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Subject:RE: ADMIN: New TECHWR-L Poll Question From:mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 4 Oct 2004 09:22:06 -0400
Lisa M. Bronson
> And don't forget to vote in this week's poll: How did you get
> your first
> technical writing job?
>
> * I had an Bachelors degree in tech writing.
> * I had a Masters degree or Ph.D in tech writing.
> * I had a degree in a different discipline.
> * I used school coursework as my first portfolio.
> * I used my programming (or technical) skills.
> * My boss said it was my job to write the manual.
> * I used my tech writing certificate.
> * I used my MCSE certificate.
> * It just sort of fell into my lap.
> * Other/None of the above.
My answer is "slid sideways from a tech-support-support job",
when a techwriting position opened up in the company.
That would roughly fit "I used my programming (or
technical) skills".
But really, I only used my technical knowledge of existing
products as a reference (to prove that I was technically apt).
What really got me the job, aside from my laid-back interview
technique, was the sample document that I wrote up overnight,
for the pubs manager, describing the function, use and maintenance
of a parachute 3-ring canopy release, complete with hand-sketched
illustrations.
Jeez, once again, I'm "Other/None of the above".
Kevin (out here on the margins of TW-ness, without even a balance-ball
chair)
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