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Become a Technical Writing Specialist
You don’t need a four year college degree to become a successful technical writer. But there is something you could do to multiply your chances of getting hired as a technical writer.
Before I reveal to you this strategy I have to caution you. This is purely a marketing strategy. If you’re new to the field of technical writing, then you may not use it. It specifically applies to those who have some technical writing experience.
The Strategy
Understanding Technical Writing
Technical writing is primarily concerned with communicating scientific, technical, and business information so that readers can understand and use it. It is different than writing fiction or magazine articles, where a mood may be set or–in some cases–where space must be filled and is definitely not the same as creative writing where use of action verbs and colorful adjectives and imagistic metaphors are encouraged.
Put simply, technical writing is the presentation of information on any scientific, engineering or technological topic in the form most suited to its user. Therefore the first rule of technical writing is “know your audience. Too often technical writing is vapid, vacuous, and verbose. In the vast majority of circumstances, technical writing is best done by company personnel who are already well-versed in the products and technology.