Technical Writers come in a variety of flavors and can be found just about everywhere. We are responsible for how information is presented, and our job is to get your attention and then give you a message that is clear and memorable. With the array of media we enjoy today, the role of Technical Writers has expanded to include the art of sensory appeal. The average person sees dozens of examples of our work every day. Web sites, user and product guides, textbooks, employee training materials, financial, legal and scientific reports, recipes, and advertising are all forms of technical writing.

The Technical Writers I’ve had the opportunity to speak with have several things in common.

Technical Writers commonly begin by considering the largest concepts and how they relate to one another, and then progress downward to more detailed understanding. It’s the relationships and how they might be improved that attract Technical Writers.

Because of our thinking, we are often jacks-of-many-trades. Technical Writers seek to understand how it all works together. As a result we maintain wide ranges of interest. Most Technical Writers eventually specialize, even to the point of possessing expert authority. Even so, our many and varied interests tend to lead Technical Writers to amass knowledge bases that are far and wide, versus narrow and deep.

In exploring our interests, Technical Writers develop multiple perspectives and strong analytical skills that make us excellent advisors, problem solvers, and simplifiers. Our approach to these tasks is methodical and yet creative in that we pull our insight from a broad scope of experiences.

Technical Writers are only as good as the questions they ask. As perpetual information seekers, Technical Writers cultivate solid communication skills. We are adept at interviewing and research, and at the coherent assemblage of information obtained from multiple sources. Technical Writers can size it up, break it down, and tell you how to make it more effective or efficient.

We have an aptitude for and a desire to educate. The satisfaction Technical Writers feel when they arrive at a new understanding is something to be shared, and we are quite good at conveying what we know to others.