More about Bernard Aschwanden, who will join us on May 17 to talk about “Metrics to Document the Costs of Documentation.” Reserve your seat now!
Previously, Bernard explained about his start as a technical communicator and lessons he learned from other jobs that helped build his career. Here are his lists for beginners and teams, plus a few of his favorite things.
Advice for someone who wants to begin a tech comm career:
- Talk to others in the field, apply what you already know, continue to learn. Network with people to get their input on what you can do to increase your odds of success.
- Find out what the job is, and what it isn’t.
- Develop the areas you know and are good at early on and find your niche.
- Develop your skills through training and find out how your career path changes over 5, 10, or 20+ years.
- Don’t sell short what you have already done. A person in technical communications can just as easily be a recent college graduate or a service engineer with 20 years experience in a specific field.
The ability to clearly and accurately communicate ideas in writing and other media gets better as you gain more experience, so don’t be afraid to jump in and get started.
The most important skill:
My answer can’t be summed up into a single most important skill, because the field is broad.
Do we need people who can write very well?
Yes, but even if we can’t, there are editors who can refine the content.
Do we need people who know the materials they write about?
Yes, but the subject matter experts can help identify what we miss.
Do we need people who can use a range of software?
Yes, but we can always learn to be proficient with tools.
Do we need people who can estimate time and explain why it takes 6 months to create an admin, user, and reference guide?
Yes, but we have department managers to help us.
Every skill that we need can be supplemented by other people with similar skills. So maybe the most important skill is people skills. We need to communicate both in writing and in verbal communications, but above all, we communicate with people. That may be the most important skill: to communicate well, and to do that with people from all backgrounds.
Favorite thing about being a technical communicator:
I like the opportunities that I’ve been provided. I do a lot of work from home, but I also travel. I put in very long hours, but I take time off when and where needed. I have a good team that I work with, but I also do a lot of the hands-on things myself to stay current. I guess that my favorite thing may be the overall random nature of business. I never know what I’ll be doing in 3 months time, where I will be, or who I will work with. However, I can tell you that it likely will be interesting, a good challenge, and with great people.
Tools used:
Software tools include the Adobe Technical Communication Suite, with a strong focus on FrameMaker. I also work a lot with tools like Oxygen and XMetaL, as well as WebWorks. I put in a lot of hours with Microsoft Office as well. There are other tools around that I work with including traditional things like the phone, my email, and web services, but the majority of what I do is with software tools, or with tools designed to allow me to deal with people.
Next: Bernard’s unusual choices for alternative careers, and how to get the most out of a workshop or conference.
Greetings, All!