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When a client or employer asks for "specific experience," they are
indicating that they want a technical writer whose knowledge about the topic
is more than that of a casual user. They are telling you in advance that the
SMEs will not be taking the time to teach the writer about Active Directory
(concepts, structure, issues). There will be no hand-holding. You will be
expected to produce something useful quickly, not after five or six drafts
bounce back and forth between writer and developer.
The question is: how much "experience" do they expect? Experience to some
might be "I have written about this topic." To others, it might be "I used
this product once and overheard the tech guys talking about it."
The position you inquired about, however, requires "specific experience with
Active Directory."
This leads back to Andrew Plato's position that the more you know about a
specific technology, the more valuable you are as a technical writer. (Sorry
about the over-simplification.)
The "specific experience with Active Directory" requirement you asked about
is no different from clients and employers who seek writers with experience
writing about finance, mortgages, health care, or electronics. They aren't
looking for somebody has used a bank, has a mortgage, went to a doctor, and
can turn on their stereo. It means they want somebody with specific
technical knowledge beyond what the casual user might possess.
If you were hired as a junior techwriter, you would be expected to have some
technical writing skills but little or no "specific knowledge" about the
employer's products, processes, or services. You would be paid less and
given time to learn these things.
However, many employers want technical writers who are ready to hit the
ground running. They want writers who are going to take up very little
valuable SME time. In short, they want technical writers who are not just
experienced writers, but experienced in writing about the technical topic at
hand.
If they have trouble finding a candidate with "specific experience," then a
crash course in the terms and issues might get you through the interview
process.
Consider also that new Active Directory documentation is often an
implementation issue, with writing contracts ending when the new product or
process is implemented internally or released to the public. Given that
scenario, the odds are that there are unemployed writers out there with
fresh "specific experience with Active Directory."
With all that aside, it doesn't hurt to submit your resume. If nothing else,
you get in another practice interview. And the people working on the Active
Server project might know someone else who can use your services.
-Ed Gregory
"I'm working on a new SIG line because 'Burn your bridges' was getting
stale."
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-93175 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-93175 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com]On Behalf Of Diane Evans
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2002 12:03 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Active Directory
I have been contacted about a technical writing position that requires
"specific experience with Microsoft's Active Directory Technology."
Now, I may be wrong here, but I have never heard of a technical writer
needing this kind of experience. Would any of YOU qualify for this? My
purpose here is not to solicit applicants, but rather to be able to respond
something like, "I have used Active Directory for the storing of documents
(which I have), but always relied on a network administrator for the
maintaining of the directory.
Actually, I am wondering if it is a case of a company wanting to get a cheap
network administrator who can also document what is being done.
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