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!