suite 100
San Francisco, CA 94107-1922
415.836.7843 fax 415.222-1050
sarrants -at- datafusion -dot- net http://www.datafusion.net
> -----Original Message-----
> From: George Mena [SMTP:George -dot- Mena -at- ESSTECH -dot- COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 1998 3:33 PM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Oh, *anyone* can do *your* job!
>
> Hi folks =)
>
> New thread time at last...
>
> Just read Penny Staples' post and found the following points she makes
> rather insightful:
>
> This isn't just about "What to do if one is mistaken for a
> secretary". I
> think the real issue we're discussing is how others
> (management,
> co-workers)
> perceive Tech Writers in the workplace.
>
> Four years ago, I had the dubious pleasure once of interviewing
> for a
> tech writing position up in Sonoma County's fabled Wine Country.
....
> Though he needed the work done, he had absolutely no idea as to
> what the going rate was for real technical writers with high-tech
> experience. When I told him I'd cut him a break at $20 an hour and be
> telecommuting (the really good software writers are worth twice that),
> I
> thought he was going to faint, the man was so shocked at the price of
> reality.
>
> George Mena
> Technical Writing Consultant
> George -dot- Mena -at- esstech -dot- com
> ESS Technology, Inc.
> 48401 Fremont Blvd.
> Fremont, CA 94538
> 510-492-1763
>
>
