atw: Re: Job security: was Eurrgh

My idea of 'fairly high job security' involves:

  - A company with a good standing on the stock exchange, in no
  immediate danger of financial collapse (this generally shows up a few months
  beforehand, for someone who keeps an eye on the financial reports and
  analyst opinions).
  - A product which is in fairly high demand, with demand growing rather
  than waning.
  - Acquisition by a rival company being unlikely within the next
  financial year or two.
  - An office which specialises in producing the best-selling software
  package for the company (where the knowledge and talent would be extremely
  difficult to replace, and hasn't been replicated to other offices), which is
  cost-effective for the company.
  - Clear plans for development of said software package.
  - A need for the technical writers to be onsite (at least in same
  city) at said office.

It also helps that the technical writers need a breadth of specialty
knowledge that requires months or years to gain... and the company isn't
keen to lose.

Note: To me, 'fairly high job security' means that I've got a decent chance
of having a job next week, I guess. Apologies if my use of the phrase has
confused anyone :-) It was in no way meant to imply any form of promise.

- Naomi

On 20/10/06, Gary Stevens <gstevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 


Couldn't agree more.

I was a perm at a well known international software company with another
writer. During my four month stay we moved in to one of the poshest new
office buildings in Sydney, were visited by the American CEO and flunkies,
and had our research department (us-- the other section was sales) opened by
no less than the Minister for Science.

Move on four short weeks from that grand opening... We completed a major
release on a Friday, the last day of the month, after months of toil,
including numerous we-are-all-in-this-together videoconferences with
colleagues in Singapore and the USA, 'we are here for the long run' meetings
and 'what a great future we have' emails.

The next Monday half of us were fired. The rest were told they had six
months employment (for post-implementation cleanup) during which their pay
was nigh on doubled as an incentive not to walk.

High security for lower pay? That 'security' better be in writing.

Garry

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