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Subject:Re: Wages are up - someplaces From:beelia <beelia -at- gmail -dot- com> To:William Sherman <bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com> Date:Wed, 2 Nov 2011 17:41:28 -0700
We have something in common. I worked for MDTSC (McDonnell Douglas
Technical Services Company, the MD in-house contract agency). That $20
hourly rate for a "Technical Data Designer" is significantly less than
I was making circa 1990. I led the C-17 flight computer doc team in
Santa Barbara - but I just got lucky. Many of us doing contract work
on that program were just in the right place at the right time.
I often wonder what happened to that 40,000+ pages of documentation.
It was all structured data (created to milspecs using VAX/VMS
Interleaf) - markup that could be managed with a text editor. It was
too early for HTML, but must have been converted when the captive team
took it back to Long Beach. All of that paper couldn't have ended up
in the cockpit, even on a cargo plane. Let me know if you know, I'm
curious.
BTW, I nodded at every single one of the points you made about
certification. Very insightful.
On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 4:03 PM, William Sherman
<bsherman77 -at- embarqmail -dot- com> wrote:
> I got this job request the other day. Looks like the ones Gene is getting from the price.
>
> A little background. Boeing decided to remove the documentation groups about a year and a half ago from places like St. Louis, Oklahoma, and Texas and move them all to Fort Walton Beach. Part of it was that Florida is a right to work state and they can kill the union influence like they did building the C17 in Charleston, SC. And part of it is they know most of those making too much money in St. Louis won't move to Fort Walton Beach, so they can eliminate the higher salary guys.
>
> Another part is that wages are typically cheap in Florida.
>
> Heck of a resume one needs to make twenty bucks.
>
> JOB TITLE: TECHNICAL DATA DESIGNER
> ESTIMATED ASSIGNMENT PERIOD: 11/14/2011 THRU 12/29/2011
> LOCATION: FORT WALTON BEACH, FL
> RATE: 20.00 PER HOUR (W2)
>
> JOB DUTIES: The selected candidate will develop, produce, deliver and sustain Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) data as needed to support products and services provided to Boeing customers.
>
> JOB SKILLS: Candidate for this position must be able to read and interpret engineering source data (i.e. engineering drawings, acceptance test procedures, failure modes, effects, critically analysis, and test information sheets). Previous experience developing System Support Analysis (LSI, LMI, Provisioning, and Maintainability), C130 Maintenance and Illustrated Parts Breakdown (IPB) Next Higher Assembly (NHA) experience is highly desired. Understanding of configuration management processes and highly proficient computer skills are necessary. An understanding of XML, CGM formats and relational databases is highly desired. Understanding of Technical Data/Publications is highly desired. In addition, candidates for this position may also be required to research, interpret, analyze and evaluate vendor data and customer data, in order to design, organize and develop the technical data required to operate and maintain aircraft, missiles, weapon systems, support equipment, trainin
> g equipment and non-traditional products. Analytical problem solving skills are necessary is recommended. Candidates for this position will input data into an authoring and/or publishing system adhering to established standards and processes under general supervision.
>
>
>
> For immediate consideration, please:
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