"Sorry, I probably won’t read your cover letter"
(The insider feedback by a straight-shooter recruiter. Excerpts…) Like many recruiters, I rarely read cover letters. Most of us zoom right into the resume for a quick scan of the candidate and avoid the cover letter whenever possible. Why should we read two different documents that are basically trying to say the same thing? When…
Read MoreA Meditation on Time Management for Technical Writers
(Excerpt) Time management means being able to say “no”. Whenever someone comes running to you saying “I need your help,” it’s automatically an emergency. You’re a team player, so you may say “Sure, I can help you with that” without thinking. Stop. Think. Less obvious but more common is the failure to prioritize tasks. How…
Read MoreAPI Writing – as “Technical” as Technical Communication Gets
Some technical communication fields have low entry thresholds (like press release and resume writing, for example). Others have far tougher entry conditions and they also pay accordingly. API (Application Product Interface) writing is one such highly technical documentation field. API writing is for software engineers who would like to switch to documentation, or technical writers…
Read More10 Things NOT to Say to a Technical Writer
It’s okay—the programmers are writing the user documentation. I’ve scribbled down the specs on these bits of paper, discarded napkins and the back of my hand. Just put it together in a nice document by Friday. If you have any questions, none of the development team will be around so you’ll have to talk to…
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