RE: Internships (was: Breaking into the tech writing job market)

Subject: RE: Internships (was: Breaking into the tech writing job market)
From: "Diana Ost" <Diana -dot- Ost -at- msmcorp -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, <vincent -dot- marianiello -at- gmail -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 09:51:00 -0400

"Vincent Marianiello" <vincent -dot- marianiello -at- gmail -dot- com> said:

> .... it seems to be either luck or good timing
> that lands someone that first tech writing job. Which is interesting,
> in itself.

And,

> Gene Kim-Eng said "Never underestimate the power of sheer dumb luck to
> substantially affect your life."

Oh, yes, sheer dumb luck is good. My first technical writing job was an
accident. I took an office manager job with Interleaf (remember them?)
when they were first out of R&D (when Dave Bouchard answered his own
phone.)

Interleaf was one of the first integrated text and graphics programs to
run in a window, and the graphics portion had never been documented.
With my art background, I discovered pretty quickly that I could make
amazing drawings (what fun!)in Interleaf with the mouse, and also do
some pretty slick document design. (Not only was I the best
Etch-a-Sketcher in the neighborhood, I had also worked for a U.S.
government agency as a writer, photographer, and artist in the public
affairs office, so I had several years background in professional
writing and design.)

In a very short time, I wrote the first graphics manual for Interleaf
and was training design and engineering groups all over the country to
use the graphics portion of the program. I was also doing tech support,
writing press releases and marketing materials, and, of course, ordering
coffee and office supplies, and paying the office bills.

My next tech writing job was much the same: managing the office,
creating documentation, and training users.

The one after that was a full-blown publications manager position, and I
doubled (yes, doubled!) my salary working for an oil company producing
scientific papers. What got me that job? My tech writing experience, and
Geology as my science choice in college.

In the 20 years since, aside from technical writing, I've been a college
instructor, trainer, technical manager, publications manager, senior
editor, IT consultant, business analyst, system analyst, proposal
writer, and quality assurance tester, in many different industries. But
I like technical writing the absolute most.

No internship, though, because I went to college as an adult, with a
family. Couldn't afford to work for little to no wages.

Dumb luck indeed.



Diana Ost
Technical Writer/Reporting Analyst







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