Lesson 3: Preparing to Become a Technical Writer
In this lesson we study what we must do to become a technical writer. We take a look at what software tools with which you need to become acquainted and give you some ideas for building a portfolio.
Tools of the Trade
You need to have some mastery of the software tools used in technical writing in order to create the professional documentation that today's companies (and users) expect. While you do not need to be an expert on all the software packages listed, you should at a minimum have acquired a expertise with a word processor and one or two other tools.
Here is a list of the software most often recommended for technical communicators:
- Microsoft Word - It is critical that you become an expert with this program. You should at least have reached a high intermediate level of expertise with this word processor. I personally have not seen a technical writing job in years that does not call for experience with Word. Moreover, since Word, has grown in publishing features, it is becoming more and more popular for longer, "book-size" documents as companies try to cut back on more expensive desktop publishing packages.
- FrameMaker - A publishing program put out by Adobe that is especially useful in large company work environments where many writers are working on parts of the same document. This package is currently the standard in the industry for producing long documents where extensive formatting is needed.
- RoboHelp or other Windows Help authoring tools such as Doc-to-Help, ForeHelp - More and more documentation is written to be "task oriented." This means that the user is able to find the solution to the problem easily rather than having to sift through pages and pages of a manual to put together the solution. Since online help is searchable and lends itself to online tutorials and is often placed on Web sites, it has revolutionized technical writing. As a prospective technical writer, it is critical that you obtain some experience designing and writing online help.
- HTMLWith the explosion of the Internet, more and more documenation is being placed online where it is more easily accessible. Thus, knowledge of HTML (hyper-text markup language) and the ability to use an HTML editor has become extremely important in order to obtain employment as a tech writer. You should at least acquire expertise to the intermediate level and be able to edit web documents. It is also helpful if you can learn some of the newer HTML code derivations, such as XML and SGML.
Web Authoring ToolsThese are web publishing packages that enable you to create and maintain web pages in "wysiwyg" (what you see is what you get)or graphical mode rather than having to code each page in HTML. Examples are Microsoft's Front Page and Borland's DreamWeaver. Smaller companies who do not wish to employ a full time HTML web developer often use these applications. Authoring tools are getting better and better and more companies are using them, especially for producing computer-based training.
- Graphics Tools - You should master at least one or two sets of graphics tools as a budding technical communicator, as you are going to need them. Choosing or creating charts and other illustrations as well as working with pictures are an integral part of the job. The more demanding tasks are usually handled by a bonafide technical illustrator or other graphic artist, but you will certainly handle all the more common situations involving graphics. A good inexpensive graphic software application that is widely used is Paintshop Pro. Demo versions are available from the manufacturer (see resources). Visio, a very user-friendly program used to create charts or all types is also often used in creating "visuals" for documents. You may want to do some research and check with local staffing agencies to find out the types of graphics software that employers in your area recommend.
- Programming Languages - If you have any expertise with programming languages or other developer tools, it will help you find a job. Java, C++, ReportWriter, XML, SGML are especially popular. Some knowledge of programming is often helpful in understand certain program specificiations and in writing for an engineering audience.
Employers seem to put a lot of emphasis on software knowledge--to much in my opinion, as I believe many technical writers can master most software in a reasonable length of time. Still, the more software applications that you master, the better your chances of getting a job.
By the way, if you are familiar with some of the other less popular or older software tools, be sure to add them to your resume. WordPerfect, Interleaf, Ventura Publishers, Quark, and PageMaker are examples of these tools. You never know who is still using them.
Recommended ReadingThe Complete Idiot's Guide To Technical Writing, Chapter 20, especially pages 232-235
