atw: Re: Technical Writing for Retirees!
- From: peterm_5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 08:54:14 +0900
martin lindsay:
On Sat, 1 Dec 2007 20:13:09 +1100, you wrote:
> · $66m Question. Can you suggest how a novice 56 year-old can
pick up work
> (voluntary or otherwise) in technical writing over the next few
years, or do I need to
> complete a further qualification like the one at SUT or similar
for starters to help
> me? I have completed educational studies up to PhD level. ·
Do employers
> outsource work who are working from home, or are most technical
writers employed in-
> house?
Reality is, most are employed or contracted to work on site. I've had
3 years working remote on the Nth Coast of NSW, but when the company
was taken over and stripped, it was evident to me that the chances of
remote work had not improved. What you may find is that if you get
work on site somewhere, after a while you may find some managers more
receptive to letting you work remote at home. And that in fact was
the way I started in the 3 years before the move.
<rant>
Remote work generally is more productive but "increased productivity"
in management terms in this country is more likely to be interpreted
as "ability to lay off as many people as is possible" without having
to do much more in the way of thinking about what "management"
actually means.
You see, if you can be seen to turn up at 9 am, take an hour for
lunch, leave at 6, you're clearly productive. The problem with
remote work is that it means managers actually have to judge what
you're actually doing and whether the work you do is effective. This
is generally a no-no, too difficult for Australian pointy-headed
persons, and too far from the PLRMM (path of least resistance
management map).
</rant>
I wouldn't think a full-fledged academic course was really necessary
for a mature worker -- although I'd suggest some shorter courses such
as ones mentioned on this list from time to time would be of
significant benefit. (1-3 days etc). Tech writing +is+ different
from other writing modes, and it helps to know the how and why
answers. Of course, there are some quite good books that would allow
you to pick most of that up, too, and they're worth pursuing.
For my 2c's worth, I'd suggest an approach to a specialist Tech
writing agency in the first instance. This may mean that they test
or assess your skills fairly realistically and can give you a good
idea at any given time of what the work possibilities are. In any
event, they're likely to be better informed on the larger picture
than most individuals on this list.
> · Would it be best to improve my skills in programs like Adobe
Framemaker,
> Dreamweaver and RoboHelp or others (?) in the interim? I have been
teaching in an
> online environment for some years now so my computer skills are
reasonably good.
>
Wouldn't hurt, for a start. And as an exercise, work up and rework
the CV in all formats possible. You'll need to do that if you
haven't already.
HTH
--Peter M
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