A Career in technical writing- 5 steps to build a career in technical writing

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A Career in Technical Writing

• 5 Steps to Build A career in Technical Writing

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Remember, your output is not a work of art its
a work product designed to help the customer
whoever the customer is.

• ? Krista Van Laan, The Insider's Guide to
  Technical Writing

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What is Technical Writing

• Technical writing involves presenting technical
  information through writing. Technical writing is
  about effectively communicating the intricacies
  in an easily understandable manner.
• It involves writing user manuals and online help.
  Technical documentation, however, is a much wider
  term and involves different technologies and
  genres. It also involves memos, business reports,
  product descriptions, resumes, job applications,
  etc. Not all types of technical documentation
  will require a technical writer however inputs
  are always helpful, especially if the technical
  writers are subject matter experts. If not, it
  can be reviewed by a subject matter expert to
  ensure accuracy..

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Career In Technical Writing

• No wonder a career in technical writing is highly
  sought after. The technical writers are much in
  demand in industries such as energy, finance,
  manufacturing, engineering, and medical business.
  
• The list is not exhaustive and the technical
  writers are also in demand in fields like
  software, consulting academia, telecommunication
  to name just a few.
• To tread on the technical writer career path, one
  has to plan ahead. Few of the career options are-
  Manual writers, Policy writers, Technical
  communications specialists, Technical
  communicators etc.

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First Step - Learning

• You need to have a systematic approach only then
  can you chart career in technical writing. First
  step is learning technical writing-
• Getting certified in technical writing course
  Though it is not mandatory, getting certified
  does make your CV more impressive and helps you
  land a job easily, especially for beginners. To
  know the nuances of writing, a diploma or even a
  certification can go a long way.
• With numerous courses for the content writing on
  offer, a good course can be of great help. You
  can choose the one that fits you best. Another
  good part of this field is that you can even get
  learn the skill sitting at your home. Hence,
  courses are available both online and offline
  i.e. classroom-based. There are weekends as well
  as weekdays batches available and they are
  flexible with the timings as well.

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Second Step Practicing

• Practicing before taking the plunge in the job
  market. Before applying for jobs or searching for
  freelancing gigs, it is highly suggested to have
  a minimum level knowledge. The heart of any form
  of writing is the skill to communicate the
  material in a crisp manner. Significant
  improvements can be made to the writing skill by
  delivering projects for friends and well-wishers
  can be taken up and completed with the
  seriousness of a paid project.
• One can get a good following by writing
  tutorials on the preferred industry. This is a
  good way of catching attention. Since error-free
  communication is one of the cornerstones of
  technical writing it is highly recommended to get
  initiated in the field in a gradual manner.

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Second Step Practicing (Continued)

• Keep in mind the following core techniques for
  technical Writing-
• Planning and Preparation according to clients
  requirements.
• Audience analysis
• Feedback of the user
• Conceptualizing the document
• Expert opinion
• Finality on the document type

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Third Step- Building a Portfolio

• Maintain a body of work -where all your small and
  big project should be recorded to be presented.
• It is recommended to take small projects at a
  nominal or no compensation and work on it with
  seriousness. The compensation aspect has to be
  overlooked initially. 
• Restricting oneself to only one field restricts
  the job options too. The dynamism of the writer
  is reflected in how diverse topics he has written
  upon.
• The projects of friends, acquaintances,
  well-wishers, or offering less compensation
  should be immediately lapped up and a decent
  portfolio constructed.
•  In a portfolio besides paying attention to the
  text if the visual effects and text formatting
  have also been taken care of, it greatly enhances
  the job prospects. 

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Fourth Step-Developing Industry knowledge

• Stay in touch with the latest developments in the
  medical world, new technological developments,
  and new RD being carried out.
• It is advisable to be a part of a professional
  network as it can also lead to landing new
  projects, besides offering networking benefits
  like journals and articles.
• go through and practice the tone, style, and
  content common to documents in the chosen field
• Learn the various tools to aid in presentation,
  it would be a great asset if you possess develop
  web designing, page layout and document designing
  skills.
• The readability of the document can be maintained
  through visual media effect using videos, charts
  and infographics. They can add a new dimension to
  their skill. 

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Fourth Step-Developing Industry knowledge
(Continued)

• Since many technical writings are published on
  the web and online platforms, it would greatly
  help if a web designing course and certification
  is acquired.
• A review of learning materials and resources also
  helps in gaining experience in writing and
  creating new followers.
• Short videos on tutorials can also be floated on
  the internet creating followers and hence getting
  noticed.
• Though coding is not a compulsion familiarizing
  oneself with coding nuances and applications
  helps especially for languages Java, HTML.

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Fifth Step-Building the right resume
and Uploading on websites 

• The search for a career in the technical writing
  industry begins with posting and uploading
  resumes.
• Since the resume will be the first exposure to
  writing skills, great care has to be taken to see
  that it is error-free. It should be free of all
  grammatical errors, customized for job you are
  applying and contain all the relevant skills
  without exaggeration.
• The resume should be uploaded on sites that cater
  to technical writing. Other professional networks
  should also be explored. Greater participation in
  seminars, workshops, and being an active member
  of social media groups also helps in getting
  noticed. Writing blogs, posting videos also
  helps.
• There are a lot of job sites like
  internshala.com, writerbolg.com, iwriter.com,
  upwork.com, where the resume can be uploaded to
  get project work. Besides, there are a lot of
  platforms like medium.com where the articles and
  blogs can be published to catch attention. Quora
  is another platform, which offers new writers an
  excellent platform. All such platforms should be
  utilized.

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Some Helpful Tips for Drafting

• Some dos of drafting which is useful to
  practice-
• Single words should be used and a group of words
  should be reduced.
• Simple verbs are to be used for a group of words
• Shorter sentences should be used
• There should not be unnecessary repetition
• Ideas should be expressed in as few words as
  possible.
• Active voice is preferred over passive voice.
• The meaning of the words being written should be
  clear.
• The writer should put himself in place of the
  reader and satisfy himself about the sense,
  content, and the interpretation it carries.

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Challenges in Technical Writing

• Like any other profession, technical writing also
  has challenges. Some of them are
• Technical writing involves jargon There should
  be a balance between the technical terms and
  colloquial ones. To make the writing informative
  and useful would involve inducing the jargon in a
  an easy understandable way.
• It can sometimes be drab and dull- It involves
  facts and figures and gives lesser room for
  creativity as opposed to creative writing. The
  challenge is to make technical writing.
• It involves responsibility- Technical writing
  involves hard facts about the subject and the
  techniques, any deviation from the set standards
  or wrong interpretation can be detrimental in
  many ways and can even lead to legal issues.

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Why Choose Technical Writing as Career

• Technical Writers Make Good Earnings- A technical
  writer earns 57,851 on average according to
  Payscale.
• Creative Job- Learning new things and the usage
  of visual tools make it an creative interesting
  work.
• Hone expertise in a chosen field- Technical
  writing being a specialized field, you are
  involved in a constant research which helps you
  in widening your knowledge base which can further
  help y our career progression.
• Up-to-date- You will be required to stay in touch
  with the latest trends and advances that the
  industry has to offer.
• Different Projects- You will receive exposure to
  some really interesting projects in different
  fields through this career option.

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• Reference Five Steps To Build A Career In
  Technical Writing by Prabhat Sinha.
• He explains in detail everything you need to know
  about technical writing as a career. From
  choosing technical writing course to job
  searching, he covers all the topics in his eBook.