Re: Fwd: Acceptance of Mediocre Documentation

Subject: Re: Fwd: Acceptance of Mediocre Documentation
From: Martin Bosworth <martinhbosworth -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 19:49:14 -0400


Not to sound brutal or mercenary, but if I had to be in your
situation, I'd still be thanking my lucky stars that I have a job.
Many out there do not. If your biggest professional headache is
improving documentation quality, you're a damn sight better off than
most.

</rant>

Ok, in all seriousness, I can relate to your plight...as can others, I
suspect. The best thing to do is just to keep striving for perfection.
Branch out and offer your services in other areas. Apply your skills
to things like business analyses, quality assurance,
marketing...anywhere you can get your foot in the door. Make the point
that even simple editing errors can reduce the overall quality of the
work. People may be mediocre, but they're not stupid. They notice
these things.

I've been making my mark at my current job simply by working like a
demon and asking for more work. This may not sound like a big
accomplishment, until I explain that I work for the government. Not
just the government, the *military*. Where *every single idea*
mandates a requirements analysis, fifteen different case studies, and
umpteen memos before it even gets on the table. One of the department
supervisors sat me down after my first month and explained that they'd
be throwing a lot of work my way.

"We need you to evaluate the website and perform QA on it. It's a big
job, and it'll take a lot of work."
"Oh, I did that my first week."
"...."

Eventually, your efficiency will be rewarded with more success and
creativity...but more than likely, you'll just get more work. :)

Alternatively, find a hobby or (as was suggested by others) a
consulting job that really gives you fulfillment. If you're
financially well-off (and it sounds like you're not hurting), take up
a craft. There are a million ways you can achieve the Zen balance you
want. It's all a matter of what you choose.

Martin

--
Martin H. Bosworth
Technical Writer, Telemedicine Directorate
Walter Reed Army Medical Center (http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/)
Writer/Editor, ConsumerAffairs.com (http://www.consumeraffairs.com)

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