Technical Writing is a new and an emerging field. Since the inception of I.T. industry in India, various industries and fields have come into existence. These fields include graphic designing, security management, networking, technical writing and many more. But surprisingly, even if technical writing emerged because of I.T field, application of technical writing is not restricted to only I.T. This is because the writing skill is used in most of the industry verticals. Writing is not limited to the field of I.T.
What is Technical Writing?
Technical Writing means conveying technical information in an appropriate manner to the correct audience, and in a format in which the targeted audience understands. This may include printed documents as well as online documents (help file).
Advantages of Technical Writing
Many companies in the technical domain discover or create information about many things. This information, if not stored and used properly, may get wasted. Rather companies not making appropriate use of such information may be adversely affected. Here comes the role of a technical writer. A technical writer gathers information and stores it. A technical writer delivers this information to the target audience in a proper way. This makes technical writing imperative in all fields.
Who can do Technical Writing?
One who has a good hold on language, ability to understand technology, and presenting the information in an easily understandable form can become a technical writer. A technical writer can be a male or a female. Some surveys depict that there are more number of female technical writers than the male technical writers in India.
Is an engineering degree or a B.A. essential to become a technical writer?
No. It is not necessary to be a B.A. or an engineer to be a technical writer. But the will to learn and ability to grasp the subject is essential. In fact, education in technical stream will be helpful to understand highly technical subjects thoroughly and quickly.
Where can a technical writer get a job?
A technical writer can get a job in I.T, manufacturing, engineering, telecom, networking, banks and financial institutions and many more industries.
How much does a technical writer earn?
Non-experienced/fresher may earn Rs.8000/- to Rs.15000/- per month approximately. Technical writer after 2-3 years of experience may earn upto Rs 40000/- per month. According to a survey conducted by STC India Chapter, the average salary of a technical writer in India is Rs. 8,00,000/- per annum.
What can be the career path of a technical writer?
A technical writer, after 3-4 years of experience, can become a Senior Technical Writer. After another 2-3 years of experience, he/she can become a Manager or can specialize in a field or technology of technical writing. At present in India, there are only a handful of technical writers with an experience of more than 15 years. On the other hand, there are technical writers with 30-40 years of experience outside India.
Where one can learn technical writing?
Unfortunately, no university today conducts courses for technical writing. Pune University was conducting course in technical writing until two years ago. At present, Technowrites Pvt. Ltd. is imparting training for technical writing. Technowrites is a pioneer in technical writing services, consultancy, and training in India. These courses are in great demand and are receiving good response from the industrial world.
-Makarand Pandit (mak@technowrites.com)
This article was published in Sakal Daily on 2nd June 2009.
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