FWD: Looking for advice -- up to the job?

[Anonymous <anonfwd -at- raycomm -dot- com>]

Forwarded anonymously on request. Please reply to the
list if you want the original poster to see your message. EJR
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I've been programming for many years, and in C/C++ for seven years.
I have a misleadingly impressive cv because I've changed posts as
successive employers discovered I was not really up to the job.
My salary rose accordingly (nearly 30K pounds sterling).

A year ago I changed to technical writing, on the basis that
although I would need to understand the software I was writing
about, I would not need the depth and breadth of knowledge to
develop and debug it. I did need to use MS Word more professionally
- dOxygen - and sundry minor tools.

Now I'm devastated. My present firm tells me I don't have
sufficient depth of understanding of its software (after ten months
writing about it). I'm still not good enough with master docs (and
other black magic) in MS Word. (Some programmers cope better than I
do). I have an up-hill struggle with each new tool and the learning
curve is not levelling off very much.

So while they're happy with me as an honest, hard-working,
committed guy doing his best, we've "agreed to part company"
amicably.

I have an hons degree. I used to be a secondary school teacher. I've done
other things in computer graphics and typography.
I can write in C++ on MS Windows, using mfc and several other bits
and pieces (I just take twice as long to get the results as others).

I could talk myself back into a C++ or technical writing job and fail again.

Can anyone suggest what I should do?

* Training? I love explaining to people. I'm a helpful, committed
sort of guy - but training seems v hard *to get into* at any level.

* Telephone support? In my experience telephone support requires a
very quick mind to analyse the problem from a garbled description.

* Teaching? Education in the UK has changed radically since I left,
and I don't think I could cope any more.

* Technical Writing? I'm told that there are large staid companies
that still need solid plodders like me to write for them. Is this
so?

Level of income is no longer an issue (thank goodness).

Can anyone help, suggest directions, or advise?


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Forwarded anonymously on request. Please reply to the
list if you want the original poster to see your message. EJR



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