atw: Re: Request advice on transition to Tech Writing

Hi Don,
1) You could try joining Australian Society for Technical
Communicators, they have a web site with resources for TWs.  Also try
Techwriter Placements web site, they have some good industry info and a
checklist of what skills/experience constitute a tech writer.
Your press releases and the like are good experience too, not as dry as
writing user manuals for systems (which I don't miss doing at all).
2)  Tools such as Framemaker, RoboHelp and AuthorIT seem to be used by
a lot of TWs and if you're a process analyst then Visio is often used.
3)  As for getting work, it is hard to beat the stove-piping of
specialisation but consistent persistence does pay off if you want to
break into new areas.  Also while in a job, let your employer know of
your other strengths and that you could offer help in this direction. 
Often that's the easiest way to break into another branch.
4)  Try SEEK searching on "Technical Writer" and you'll find job
postings plus the agents who seem to recruit TWs regularly.  Then
contact each one to find their going rate, terms of engagement, etc.
Don't worry if your last user manual was written say 10 years ago, it's
still valid work experience - better than none.  I sometimes show my
glorious user manual for a billing system I did 8 years ago which still
goes down well despite its age.
 
Good luck
Matilda


>>> donburch888@xxxxxxxxx 28/04/07 8:40 am >>>

Hi austechwriters,  
 
I've had a read through the last few months archives of this list, and
looked at several websites related to TW, but not found much advice for
people transitioning into Technical Writing.  I'm sure the same question
is raised often, and any suggestions will depend a lot on individual
background and goals. 
 
I was a commercial programmer 25 years including 7 website development,
but my technical skills have gone down a dead end.  I'm currently doing
Tech Support (phone, email, website FAQs) and my current employer
offered me a job as Technical Writer - which got me thinking about TW as
a better career direction.  Certainly the manuals for some of the
products I currently support are a complete waste of money and paper,
and I'm sure any 10-year old would do better !  I have always tried to
look at systems from a user perspective, and wrote several User Manuals
which were well received, but many years ago.  The TW job fell through,
but my boss has got me writing and editing Press Releases and brochures
- very different style from documentation ... but still I'm finding
writing much easier than it would have been 20 years ago. 
 
In particular I'm looking for advice on :
(1) which professional organisation (if any) is worth joining in NSW (I
live on Sydney's North Shore), Australia and/or international.  Ones
I've looked at don't seem to provide much in the way of resources for
members.  
(2) which tools and/or methodologies are common requirements.  I'm
pretty familiar with MS Word (i.e. regularly use Styles and have done a
few small Master/slave documents), and did an Information Mapping course
several years back. 
(3) other than the obvious (cold calling every business in the phone
book), any recommended strategies for getting into full-time TW ? 
(4) business aspects of finding work, charge rates, negotiating
contracts, etc.  There is a fair amount on this for creative writers,
though that's commonly a freelance basis. 
 
I anticipate that writing User and Technical Manuals would be best
career option (leverages my background and interest in helping users,
plus stable income) but I don't have any examples of my work (they were
many years ago).  I have considered writing articles for IT magazines,
thinking that I can submit to websites if not accepted by paying
publications - but it's a different style of writing, how relevant would
it be ?  The current Press Releases I'm doing are even further removed
from a documentation writing style.
 
Thanks very much for taking the time to even read this long posting -
I'm sure you must get quite a lot of newbies asking the same questions.
I certainly will appreciate any advice and suggestions you care to make.



Cheers,
Don Burch

----------------------------------------------------------- This
message has been scanned by MailSweeper.
----------------------------------------------------------- 

-----------------------------------------------------------
Sydney Water - Winner of the 2006 Stockholm Industry Water Award
 -----------------------------------------------------------

NOTICE: This email is confidential. If you are not the nominated 
recipient, please immediately delete this email, destroy all copies, and 
inform the sender. Sydney Water Corporation (Sydney Water) 
prohibits the unauthorised copying or distribution of this email. This 
email does not necessarily express the views of Sydney Water. 
Sydney Water does not warrant nor guarantee that this email 
communication is free from errors, virus, interception or interference.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Other related posts: