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The experts I interviewed did more than hint that writers with subject matter expertise are highly valued in the financial industry, and my frequent reading of the want ads underscored this point. For many months, the major job boards have been running ads from various types of financial companies who require technical writers to have previous industry experience in no uncertain terms. Just how necessary is this really? I privately mused. I can do research, interview experts, and write effectively on any subject, financial or not. With software, all I have to do is use it until I understand it, and great documentation then flows fast and furiously.
I was especially piqued by a recruiter's ad for a writer who could independently develop company valuation documents. This ad, for a Carpenteria investment firm, even stipulated that "experience with documenting finance-related software is not enough to qualify." So I called OCSTC senior member Jack Molisani, president of Prospring Technical Staffing, who had posted the ad. He didn't deny that a competent writer could do this job even without prior industry experience, but he clearly stated that in today's job market, employers can demand an exact match for their requirements. "Why should they accept a close match, when they can get an exact match?" Jack asked. "Employers would rather have someone who is already familiar with their industry and terminology so they won't have to pay for training."
Well then, what kind of writer is actually qualified for this job, I wondered. "Someone who has done the same job for another employer," said Jack. "Someone who has an MBA and writing experience, or has worked for another investment banking company and understands the relevant terminology." But the saving grace came when Jack revealed that two years earlier, he had placed a writer with the Carpinteria company to write software documentation, and who now is writing company valuations.