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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Technology |
What's the career of a technical writer like? |
What background should one have to become one? Money potential? Self-employment potential? I love IT and I love writing. Any info/websites on the career would help. I have been a senior technical writer. A good tech writer takes diverse experience and skills. A tech writer just needs to know how to write and structure a document in Framemaker. There are more bad tech writers than good ones out there. Trust me! A tech writer writes repair manuals, user guides, reference manuals, technical communications, knowledgebase articles and consumer documentation. Deliverables can be for internal and external customers. These are the skills that you need. 1) Knows how to write technical topics in layman terms. 2) Explain complex processes in simple and concise terms. 3) Know the difference between writing software, hardware and processes. 4) Know how to use Framemaker 5) Know the difference between writing online documentation, printed documentation and consumer content. Starting salary is around $40,000 and can go up to $90,000. There is good money, but can get boring after awhile. I have known people who have been tech writers for 20+ years. For me, I got bored after 2 years and had to start using my skills for instructional design. Yes, you can contract out, but of course, salary with benefits is better, in my opinion. Here are two books to start you off with: The Chicago Manual of Style Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications Good luck! You should have an established portfolio of pieces you've done in different mediums - white papers, published papers, and advertisements. Typically, the position is a contracted position - so you have the versatility to switch from place to place if something goes wrong at work. Knowing how to work the tax codes as a contractor is the trick - most technical writers can write off their leased vehicles since you deem it a work car, etc. |
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