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(By the way, I suspect that staying in Tech Writing has kept me
from much professional advancement, as I've never been able to
construct one of those glowing resumes that proudly shows how
much money I saved or made the company through my work. The
reference manuals seem to have little obvious bottom-line
impact. The abandoned projects and the belly-up companies
don't add much either. Anybody have a clue on how to spin those
things into lush and profitable words?)
Tech docs is not a way to become rich. You stay in it because you are a
writer.
I was told to remove tech docs from my business card and recast my resume as
a manager. I manage complex projects (API Ref sets), across division lines
(engineering, training, docs, support, etc.). I advise and consult UI/design
teams. I am a design team member, etc. Now I am an executive running
multiple departments, etc.
The problem with putting this sort of thing in your resume is that you end
up doing those things. Not writing.
Also, companies expect you to do them very well. Don't recast your resume
unless you want that type of work and can pull it off. I went back to school
for design work. My MA was in Rhetoric, but my real work was in Multimedia
process and design. Having a subject matter expertise led me to Philips
Multimedia and then into interactive TV. I write proposals now. Last year
I wrote about 6 API chapters. I was in heaven. This year I have read some
source code. Not quite the same thing.
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