Technical Writers wear many hats (traits Interviewer, Researcher, Analyst, Editor, Tester, etc.) and possess many interpersonal qualities. Usually, technical writers have some familiarity with their industry terminology because they either have been educated in the industry, or they have had prior experience in the field. For recent graduates and those in transition, how do you determine if the technical writing field is for you? If you are one of those people, test yourself to see if the technical writing field is for you by answering ‘yes’ to the following questions:
Basic Characteristics
- Do you enjoy writing? – do you enjoy writing about any subject?
- Are you a good listener? – can you understand all that you hear?
- Do you enjoy learning? – are you open to continuously learning any subject?
- Are you a good communicator? – can you get your message across?
Practical Characteristics
- Do you have a sense of curiosity?
- Do you enjoy sharing information with others?
- Are you detail oriented?
- Are you analytical?
Work Characteristics
- Can you work with any type of personality (aggressive, impatient, argumentative, etc.)?
- Are you a team player?
- Are you adaptable to work schedule changes?
- Can you work under pressure?
- Can you handle criticism?
- Do you enjoy performing research?
Personal Characteristics
- Are you organized?
- Are you curious?
- Are you focused?
- Are you reasonable?
- Are you organized?
- Are you accurate?
- Are you persistent?
- Are you logical?
- Are you reasonable?
- Are you patient?
- Are you flexible?
- Are you creative?
Rate your communication skills
- Are your writings providing the right information?
- Are your writings addressing the right audience?
- Are you asking the right questions to get your information?
Writing Exercises
- Can you write a summary of your current functions?
- Can you write a detailed list of your functions?
- Can you create a flowchart of your functions?
- Can you prioritize your functions?
- Can you create a diagram of your functions?
- Are your writings clear, concise, accurate?
- Can you write a set of rules for yourself for, e.g., studying?
- Create a bullet list of the above rules.
- Create a table for the rules.
- Create a diagram and flowchart of the process for studying.
Technical writing is a challenging field, but a very enjoyable one if you are passionate about it. You are not just writing. You are conveying important information that everyone within an organization needs in order to maintain productivity. You will become the knowledge manager of your organizations information. It is a coveted and a very important position and is highly regarded in many organizations from pharmaceutical to manufacturing, from any technical to any educational field. Technical writers can be found working within any industry, e.g., software, manufacturing, financial, automobile, pharmaceutical, publishing company, etc.
The skills for a successful technical writing career are similar to those for success in any career. Be focused, logical, organized, creative, and know the product. And one more important note. Use your interpersonal skills to gather your information and to work well with your clients, users, or SMEs (subject matter experts). Doing so will make you a successful technical writer.