This seemed like a good place to continue, as this is who I am. I’ve been working as a technical communicator before I even knew of the title. Like most technical writers, I fell into the job by accident when I started working for Hughes Aircraft Company at the start of my career. I had been an estimator, buyer, and planner, so I was quite used to working with technical documents such as Bills of Materials (BOMs), engineering specifications, data sheets, and more. As my job description expanded, so did my repertoire of skills: analytical writing, project summaries, customer communications, training documents, user guides and instruction sheets, flow charting, technical illustrations, and more. This trend continues because I am a curious person by nature, and because I like to help people as much as possible. Here are a few characteristics that I recognize in fellow technical writers:
- They have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
- They can pick up most any tool and learn to use it, then write instructions so that others can too.
- Books are some of their best friends.
- A tool is simply that, a tool. They’ll always make the available tools work in order to successfully finish the project.
- They are good with the big picture. Chances are, if your project is chaotic, they’ll create a plan to reach the end goal.
- They are good communicators. They understand that everyone is different, and uses each person’s strength to get the right information for the project.
- They are detail oriented, and make great project managers out of necessity.
- They will find a common voice so that all users, at any experience level, will benefit from the document.
Technical communication is such a diverse field with many specialties. Once a technical writer’s knowledgebase grows to encompass topics such as design, usability, presentation, packaging, editing, in addition to writing, do they become technical communicators. No two communicators are the same because their experiences make them unique. I love all things technical, and try to put that love into my writing so that others can share in the experience and learn in the process. No matter what type of writer you are, your audience is your brightest treasure. Creativity can even be found in the most technical of places…
