Have you ever gone through the instruction manual that comes with your Laptop, PC, Xbox or Play station or Kitchen Appliances? This type of descriptive information in a simple and practical approach is written by professionals called Technical Writers.
In today’s world where everyone is busy with their families, studies, jobs and other activities, a minute percentage of people have the time to scan or read highly technical or scientific writing for the information they require. This writing uses specialized and complex terminology and makes it hard to understand for the readers. Here a technical writer comes into the picture.
The Technical Writer job is to simplify this complex technical or scientific content into accessible and easy-to-understand information for the common audience.
Who are Technical Writers?
Also called Technical communicators, these professionals are responsible for writing and preparing instruction manuals, guides on how to, journal articles, grant proposals for clients and other supporting documents for communication of complex and technical information in simple language understandable by its readers and users with varying levels of technical skills.
They are the experts in technical writing. Technical Writing is a form of non-verbal communication that is used in various fields like science, finance, technology, and engineering and information technology.
The commonly used types of technical writing are:
- User guides and instruction manuals
- Medical and scientific papers
- Technical descriptions
- White papers
- Case Studies
They are also a part of writing for product announcements, product brochures, advertising and marketing specifications for businesses for their project’s implementation.
Responsibilities
- Using SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques for writing articles, blogs, press releases or forum posts for promoting a company’s software applications, products or gadgets.
- Content standardization across various platforms and media then gathering user feedback for updating or improving the content.
- Aim for users understanding of the content by including visual references like photos, charts, drawings and animation.
- Interact with product designers and developers after studying the product samples.
- Coordinate with technical staff to make manuals and how-to guides easier to use by including fewer instructions.
- Determination of requirements of users for technical documentation.
- Researching about different topics and content ideas on websites or visiting libraries or working directly with technical professionals and noting observations.
- Provide guidelines for writers and editors and edit or update the content of fellow technical writers.
Education and eligibility
- Completion of 10+2 from a recognized board.
- There is no formal education required for becoming a technical writer. However, employees prefer candidates with bachelor or post-graduation or diplomas in journalism, English or mass communication.
- Specialization in a related fields like engineering, computer sciences or medicine.
- Certification is an added benefit for showing potential employers your professionalism and competence.
Institutes offering Technical Writing courses
- Wikiversity, an online open-source for learning technical writing in level 1 and level 2 courses.
- Pee Gee College of Arts and Science, Erode
- Triumph India Learning Academy, Bangalore
- TWB Learning Educations Pays, Bangalore
Required Skills and competencies
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Proficient in Microsoft Suite.
- Prioritization and multi-tasking abilities.
- Detail-oriented.
- Web Designing skills.
- Critical thinking and technical skills.
- Researching skills.
- Experience in online publishing software and content management systems.
- Usage of structured documents.
- Mobile delivery for technical documents.
- Content-sensitive help.
- Proficient in Windows desktop publications.
- Knowledge of MS Office, Adobe Frame Maker 7.0, Adobe Acrobat 8, HTML, XML, Adobe Robo Help 8, Snag IT 7, and ASP is an added benefit.
Online portals for Jobs
The following are some of the websites or online portals where you can find jobs as a technical writer.
- 4 Corner Resources
- Career Builder
- Glassdoor
- Indeed
- Monster
- Zip Recruiter
- IT Career Finder
Salary and Career Outlook
An entry-level Technical writer can expect an average monthly salary of INR 25k to 30k. With experience, the salary also increases to INR 40k per month. A freelance can earn an average of INR 50k depending on the assignment and its significance.
There are innumerable career opportunities for Technical writers in:
- Advertising agencies, software developing companies, and newspapers and magazines.
- As an Information designer, a technical content developer or a technical author.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted an employment growth rate of 8% from 2018-2021 for technical writers that are faster than the average growth.
The demand for these writes will continue to grow as most of the companies and businesses are making their presence online for business promotions and marketing. These companies will need technical writers for writing applications and developing documents for their new applications and software.
– Samiya Firdous
