Join us in welcoming WritersUA as a continuing TECHWR-L Gold-level Annual Sponsor:
http://www.writersua.com/

WritersUA (WinWriters) specializes in providing quality training and publications for the community of user assistance professionals. The world of user assistance comprises a variety of techniques and technologies to make working with software a better experience. This includes online Help, wizards, eLearning, information portals, printed documentation, and improvements to the application user interface. WritersUA customers represent a diverse group of technical writers, software developers, contractors, and consultants.

WritersUA is the premier source for world-class, world-wide user assistance conferences and seminars. The annual WritersUA Conference for Software User Assistance has attracted over eight thousand participants in the past sixteen years. The next event takes place March 29-April 1 in Seattle, Washington. http://www.writersua.com/ohc/

Welcome--and thanks to--WritersUA as a TECHWR-L Annual Sponsor! Annual sponsors provide key support for the variety of TECHWR-L services and features. For more information about sponsorships, please visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/abouttechwhirl/sponsorships.html

Administrator Note: Reprinted after repeated requests. It was accidentally not carried forward into the current site design. After some digging, it's back! Enjoy!

by Michele Marques

As a technical writer, you may be exploring single-sourcing--producing multiple document outputs from a single information source--as a possible option for easing document development and production. Although solutions such as databases, SGML, and XML are available that can enable you to reuse information to produce multiple outputs, single-sourcing doesn't have to involve such complex solutions, expenses, and learning curves. Instead, if your single-sourcing needs are relatively simple, you can effectively single-source using a tool that technical writers commonly have available: FrameMaker.

This article examines how single-sourcing can ease your publication process. First, we'll look at how to single-source multiple models of the same product line. Then we'll examine how you can single-source to create different versions of the manual for different audiences. Finally, we'll explore time considerations for single-sourcing using FrameMaker. Although this article focuses on techniques to produce multiple printed manuals, you may find these techniques useful when you are producing outputs in multiple media (for example, printed manual and online help file)."

Hello,

I am currently a senior at the University of Houston majoring in English with a minor in Education. I've been a Writing Consultant for the university Writing Center for five semesters; working with undergraduate and graduate students (including English as a Second Language (ESL) students) majoring in the Engineering, Business, Law, Geoscience, History, English, and Marketing on their essays, proposals, resumes, progress reports, and thesis and dissertation essays.

Thanks to a great suggestion from Dori Green, there's a new discussion list (or support group) specifically for job search-related needs. You'll find it at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-job-search

Look for more information later, but for now, if you're in the market for a job, have the cycles to support or help others who are looking, or just want to keep your fingers on the pulse of the technical communication job searchers, join in!

Well, having finished my last contract position, it has taken me a few days to get everything set up to officially work from home, but I'm hoping to get started soon.

I've been working on a website to help others, and hopefully draw attention to my capabilities, still under development. I had no idea how much work all this is! But it's been good to brush up on my HTML and PHP hacking skills.

Dear Friends

Cisco currently has multiple positions for Senior Technical Writers and Senior Technical Editors in Bangalore.

The job typically requires 5 + years of core Technical Writing / Technical Editing experience with the use of the Framemaker tool. Experience of writing for networking technology is an added advantage.

Please send us me your updated profile at lhegde@cisco.com if you would like to explore your career options in Cisco, Bangalore.

Thanks and Regards
Laxmi Hegde (Recruiter)
Cisco Systems India Pvt. Ltd.

by Deborah S. Ray

Although many potential employers do look to match an applicant's skills, experience, and knowledge to the job they're filling, they are really looking for one basic thing: Can--and will--this person do the job that they need done? With that in mind, your goal is not only to showcase your relevant skills, knowledge, and experience, but to also convey that you're the "will do" person they need. As discussed in Part One of this two-part article, you can take steps during the pre-interview, interview, and post-interview stages of the job search process; the bottom line discussed in Part One: Go the extra mile--from the very start.

by Deborah S. Ray

Searching for a job is hard work, no doubt, and it often isn't as simple as sending out a general resume and strolling through an interview process. Instead, it's often a multi-phase process that takes time and effort: You update your resume. You craft a letter of application. You select samples from past projects that best showcase relevant skills. You then go to the interview and show your stuff. That's a lot of work--even for people who are practiced in the job search process.