Technical WritingWorks Cited Barker, Thomas. “How Have You Advance Your Career?” Intercom 9 April 2002. Bly, Robert W. Careers for Writers & Others Who Have a Way with Words.New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2003. DeGalan, Julie, and Stephen Lambert. Great Jobs for English Majors. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2000. Hoffman, Allan. Technical Writing. Monster Jobs. 10 April 2006. Homepage. The Society for Technical Communication (STC). 10 April 2006. . Labor Market Information. Employment Development Department. 10 April 2006. Occupational Outlook Handbook. U. S. Department of Labor. 10 April 2006. Technical writing is a rapidly developing field because technology is rapidly changing, increasing the need for technical writers. The term “technical writing” covers a variety of different titles and varying responsibilites, and as such, varying requirements.
Technical writing, in its most basic form, constitutes the writing of instructions or a manual but can increase in difficulty to the point of including designing a website. A technical writer may be required to have, at a minimum, a functional knowledge of the english language and an extensive vocabulary or they may be required to have a degree in some sort of computer based program. The field is always changing as new methods are discovered and passed amongst professionals in technical communications, a term generally used interchangeably with “technical writing”. The main focus of technical writers is to “put technical information into easily understandable language” (USDL 3). They “compose communication from product developers for users of the products…and increasingly are responsible for the publication process including graphics, layout and document design” (LMI 1). They create everything from product instructions and manuals to sale promotion materials to catalogs to Web pages. According to Labor Market Information, “Technical Writers perform the following tasks: analyze the target audience’s needs, conduct interview and research data in order to learn about the product or procedure, include visual aids in the publications, edit any material prepared by other personnel, organize layout, prepare rough drafts, edit to perfection, present for publication (1). The background needed in order to become a technical writer varies depending on the actual position and the hiring organization but there are some generalizations that one can assume when preparing to enter the field of technical communication. First, according to a membership study done by the Society for Technical Communication (STC), the most common academic backgrounds that technical writers in the United States tend to have are English, technial communication, science or engineering,
computer science, and journalism (STC). These backgrounds give a person an advantage over the competition either because they display a certain level of competence regarding the subject matter that will be written about or simply a proficiency with the english language. A college student planning to enter this field should take courses in technical writing, web design and programming, and possibly some courses in engineering or computer science. As technical writing is still a much-developing field, requirements for education vary from no education to a 4-year degree, dependent upon the company. While the requirements for individual positions may vary, technical writers should have a working knowledge of computer programs as a minimum, particularly an extensive knowledge of Microsoft Word, as nearly every company uses this program. FrameMaker and RoboHelp are also two programs that are often used by technical writers and as such, knowledge of them can only help one’s career (Hoffman). The knowledge of certain program languages, such as HTML, is also becoming increasingly desirable to businesses hiring for positions in technical writing. If at all possible, a student should gain experience through internships and volunteer work. The STC’s fraternity is another possible avenue for technical communications students. The more activities students can find in the field, the more they can build an impressive portfolio with which to begin their job search. A technical writer should also have great communication skills because technical writing is more of a collaborative than an independent project. The input of professionals in the particular field, such as scientists or engineers, is likely to be needed to complete a project. According to Saul Carliner, former president of STC, “Although the finished product is something you wrote, there’s a lot of collaboration. You’re interviewing people. You’re
coordinating. Twenty to 30 percent of your time is writing.” (Hoffman 1). A lot of a technical writer’s job involves collaborating with others to gain information with which to form the actual document. Besides the extensive collaboration with co-workers, much of technical writers information comes from current outside sources such as journals or books on the topic. Technical writers have to research and present very specific information within a certain format and with the strictest of accuracy because of the possible dangers that could be presented by giving incorrect directions. As such, here are 9 very important skills for a technical writer to have: Writing- Technical writers need to be able to clearly express themselves and be understood by their audience. Active Listening- Technical writers must posess the ability to hear what others are saying and inquire of things that are not clearly explained. Speaking- Technical writers must be able to clearly express themselves verbally. Information Gathering- Technical writers must be able to research efficiently and effectively. Information Organization-Technical writers should be aware of how to organize information in order to make the document as clear as possible. Synthesis/Reorganization- Technical writers should be willing to try new ways of presenting information for best comprehension by audiences. Active Learning- Technical writers should be willing to continually learn new information as there are constant changes in technology. Product Inspection-Technical writers have to be capable of evaluating product quality. English Language- Technical writers must be able to speak and writer english proficiently and efficiently. They must be able to adhere to all grammatical rules within the smallest possible amount of time (LMI 2). As mentioned in the nine skills above, an especially important skill for technical writers is to be flexible and willing to learn new things all of the time. DeGalan states, “The most important aspect of technical writers’ working conditions is that they must constantly be learning new technologies and developments in their field of expertise in order to remain attractive to their employer or contractor” (227). Technical writers may
be called on to do any number of things, such as editing and proofreading copies, or ghostwriting trade journal articles. They may also work with engineers to help them improve their writing, producing a wide variety of technical publications (ie letters, manuals, proposals, reports, abstracts, product literature, advertisements, press releases, scripts, charts, etc.), help technical professionals, such as scientists or engineers, with their speeches and presentations, or advise others in the organization of writing, graphics, printing and binding methods. There is the possibility of providing authors with writing, editing and research assistance, maybe preparing a writing style manual for the organization, producing slide shows, films and videotapes and even writing content for the Web (Bly 133). In 1998, the estimated number of writers in the technical writing market was 7300 and is estimated to reach 9800 by 2008, a project growth of 34.2%. Technical writing is expected to become increasingly essential because of the “need to communicate new scientific and technical information to others” (LMI 2). While there is a growth in demand for the technical writing market, colleges are offering more programs in these studies and so, the supply is rising at nearly equivalent rates, and as of yet, there is no noticeable surplus or deficiency in the market (STC). According to Labor Market Information, the hourly wages in the field ranged from $22.28 to $33.64 in 2001. US Department of Labor gives a more recent update: “Median annual earnings for technical writers were $53,490 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,440 and $68,980. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,490, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $86,780. Median annual earnings in computer systems design and related services were
$54,710. According to the Society for Technical Communication, the median annual salary for entry level technician writers was $42,500 in 2004. The median annual salary for midlevel nonsupervisory technical writers was $51,500, and for senior nonsupervisory technical writers, $66,000” (8). Another estimate states the mean salary for technical writers as $61,730 in the US (Hoffman 1). There are many organizations for technical writers to join, either for learning purposes, job advisement, job searches or just for networking purposes. The most popular of these is the Society for Technical Communications. According to the Frequently Asked Questions on their website, STC’s goals are “to advance the arts and sciences of technical communications, promote awareness of the latest trends and technology in the field, and provide innovative services for the education and professional development of its members” and “STC’s membership includes technical communicators employed in a wide range of job disciplines”. The organization is the “largest professional association serving the technical communication profession [with] more than 20,000 members and 153 chapters worldwide.” Their magazine, Intercom, provides examples of technical communication to advance the knowledge of professionals in the field. Due to the rapid development of technical communication or “technical writing”, most research regarding the subject is tentative and ever changing. A technical writer’s job can be anything from editing someone else’s work to designing a website on their own. A technical writer may need to be literate or may need a bachelor’s degree. All of these topics depend upon the company posting for the position. Because technical
writing is such a changing field, it is very hard to prepare oneself to become a technical writer but the best way is to study a little bit of everything and focus extensive attention on one’s literacy. `