I don't know a rinky dink application so I'm not a good fit

[Beth Agnew]

Unless you are being hired as project manager, knowing MS Project is 
peripheral to technical writing. The implication is that you don't know 
how to manage a documentation project. Of course, that's silly. It 
wouldn't take long to grasp the basic principles of any project 
management software enough that you could track your own work in it. MS 
Project can be quite a deep tool but most of us only ever need that 
crucial 20%. I think the recruiter was off base. Mind you, if the 
employer wanted their techwriter to know MS Project really well, there's 
a possibility that you would be managing other aspects of the project as 
well, and that should command a higher salary than what a techwriter 
usually gets. It's probably just as well you didn't get that "opportunity".

Always good, however, to put in one's cover letter that as a technical 
writer you are adept at getting up to speed on new applications very 
quickly.
--Beth

Dan Goldstein wrote:
> In some cases, you can learn an app between the first contact and the
> formal interview. I have only light knowledge of MS Project, so I can't
> really say how deep it goes.
>   
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Dan Garza
>> Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 5:09 PM
>> To: Dan Goldstein
>> Subject: RE: I don't know a rinky dink application so I'm not 
>> a good fit
>>
>> MS project 
>>     
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Dan Goldstein
>>> Sent: Friday, December 01, 2006 4:03 PM
>>> To: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
>>> Subject: RE: I don't know a rinky dink application so I'm not 
>>> a good fit
>>>
>>> Which rinky dink application did the recruiter think you needed prior knowledge of?
>