How to become a technical writer

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From Kaitlin Louie

Technical writers to manuals and other product documentation or technical services to provide. For example, if an employee needs to learn to use the software in a company to better serve customers, or consumers help navigating your emails or accounts of cloud storage, manuals and other documents need technical writers create become indispensable. When guiding people through complex processes and writing clear, concise, informative prose are the things that interest you, technical writing can explore a career field.

However, to compete in this area probably requires experience and knowledge in certain areas. Here is an action plan to the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to effectively market to strengthen itself as a technical writer for potential employers.

Step 1: Find out what it involves technical writing
As the name suggests, technical writers often work for companies that provide the kind of service product or technology, either software, hardware, cloud services, or e-mail. Content writing is generally regarded as technical documentation, which can be divided into the following categories:

• the customer's content, such as product manuals and user manuals online, customers can effectively use the techniques of the company's products. Technical writers create content that speaks when help is needed to navigate a new feature in Facebook, or install any special software on your computer. Technical writers can write every day even instructions for the equipment, such as appliances.
• Professional Guides & allow workers in a firm understanding of concepts and technical procedures that they need for their work. For example, engineers can learn the technical documentation, how to repair equipment or service representative can read the documentation to help a customer solve a technical problem.

Step 2: Create the relevant skills
Check out at least 10 to 15 jobs in the areas of technical writing that interest you. Make a list of the skills, knowledge and experience that most of these jobs together, and make it a personal goal to learn these skills in the coming months.

Some commonly used by the knowledge and skills that could in technical writing are important are:

• Strong writing skills and communication: All technical communicators have strong communication skills - especially the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and concisely. Some employers prefer applicants who have a degree in communications, English or journalism, more experience or training in technical areas. If you have other training, think about how you could write and taught communication skills that you can plant to potential employers.
• The specific technical expertise for the role: knowledge and experience in the particular field of technology you want to write the documentation is also a requirement for many jobs. Some high-tech companies that provide Web services, such as email or cloud storage, for example, strongly prefer candidates who have worked with certain types of code, such as C ++, Python, HTML and JavaScript.
• Industry expertise and interest: Another important element is a strong interest in the technology. If you are applying for a role as a technical writer at a software company in the cloud, for example, would probably be useful, cloud technology is used regularly and at least know their importance in society and economy.

In your cover letter, resume and interview, you should work to the three elements combine to create a story about why you are qualified to create - that's how their writing skills Login with your experience in the respective strengths to potentially an excellent candidate peak.

Step 3: Check out these resources and build your toolbox
The following resources can help you begin a base on the principles of good technical writing to build:

• Online Resources: With a little research, you will probably get a lot of reputable web resources, you can find the one idea of what technical writing involved. For example, some colleges and universities to publish technical writing free guides on their websites, and other companies have technical writing guides published for free on the Internet.
• Books: Technical writing, there are several guides on the market today. Select a few that are relevant to your desired field and have good credit to customers, and read.
• Course: Many colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools offer courses in formal technical writing. Some of the courses leading to a certificate of completion that you include in your resume to signify their knowledge in the field.
• Employment: If you, give you the chance to write technical documentation of a company that are ready on a freelance basis, that is to find to jump at the chance.
• Professional associations and organizations: associations recognized technology educational resources and links to industry. For example, the Society for Technical Communication provides information on seminars, online courses and webinars for those interested, the. more about technical writing The Institution of Engineering and Technology has many educational resources for those interested in pursuing technical fields, and in 2012 published a "guide to writing technical reports."

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Kaitlin Louie writes for OnlineDegrees.com. This article was originally published in OnlineDegrees.com .