The CEO of our company just asked me if I want to transfer away from my editing job, and become a technical writer permanently. I helped out the technical writing department for a few months last year, and apparently I didn't screw up as much as I thought I did, because they're suffering a manpower shortage again and now want me there on a permanent basis.
The pros are:
1. Slightly higher pay. The number tabled by the CEO was a 5% raise.
2. Slightly lower stress. I would no longer have to deal with google translated documents, and I'd be able to go home at reasonable hours. Deadlines would be measured in days and weeks, instead of the minutes and hours I deal with as an editor.
3. Slightly better for my career. Having a few years of technical writing on my resume would go well with the years of translation and editing experience I have now. I'd be able to apply for jobs in a wider variety of fields if I ever decide to leave this company.
The cons are:
1. If I'm honest, I'd say my personality and skillset are more suited to being a translator and editor. I'm not a very tech-savvy person in the first place, and I'm quite good at sitting down with a document and flagellating it until it's a good translation.
2. I would no longer be directly working with some of the cutest girls in our company. The tech writing department is full of geeky guys.
On the whole, I think I'm going to accept the transfer, which is why this counts as a minor victory. I'll end up out of my comfort zone for a while, which sucks, and I'll have to figure out some other way to have plausible excuses to talk to the attractive females. But still, it's an opportunity I'm probably going to take.
Must've been some very strong hankerings right there.
