I opted out of the career stream to go into teaching, which was a perfect decision for me. Had I not done that, I would be looking at a senior management position somewhere. I've been a technical pubs manager, managed other types of workers, and had my own development company. There's a glass ceiling as far as going beyond managing writers. If you don't have some project management, development, or executive qualifications, there's really nowhere to go within a company above a documentation manager. If you do, you soon leave the writers behind and start managing teams and projects. I once thought a Chief Knowledge Officer spot was in my future, but in the end I didn't want to pay the price in overtime, stress, and politics to get there.
I very much enjoyed management. It's more about people skills and problem-solving than increasing your technical knowledge. This is a problem in high tech companies, where people are promoted because of their technical ability, and then have to scramble to learn the people side. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. The introvert who is happy to just sit in the cubicle and write or program is usually not a good candidate for management because of the people issues. And there's nothing wrong with that, we need specialized technical workers too. There are positions where you get to manage things, rather than people. I'm more of a people person. Having served in the military, I learned a lot about leadership and teamwork. Those are excellent skills to have in management. If you have a career goal to be in management, decide what you prefer to manage -- things, data, or people -- and take additional qualifications to help you differentiate yourself from your colleagues who may also be vying for those few management spots. High tech companies certainly need good managers, and professional communicators are excellent choices. --Beth Lisa M. Bronson (TCP) wrote: > So, where are you at in your technical communication career? Are you in > management? If so, are you happy being a manager? If not, would you like > to be a manager? Is that one of your career goals? > > I am not a manager, and while I wouldn't turn it down if the opportunity > presented itself, managing the department I'm in right now is not a career > goal. But I have been supervising high school interns doing I3D project > work. If we reach a point of hiring people to do I3D work, I'd enjoy > managing that group. > > You? :) -- Beth Agnew Catch the Buzz: http://bethbuzz.blogspot.com STC Presentation archived at: http://www.301url.com/podcasting Professor, Technical Communication Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology Toronto, ON 416.491.5050 x3133 http://www.tinyurl.com/83u5u ______________________________________________ Are you a Help Authoring Trainer or Consultant? Let clients find you at www.HAT.Matrix.com, the searchable HAT database based on Char James-Tanny's HAT Comparison Matrix. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details. Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com -- your 3D documentation community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
