Senior Level Writers

[Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- YAHOO -dot- COM>]

I have three worthless observations and one rant about this interesting
quibble:

1) All titles, in all corporations everywhere in the vast universe are totally
arbitrary.  What constitutes a Sr. Tech Writer vs. a Jr. Pot Scrubber depends
on where you stand and who holds the whip. Therefore, all discussions of "What
constitutes a Senior Tech Writer? are anecdotal.

2) However, that never held me back from barking out an opinion.  In my
small-minded opinion, Senior level people should be able to do a job right the
first time without requiring extensive training, direction, or consensus.  A
Senior level person should possess all the requisite knowledge, experience, and
assertiveness to get a job done correctly and lead others.  Furthermore, merely
because somebody has been writing 97 1/2 years does not mean he/she is a senior
level writer.  There are plenty of 1 year experience writers who could whip the
pants off 20 year veterans.  Extensive experience does not mean you have earned
the right to be inflexible, intolerant, and methodical.  As with all high-tech
careers these days, you must stay frosty with current technologies, tools, and
techniques.

3) Ahh, the joy of fault-finding.  There is nothing more utterly
counterproductive in business than people who MUST find some person or entity
to blame.  I worked with a boss like this.  Rather than focus on how to SOLVE
problems he always had to find somebody to blame.  The common excuse is always
something like ?so we don?t make this mistake again.?  Yeah, right.  The fact
is, pointing fingers is more enjoyable than tackling really hard problems.
Assigning blame is fun and it releases the blame-finder from any
responsibility.

Personally, I loathe blame-finders.  It is wasteful, petty, and unprofessional.
 At my office, assigning blame is strictly forbidden. I could care less who is
to blame ? GET THE JOB DONE.  Excuses and shirking responsibility are the
traits of amateurs.

Therefore, in reference to ANON?s friend who had worked for 3 years as a writer
and management chastised him for not advancing: did anyone stop to consider
that the person to blame here is ANON?s friend.  I mean this person worked 3
years and apparently never once made an effort to propel himself forward.  What
happened to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY in the workplace?  The universe was not put
here to see that YOU PERSONALLY succeed.  You need to carve out your own niche.


However, I agree with the idea that people should rise to the level of their
ambition.  If you are happy being a Jr. Writer, be a Jr. Writer forever.
However, if you work like a Jr Writer, then DO NOT expect to be promoted to
Senior Executive Big Shot merely because you hang around long enough and
gladhandle the managers.

It seems that some people feel management is put on earth to see that they
progress in their career.  WRONG.  Management's main job is to keep all the
logistics working properly.  Your career is YOUR problem.  If you have no
ambition, great; but don't blame management because you are lazy or
unassertive.  Some people confuse the concept of "management support" with
"career guidance".  Management support is when your manager makes sure you have
the correct tools to do a job or helps edit a document.  Management support is
not when your manager tells you how to become a more productive writer.  You
know, at some point you need to take responsibility for your career and your
knowledge.

This is a sore point for me because, as an employer, I am tired of babysitting
people who call themselves "senior" and "professional" level writers.  A
"senior" level person means LESS management, not more.  A "senior" level writer
means "get the job done" not "whine and ask for more training".  A senior level
person should ALREADY know how to do a job (or have a very good idea how)
BEFORE the project begins.

Last nugget of wisdom for today:  Real professionals MAKE things happen.
Drones ASK for permission to make things happen.

Good luck.  Stop eating hamsters.

Andrew Plato
Senior, Master, Executive Dolt
Author of: "Dummies Guide to Profound, Deep Thoughts"
Pithy quote from wise, old fart.
Disclaimer about my company, religion, and body odor.
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 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=