TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
[snip
> Spend the first 2-3 weeks getting the "lay of the
> land." Talk to department heads and key players to
> understand the product and workflow. Use the product
> if possible. Review existing documentation. Keep notes
> of what you see.
.
> Talk to senior management to discuss what they
> perceive to be your priorities. Use this time to
> discuss what you've learned thus far, to present your
> preliminary assessment of the state of documentation.
> You're not at a point yet when you can say, "Acme
> needs these four documents...,"
[snip]
Well! One end of the spectrum heard from... <grin>
When I took this job, 3-1/2 years ago, we got to
that point you describe before my *interview* was
finished.
I started work five days later (only because my
boss at the company I was leaving insisted on some
handover to my replacements), and I had a manual due
for the end of the following week.
There were fewer than 40 employees at that time,
and it still took more than a month before I
even *met* them all. By that time, I was well into
several other docs, including the second revision
of that first one.
Perhaps I'm in the wrong alternate universe, and there
actually are companies that allow a new "onliest"
writer the luxury of that much settling-in time.
On the other hand, the flying start at this company
was rather fun, and continues to be so.
Regards,
Kevin McLauchlan
Only Technical Writer
Chrysalis-ITS, Inc.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Collect Royalties, Not Rejection Letters! Tell us your rejection story when you
submit your manuscript to iUniverse Nov. 6 -Dec. 15 and get five free copies of
your book. What are you waiting for? http://www.iuniverse.com/media/techwr
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
