Re: new title: Information Developer

[Scott Havens <SHavens -at- ELCOTEL -dot- COM>]

> It seems to me that YEARS AGO, the IBM publications people were
> calling themselves "Information Developers."  In fact, they had a
> whole hierarchy of titles reflecting different levels and "flavors" of
> Info Developers.  As far as I know, they probably still use the term.
> I thought this was general knowledge, so it surprises me that a couple
> of management-level people have expressed difficulties with the
> terminology, especially considering that the descriptive material
> below the resume entry SHOULD clearly indicate what type(s) of work an
> applicant is able to perform.
>
> As far as I'm concerned, you can call me a "Technical Writer," a
> "Technical Communicator," a "Technical Documentation Analyst," an
> "Information Developer," or even a "Publications Engineer."  It's no
> big deal, because _I_ know what I do, and my resume clearly tells what
> I've DONE throughout my career.  Just keep those paychecks coming,
> whatever you choose to call me!
>
> SRH
>
>       -----Original Message-----
>       From:   Chris Seraidaris [SMTP:seraidarisc -at- VIEWSONIC -dot- COM]
>       Sent:   Wednesday, January 06, 1999 6:21 PM
>       To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>       Subject:        new title: Information Developer
>
>       Several years ago the HR Department of my company (erroneously)
> defined =
>       the tittle "technical writer" as non-exempt.  Recently,
> management has =
>       granted us the opportunity to telecommute, along with other
> improved =
>       working conditions, all which necessitate an exempt status. To
> be =
>       exempt, however, we have been told that legally we must have a
> new title =
>       that does not include the term "writer" (since our firm has
> previously =
>       defined "technical writer" as non-exempt).=20
>
>       This is fortuitous in that we hope to expand our current role of
> writing =
>       user guides, to include developing online help, tutorials, CBT,
> WBT, =
>       etc. After a considerable amount of research, "Information
> Developer" is =
>       the best title we have found.=20
>
>       To illustrate that the title is already in use, see the job ad
> we =
>       recently found on the Internet (shown below).
>
>       Is there a risk of jeopardizing our future marketability to
> companies =
>       whose HR departments may only have  job openings for a
> "technical =
>       writers"? Comments and suggestions are welcome.
>
>       Thanks.
>
>       Chris Seraidaris
>
>       ---------------------------------------------
>
>       Job Title: Information Developer
>
>       Qualifications=20
>       BA or BS in English, Technical Writing or equivalent
> experience=20
>       Position requires strong interpersonal skills to interact with
> project
>       managers, members of technical staff, and to collaborate with
> members of
>       the Information Development staff.=20
>       Must be able to manage multiple products, meet deadlines with
> limited
>       supervision, and be a team player=20
>       Proficiency with FrameMaker, RoboHELP, Word a must=20
>       Knowledge of PhotoShop, Acrobat, HTML helpful=20
>
>       Job Description=20
>         Design and develop software documentation, including user
> guides,
>       technical specifications, and training materials for both
> commercial and
>       consumer products.=20
>         Develop online help and online tutorials.=20
>         Research product functionality, assess the needs of the
> audience, and
>       extract information from subject matter experts and existing =
>       documentation=20
>         Help develop and maintain documentation style guides and
> procedures =
>       for
>       internal use.=20
>         Edit and proofread company documents for grammar, style, and =
>       consistency=20
>         Aid in product design and QA testing=20
>         Work as part of the Engineering Team
>
>       --------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
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