Do you have a flair for creativity and a good command of the English Language? And are you familiar with technical terms or is able to familiarize them with ease? If the answer to the above two questions is Yes then you are in every manner suited for a job in the post of a Technical Writer. You must be confused right? That is because majority of you who have this skill set mentioned above do not know what a Technical Writing Job is and how can they get into one. May be this article will be of great help for you.

What the job needs?

The job of a Technical Writer is essentially to convert the list of specifications and details of a product into a highly simple and User Manual type document. The documentation works can span across different areas of interests like Computers, Healthcare, Electronic Gadgets, Lifestyle Products and many more.

In fact the prospects of a Technical Writer are alive and kicking as long as there are new products of any kind be it software or hardware that is launched in the market. Almost everything that is launched in the market has a User Manual and concerned installation guides accompanying it. And all these documentation requires the help of skilled Writers who can convert rather complex and Sophisticated Technical aberrations into simple and easy to understand product catalogues.

What you should have?

To be one among the large and ever growing population of Tech Writers you must basically have a Yes as the answer to the 2 questions asked in the beginning.

An ideal Technical Writer must

• Have good command over the English Language
• Understand the meaning of technical terms and convert then to simple common language terms
• Study the target audience before making the documentation
• Have Good typing and computer skills
• Have Good teamwork spirit and sense of peer respect
• Be very vigil and be fully associated with project developers while making documents to avoid errors
• Assist in planning the project cycle in a well coordinated manner

The basic eligibility many companies who hire technical writers demand is a graduation in any stream preferably in Science and the right candidate should have the ability to express his own creativity and style while preparing the manuals and guides. The stringent technical demands of the job entitle Engineering Graduates to be the most preferred among the lot to take up the role of a Technical Writer.

Sounds Boring but it actually isn’t’

Upon the first glance of the job profile many might think tat the job is a boring one and they will have to stick with writing about a hundred varieties of the same product with similar specs and features. But you are wrong about that. The job of a Technical Writer is a constantly varying one. Employees are exposed to a wide variety of product descriptions and manuals. They are never associated to just one single product or area of products. As newer products of different types enter the market, the job of Technical Writers also changes.

Challenges

There are hardships associated with collecting information about the product form various sources but once you have done that the rest is actually a piece of cake because you just have to put all of them in the right place in the desired description format. A Technical Writer is associated with all faces of a product unlike other departments where the employee in each department needs to be aware only of the duties and tasks carried out by his respective department. A Technical Writer must be aware of everything about a product in depth if he is to make an effective user manual for the same.

How to become one?

In India the job prospects of a Technical Writer are in Abundance as more than 15 000 to 16000 people are engaged in Technical Writing jobs at various parts of the country and the demand is still growing at a large pace. But there are hardly any University courses or certification courses offered by any college or institution in India that aids a student aspiring to be a Technical Writer. But the best place to get your training is on the job itself as exposure to diverse subjects of documentation automatically trains you to analyze them appropriately and produce the desire content.

However the scene is different outside India. Many Foreign Universities and colleges offer Degree and certification courses in Technical Communication and Writing. Students can also make use of online courses provided by organizations such as Techno Writes. These courses provide you with sample articles and also provide you with live training on projects that enable you to quickly gasp the style of writing and the desired quality of work. Companies often hire students form Techno Writes even when they are doing the course or after they have completed it.

Besides Techno Writes there are several IT companies that offer training to candidates having creative and writing skills and then absorb them into their working environment when they feel the candidate has received enough exposure.

Basically ever Technical Writing Training course involves familiarizing the students with the necessary documentation styles and useful tools like Adobe Robo Help, Adobe Frame Maker, Page Maker and many more.

Handsome Remuneration

The salary offered is in fact on par with what many get with their software and hardware based computer jobs. There are basically 3 levels or grades in Technical Writing.

• Junior Technical Writer
• Senior Technical Writer
• Documentation Manager or Architect

You start of as a JTW and will be entitled to receive a pay package ranging from Rs 15000 to Rs 20000 per month. After about 2 or 3 years experience you become a STW and can demand a pay scale of Rs 25000 to Rs 30000 per month.  After around 10 years on the job you can become a Documentation Architect that will entitle you to receive remuneration packages ranging from Rs 70 000 to Rs 1 00 000 per month.

Students and more specifically Engineering Aspirants who have a flair for technical writing take up the job as Part time ventures so that they can earn while they learn. After completion of their Degree majority of them take up the profession as a Full Time Option.

Conclusion

As long as there is scope for new products in the market Technical Writers are always going to be in Demand. The more you work on the job the m ore benefits you receive. The Profession is at par in standards with any high profile jobs in the society today and if you have the Flair for expressing your views in creative writing then this job is definitely for you. There is always an open market for Technical Writers.