Comments on: A Career in Technical Writing: Reversals

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:07:32 +0000

1. What is the worst mistake you ever made at a job?

Not realizing, until several months into it, that my new job was almost identitical to the job I had just quit.

2. How did you go about correcting that mistake? Could you?

Still working on it. Ever had a job you hated, but were making too much money to quit?

3. What are some of the unwritten rules in your workplace?

Don’t say or do anything that might even remotely be construed as insensitive (unless you’re part of the “inner circle”, then anything goes).

I think I really need to read your “16 Steps to Getting Motivated.

By: Craig

Craig — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:34:20 +0000

I usually THINK about all the things I COULD do to someone. Then I don’t. What goes around comes around. I don’t want to send any bad karma into the universe, only to have it come back home — to me.

By: Jeanne Dininni

Jeanne Dininni — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:29:27 +0000

Thanks, John. That makes me feel a little better.

By: John Hewitt

John Hewitt — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:22:04 +0000

@ Ring

it is amazing how serious it seemed at the time, but now it makes little difference. Ted was soon gone and I haven’t seen or heard from him since.

@ Jeanne

Don’t sweat the misspelling, comments are always treated as first drafts.

@ Carol

Don’t read too much nobility into me. Had the opportunity to make Ted miserable come up, it would have been highly tempting.

By: Carol Brusnahan

Carol Brusnahan — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:43:56 +0000

John,
How astutely aware you are of yourself and your environment. I especially enjoy how you walk the reader through your experience from comfort, to gossip to prideful outburst. The fact you actually take responsibility for yourself is delightful and you get to move on without “grudge” attached to your attitude. Grudge presents such a hostile personality as evident in some prior comments.

By: Jeanne Dininni

Jeanne Dininni — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:31:41 +0000

John,

Just now realized how ironic my misspelling was in a comment on a post about technical writing!

By: Jeanne Dininni

Jeanne Dininni — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:27:48 +0000

Ring,

Appreciate your concurrence with my own thoughts! But, alas, your comment has once again reminded me of my unfortunate misspelling of the word “excruciating” in my first comment on this post! Every time I reread that comment and see the misspelled word, it’s absolutely excruciating! Noticed my error immediately after clicking “Post,” but there was nothing to be done for it! Guess I’ll just have to get used to the idea that I’m not perfect!

By: Ring

Ring — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:11:15 +0000

I agree with Jeanne. It’s not reason to kill yourself. You are very frank, thank for it. I read and imagine all like it happened with me or my best friend.

By: John Hewitt

John Hewitt — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:46:46 +0000

Jeanne,

I have no doubt that Ted was skilled politically. His gung-ho approach was probably more appropriate for the Help Desk employees, who he had real reasons to try to motivate that way.

By: Jeanne Dininni

Jeanne Dininni — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:01:00 +0000

John,

In one sense, the company’s fondness for Ted is amazing; in another, it ’s precisely what you’d expect. After all, can you imagine Ted’s ever having treating his superiors the way he treated you? I think it’s pretty safe to assume he not only never did that but very likely knew just what it took to keep them happy.