Qualifications for "senior" tech writer?

Subject: Qualifications for "senior" tech writer?
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- AXIONET -dot- COM>
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 20:43:47 -0500

David Girardot <dmgirard -at- CORNETLTD -dot- COM> wrote:

>What makes one a "senior" technical writer?
>Years of Experience? Uses both Word _and_ FrameMaker?

I don't think years of experience is a useful criterion. I believe that
the STC classes anyone who has been a member for five years as "senior,"
and I think that that is a mistake. After all, some writers spend years
doing much the same thing, They may have five years of experience, but
it's really the same six months or so repeated ten times.

In my own mind, I define a senior writer by responsibility. To me, a
senior writer is one who does project management and generally oversees
the work of other writers. To do these things well, of course, requires
knowledge, but I wouldn't define a senior writer just by tools or
background.

--
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
(bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com) (604) 421-7189 or 688-6211 L. 290
http://www.axionet.com/outlawcommunications (Updated 9 November, 1997)
Job Bank Team, STC Canada West Coast Chapter
http://www.stc.org/region7/cwc/www/job_bank.html

"You won't catch me with truth, my dear,
You won't catch me with lies;
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There wait electric eyes."

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