Re: How I Became a Tech. Writer

[Jill Burgchardt <jburgcha -at- PESTILENCE -dot- ITC -dot- NRCS -dot- USDA -dot- GOV>]

I'm another tech-writer-by-accident, although writing has been the one constant
in my different jobs and majors.  Way back when I graduated from high school,
all the college-bound students were given a career-profile test. Supposedly, it
assessed your personality and skills and told you what career you would excel
at.  Every female I knew had either nurse or teacher as their recommended career
of choice.  I had no interest in either, but I was foolish enough to think the
test meant something.

On top of that, I had an art scholarship.  I started out in Art/English
Education.  Junior year the college sent students out to observe classrooms
prior to student teaching.  After 15 years of private religious schools, I spent
two weeks observing a junior high remedial grammar class at a large public
school.  I realized that I had led a very sheltered life. The culture shock
cured me of any misguided notions that I wanted to teach.  My other option then
was art, but I considered myself a technician, not a genius.

I stopped going to school while I re-evaluated what I wanted to do.  It took
over twenty years and six different majors before I finally completed my liberal
arts degree.  Every job I worked at during that time, I somehow ended up
writing.

My first return to school, I picked up an Associate's in Electronics. I was
considering electrical engineering, but lacked the math background to pursue it.
I thought the electronics program would be a good way to make up deficiencies.
Ironically, I did really well writing the reports, but not so well in lab. It
seems that there's something about me that interferes with readings on some
equipment. My classmates would measure a voltage drop and get consistent
readings. I'd touch the equipment and the readings would change. (I also can't
wear cheap watches, they speed up or stop.)  So, on any group projects I did the
reports, my classmates did the lab work. After completing the program, I found
my first job with the actual title of technical writer. (Doubtless to the relief
of the lab teacher who had suggested that I try water-witching.) That was in
1981.

After spending time documenting electronics, I gradually shifted to firmware and
now I document software. Along the way, I took computer courses, technical
writing courses, and business courses. Eventually, I completed my degree, though
not in Technical Communication.

Jill Burgchardt
jburgcha -at- pestilence -dot- itc -dot- nrcs -dot- usda -dot- gov

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