Technical Writer?

Post #70,939 by tablizer 12/26/02 2:45:21 PM 12/26/02 2:48:44 PM Reply	Technical Writer? Unfortuntely they are looking for contractors offshore first. A depressing article I found: [link\|http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/labor/story/0,10801,74719,00.html\|http://www.computerw...801,74719,00.html] Techie careers are headed the way that factory work has. The only remaining jobs will be in the 3 M's: Management, Marketing, and McDonalds. I am kicking around the idea of becoming a technical writer (users manuals, etc.) I figure I have a leg up on East Indians: their grammer is usually poorer than mine. (No comments on spelling please.) Plus, I don't know how I will weather the continued OO-ification of everything (until the fad dies when people realize it is only a mindfit thing instead of universal benefit). Does anybody have any tips for breaking into tech writing? ________________ oop.ismad.com Edited by tablizer Dec. 26, 2002, 02:48:44 PM EST Expand All History
Post #70,940 by boxley 12/26/02 2:52:49 PM Reply	thats what cwbrenn does will work for cash and other incentives [link\|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html\|skill set] You think that you can trust the government to look after your rights? ask an Indian
Post #73,584 by mhuber 1/9/03 2:43:44 AM Reply	Does anybody have any tips for breaking into tech writing? Run away. Run away fast. Run more. Keep going. Well, I have seen a few openings for entry-level. Nothing for the likes of me, my skills are expensive and dangerous (in most cases, I'd qualify as that person's boss) to the people doing the hiring. "You'd be bored here" is my current replacement for "let's be friends". Hell, you'd be better off trying to go for "web designer." As for once you get the job, it doesn't pay very well, you are the bottom of the food chain, nobody outside your group thinks you have any special skills - anybody can write, when you get a project it's already behind schedule but you are on the critical path so when it isn't ready to go out the door it's on your desk. And you have to work with tech writers, often the worst kind of geek. But it is writing for a living. And with the right team, it can be great. When the economy recovers, I may well go back to it. Did it for 10 years, enjoyed it most of the time. ---- Whatever
Post #73,806 by slugbug 1/9/03 9:15:13 PM Reply	Re: tips for breaking into tech writing? In better times, there are tech writer positions that do pay fairly well. However, I'd only recommend doing it as a part time contract gig in the current market.
Post #73,833 by mhuber 1/10/03 1:30:11 AM Reply	Actualy, that's part of my problem. Nobody wants to hire me for less than what I was making before. And nobody can afford what I was making before. Time to revisit my network, see if I can shake a little freelance work out of the tree. ---- Whatever

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