TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Those of you in smaller shops, or lone writers, how do
> you keep current with the tech writing industry?
1) I start at Techwr-l and go from there.
2) In an informal way, I check out what other people are doing and how
they're doing it.
> How do you advance your skills and also your career,
> especially in this time of reduced (or absent)
> training budgets?
It depends on what I need at the time. In addition to whatever experience
I've accumulated in techcomm and marcomm, I have a pretty broad technical
background (engineering, math, tech support, lab work ...) and I'm a good
lateral thinker. I can usually adapt what I know to give me a running start
at a new learning experience. I study when I can, and the rest of the time
I pick up stuff through hands-on learning (there is no substitute for
pushing buttons and unscrewing screws), reading, demos, tutorials,
interviewing SMEs, quid pro quo with techie friends ... whatever it takes.
I think curiousity is the key. If tech writers were animals, we'd probably
be raccoons living in a "raccoon-proof" containers.
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