A Battle of the High Techs:
Software vs. Robotics

by Kim Creed, Education Manager

This week I am celebrating the end of my probationary period at my new place of employment. To me, this marks a successful transition from the software industry to hardware and manufacturing.

For the first six years of my post-university career I wrote for the likes of a few, well-known software development firms. When I accepted my latest offer of employment I was more concerned about fitting into the work culture than with proving my technical writing skills.

A New Reality

During the last three months I have learned that comparing software high tech and robotics high tech is tantamount to good cop/bad cop. Looking back at what I call the fat years, the groupthink of high tech helped me to develop some skewed ideas about work life.

The Meaning of an ID Badge

An ID badge used to represent that I was part of a club. Having an ID badge to get me in and out of secured buildings commanded a certain level of respect and pride. A badge signified that I did important work.

Presently, a badge represents that I am one in a million, literally. Everyone at my new place of employment is required to wear a badge as a means of getting paid—punch in when you enter the building and punch out when you leave. The badge has become a symbol of being one among the masses, instead of a validation of my own VIP status.

Pros and Cons

Gone are the days of on-site fitness centres and tae kwon do classes, cappuccino machines and freebie lunches and dinners. And, gone are the days of feeling obligated to work well into the night just because I had a company-issued laptop. When 5 p.m. comes, I leave with the rest of the crowd. After working several years of overtime, finally, I have recovered my evenings and weekends.

Some Things Stay the Same

As a technical writer at a robotics high tech firm, I share many of the challenges faced by technical writers everywhere. Daily I work to demonstrate the value of my work and earn the respect of multi-disciplinary team members. I troubleshoot various hardware and software issues while I try to fulfill interesting customer requests, such as providing technical documents in Excel. I am also adjusting to the free, strongly flavoured coffee.

A New Culture

Certainly, this place of employment has more of a "pull" culture than what I am used to. Gone are the days of falling under design and development on the organizational chart. Moreover, I am finding creative ways to find information and establish contacts on the design team.

Having worked both sides of the fence now, I can say the grass always looks greener than it truly is. Perspective is everything.

About Kim Creed

Kim writes technical documents at ATS (Automation Tooling Systems). Her current workload includes documenting assembly line machinery and creating a prototype of online help. Previously, she wrote documentation for optical carriers and business process automation software. When she isn’t writing, Kim practices yoga, sketches and creates stained glass pieces.