radical revamping of techpubs

[Technical Writer]

There are situations in which being a full-time employee is more advantageous than being a contractor. I don't know that training would be one of them, because a lot depends on the quality of training, and how transferrable the skills are. It also depends on how close a fit the training is for the learning style of the learner. 
 
Only 10 jobs in 18+ years? That is an impressive record for a contractor. It may be that there are different shades of meaning in our interpretations of the term "contractor." 
http://www.tekwrytrs.com/Specializing in the Design, Development, and Production of:Technical Documentation - Online Content - Enterprise Websites> Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 07:57:49 -0700> From: jposada01 at yahoo.com> Subject: RE: radical revamping of techpubs> To: tekwrytr at hotmail.com; athloi at yahoo.com; framers at lists.frameusers.com> > > Contract exclusively, preferably three- to six-month. Contractors> > tend to be more fully focused on task completion, and doing the job> > right, both of which suit my inclinations perfectly. "Full-time"> > work becomes more a social issue, in which the most importance is> > Allow mw to offer a different perspective without disputing what> Chris says, except to say it's not as black and white as he makes it> out to be.> > > Why would anyone with experience as a manager want a developer or> > tech writer position? More jobs, more opportunities, less hassle,> > less effort. Lots of IT people switch from doer to manager and> > back. Keeps up the job interest, keeps it challenging, a myriad of> > reasons. Most work as contractors, and politely decline offers of> > "full-time" work as the equivalent of being purchased as a "wage> > slave" by an organization that clearly understands it can more> > easily manipulate its employees than it can manipulate contractors.> > A gold star, an Employee-of-the-Month certificate, recognition,> > congratulations on a job well-done, flattery, perhaps even a> > favored parking spot for a month--have meaning only to those many> > contractors refer to as "lifers."> > I was a contractor for 18+ years at over 10 gigs with some> blue-ribbon companies, so I think I paid my contractor-dues.> > Yes, as an employee, there is the gold star, certificates, corporate> culture/drinking the koolaid mentality and sometimes, the cover of> the corporate magazine (me in this quarter). I can take that stuff or> leave it.> > I'm currently an employee of a Fortune 500 IT company; EMC (two years> this coming April). Why did I jump the fence? I'd heard that EMC was> strong on training. So, while I churn out user guides, installation> manuals, and such, I can also take advantage of a wide range of> training opportunities that I would not have been able to afford.> What kind of training? > - ITIL Foundation Certification> - Six Sigma Greenbelt with a project in the works> - UML courses> - Human Factors courses> - DITA and Usability bootcamps> - UNIX and Linux college courses> - The ability to set corporate standards through online help and 508> standards committes> - others> > All 100% paid while working from home 4-5 days a week.> > Granted...not all companies offer opportunities. However, find the> right one and you can take advantage of things they offer as they do> so with you.> > John Posada> Senior Technical Writer> > "They say everyone needs goals. Mine is to live forever.> So far, so good."
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