TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:job angst--the outcome (a bit long) From:Dianne Walsh <ldwalsh -at- VOICENET -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 18 Jul 1997 20:05:22 -0400
Hold onto your hats, folks, this is a wild story. Remember my original posting about whether I should take a job that offered few benefits but a chance to do some exciting new stuff, or stay at my old job where I was doing the same things day after day--but had good benefits? Here's what happened.
The new company made an offer which I considered a bit too low. I renegotiated and got them to come up a good bit. I accepted (over the phone late Tuesday evening). Wednesday morning, I went in to see my boss and tell him I was resigning (hadn't written the official resignation letter yet). He was shocked! We talked for quite a while about why I wasn't happy and I was probably more candid than I should have been, but after I said my piece, he asked me how much the other ocmpany had offered. I told him and he immediately came back with an even higher offer--plus an immediate promotion to management and his word that I'd be able to do some of the things I wanted to do--budget permitting, of course. I had already prepared a plan for "growing" the department, showed it to him, and he didn't agrue a single point with me.
I accepted. The offer was just too good to refuse. Then I had to call the other folks and break the news to them. They were understanding, but disappointed. They even tried to counter the counter-offer, but I flet it was best not to get into a bidding war (even though it could have been interesting...). They were so nice that they offered to take me in at any time I felt this new position just wasn't working. You can bet I'll take them up on it if that happens. I'm planning to stay in touch and maybe offer to do a little freelancing for them if they have some small jobs that could be done on evenings or weekends.
All in all, I made out like the proverbial bandit--and it's nice to know that you can be 50-something and have two companies fighting over you. What an ego boost! Now to start on some of those projects I want to do...
_________________________________________________________________________
Dianne Walsh
Sr. Technical Writer--er, make that Documentation Manager
Visit the Last of the Red Hot Cybermamas at http://www.voicenet.com/~ldwalsh
_________________________________________________________________________
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
