Technical Writer

What is it?

Technical Writing is a field based on making communications between different types of people easier, and quicker.  A Technical Writer takes information from one source, and recreates it in another form so as to be more easily understood by a different audience.  A Technical Writer might take some technical documents from a software programmer and make a user's manual for it, so that the general public has access to the information, without having to know all of the technical terms and jargon surrounding the software languages.

How is IT involved?

Technical Writers need Technology, and Information Technology to do their jobs in more ways than one.  Not only does there need to be a piece of technology about which to write, a thorough understanding of the Subject Matter of that specific technology is essential to effective communication, and thus, training in Information Technology is also required.

Where can I see it?

Technical Writing is visible almost anywhere in our regular lives.  If you've ever read an instruction manual for a TV, or followed a troubleshooting guide for your phone or MP3 player, you've been helped by Technical Writing.  The especially useful part about Technical Writing is how it enables people untrained in a specific subject matter to nonetheless become competent at operating in that field.

A good example of technical writing helping people in their everyday lives is in cars.  Cars are incredibly complex machines, requiring many different parts working together in a way that highly trained engineers, designers, scientists and testers have spent years perfecting.  Driving a car, however, requires almost none of the knowledge of the internal workings of the car itself, because of how the instruction manual for the car is presented in easy-to-understand language using non-technical terms.  Instruction Manuals are created by Technical Writers who are familiar with the design of the car, and want to help others to understand it as well.

How can I be a part of it?

A good Technical writer enjoys communication and language, as well as teaching.  For specific assignments, a Technical Writer may need to be an expert in a certain area of expertise, but which area it is depends on the assignment.  Those who enjoy teaching and learning will enjoy Technical Writing.

What else might I like?

Technical writers work very closely with Software Designers, as well as Product Specialists, Help Desk Workers, and Public Relations.

Where can I find out more?

Wikipedia:  Technical Writing

Society for Technical Communication