Re: Why are companies now requiring technical writer candidates to be SMEs?

["Chuck Martin" <twriter -at- sonic -dot- net>]

"David Locke" <dlocke -at- texas -dot- net> wrote in message news:195082 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
>
> Chuck Martin asked why a company would specify specific experience with
> products in their category.
>
> I can see two reasons for this:
>
> 1. They already have a candidate and they are just doing their EEO/HR
thing,
> which requires that jobs be posted outside the company for 30 days.

Several people have mentioned this. I can think of no way around it.

>
> 2. They worked with TWs that had to interview the SME and consumed too
much
> of that SME's time. I went through this with a TW last year. He insisted
> that he had to interview and discuss. Ultimately, the SME got mad about
the
> process this writer put him through and how much time of his time the
writer
> wasted. Basically, the SME in the company posting the want ad learned that
> he didn't want to work with TWs that were going to need a lot of
> handholding, so now the SME over specifies the position.

Handholding is one thing, but the need to work with SMEs--as well as the
technical savvy to communicate with them--is critical for success.

I have been in a couple of contracts where the project manager has told me
literally "Don't disturb the programmer; he's too busy doing important
work."

Gee, I guess everyone else's work--and everyone else--is second class. Made
me glad such situations were just contracts. I could do my work as best I
could and move on.

By far the best situations I've been in have been where I've had good
working relationships with programmers, other engineers, and other members
of the development team, situations where a mutual respect developed over
time for each team member's skills and areas of expertise.

>
> I agree with you that a TW shouldn't need to know anything about it, but
> only as long as the TW knows how to model the application and discover the
> functionality. You probably could defend your position in a cover letter.
> You have nothing to lose.
>
Any suggestions how? This is what's stumped me a bit--and I'm not typically
shy about selling my skills.


--
--
"I don't entirely understand it but it is true: Highly skilled carpenters
don't get insulted when told they are not architects, but highly skilled
programmers do get insulted when told they are not UI designers."
     - anonymous programmer quoted in "GUI Bloopers"

Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net      www.writeforyou.com



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