Technical Writer Job Description

Every time you buy an electronic equipment, like, a mobile phone or a new DVD player, you receive a handbook with it. This small book is the user manual which talks about the various features of the particular product and also contains guidelines on its use. This is one example of the various jobs done by technical writers.

A technical writer is a person who has the ability to understand technical or scientific material and write it in a simple way, so that people with non-technical backgrounds can easily comprehend it. Two very important things needed to be a technical writer are, scientific or technical knowledge and a good command over the English language. Along with this, one should also be able to understand the various technical terminologies. The basic qualification required to become a technical writer is a graduate degree in engineering, math, science, etc. Persons with a degree in journalism or English are also eligible to become technical writers, provided they have the ability to understand technical subjects / jargon. For interested people, some universities offer courses on technical writing.

In the current work scenario, there is a huge demand for technical writers. Many IT companies, government offices, pharmaceutical companies, law firms, aircraft companies, etc. recruit technical writers to write about their new products, equipments or services. The technical writer has to work with engineers, technicians, scientists, etc to understand the product or equipment in detail. After understanding it well, the technical writer has to prepare a document based on the information collected. The job of a technical writer is to prepare manuals, pamphlets, press releases and newsletters to keep people informed about the new developments in the company or documents describing the various features of a new product or machine. Technical writers are also supposed to write and edit corporate magazines and industrial publications.

Technical writers can find suitable positions in newspapers which hire people with technical knowledge to write articles on medicine, photography, electronics, education, chemistry, etc. Science and technology are ever growing fields and a technical writer, despite having a degree in these fields, has to constantly read to keep himself updated about the latest developments. He needs to constantly enhance his knowledge. Writing about a new equipment in the market, made with some new technology requires in-depth knowledge about it, to be able to write it in a simple way. For this, one has to do research by reading books, talking to experts and also by reading about it on the Internet. It is also important for the writer to document his / her write up. Proper research and documentation are required to add clarity and credibility to the article.

Like any other job, to be an expert technical writer, one has to gain experience. When a fresher starts as a technical writer in a company, he / she will have to begin work as an assistant technical writer and work under an expert. Along with experience comes accomplishment (in carrying out the job) and excellence. After gaining much expertise in the field, one can also opt to become a freelance writer and work for different companies from home. However, while working in a company can be stressful and hectic for a person as he / she may have to work on various projects at a time, a freelance writer may have to spend many days without any work. So it up to each individual to decide whether he wants to work full time or as a freelancer.

It is being said that in the coming years, technical writing will be a sought out career option. If you are from a technical background and are passionate about writing, you will surely succeed as a technical writer.