Getting through

I was trying to get into technical writing for quite some time now. The first time I tried was somewhere in the summer of 2008. It wasn’t a good time since all the sectors were affected due to recession. When I realized that it would take some time for the industry to become stable, I started to look out for other options. But technical writing was always in my mind.

After two years, one morning I finally got a call from one of the IT companies. They were looking for technical writers, or people who would be interested in making a career in technical writing. For a second, I heard myself saying “This is it”, somehow I knew I was going to make it into technical writing this time. This was the first call that I ever received for the technical writer’s post. The HR person had just set a date and time for my interview but my mind was already in euphoria.

The day arrived and the time had come to test if I have what it makes to be a technical writer. When I came on the scheduled day, I found the waiting room full of interview candidates. The first round of interview was a personal interview with the project manager. I was asked a few very familiar questions and that was it. I was then sent back to the waiting room to wait for my second round of interview.

The second round of interview was a written test. They were calling people in batches for the test. After waiting for an hour, I was allowed in for the test. I had already made up my mind that I’ll pass this one, and indeed I did clear. The written test included procedure writing. We were supposed to write steps explaining to an old person how to use Google. There were some grammar tests and an essay to write. We had to write an essay on any one of the four topics that they had given.

I had prepared for the test by going through websites related to technical writing. I used to read blogs on technical writing, read experiences of various technical writers and also look out for tips to write procedures. I searched for sites that gave information on what to expect in a technical writing test and also solved online grammar tests. I also happened to start this blog during that period so that I don’t suffer a block when I write.

I would advise all the future technical writers to keep these tips in mind and start writing a blog or a diary, whichever you are comfortable with. Happy writing!

Technically speaking

My journey in technical writing wasn’t smooth as I had assumed. At first, when I heard about technical writing I had the impression that it would be too technical work for me. I would be expected to know about hardware and programming languages. And, since I didn’t have any technical education, I felt that I was not suited for this field.

Fortunately, my curiosity for this field of writing didn’t stop and I started to explore. I started to read a lot about technical writing. I found that technical writing was all about explaining and making things simpler for people, and soon realized that I was very apt for this field.

I had to struggle when I began my career in technical writing.  First, because I was not confident about my writing and second, because I lacked basic technical knowledge . To have a certain amount of technical knowledge is of course an advantage. Why do I say that? Because when you start working, you should have some knowledge of how to use certain applications, like for example Word. This will help you to start your work smoothly.

When I went deep to understand technical writing, I found that it was much more then writing manuals or brochures. What I found was that, technical writing basically helps people like you, me and all others to understand complicated things. How do we do this? We do this is by explaining how a task can be done in simple language. We break complicated thinking, lay them out and then work around it by using simple words and sentences so that people understand them, irrespective of their level of technical knowledge. So when people read the writing material they understand the purpose of the product and how to use them.

What was at first a topic that I was curious about has now become a part of my daily life.  Through this field I've found a purpose in life, a purpose to simplify people's life around me. If you are looking for a career in technical writing, I would like you to consider two things. First, your ability to explain complex subject in simpler terms and second, polish your writing skills. Rest you'll learn on job.

I hope this throws more light on technical writing, because technical writing is more than a job.