3 Levels and 3 Profiles of Technical Writing

If you are wanting to know what stages a person can expect to attain in a complex crafting profession, below are 3 profiles just to give you a rough idea.

Please don’t forget about that this is just an approximate photo and does not mean that you have to go by way of each and every amount in precisely the exact same way.

You could probably get started off from the Intermediate amount if you are bringing with you a strong qualifications in application expertise and occupation experience.

Or who is aware of, you could achieve a senior stage within just just 5 yrs? Which is certainly feasible also.

Personal cases usually range. But I imagine what follows is nevertheless a handy standard photograph in conditions of presenting you an general study of the technological creating landscape and delivering some general benchmarks. They are not primarily based on any scientific analyze but on my private experience of in excess of 10 a long time as a specialized author.

Be sure to let me know if you would have any thoughts about these job profiles.

Profile 1: Junior-Level Specialized Writer

Time on occupation: -5 years

Work competencies:

• Producing interface documentation including person guides, installation guides, fast reference guides, launch notes, enable information.
• No supervisory or management competencies.
• Optional: graphic and illustration expertise.

Program skills:

• Microsoft Business office Suite
• Optional: FrameMaker (Unstructured)
• Optional: Photoshop
• Optional: Illustrator
• Optional: Assist file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, etcetera.)
• Optional: Edition handle software (MS Source Protected, and many others.)

Profile 2: Intermediate-Stage Technical Author

Time on occupation: 5-10 decades

Career capabilities:

• Writing and modifying interface and procedural documentation including user guides, set up guides, brief reference guides, launch notes, method configuration guides, enable information.
• Solitary-sourcing and structured authoring.
• Graphic, illustration, print-webpage and internet design and style expertise.
• Helping assignments as lead-author and supervising one or more junior writers.
• Optional: very simple document and world wide web website localization and translation expertise.
• Optional: publishing content articles in well-known expert periodicals like STC’s Intercom.
• Optional: serving as a Juror in skilled specialized interaction competitions.

Application techniques:

• Microsoft Office Suite
• FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• Assistance file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, and so forth.)
• Version command program (MS Supply Secure, and so forth.)
• Optional: Sophisticated model and content management program (Agile, and many others.)
• Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding

Profile 3: Senior-Degree Complex Writer

Time on job: Above 10 decades

Work capabilities:

• Producing and editing interface and procedural documentation which include consumer guides, set up guides, speedy reference guides, launch notes, method configuration guides, help files, API guides.
• One-sourcing and structured authoring such as DITA structuring and database publishing.
• Graphic, illustration, print-web page and net design and style expertise.
• Leading initiatives as lead-writer and supervising just one or more junior and senior writers.
• Sophisticated print and online documentation job localization techniques.
• Publishing articles in peer-reviewed professional periodicals like STC’s Technological Conversation.
• Optional: serving as a Direct Juror in specialist specialized conversation competitions.

Software program techniques:

• Microsoft Business Suite
• FrameMaker (Unstructured and Structured)
• Photoshop
• Illustrator
• Assistance file editor (RoboHelp, Flare, Quadralay, DoctoHelp, and so forth.)
• Edition handle application (MS Resource Protected, etcetera.)
• Optional: State-of-the-art model and written content management software (Agile, and so forth.)
• Optional: Dreamweaver and/or HTML coding
• Optional: XML Editor (FrameMaker, Arbortext, Oxygen, etc.)
• Optional: Database Publishing editor (TEX, PatternStream, etcetera.)