Becoming a Technical Communicator

Introduction

This page has been set up to provide you with some basic information on the ways available to move into the technical communication field. It is not feasible to give all the answers to every question but we can provide you with further avenues to explore the options and possibilities.

Note: The term "technical communicator" is often used in preference to the term "technical writer". This is due to the fact that the range of skills provided by a technical communicator are wider than simply writing.

Basic Requirements

Documentation and technical communication is an exciting field to work in and there are opportunities if you have the right basic talents:

• English language - interest, enthusiasm and writing ability required here!
• analytical ability (for organising information and structuring documents) willingness/ability to learn about business processes, procedures, software, equipment, software authoring tools (and to keep learning)
• sound people skills - technical writers get information from people and write for people so you need to be able to deal with all types.

Apart from these basic talents you'll need to get some relevant training. Training is essential unless:

• you are lucky enough to have a friend who can put work your way
• you have opportunities in your current job to plan and develop documents (either print or online), or
• you can persuade your employer to assign more of this type of work to you.

An employer who will pay for your training in work time is ideal!

Training

You need to choose which training options suit you best. This will depend on your location, timeframes and cost. The quickest but most expensive option is the 3-day Information Mapping course at approximately $2000, held at intervals in Auckland and Wellington. Contact TACTICS in Wellington for details - their website is: www.tactics.co.nz phone: 0800 505 056.

The indications are that the polytech courses are all worthwhile. The Graduate Diploma of Information Design (GDID) run by Christchurch Polytechnic is the only online course and is well-established. At UNITEC in Auckland you can choose to do only the technical communication paper if you wish. The cost is around $650 and the tutor, Steve Moss, is also the President of TCANZ. Phone UNITEC or go to their website for course details.

For further information, go to the Courses link on this website. You will find links to the websites of these training providers who you can then contact for further information. There is also other useful information in the Resources section so it's worth exploring.

You are welcome to attend two TCANZ meetings as a guest before joining (subscription information, details of meetings and the membership application form are on the website).

 Some Worthwhile Reading

• Managing Your Documentation Projects - JoAnn Hackos
• Standards for Online Communication - JoAnn Hackos
• Designing and Writing Online Documentation - William Horton
• The Elements of Technical Writing - Gary Blake and Robert. W Bly

Reference books

• The Microsoft Manual of Style (useful for writing software user guides)
• The New Zealand Style Book (for grammar and usage - I think the latest edition has been slightly renamed)

Useful websites

• Society for Technical Communication www.stc.org
• Society for Technical Communication, Australian chapter, www.stc-aus.org.au
• Tactics (Information Mapping) www.tactics.co.nz

Frequently Asked Questions

Bev Stevens, former Secretary of the TCANZ, answers some questions from a member of TCANZ who has recently moved into the technical communication field.

(Q) How hard is it to actually find work?

(A) Not hard for experienced writers, but hard to get started.

(Q) How much emphasis do clients put on the technical communicators's prior expertise?

I was told that clients seek technical communicators who already have some insight (e.g. by working in the field before becoming a technical communicator) in the client's field of interest. Is this right?

(A) Yes, employers find it hard to appreciate that a good writer can write about a technical subject they aren't already familiar with, even though that's not necessarily true. My own IT background has been most helpful.

(Q) Do you know if technical communicators get much work online from freelance sites such as eLance and can they actually make a respectable income from it?

(A) I haven't heard of eLance, but I list on www.writerfind.com  and get some work that way. However most is through industry contacts (I worked for IBM before contracting) and networking.

(Q) Do some industries have a greater need for technical communicators than others?

(A) I agree, the IT industry is the biggest employer of technical communicators, but other industries such as manufacturing engineering, aviation and boat building use tech communicators. In addition, all sorts of organisations need people to document their policies and procedures.

Where to Next?

If you have specific questions once you have read this, please contact us.