Ten steps to Technical Writing success!
Tony Sarrecchia
You've graduated with a degree in English or Communications.
Now what? The Wall Street Journal is not beating a path to your door yet,
and BBDO Advertising has not called. Teaching does not appeal to you and your
parents want to know when you are going to start paying back those student
loans. You scour the job boards on the Internet and you keep seeing advertisements
for Technical Writers. If you'd like to earn a good living as a writer, don't
be so fast to pass those ads by…
What is a Technical Writer? He, or she, (odds are the writer is a "she;"
the Society For Technical Communications (STC)
reports that most of its members are women) can write anything from how to
set a VCR clock to how to install a solar panel on the Space Shuttle. Depending
upon the size of the organization, the Tech Writer may write such diverse
materials as public relations copy, supplemental marketing material or articles
for trade publications. In my own case, I now write computer-based training
courses (CBTs), develop web animations and multimedia presentations for internal
public relations, as well as create and deliver training classes.
The technical writing field is exploding with well-paying opportunities. According
to the STC 2001 Contractor Survey (“contractor” in this
field means the same as “freelancer”), rates have been ranging
from $32 to $75 per hour, or approximately $64,000 -$150,000 per year. However,
since 9/11 and the recent rash of layoffs, the market rate has dropped to
between $25 and $30 per hour which is still a decent salary range of $50,000
to $60,000 per year for a first job.
One other selling point for Tech Writers who have been in the field for a
while is the ability to telecommute. At my last contractor “gig,”
I only went into the office two days a week. As long as my work was submitted
by the due date, my client didn't care if I slept until noon or worked all
night (though, propriety deems that you shouldn't brag about this to the cubical-bound
employees of your client).
So how does one score one of these great jobs? One of the things about tech
writing is that -- unlike, say, medicine -- there is more than one way to
become a Technical Writer. Ask five different Tech Writers how they got started
and one will get five different answers. That said, here are some tips that
will start you off on what could be a lucrative career.
1. Microsoft® Word, PowerPoint and Excel: learn 'em, love 'em,
live 'em. Your college years have probably already made you proficient
at Word. If you can learn PowerPoint and Excel, and show some samples, you've
gone a long way towards your first tech writing job.
2. Web development software. Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia®
Dreamweaver are the two main web page authoring tools, though Dreamweaver
has the edge. I would also include Fireworks, and, as an added bonus, Macromedia
Flash. These skills are not a requirement for general Tech Writers, but if
you want to get in on the web development or web-based training, these are
the first tools to learn.
3. Authoring tools. QuarkXpress® is fine for desktop
publishing, but Adobe® Framemaker is the premier software for manual development.
Again, this is not a requirement, but it will make you more valuable to certain
organizations.
4. Writing Style. In terms of style, tech writing is closest
to hard news writing in that it is all about the content and not a bit about
the writer. The best tech writing is accurate, clear, and concise. Content
is objective i.e., your feelings about gun control never surface if you are
writing a user manual for a semi-automatic handgun.
5. Use Headings, tabs and sub-heads. These tools all assist
in making your instructions clear. The easier you make something for your
end-user, the more in demand your services as a Technical Writer will be.
6. Keep it interesting. William F. Buckley, Jr., syndicated
columnist and founder and publisher of the National Review has said that the
cardinal rule of any writer is "Don't bore." While tech writing
does not lend itself to humorous asides or wistful meandering by the writer,
you can still be lively and well structured.
7. Create samples. If you haven't written a training manual
before, volunteer to write office procedures where you currently work (I used
this technique to build a portfolio), training guides or checklists. If you're
unemployed, offer your services pro bono to a non-profit organization in your
area to gain practical experience. You can also use school projects that had
an instructional quality to them.
8. Create and submit your new and improved resume with the skills
listed above. Format one copy of your resume in Word and create another
copy of your resume as a text document in Word (Here's how: Click on File,
Save As and use the drop down box arrow to select text only). You will use
your text file to fill out forms on the Internet.
9. Contract vs. Employee. If you are a contractor, you are
hired for a specific amount of time or to work on a specific project. When
that period is finished, or the project ends, you and the company shake hands
and part as friends. The benefits of a contractor are often higher pay, the
ability to telecommute and more latitude in how to get the job completed.
A regular employee will not receive as much pay per hour, but he or she will
probably get paid time off and health benefits that the contractor does not
receive. In addition, the employee's job is not tied to one project.
10. Post your resume on-line. If you use Monster
Jobs, Dice, or any other of the "tech
centric" job boards out there, recruiters (folks who get paid to place
people like you) will e-mail and call you usually within 72 hours of your
posting. From there, it's up to you to decide how much you will make and how
you will work.
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Tony Sarrecchia is a technical writer for a wireless communications
company based in Atlanta Georgia.
Copyright © 2002 by Tony Sarrecchia. All rights reserved.
The Magazine’s writers welcome your feedback. Please be sure to reference the specific article in your response.
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