Digitalks #17. How Is Life as a Technical Writer?
Delving deeper into the life of one of the highest-paying writer jobs
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Among the many specialized fields of writing, technical writing may not be the most glamorous.
But little did we know that technical writing is one of the top-paying writer jobs today.
On top of that, the massive growth of technology companies offers vast job opportunities for technical writers.
Our marketing team has received many insights about technical writing directly from the specialist.
Cynthia Claudia, an assistant editor and technical writer at KPI Institute, shares the nitty-gritty details about her job.
Here’s a compilation of what Cynthia shares with us — and you too.
What is Technical Writing
Cynthia Claudia explains that technical writing involves documenting a particular subject in a specialized field.
Technical writers focus on simplifying complex information and are responsible for crafting clear, concise, and accurate documentation.
Some final products are app instructions, maintenance guidelines, product demo scripts, white papers, employee procedures, etc.
In terms of salary, technical writing belongs at the top rank as one of the highest-paying writer jobs, with an average salary of $60,852 per year.
The number hasn’t yet surpassed the salary of a screenwriter and speechwriter, but far escalated the novelist’.
As technical writing mainly deals with creating documents, Cynthia emphasizes some qualifications to become one.
Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and researching come at the forefront as the must-have qualifications of a technical writer.
On top of that, it’s also necessary to have good page composition skills, attention to detail, and organizing capabilities.
Those qualifications will help technical writers to achieve four main goals, which are:
- Unambiguously defining a technical process
- Explaining how to use a tool/machine
- Discussing the findings of a research
- Analyzing trends and forecasting something
Main Responsibilities of a Technical Writer
There are reasons that specialized fields of writing are distinctive from each other.
They carry different goals, writing styles, and, most importantly, primary responsibilities.
Cynthia shares three main responsibilities of a technical writer, which include:
- Interpreting research handover documents and writing standards.
- Collaborating with junior and senior researchers.
- Reviewing and correcting written documents.
As technical writers work closely with researchers, being an excellent team player becomes a vital qualification.
Common Types of Technical Writing
Here are common types of technical writing mentioned by Cynthia.
Technical documents
Instruction manuals, maintenance checklists/guidelines, references, and engineering specifications.
Instructions for end-users
Instruction manuals with brand-new smartphones, app handbooks, and enterprise software explainer videos.
Policies and procedures
Documents employees must follow to ensure productivity.
Business plans and proposals
Document detailing various strategies of a venture created for investors
White papers
Authoritative documents that present solutions to complex issues.
Case studies
Detailed documents of a project, event, or process.
How to Start Your Career as a Technical Writer
Technical writers generally use academic, grammar-driven, and formal language styles.
If you’re interested in becoming a technical writer, Cynthia shares some practical tips you can try.
Seek relevant education training
- Have the right background and relevant skills for the job.
- Invest in a technical writing course.
Start ingesting technical content
- Good technical writing rests on strong research.
- Start reading the type of technical content you’re interested in.
Develop and improve in-demand skills
- Excellent learning, research, writing, and communication skills.
- Document design or graphic design is a plus.
Develop your portfolio
- Start developing technical content as a hobby to enrich your portfolio.
Related: The Skills You Have to Learn Before Landing Your First Voice Acting Job
Among so many specializations, technical writing has a steeper learning curve.
That’s why preparing and enhancing your skills is vital before starting the job.
As one of the most in-demand and highest-paying writing jobs, technical writing offers good job opportunities.
Do you dare to expand your writing skills and join the club?
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