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.
Subject:Re: Question: Market for Technical Writing From:Chris Kowalchuk <chris -at- BDK -dot- NET> Date:Thu, 24 Jun 1999 14:25:54 -0400
Tony Markatos referred to
> two basic types of TWs. There are those that focus primarily on
> drafting documentation <snip>
> (English majors are the classic example.) And their are those that focus
> primarily on engineering documentation (i.e., developing highly task
> oriented properly partioned documentation). (Engineering types often fit
> this mold).
>
There is also a third, hybrid type. Some of us English majors actually
have enough technical aptitude (often from job experience in engineering
environments etc.) to write the latter type of document, or be
particularly adept at translating tech spec into regular language. I am
of course biased, but I consider this type of writer to be particularly
useful, especially when it comes to bridging common communications gaps.
Other good combinations are pure science/arts writer and business/arts
writer. Being a writer first, with a good insight into another
discipline, or (rarer still) knowing a specific discipline and also
being able to write, is a very handy skill set to have.
