In the past four months, I have had some key learning experiences in my first job as a technical writer. In this article, I share six things I’ve learned, and offer insights into the beginning of my journey as a technical writer.
1. Writing is the tip of the iceberg.
During the interview for my current position, I was asked to expand on the statement: “Writing is the tip of the iceberg.” I had a vague idea of what this might signify in the context of technical writing, but it wasn’t until I began the job that I truly began to understand its importance.
Writing is the final task in technical communications. Most of the work happens at the research level, particularly in speaking with SMEs (subject matter experts), and gathering knowledge about a particular subject. Often, you need to speak with several individuals to gain different perspectives, and to further your own understanding of the subject. It is possible to write accurately on a subject you are unfamiliar with, but you need to research the subject thoroughly first.
2. There are many areas of knowledge.
My initial thought on stepping into the technical writing world was that I would have to learn two things: a tool for writing documentation and the product I would be documenting.
However, in addition to tools and product knowledge, I needed to acquire domain knowledge specific to the audience I was writing for, and I also needed to gain insight on designing content and how to best present the information to users.
3. Asking questions is essential.
Asking questions to gain insight from SMEs is one of the primary ways for acquiring subject knowledge, and a key way to make connections with the people you work with.
There is an art to asking the right questions and listening attentively to extract specific information. Sometimes you need to ask the same question in different ways to get the information you need. The more questions you ask, the higher quality of information you can provide to users.
4. Getting feedback is a beautiful experience.
It can be difficult to receive critical feedback on your work, but it’s the best process for learning and implementing better practices as a technical writer.
Within the last few months, I have received feedback through technical reviews, copy and substantive edits, proofreading, and customers. In addition, the content team I work with organized weekly peer review sessions in order to provide ongoing feedback for the work we produce. This continuous feedback has helped me strengthen the content, organization, presentation, and clarity of the documentation I maintain.
5. Designing content is important.
Information design shapes how the material is presented to the user and whether or not it will be easy to follow and understand.
However, designing content can be challenging. Will the content be best conveyed through a table, diagram, or video? I continually question and experiment with new ways to design content. This is part of the creativity involved in technical writing – design matters!
6. You cannot master everything all at once.
I was given excellent advice from a senior technical writer on my first day: “You don’t have to open all of the black boxes [unfamiliar concepts and tools] all at once. Select one or two, begin to explore them, and then you can begin to open more and more.”
It’s important to be patient and pace your learning. If your first “black box” is to learn a new concept, process, or tool; take your time and explore it deeply. Ask questions, gain feedback, and be open to the journey.
