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Subject:qualifications for hiring tech writers From:Karen Otto <KAREN_OTTO -at- HP-SPOKANE-OM2 -dot- OM -dot- HP -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 25 Mar 1996 09:13:57 -0700
Item Subject: cc:Mail Text
Alex Szczepaniak said:
"An effective communicator with proper technical knowledge
and adaptability is ideal for many technical writing
jobs. The problem is that most engineers (who can
communicate well enough to move beyond engineering) leave
us for management positions (not writing positioons).
This is because these people are true knowledge and
communication engineers, and they can adapt and
communicate very well and possess a deep technical
understanding of a given subject--therefore, they can
only find an adequate level of compensation at management
(not publications) level.
Does anyone agree?
-- Alex Szczepaniak"
Alex, our company has recognized the compensation problem throughout
marketing, not just in the writing field. The writers who are
engineers are ranked against other engineers, and now have a career
path that allows the writers to become the equivalent of the subject
matter experts in the R&D side.
Not everybody can become management. It's much better to build paths
of advancement based on expertise, rather than expecting everyone to
be managers.
Karen O.
