Re: What *is* a documentation specialist?

[Keith Hood <klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

In the ads I've seen, most commonly a "documentation specialist" is the guy who gets stuck with the physical drudgery of scanning papers into the electronic system.

I'd rather see the job called "file clerk" or something like that. It would be more honest. Is looks to me like the companies that advertise for "documentation specialists" are bottom feeding, trying to get somebody who will do two jobs for one pay rate.


--- On Mon, 2/1/10, Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net> wrote:

> From: Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
> Subject: What *is* a documentation specialist?
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Date: Monday, February 1, 2010, 10:53 AM
> I found an ad on line for a "tech
> writer / documentation specialist" and 
> the job description seems to say that the writer will get
> stuck doing 
> all the clerical tasks, including arranging everyone else's
> stuff in 
> file cabinets.
> 
> That job is called "file clerk" where I come from, and is
> generally 
> entry level. The skills of creativity and investigation
> that are 
> required for being a tech writer would, I imagine, be a
> great hazard in 
> the person of a file clerk.
> 
> Should I bone up on coffee-making (I don't drink the
> stuff), make sure I 
> remember the order of the alphabet, and tell them $11.42
> per hour is 
> just fine? (No, I don't know what they want to pay. It
> can't be much.) 
> If I were to file by second letter of the primary name,
> instead of the 
> first letter, then I would become totally indispensible and
> I could 
> demand a raise to $16.42. I'd never have any time to do
> their tech 
> writing, though.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it
> all? Author, 
> build, test, and publish your Help files with just one
> easy-to-use tool.
> Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days
> at:
> http://www.doctohelp.com/ 
> 
> Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical
> Writing,
> learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
> get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free
> at:
> http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
> 
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com -dot- 
> 
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/klhra%40yahoo.com
> 
> 
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> 
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 
> Visit
> http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info. 
> 
> Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat
> 
> 


      
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author, 
build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
http://www.doctohelp.com/ 

Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
http://www.ModernAnalyst.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info. 

Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat