Are you considering a career in Technical Communication?
Have you told others about your interest in the field?
Have you received a blank stare back?
Have you heard: “…really? Is that what you want to do?”
Let’s take a look at five myths about technical communication, and why they are wrong.
MYTH #1: Technical Writing is NOT a Creative Endeavour
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.” – Charles Mingus
Technical communication is an art just like creative writing and involves a high level of creative and critical thinking. Technical communication requires:
- Decoding complex technical language
- Reorganizing information
- Communicating ideas in a usable format
- Using effective design skills to present visual information
Making a document “awesomely simple” involves creativity, and enables users to access information easily.
MYTH #2: Technical Writers are Loners and Isolationists
Technical writers are NOT isolationists. The profession demands collaboration. Technical writers communicate with:
- Subject matter experts
- Editors
- Team members
While each job is unique to itself, technical writers need to become familiar with the subject they are writing about. They need to be in contact with those that know it best.
MYTH #3: Technical Writers Only Write User Manuals and That’s Super Boring
“[Technical writers are] trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writing. This makes them freaks in the world….” – Kurt Vonnegut
Technical writers do produce user manuals, but they do lots of other things.
Technical Communicators:
- Produce promotional brochures and advertisements for marketing communications
- Write research papers and articles for technical journals
- Publish content online (including writing content for websites and blogging)
Technical Communicators may work in government, technology, engineering, healthcare, education and/or business.
MYTH #4: Only native Speakers Can Be Technical Communicators
On Simon Fraser University’s Technical Communication Program website, there is a video that showcases Ariel Vergara, a recent graduate of the certificate program.
In the video, Vergara discusses how, despite his non-native English speaking status, he was still able to build a successful career in Technical Communication.
Vergara suggests that one of the advantages to being a non-native speaker is his limited vocabulary. He claims that it is a convenience because technical writing uses plain language to communicate.
MYTH #5: Technical Writers Need To Be “Techies”
Technical writers come from diverse backgrounds, and each offers their own unique skill set.
As a humanities teacher, I’m entering the profession of technical communication from a different vantage point.
While my skill set does not consist of technical studies, I am still able to effectively communicate complex information. I can always rely on feedback from SMEs (subject matter experts) and editors to ensure that the technical information is being presented effectively and accurately.
My take on this interesting list.
#1: In certain roles, you may have limited creative scope, but in other roles, you have extensive opportunities to be creative. So definitely look for ways in which your creative abilities and tendencies can be utilized.
#2: Being a loner and isolationist is only possible in a very few roles. In many cases, the technical writer ends up as a liaison among different groups, and you can add great value that way. You have to develop the courage to bother people and ask lots of questions!
#3: Even if you “only” do user manuals, these can be very fulfilling. But I agree that you typically have many other opportunities to author, edit, and manipulate content also.
#4: I agree that this is a myth. Regardless of whether English is your native language, you should have a constant desire to improve your communication, organizational, and technical skills.
For #5, I disagree somewhat. Many roles cannot be done by a writer who is not technically engaged with the product or who does not have the capability to manage complex technical production challenges. For some roles, #5 is true. However, I think becoming more technical is possible for most people, including most of those who identify as “non-techie”.
Lois,
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate you furthering the discussion on these five myths.
I agree with your point on myth #5. There are certain roles more suited for writers that have a background in a specific technical field. It really depends on the job and on the capabilities of the writer to meet certain requirements.
I especially liked your last statement about the possibility of becoming more technical. I found it very encouraging. There is always room to improve communication and learn new skills. These core values drive technical communication and encourage us to be life-long learners.
#1 I found technical communications to be very creative. I had to translate from technology into the language of the users – the business user for whom the technology was must a tool.
#5 is tricky as depending on your audience it is useful to not be super techy and inadvertantly make assumptions about what your audience may know about how technology works. On the other hand, in a small company you often have to be able to do things with technology that go beyond writing and knowing how to most effectively use your own tools, online help creators, wikis, etc are vital to staying relevant.