[Framers] How do you identify an advanced Framemaker user?

[Robert Lauriston]

If I had a badly maintained FrameMaker book with a lot of cruft on the
reference pages, inconsistent styles, and so on, I'd ask them to
identify problems and say how they'd clean them up.

I'd ask to see one or more templates they'd created and have them
detail the process of creating a new book from them.

Actually, the first thing I'd suggest would be to consider whether
it's time to move on from FrameMaker.

On Sun, Apr 15, 2018 at 9:31 AM, Carol J. Elkins
<celkins at awrittenword.com> wrote:
> Over the next couple of years, I need to help my major client find and train
> an in-house replacement for me as I wind down my freelance practice. They
> will not consider an independent contractor next time, so it may be harder
> to recruit and identify someone with the required skills. I've built 20
> years of documentation for this client in unstructured Framemaker, and
> managing these thousands of documents and books depends less on someone
> being a good technical writer than being an excellent Framemaker user.
>
> For those of you who are corporate employers, I'd like to know how you
> screen candidates to identify those who truly are advanced Framemaker users.
> Is there a test you employ? Do you ask them to build a template from
> scratch? Are there certifications that you require? Do you use a recruiting
> service? How would you locate qualified candidates (in addition to posting
> to Frameusers)?
>
> Note that I am NOT recruiting; that is still a few years down the road 8-).
> I just need to start thinking about the best way to replace myself. My
> long-time designated backup is also planning to retire in the next couple of
> years, so I have to start again to find the best person for my job. I am
> willing to train them how to do my job, but it requires their already being
> a master of Framemaker.