You don’t need the imagination of Stephen King to be a technical writer. But you do need to know how to observe, listen and explain products, processes or operations in clear words and images that others can understand.
“Technical writers work across many industries, and there’s a need for them because there aren’t a lot of people with the proper training to produce what is needed for today’s market,” said Ann Vancza, program director for the College of Continuing and Professional Education at Kennesaw State University.
Technical writers produce operating instructions, how-to manuals, brochures and other documentation needed for online and printed support for employees and customers. They work with subject-matter experts (engineers, scientists, developers, etc.) and translate technical information into documents or multimedia formats for a general audience.
As the number of technical, electronic and scientific products increases, the demand for technical writers is expected to grow by 18 percent through 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Technical writing takes someone with intelligence, who is detail-oriented and a quick study. You need to be a self-starter — the type of person who can grasp a project and just jump in and do it,” Vancza said. “It takes a lot of basic skills to create highly polished and effective technical documents.”
Kennesaw State’s College of Continuing and Professional Education helps those who want to change careers or add new skills to their résumés.
The online Technical Writing Fundamentals course ($159, scheduled for Nov. 9 to Dec. 16 and Dec. 14 to Jan 20) is a good introduction. It gives a history and introduction to the field, teaches how to plan and organize projects, and how to use basic graphics and Microsoft Word features to produce clear technical documents.
Those wanting more skills can take the basic Technical Writing Certificate course, which is taught at the KSU Center (Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jan. 28 to June 16. The $2,199 fee includes instruction, two books and two software programs.
“The course begins with basic graphic design principles so that students learn how to format information in a professional way,” Vancza said.
Students learn about typography, document layout, raster and vector graphics, and how to use software applications such as Adobe’s Framemaker and Acrobat.
“At the end of class, they’ll have created a professional résumé, a tri-fold brochure and a newsletter to show prospective employers or clients,” she said.
For the true professional, the advanced Technical Writing Certificate program is offered from July to December next year. Students will graduate with a PowerPoint presentation, a 20-page operator’s manual, a website, a multimedia interactive Web-based training module and an online help system that shows proficiency in Adobe’s Framemaker, Captivate, Presenter and RoboHelp. Tuition is $2,399.
Technical writers with experience may test out of the basic course to enroll in the advanced program.
“Technical writers work for corporations, manufacturers, software publishers, government agencies or freelance to multiple clients,” Vancza said.
The median salary was $61,620 in 2008, according to the Labor Bureau.
To learn more, call 770-423-6765 or go to www.ccpe.kennesaw.edu.
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