Andy wrote: >>If you knew someone who was looking to enter the technical writing field at this time >>would you advise them to seek out positions where they would be using FrameMaker, >>or would you tell them not to worry so much on which application would be used, >>but instead focus on the position and the work itself?
Andy, Congratulations on the career move. My immediate reaction is "all of the above." I would try to gain as much FM experience as you can because in my opinion (purely an opinion) most companies that have a more serious documentation approach, and better documentation processes, also have a respect for FrameMaker. Respect for documentation and respect for Frame seem to go hand-in-hand. Those organizations usually want some solid experience. "That said," it's useful to keep up-to-speed on Word. The blasted software can do a lot, if you force yourself (as I have to on my current job) to do so. Beau Cain has a terrific guidebook about this. (I got it from him somehow from another list, and could probably do so again if I had to!) However, as you said, neither tool matters as much as core competencies. Best tips I can give to improve those ... * Learn business process and project management. That's No. 1. If you don't already have it, I highly recommend JoAnn Hackos' "Managing Your Documentation Projects." Nothing saddens me more than to see technical writers arguing over vagaries of punctuation or "why don't they take writers seriously?!" while they seem utterly clueless about how they can (or do) benefit their organization. The greater your business sense, I believe, the greater will be your job satisfaction, no matter where you go. The increasing ability of technology to replace repetitive tasks should keep us all aware of work we do that truly does require a human brain or analysis. * Membership in the STC and its various groups would be a bargain at several times over the price. (Every decent job I've ever gotten, I got through one STC job bank or another; again, an employer who respects technical writing respects the STC.) I always shudder in embarrassment for them when I hear somebody whining over negligible dues. When you're talking about an organization that, if you take advantage of its resources and services, can make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars in your annual income, $200 for dues and SIGS is a bargain! * Write clearly and solidly. Get "Elements of Style" if you don't already have it. A good new-writer rule (especially for someone coming to it with an engineering background) is "kick the passive tense." My first boss told me: "You can teach tools, you can teach technical. It's a lot tougher to teach good writing." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bureeda Bruner Paragon Innovations, Inc. Phone: 972-265-6000 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: www.paragoninnovations.com Success Stories: www.paragoninnovations.com/ng/success.shtml Embedded systems design from start to success ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to Framers as [EMAIL PROTECTED] Send list messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/archive%40mail-archive.com Send administrative questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.
