How Do I Become a Technical Writer?
Sep4
By Tom Guarnera
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I have recently seen a number of discussions asking technical writers if they chose to become a writer or if it was more by chance. After some side discussion with other technical writers, I started to think about the people who I have worked with and interviewed over the last 15 years. The interesting thing is that I have known very few people who one day decided to go into this profession and followed that with the question, “How do I become a Technical Writer?” In simple terms, nobody graduates from high school and says, I want to grow up and become a tech writer.
Why is that? One reason is that the field is not widely understood. This is often very evident by those who manage the people who manage tech writers. If you are experienced and work in a self-managed organization, this can be great. If you are in an autocratic org, there is nothing more painful than having upper management that have no clue as to what you do.
Another reason may be that there are very few Technical Writing programs in the college and university system. There are some English programs that, for example, offer a specialization in this field. More likely, you will find a program in a University Extension program.
So, if it is difficult to become educated in the field, where do these writers come from? Most writers that I have met through the years have landed in this job through circumstance. Of those people, the ones who excel in the field have done so through nature and nurture, but with little idea that this is the direction they are going.
In my follow-up post next week, I will ask What Are the Characteristics of A Good Technical Writer?
Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and how to guides. We’re the leaders in technical communications in Northern California. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.
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3:09 am on September 29th, 2009
I studied Communication, Authoring and Design at Coventry University in the UK. The course was under-subscribed and has now been deleted. I found the course by chance as I was not enjoying my Computer Systems degree and was looking in the prospectus at alternatives. The CA&D course description matched my talents and areas of interest almost perfectly. Switching degree courses was one of the best decisions I ever made - studying for my CA&D degree was fascinating and enjoyable. I quickly found a great job as an Information Designer upon graduating and went on to become a Technical Author.
10:23 am on September 29th, 2009
I’m also one of those unusual tech writers who got into the field in college. After I decided I didn’t really want to be an architect, and changed my major to math, I took a writing course. The professor who taught that course invited me to be his first degree candidate in new B.S. in Scientific Writing/M.S. in Scientific Information curriculum he was setting up. I received the first B.S. in the program. A couple of years later, they dropped the B.S. program, but kept the M.S.
7:36 am on October 1st, 2009
Hmmm…Actually, I don’t think it’s that unusual anymore to follow a tech writer track in university. Indeed, it seems to be a more standard offering in either English or Science depts. Texas Tech in Lubbock has a BS and MS in tech writing as does Carnegie Mellon and U of WA, among many others. So, I disagree that it’s difficult to become educated in the field *nowadays*. I think the distinction in chronology is important here because, yeah, in 1999, you’d be hard pressed to know that tech writers even existed let alone seek a specialized degree track for tech writing. In 2009, however, it’s easier to find new grads with tech writing degrees. Are tech writing grads as common as creative writing grads or business grads or pre-law grads? Of course not. But they’re not all that unusual, either. Major employers like Microsoft include “Degree in Technical Communication” among their qualifications for tech writing jobs. I don’t think they’d do that if they thought such programs didn’t exist (or exist widely).
12:00 am on October 9th, 2009
This is very true for many technical writers coming from India. In fact, when I started off 17 years back, it was more of a circumstantial than by choice. We have very few courses at college and university levels. There are few private organizations/ institutions that are more of a tool trainers than the actual domain.