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Yes and no (gee I've been saying that a lot today).
Yes, the ability to communicate is a key factor in the success of a
technical communicator.
But I don't agree with your statement, "Getting bogged down in the tools
used to perform misses the point of technical communication..." Part of
being a technical communicator involves using (and mastering) these
skills so you can provide value to your employer (and yourself).
Nobody would say a candidate for a software programmer position is ideal
because he/she understands how to program but doesn't know C++, Java...
If you can't use the tools of a technical communicator, you can't
communicate as a technical communicator.
All preaching aside, I've hired many tech writers who didn't know
FrameMaker (which we used), but did know Word. I do believe that if you
know one tool well, you can learn another. And yes, on occasion, I'd
hire someone with no tool experience, but I had to be willing to invest
a lot of time in that person to 'bring them up to speed' so they could
be productive. You certainly put yourself ahead of other candidates if
you come with the knowledge and experience of having used the tools of
the trade.
Ellen Hladky
Training and Documentation Manager
CosmoCom, Inc. http://www.cosmocom.com
516/851-0100
516/851-1005 (fax)
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<TITLE>RE: Tool knowledge versus Task knowledge</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Yes and no (gee I've been saying that a lot =
today).</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Yes, the ability to communicate is a key factor in =
the success of a technical communicator.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>But I don't agree with your statement, "Getting =
bogged down in the tools used to perform misses the point of technical =
communication..." Part of being a technical communicator involves =
using (and mastering) these skills so you can provide value to your =
employer (and yourself). </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Nobody would say a candidate for a software =
programmer position is ideal because he/she understands how to program =
but doesn't know C++, Java...</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>If you can't use the tools of a technical =
communicator, you can't communicate as a technical communicator.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>All preaching aside, I've hired many tech writers who =
didn't know FrameMaker (which we used), but did know Word. I do =
believe that if you know one tool well, you can learn another. =
And yes, on occasion, I'd hire someone with no tool experience, but I =
had to be willing to invest a lot of time in that person to 'bring them =
up to speed' so they could be productive. You certainly put =
yourself ahead of other candidates if you come with the knowledge and =
experience of having used the tools of the trade. </FONT></P>
