Technical writers design, format, and write technical materials like manuals, white papers, tutorials, and books.
This post provides detailed information on the technical writer job description and career, to help you understand the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.
It also shows how to become a technical writer, the major requirements you will be expected to meet to be hired, and the various careers you can get into with a technical writer background.
It also provides information on the salary you can earn as a technical writer and the benefits of the job.
Please, read on:
What Does a Technical Writer Do?
The technical writer job description entails designing, formatting, and writing technical material like manuals, white papers, tutorials and books.
They are tasked with conducting research to make sure they are up to date with the most recent developments in the industry.
They review books, articles, and journals to ensure that their contents address issues clearly and accurately.
The technical writer work description also involves creating sample templates for all kinds of documents, including functional specifications, installation manuals, and repair instructions.
Authors can use these materials as a foundation for creating their own documents.
Technical writers have to be up on the latest technology in their fields.
They also have to keep abreast of new software and hardware products.
Their duties also involve learning how software works and how it can be improved or trimmed down for certain types of products or situations.
It is the duty of the technical writer to make sure that applications, manuals, and other technical documents are easy to read and understood.
Technical writers must be able to explain technical concepts clearly, concisely, and accurately so that readers can understand them easily (if applicable).
Knowing how to explain technical issues in a way that people without a technical background can understand is an important task of a technical writer.
When writing engineering manuals, technical writers must be able to make technical terms understandable to people who have no prior knowledge of the field.
More Technical Writer Job Description
Another duty of the technical writers is ensuring that the language and style used in the documentation are consistent with the rest of the document and are usually written as a step by step guide for manual readers.
Technical writers ensure that the technical information is organized in a way that is easy for readers to follow.
They format the manuals, making sure that it is easy to scan, read and understand by readers.
They ensure that the material is presented properly and clearly so that it can be understood easily.
Technical writers make sure the manuals are compatible with the hardware and software components to ensure that it is easy for users to understand how to operate and use a certain piece of software or hardware product.
They also take responsibility for researching on or designing new technical products, like new methods or processes in a medical device industry.
This will help future technical writers to use the document as reference material as it contains information about the most recent developments in their field.
They may draft industry standards, such as guidelines for a particular device or product, so people in their own industry will understand what types of things are required and what guidelines to follow.
The technical writer job description consists of the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:
Provide technical support, including assistance to management and clients with the information on technical products and services
Develop, write, and edit technical documentation for the organization, which include manuals, procedures, specifications, and design documents
Create professional technical writing style
Design technical diagrams and charts using company’s software or drawing tools, such as Microsoft Visio or Adobe Illustrator
Write text in a clear language or style to meet the purpose of document or report at the lowest cost per word
Write reports in accordance with industry standards and client specifications
Follow the style and format for technical writing
Work with other employee or department to ensure that the team meets their target
Cooperate with supervisor, subordinates, and department heads, to ensure that the team meets its target
Ensure that documentation is compliant with relevant laws and regulations
Provide technical support to clients by answering questions about product or service
Write technical documentation to include manuals, procedures, specifications, and design documents
Write content for websites that are technology-related
Review existing technical writing and make suggestions for improvement
Update obsolete documents if necessary
Involve in software development process by creating designs or by designing tools that assist in creating new documents or software applications.
Technical Writer Job Description for Resume
If you are writing a new resume or CV as someone who has worked before or presently working as a technical writer, you can apply the above job description sample in making the resume.
You can show the duties and responsibilities you performed as a technical writer in your resume’s Professional Experience by using the example provided in the technical writer job description above.
This will show that you have been successful performing the role of a technical writer, which can boost the effectiveness of your resume and influence the recruiter/employer to invite you to an interview, especially if the new job that you are seeking requires some technical writer work experience.
Technical Writer Job Requirements: Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge for Career Success
Here are major requirements most employers/recruiters may want you to meet to be hired for the technical writer role:
A Bachelor’s degree in English or Technical Writing, or in a related field
Ability to understand and interpret complex instructions as relate to product, services or company’s organizational structure
Requires good language skills and excellent communication skills
Thorough knowledge in a major platform such as Windows, Linux, and Unix operating system, especially Microsoft Office tools such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
Good customer service skills and interpersonal skills for communicating with clients and management about projects
Ability to develop knowledge of the latest industry trends, and mechanism of different areas
Good computer skills are required such as: Good research abilities, writing skills and a good review of organization or client’s document/advertisement/brochure
Ability to write and analyze troubleshooting procedures on different types of systems
Ability to communicate effectively with others in the organization, including clients, marketing department and sales department.
Technical Writer Salary
According to salary.com, the base compensation for technical writers ranges from $53,042 to $66,144 based on education, location, and other factors, with average base income of $59,564.
The highest paying cities for technical writers in the United States include San Jose, CA, $68,658; New York, NY, $68,043; Washington, DC, $67,302; Denver, CO, $62,744; and Dallas, TX, $61,218 per year.
There are currently over 25,208 technical writers working in the United States.
Women make up 50.3% of all technical writers, while men make up 49.7%.
An employed technical writer is 48 years old on average.
White (78.4%) is the most common ethnicity among technical writers, followed by Asian (7.5%), Hispanic or Latino (5.7%), and Black or African American (5.4%).
Conclusion
This post is helpful to individuals interested in becoming a technical writer.
They can learn all they need to know about the duties and responsibilities of the job, and decide if technical writing is the career they want to pursue.
It is also useful to recruiters/employers in writing a job description for the technical writer role in their organizations, for use in hiring for the position.
They can apply the technical writer job description sample provided above in making one for their organizations.
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