Online Technical Writer

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Hiring Technical Writers to Compile Reports

Hiring writers to compile reports on technical subjects varies significantly from hiring someone to, for example, compose a weekly blog post. Recruiters should ensure that the person they hire is technically competent; this article highlights key issues for employers to address.


Who is a Technical Writer?


Unlike writers in general, when a company requires a technical writer to compile a report they are likely to need someone who has demonstrable knowledge of the industry they will be working for. The time needed to train someone with no technical knowledge will significantly impact project budgets. Technical writers likely work in the industry themselves and have excellent language skills or have previously worked in the industry and are now employed full time as technical writers.


Work that Technical Writers Provide


Companies often employ technical writers to compile reports, coordinate press releases, work on technical advertising, produce training materials, and produce technical papers. If hiring a professional writer on a freelance basis, it is worth considering a salaried position if satisfied with their work as there a number of benefits a technical writer can bring to a company. These include ensuring quality and accuracy of both internal and external company documents (with concomitant legal benefits), improved communication and understanding between staff, efficiency, and standardization of published material to increase brand awareness and integrity.


Qualifications to Look for


A qualified technical writer usually holds at least an undergraduate degree and may have completed recognized college courses in journalism or technical writing, with the certification available on request. Successful technical writers often hold degrees in communication, English, journalism, or a specialized field. Often, having worked in the industry themselves, they will have references from previous employers and have a list of publications where their work has appeared.


General Skills Required


Technical writers must be self-motivated, skilled at time-management, and well organized, with references attesting to this. If the writer is to conduct interviews of industry professionals prior to writing a report then it is vital to check their oral communication skills in addition to general competencies. If the position requires the writer to produce content for an online publication or for a specific format or template then the recruiter should assess the candidate's experience in such areas as electronic publishing, audio, video, animation and graphics content.


Where to Find Technical Writers


Experienced writers are likely to have their own website outlining their employment history. Placing advertisements on respectable recruitment sites under specific categories will also allow applicants to find the recruiter. Other, more industry specific, sites include the www.stc.org, the Society for Technical Communication. This allows STC members to post their profile for employers to search through, and also for recruiters to post available positions.


Although writers in general must be detail oriented, excellent problem solvers and highly motivated, there are particular skills a technical writer must possess to be an asset to a company. The ability to produce concise and accurate reports from a mass of complex technical information requires considerable analytical skill in conjunction with exemplary knowledge of the written word.
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online technical writer
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