Sometimes I wonder if I'm an accidental technical writer (tech writer). You know what I mean. I don't wear glasses, haven't read enough of Dilbert, and I'm not even an English major. Graduating during a recessionary year (not unlike the present) I'm grateful to have stumbled upon this career and hope to share what I've learned. Regardless of your major, the number of years you have in this profession, your gender, race, or beliefs I think you'll agree with many of the truths listed here. If not, please feel free to share your perspective (tech writers and non tech writers alike).
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A Few Truths about the Profession
- Recruiters will beat the path to your door unless you alienate them (see a hyperlinked list below)
- Temporary assignments will always be there
- You will fix the previous tech writer's mistakes (suffer the consequences of her or his actions)
- You will research, write, edit, draw and compile the product into a flawless, sparkling, numbered and headlined publication fit to share with the world
- You will take criticism with a grin and not wait for feedback
- Expect to develop any of the following (feel free to add to the list): policy and procedures; SOPs; system development lifecycle documents; medical content; pharmaceutical glossaries; proposals; curriculums; training materials; Captivate demos; User Guides in RoboHelp; meeting minutes; PowerPoint shows; monthly reports with charts and graphs...the list goes on.
- Be prepared to explain the difference between writing and editing to your manager
- Be proactive and develop a schedule when you are tasked with a series of assignments with no due dates and priorities (It took me years to learn this; correcting a project manager's schedule should be your last resort, unless you have a great relationship with the guy or gal).
Sadly, you will find a lack of respect for the profession -- some of this is to be blamed on the lack of a clear definition of this role. Check out the Society for Technical Communication (STC) site and you're sure to find clues. I belonged to STC several years ago -- during the early stages my tech writing career and found it very useful to attend their annual conference.
If you're young or just plain adventurous and wish to expand your horizons, you could try joining the Public Relations Society of America or the International Association of Business Communicators. At the very least, these member-driven organizations would love for you to volunteer and you can gain experience in event planning, reporting, journalistic writing via such avenues.
No Two Assignments are Alike
In the past 10-12 years, no single tech writing experience has been the same for me. If you were to ask me in the nineties, "what does a tech writer do?" I would've fumbled for the right answer and might have (with difficulty) said something like "A tech writer researches and writes a variety of content after gathering information from technical staff." In essence, my answer remains the same. My gigs have extended to include writing policy and procedures, developing and delivering training, supporting committees and yes, writing meeting minutes. When a task is that simple, you'll always have someone flashing their own superior template in your face. If they have more power (comes with tenure), take their template and put it on display and praise it endlessly.
An Update to One Tech Writer's Truth (31 Dec 2011)
Two years have elapsed since I first wrote this article. The landscape of technical writing and the corporate world has changed considerably. I've known friends and colleagues to pack up and move a few hundred miles to take up an assignment that's varied in duration from two months to two years. No matter what the duration of the assignment is, recruiters now have their pick of the candidate. The good news is, jobs continue to be created as evidenced by an increase in the number of nonfarm payroll jobs created in November 2011 and a drop in the unemployment rate. To get accurate data on employment figures, visit http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm.
For technical writing services, please visit http://a-word-by-word-edit.com/ or write dolly@a-word-by-word-edit.com.
Here's to our collective success! Happy New Year!
Check out these Career and Company Sites
Note! Many of the sites listed below will require a quick registration process; others will require you to build your resume online; either way patience will pay off.
http://nvtstaffing.com/?module=home&parent_id=1
http://hightechpros.com/jobseekers.php
www.stc.org/about/history01.asp
www.12manage.com/methods_covey_seven_habits.html (Seems like a good site, although I haven't explored it fully)
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