Are you considering a career in technical writing? There are many galmourous Hollywood portrayals of journalists and novelists, but technical writers are overlooked. This oversight can make it difficult to picture what qualifications and skills are needed for this rewarding and challenging career.
What skills do technical writers need to “research and create information about technical processes or products directed to a targeted audience through various forms of media,” (STC)? A sample of recent, local job postings on www.indeed.com revealed the following:
- Education: Most employers want candidates with a degree or certificate in English, Communications, or Technical Writing, ideally with a supporting degree or certification in a technical field such as Engineering or Computing Sciences.
- Research Skills: Technical writers must be organized and efficient inquirers and researchers. Research often includes interviewing busy subject-matter experts and foreseeing what information the readers will need.
- Writing Skills: Technical writers must be able to effectively, concisely, and precisely communicate ideas to varying audiences. Employers often look for candidates with experience writing particular types of documents, such as proposals, user manuals, or web pages.
- Work Experience: Most employers want candidates with a minimum of three years of experience. Recent graduates and people considering this career will want to quickly start building related experience. Also, they will need to be stubborn enough (write persistent on a resume) to not be discouraged by the job search.
- Collaborative Skills: Most writers, by nature, are introverts. However, in order to collaborate with busy specialists and possibly a team of other writers, technical writers must be able to build and maintain professional relationships.
- Computer Skills: All employers requested at least proficiency with word processing programs. Experience with content management systems and desktop publishing were the other most requested computer skills. Employers also preferred candidates with proficiency in technology specific to the subject matter.
Does this describe you? The STC can help you take the next step. Start by looking at upcoming events and other career articles, and feel free to contact us for more information about networking, volunteering, and learning with a group of like-minded people.
Hello,
I am a journalist with more than 20 years of experience writing newspaper and magazine copy as well as advertising content, editorials, human interest columns and just about everything else. I have also written newsletters, web site content and a variety of projects for government and private business; as well as some fiction – mainly short stories and stories for children. I like variety in the work that I do and I like a challenge; so am considering branching out into the world of technical writing.
I’m not sure where to begin, so would appreciate any advice you have to offer.
Best regards,
Joan LeBlanc
New Brunswick
Hi Joan,
It’s great that you are considering technical writing. I’m going to send you a private message from vp@stcwestcoast.ca by the end of the week.
Kind regards,
Autumn
I have been taking courses in Editing at SFU but recently become interesting in Technical Writing.
I have a degree in Commerce and some grad studies in Management as well. I’ve always been adept at writing and this was my strength in my studies, especially at the grad level. I also have many, many years of work experience and the last twenty with public companies and one private consulting firm.
Does the fact that my degree is not in English, Engineering, Communications or Computing Science mean that I am at a disadvantage when trying to get hired?
Quite the opposite! Technical Communicators have a wide variety of backgrounds. It could be what gets you the job. For example, a potential client noticed my basic accounting experience that was listed at the bottom of my LinkedIn profile. The experience was a great asset for the project.
Getting hired is about effectively searching and marketing yourself for the position or industry you want. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at president@stcwestcoast.ca. I would be happy to chat about the field and put you in touch with anyone else who could answer your questions.
Autumn