A friend had dropped in last weekend and we were talking about his interests in moving to a technical writing career. He is happy with his current job as a product support engineer, so I asked him a few questions as to why he wanted to change his career.
His answers made a lot of sense and I think we should encourage folks into the profession of technical communication.
- He has spent a good deal of time communicating with customers and solving their problems.
- His primary mode of communication is email messages.
- His solutions are not the same and therefore require some amount of research.
- He is thinking about how to make things better for the customers by helping colleagues with learning sessions, quick reference sheets (Word format), web-based trainings (WBTs in HTML format), and presentations (PowerPoint format).
- He has natural interest to explore new tools and technologies.
Now that I was convinced about his decision to make a progression as a technical writer, I thought it was my duty to educate (read “warn”) him about the job. Some of things I told him were:
- Read about the profession and understanding the working conditions.
- Understand the basic requirements of the job well.
- Technical writing is challenging and is not for everyone.
- Learn about the growth prospects, trends (what is in store for him), and to watch out for tips to avoid being laid off later.
The next logical thing to do was to chalk him a possible line of progression. He obviously has no experience as a technical writer, so he was rightly considering signing up for a course. Apart from that, he could actively seek these options:
- Try to get his hands on a few good books and standard tools.
- Start a technical writing blog (like fellow bloggers) to send out a message to prospective employers that he is serious about his career switch and is not doing it for a stopover position to move on to other professions.
- Look for internal job postings within his company for a technical writer role. This will provide good learning opportunity without shelling out too much money for a course and also gain valuable on-the-job experience.
- Look out for employment opportunities in a fresher or junior role in a different organization. This could be tricky, but if he sells himself well, it is possible. He may have to settle for a lesser salary initially, though.
Let’s hope that my friend finds success sooner than later. Do you have any other inputs to help my friend? Please drop your comments and I’ll pass it on to him.
Possibly related posts:
- All the Write Moves
- Technical Writing in India: Google Insights for Search
- Recession-proof Your Career: Send Out Ships
- Which Course or Certification is the Best for a Fresher Looking to be Technical Writer?
- Automated Technical Writing?
Tags: change, growth, lay offs, requirements, trends
