TECH_WRITER_2003-08-11
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Tech Writer: Many Titles, Many Skills
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As we reported back in February, the job titles for technology workers seem to change faster than technology itself. Creative titles get attention: "demand creation specialist" instead of "salesperson" for example.
On the other hand, some companies have replaced specialized job titles with more general ones, to increase flexibility in the way they use employees. Ironically, the field of technical communication is as confused as any other.
800 Synonyms for Tech Writer
If you're looking for a job as a technical writer, you might find it under any of 800 job titles, according to Dr. Craig Hansen, director of the Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programs in Technical Writing at Metropolitan State University. Yet the general category of technical communication has converged to include writing, editing, interviewing, public speaking, training, graphic design and creating or updating Web sites.
Writing Is What They Like Best
Metro State's technical communications majors tend to be people who have been working in a content area and have discovered that the writing is what they like best. "Our graduate students have backgrounds that range from medical research to aviation mechanics," Hansen notes.
Marilyn Dashe and Jean Thomson have been running a technical communications consulting firm since 1981. During that time, Thomson says, "the IT world grew up." Ten years ago, she recalls, technical trainers were still dealing with questions like, "I've got my mouse clear to the edge of my desk - now what do I do?" Today, most of a company's workers know enough basic technology to do their jobs, and user interfaces have improved, requiring less translation. "Now, what people need to understand is not how the system works, but what it means to them," says Thomson.
Head, Heart, Hands
Phil Deering, Dashe & Thomson consulting practice manager, says the business really boils down to "alignment and competency." Alignment is about the head and the heart, and competency is about the hands, Deering says. People might understand the new technology - but they feel vaguely dissatisfied, not understanding why they're being called to use the new technology or why they need to do their jobs in a new way. Deering recommends "Big Change at Best Buy', by Elizabeth Gibson and Andy Billings, for insights into change management.
Once people understand the "why," they need clear and appropriate work instructions so that they can feel competent about what they're doing. Gaining competence might include written documentation and training, both of which are increasingly being delivered online.
Integrating People, Process and Technology
The proliferation of titles and the convergence of skills are likely to continue, but the need for technical communication is not going to go away. There are jobs in every type and size of business, as well as in nonprofit organizations and government agencies, Hansen says.
"Companies today need to integrate the people, the business process and the technical system," Deering concludes. "That's what we help them do."
Dashe & Thomson, www.dashe.com.
The Society for Technical Communicators, www.stc.org.
Metropolitan State University Business Communications Program, www.metrostate.edu/cas./tcomm/index/html.
Laura French is principal of Words Into Action, Inc., and is a freelance writer from Roseville, MN.
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