Jobz
I'm applying for a dev position at my work. I think I understand my commitment to tech writing. Work for a company as a temp doing developer docs and get to know the devs. Then if I like the situation, apply for open positions on the dev team. If I hate them it's no commitment cuz I'm just the tech writer temp. I like documentation just as much as I like programming so I'm pretty flexible and it's an easy way to get to know people without a lot of pressure.
The QA mgr asked if I wanted to apply for a QA position. I said I'd think about it. One of my team mates had a little talk with me about staying on the team. I also know that my team mates would be really happy if I stayed on and it would be a good team situation for me. So I talked to my mgr about it and he talked to me about open dev positions he thinks I'd be a perfect fit for. I agree to apply and my interview is tomorrow. *whew*
I will have an interview loop with some technical leads as part of the process. I get the feeling that it's like an audition for a part in a play the director already wants to cast you for. You just have to nail the audition (and there's no doubt about your ability to do so). I spoke with some of my team mates about their experiences and I think that even if my performance is only mediocre I still have a good shot at the job. The interview is largely a formality (but I'm still taking it seriously).
My mgr said the focus will be on regex and a word I hadn't heard before, context or constructs. Well that had me freaking out until I googled it and realized it's stuff I know I'd just never heard the formal term or whatever. Or never cared about the formal term. Anyways so I'm feeling pretty good about my chances but certainly not overconfident. My approach is to just be brutally honest about where I'm at and what I've done. Even if I can't go into detail I'm able to show breadth of knowledge and an understanding of basic concepts.
So career-wise the reason I'm making this decision is mainly because I really really like my team. I feel like this is the right thing for me to do. My team is really encouraging, positive, and supportive and I feel that I can learn a lot and really grow as a developer. I have some serious self-confidence issues and being with this wonderful group of people has really been good for me.
I just hope I don't come off as a total flake-a-saurus after talking about how I don't want to do dev anymore and that's why I'm doing tech writing. Nobody on the team expected me to apply for a dev position and I know it will be a big surprise (and relief). Well I've never been known for being predictable. I'm certainly an impulsive person :)
The QA mgr asked if I wanted to apply for a QA position. I said I'd think about it. One of my team mates had a little talk with me about staying on the team. I also know that my team mates would be really happy if I stayed on and it would be a good team situation for me. So I talked to my mgr about it and he talked to me about open dev positions he thinks I'd be a perfect fit for. I agree to apply and my interview is tomorrow. *whew*
I will have an interview loop with some technical leads as part of the process. I get the feeling that it's like an audition for a part in a play the director already wants to cast you for. You just have to nail the audition (and there's no doubt about your ability to do so). I spoke with some of my team mates about their experiences and I think that even if my performance is only mediocre I still have a good shot at the job. The interview is largely a formality (but I'm still taking it seriously).
My mgr said the focus will be on regex and a word I hadn't heard before, context or constructs. Well that had me freaking out until I googled it and realized it's stuff I know I'd just never heard the formal term or whatever. Or never cared about the formal term. Anyways so I'm feeling pretty good about my chances but certainly not overconfident. My approach is to just be brutally honest about where I'm at and what I've done. Even if I can't go into detail I'm able to show breadth of knowledge and an understanding of basic concepts.
So career-wise the reason I'm making this decision is mainly because I really really like my team. I feel like this is the right thing for me to do. My team is really encouraging, positive, and supportive and I feel that I can learn a lot and really grow as a developer. I have some serious self-confidence issues and being with this wonderful group of people has really been good for me.
I just hope I don't come off as a total flake-a-saurus after talking about how I don't want to do dev anymore and that's why I'm doing tech writing. Nobody on the team expected me to apply for a dev position and I know it will be a big surprise (and relief). Well I've never been known for being predictable. I'm certainly an impulsive person :)