Getting started in tech writing
Insights from Janet Taylor
former President, ASTC (NSW)
Step 1: gain experience
- Start examining all the documentation that comes your way.
This includes instruction sheets with any products you buy, from a kettle to pharmaceutical items.
- Particularly note how instructions are assembled, what fonts are used, which ones you find easiest to read, whether they have illustrations and if that is a good idea and so on.
- Try to picture yourself with the job of creating the product documentation. How would you get the information? Would you have organised it in the same way? Could you create the diagrams that are included?
- Try to move into an area related to tech writing where you currently work. If you work in a small company, ask if there is anything you can document. Write instructions for the job you are currently doing. That's always harder than it sounds.
If you buy a product that does not have very good instructions - even those on the back of a can - write to the manufacturer or distributor and say so. Better still, write with a suggested improvement or simply rewrite it, if it is short. With luck, you might get a thank you letter for your efforts. This acknowledgement may come in handy one day.
- Start collecting samples of your writing. These need to be of a "technical" or instructional nature. If you have none, start writing some. Letters are not really suitable for this.
- Ask anyone you know if you can write something for them. Then get them to test it. You won't get paid for this, but the experience will get you started. Ask any local clubs, charities and so on if they could use your services. Try to ensure that your name and contact details are on the documentation that you produce.
Step 2: adopt a 'communication focus'
Get into the habit of communicating via the written word. While you're doing that, put yourself into the mind of the person you are writing to and try to imagine how they will view it.
Companies are becoming more aware that they can reduce costs by reducing the number of contacts with their customers, be it face to face or by phone. Just look at the troubleshooting databases that are proliferating online in an attempt to 'push' direct enquiries away.
Customer contacts are normally processed by a customer service department and a good measure of the success of documentation is a reduction in customer service calls.
Keep that in mind when offering your services to someone. An effective tech writer should be able to reduce a company's running costs although most companies don't yet think that way. It may be up to you to tell them.
Step 3: skill up
There are two major things you need to know:
- Words, how to write them and how to organise information.
- PC software (and there's lots of it). This is a major part of a tech writer's equipment.
Having your own computer at home is a definite plus although not essential. Sooner or later you will need to learn about some new software in your own time - although hopefully this will not be the night before you start a new job!
If you plan to buy a PC, go for the biggest memory and hard drive you can afford. The quality of scanners, printers and so on are immaterial when compared to the growth of the memory required by software.
Specific software tools
It's impossible to learn all the software that you may be required to use. All you can do is learn what you have to, as you go along.
- I would recommend that you become really proficient with Microsoft Word. That means professionally proficient. VBA (or Word macro language) is also needed as is a really good knowledge of Word templates.
- You'll undoubtedly need to learn to use a tool that converts text into online format.
Most of the work we produce right now is for display on a PC screen either as a guide, help text, intranet or web documentation.
There are a number of tools that convert documents to online format. It is not worth learning a particular one because you might just get a job that uses another. Become proficient in the output format.
The most prolific output format currently is HTML, closely followed by HTML Help (CHM format), XML and then, to more or less a degree, JavaScript. [Ask members of the ASTC about the current breed of conversion software.]
Options for upskilling...
Once you've learnt one or two different software packages - and this includes drawing software - you will find any new ones much easier to learn.
You may need to pay for training from time to time. If you are working as a contractor, it is highly unlikely anyone will pay to train you unless you were originally taken on for your other talents. [One of our members assigns a morning to go through the tutorial of any new software that she has to use].
You can improve your skills by attending an Advanced Word course - the total cost should be tax deductible if you can prove that the course was necessary to keep your job.
OR read! A book is another useful way to learn - especially for web technologies. Many a writer has started on the HTML or Javascript path using books from the For Dummies series.
You can also pick up useful skills by reading the computer sections of newspapers and there are lots of online resources. Check out our website listing of Email lists & forums and Online tools.
Where do you go now?
Be realistic about the responsibilities and challenges of being a technical communicator. Get to know other technical communicators - the ASTC Annual Conference is a great place to start.
Join the ASTC and keep in touch with issues and ideas through our communications - the monthly newsletter and Southern Cross Communicator.
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