RE: Professionalism and pay

["Stansbury, Stan" <SBS -at- dolby -dot- com>]

So far in this thread no one has mentioned the one factor that I think
is crucial in understanding it: the consequences of poor performance.

Poor performance by a doctor can kill you.
Poor performance by an engineer can kill you and/or ruin equipment.
Poor performance by a lawyer can jail you or cost you millions.
In the vast majority of cases, poor performance by a technical writer
can inconvenience you or delay your work, usually slightly.

We don't make as much money because our work simply isn't as important.
The consequences of having it done badly are simply much, much lower
than other professions. 

I'm not trying to belittle us, I just calls 'em as I sees 'em.

Stan Stansbury 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+sbs=dolby -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-
> bounces+sbs=dolby -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Elizabeth J
Allen
> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 3:41 PM
> To: Ned Bedinger
> Cc: TECHWR-L
> Subject: Re: Professionalism and pay (was RE: 'Know thy audience')
> 
> Sadly, I document hardware. Semiconductors to be exact. I write
> reference manuals, datasheets, document pinouts, signal mapping, and
> register specs. I am very good at my job and have been called "the
> best technical writer we've ever worked with" by a previous employer
> (another semiconductor company). Documenting semiconductors is a
> fairly rare skill in the realm of technical writers.
> 
> But I am not, according to my employer, an engineer. Therefore I am
> perceived to be not as valuable as an engineer.
> 
> I have to wonder at the wisdom of a company that decrees that a level
> I engineer, straight out of university is inherently worth more in
> terms of compensation than an experienced technical writer.
> 
> Well, I can say the company has successful motivated me. I'm just not
> sure they want me to be motivated in this way.
> 
> Elizabeth
> --
> Elizabeth J. Allen
> Samurai Consulting Inc.
> eja -at- samurai -dot- com
> 
> "Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -Albert
> Einstein

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