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Subject:Re: writers to programmers ratio From:John Posada <jposada -at- NOTES -dot- CC -dot- BELLCORE -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 14 Jan 1997 12:31:46 -0500
My suggestion...Take the position. Within a week to two weeks, you will submit
a plan on how you are going to accomplish the task. Make it so that if the
project is to get done within the timeframe that they want, and with one
person, that a large number of tasks will rely on their cooperation and input
and with no leeway for sliding schedule or missed deadlines on their party.
Then if they say" Gee, that's going to be a tough gig" offer them an
alternative that is easier for them to swallow..however, it also requires a
second writer.
John Posada
- Central New Jersey Employment Manager
Society for Technical Communication http://stc.org/region2/njc/
- Technical Proposal Writer
Bell Communications Research
(908) 699-5839 (W)
jposada -at- notes -dot- cc -dot- bellcore -dot- com
"Its wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago"
- Vice President Dan Quayle, 4/30/91
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I don't speak for my employer and they return the favor
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What is the optimal ratio of TWs to engineering staff?
There's a firm interested in my services, that currently
has not TWs on staff. They number about 20 all together.
My guess is that 60% of them are programmers. The product
(a rather complex tool for internet programming)
is due to be released in six months. No real documentation
exists. I suggested that they hire two TWs (me and my buddy).
They responded, "uh, don't think so...too much money. How
'bout just you?"
Is this a recipie for disaster or what?
My instincts say, jog away from this one, 'casue these guys
don't have a clue vis-a-vis the doc. process. I would like to
cite to the head honcho of this outfit, some official-type
stats re writers to programmers. Any ideas? A search of
Michael Krigman's database yielded nothing.
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