Inexperienced TWs, managers, confidence, conceit, et al.

[Lisa Comeau <COMEAUL -at- CSA -dot- CA>]

> >>> Faith Weber said <<<  (snipping copious amounts)
> I think a lot of people here...are missing the *real* threat... the
> doofus managers who will hire (the inexperienced) because they are
> cheaper...without regard to any difference in competence.
>
> <Some reference to VB home users not being Sware Developers...which I  think deserves a totally *different* post, but I'm not going there>
> And Faith, this is not directed at you, just at the idea you've  brought up about managers, which has been done before...
>
> Okay. So here I am yet again getting on my soapbox which is fast
> becoming a soap _crate_.
>
> 1) We complain about inexperienced writers who "steal jobs from the
> experienced".
>
> 2) We say that managers are the problem because they undervalue our contribution.
>
> 1) Who says the experienced writer *deserves* the job? I don't know
> *where* it is written that 30 years of experience means you're a
> better writer than someone new to the field. (PLEASE: don't dive down
> my throat, try to understand the part exaggeration can make in making
> a point.)
>
> 2) Who tells the managers that our contribution is valuable?
> Apparently not us, based on this widespread decision made by TWs that  management doesn't *understand*. What do we do about it?
>
> STOP whining about lack of recognition and feedback. ASK FOR IT. I
> don't know 1 manager that doesn't talk to a manager of at least one
> other company. If you ask for feedback and SHOW YOUR VALUE, word will
> spread.
>
> SHOW them the difference between the work of a GOOD TW (assume we're > talking about you, because the general idea I get is that every
> contributor to the list is *spectacular* at their job...) and one with
> not-so-honed skills.
>
> Get a job where they understand the value of your work. If they don't,
> get another job, fer gosh sakes. Since we're all adults, why do we act
> like children? Taking crap from "higher ups" is just like being in
> elementary school and getting sat in the corner, only there we
> couldn't escape.
>
> Either MAKE them value you, TEACH  them to value you, MENTOR a less experienced writer (if you're sooooo worried that they might start at
> a JR level position and cause the downfall of TWs everywhere), or
> DON'T PLAY THE GAME.
>
> Yes, it's simplified. Yes, it's easy to say. But you know what? It's
> easy to do too.
>
> * If I hadn't spent 2 hours in my first interview for this job asking
POINTED questions, I wouldn't have known what I was in for.
> * If I hadn't spent even more time AFTER getting the job finding out
what I wanted to know, they would've changed my job description MORE  than the 7 times (in 4 months) they did, and I probably wouldn't have  been allowed to have any input.
> * If I hadn't spent about 12 hours doing objectives, they wouldn't
know where I wanted to go.
> * If I hadn't spent 1 hour a week explaining to my supervisors what I
do and how important it is to them, I might not have had a job.
> * If I hadn't found someone to mentor me in this organization, I'd have had a nervous breakdown by now.
>
> Yes, it was tough going, but I didn't move halfway across the country
> so I could go back home. So I COMMUNICATED. I'm getting what I want,
> including a little thing called RESPECT, and a job I basically created
> for myself with a paycheque that keeps me in Havarti and olives (IOW-I
> ain't cheap!). Not bad for a 25 year old "girl" who never *really*
> dealt with the corporate world before.
>
> Since we're Technical Communicators, why can't we COMMUNICATE with the  people who pay us? They're our customers too.

> (getting several people to operate the winch to hoist me from my
> precarious soap _crate_ perch)

> Lisa Comeau
> IS Super-User/Trainer
> Nevermind where I work-they wouldn't hire you...unless you were
> willing to grovel


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