Wednesday, February 27, 2008Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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Whether your company sells widgets
or wisdom, bicycles or bytes,
Determining Your RequirementsEffectively writing, storing, retrieving, and delivering information is mission critical to any company today. Locating someone with the right mix of information design skills, knowledge of tools, and project management is not an easy task. When determining your requirements, ask yourself, what will the candidate be responsible for? Does the job require
By determining exactly what the candidate must do, you also determine the level of experience to look for and the salary you can expect to pay. According to recent salary surveys,* salaries range from about $30,000 per year to more than $50,000, depending on education, communication experience, and technical background. Technical communicators with diverse experience and technical backgrounds demand top dollars. Listing the QualificationsYour requirements guide you in specifying the candidate's qualifications, both required and preferred. To help you write a job description and advertisement, we have listed some possible terms for describing job functions, communication products, knowledge, skills, tools, education, and experience (see "Categorizing the Communicator"). In writing your specifications, consider the following situations: If the job requires someone not only to produce a manual, but also to design it, plan for updates, coordinate the efforts of others, and tie the manual to your marketing plan, you would look for a candidate with varied experience and an ability to think in business-oriented, problem-solving terms. If the job requires someone who can write for an expert audience, you would want a candidate who is knowledgeable on a particular subject. Conversely, if the job requires providing information to novices, you would want a less knowledgeable candidate because he or she understands the beginner's perspective. Requiring knowledge of specific tools is also shortsighted, unless all you need are short-term clerical skills. Some software programs change dramatically with each version; and some programs from competing companies are so similar in functionality that skills are easily transferable. Instead, ask for demonstrated ability to learn new tools as needed. If a candidate has learned at least two similar tools and knows general, transferable skills such creating and using templates, organizing an online help system, drawing a flowchart, or managing a library of documents, he or she can probably perform these tasks with any tool. As for requiring a certain level of education and experience, realize that technical communicators generally come from one of two backgrounds. If the degree is in science, engineering, or computer science, the candidate should demonstrate the ability to write for publication. If the degree is in journalism, English, or other liberal arts, the candidate should demonstrate an understanding of technical material.
Screening the CandidatesAlthough a resume and cover letter serve as important screening tools for any position, they are particularly important for communicators. They provide your first glimpse of the candidate's core professional skill: Can they communicate clearly and concisely? During the interview, you can explore typical on-the-job scenarios and see how the candidate would
For example, if your requirements call for an experienced generalist, you might ask about a time they were successful at managing a project. Look for signs that they could not only get the project done but were able to contribute to the company's success. Or if you need someone with specific tool knowledge, ask the candidate to describe how he or she would perform a complex task with the tool. You should also ask candidates to bring samples or their work to the interview. While examining the samples, ask the candidate to clarify what role he or she played in the production of the sample. You could also use a simple test for writing, editing, designing, or illustrating, either standardized or based on an actual project from your company. By asking candidates rewrite a draft of a short report, to copyedit a chapter, or to lay out a sample page, for example, you obtain concrete and comparable evidence for judging how they analyze and synthesize information and present ideas to a given audience. Finally, you need someone with specialized subject matter knowledge, a simple technical vocabulary test will determine the candidate's level of expertise. Additional ResourcesWhere can you find qualified technical communicators? Universities and colleges with technical communication programs and intern or outplacement services: Colorado State University, Department of Journalism and Technical Communication Address: C-225 Clark Bldg. Front Range Community College, Communications and Mass Media Address: 3645 W. 112th Ave. Metropolitan State College of Denver, Technical Communication Address: Campus Box 35 University of Colorado at Denver, Technical Communication Address: Plaza Building, Suite 102 University of Denver, University College, Applied Communication Address: 2211 5. Josephine St. Job banks: America's Job Bank, Employer Services Monster Job Board (fee charged) Organizations that post job openings: Boulder Writers Alliance Write to the above address or call Marilyn Brown at (303) 444-5639 to request a copy of their Membership Directory. Society for Technical Communication, Rocky Mountain Chapter (local) Web site: http://www.stcrmc.org/jobs.htm Society for Technical Communication (international)
Writers: Nancy Walters, Barbara Miller, David Steenwerth
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iring
a technical communicator is similar to hiring any qualified professional. Because the
responsibilities of a communicator range as widely as those of an engineer or programmer,
you must first determine specific requirements for the position before you successfully
solicit and evaluate candidates. The following suggestions are intended to help you with
the process, complementing your company's hiring practices. We hope you find them useful
in selecting a technical communicator who is best suited for the job. 