Re: Opinions on Online Tech Writing Courses

Subject: Re: Opinions on Online Tech Writing Courses
From: lyndsey -dot- amott -at- docsymmetry -dot- com
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 13:19:42 -0500


K H writes:


3. I have around 10 years of editorial,
communications, and writing experience, but no
specific education in tech writing (I have an English
degree). In the past, I have found that people refuse
to consider me for a tech writing position, even
though I have years of very closely related education
and work experience. Do you think a few online tech
writing courses would help me overcome this?
Keith

With regard to your third point, at what stage in the job-search process are you no longer considered for the job: at the interview stage or at the CV review stage? If your CV does not result in a request for an interview then you need to work on your CV. If you get to the interview and don't get the job then--assuming that your personality comes across as pleasant, cooperative, and team-oriented--most likely you have not convinced the employer that you know how to use the tools properly or else you have failed the editing test.
To get your CV past the review stage, include with it a sample document that you have created. Make sure that the document includes the following elements:
Cover Page
Title Page
TOC
Introduction
Two chapters
Glossary
Index
Back Cover
Write the sample document on a subject you are familiar with. It does not have to be technical, but it should include a couple of procedures. Thus "Growing African Violets" would be an acceptable sample document, but "Population Growth in Las Vegas" would not.
In your sample document, set up the document for left and right page orientation. Make sure that the first page of a chapter has a different look and feel from the remaining pages of the chapter. Use your desktop-publishing sw to create the TOC, cross-references, and table captions--do not hard-code them! Use the sw to create the white space around page elements--do not create vertical white space with paragraph returns or horizontal white space with tab stops. Do not use paragraph returns to create page breaks. Include headers and footers in your document.
I apologize if the above paragraph includes stuff you already know, but these are the first things I look for when interviewing candidates. Many candidates fail even when they have years of experience. If I have to choose between someone who has no experience in, say, telecommunications, but who knows how to use the sw, and someone who has years of experience, but creates docs with design errors, I will always choose the inexperienced person. Problems in document design create enormous problems for those who have to update and maintain your documents after you've moved on to other projects.
Save your sample doc as a PDF file. If you don't have Acrobat, go to adobe.com and create a pdf for free.
In your cover letter, write something like, "I have attached sample_doc.pdf, which demonstrates my ability to use the desktop publishing software and write instructions that are easy to understand."
If you still don't make it to the interview stage, take a programming course, preferably one that makes use of object-oriented design. Indicate on your CV that you know how to read code. If this still doesn't work, take a course on networks. Most community colleges offer courses in both subjects. If you know about networks and about programming you will meet the technical requirements of many, if not most, companies.
If you make it to the interview stage with your well-designed sample book and you still don't get the job, then you probably had a problem in the editing test.
If the editing test is a short paragraph, assume that the person who presents it to you is the person who wrote it. This type of editing test tests your diplomatic skills as much as it tests your writing skills.
If the editing test comprises several pages, focus more on layout and punctuation problems than on grammar. Look for:
-inconsistent punctuation at the end of items in a bulleted list
-inconsistent vertical alignment of page elements
-incorrect information and alignment in headers and footers
-unnecessary changes in font or typeface
-words at the end of a line of text repeated at the beginning of the next
-peculiar hyphenation (e.g., the-rapist instead of ther-apist)
-inconsistent capitalization in headings
-inconsisent spacing between paragraphs
-inconsistent positioning of page numbers
-incorrect x-refs
Hope this helps!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lyndsey Amott
www.docsymmetry.com
Winnipeg, MB R3G 2J3

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Opinions on Online Tech Writing Courses: From: K H

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