The Facts You Need To Know About Technical Writing Careers

 

You can become a technical writing expert as long as you perfectly know and understand the tricks of the English language. To become a successful writing contractor, it is paramount that you are proficient in the English language.  Otherwise, you won’t get paid much for your work and you will fail. It’s important to be excellent in grammar and sentence composition for you to excel in both writing and blogging. Often, foreign people who transition over to the English language struggle with the technicalities it contains.

Fortunately, if you’re proficient in writing the English language and desire to become a technical writer, you’ll be able to make some extra cash composing documents of quality for businesses that are in need. The content of this article will guide you on how to become a perfect writer or blogger. So, continue reading to get the right information you need to know about writing and blogging.

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TECHNICAL WRITING CAREERS

Technical Writing Careers

Technical Writing Careers are popular even before the “Internet Generation”. Companies need in their organization these technical communicators who most likely prepare manuals, guides, company journals, reports, minutes of meetings, and ones who presents data in a manner that they are easily understood. Most of the technical writers work as full time in a certain company.

 

In today’s computer age, where people tend look for part time jobs in addition to their full time careers, most technical writers are found in the internet being outsourced by this particular industry. It does not require someone to be a graduate of any specific course when you want to be a technical writer. Wanna try the technical writing career? Check this out!

 

Education and Training. Though writing does not require a specific course, it is still best that you had sufficient training in writing. Of course, having a degree would always qualify you in any job vacancy. Having a course related to writing is also a bonus. Most schools from Elementary to College have their own publication. Being one of the campus journalists enhanced your writing skill. In my case, I tried to submit articles in our school publication when I was still in Elementary. I’ve experienced being rejected, but it didn’t stop me. Once you get accepted, good things will follow. It feels good to see your name as one of contributors.

 

Reading A Lot, Helps You A Lot. You can write anything under the sun if you are also a wide reader. It would just be easy for you to organize your thoughts you know so many things. There would also be times that you are required to read especially if you are tasked to write something not familiar.

 

Moreover, through reading variety of reading materials, you can learn from the different styles of writing. I started novels. For years, I became familiar with how Sidney Sheldon, Judith McNaught, Johanna Lindsay, and Paulo Coelho’s styles of writing. I swear! This will help you in the future.

 

Grammar. Of course you won’t be writing stories and write friendly conversations. In technical writing, you will be writing and elaborating details. Everybody in the company might read your articles and those articles could be one of the bases for decision making. If you’re unsure of the appropriate words to be used, jargons, and usage, consulting someone is free. Moreover, you can find dictionaries and thesaurus everywhere, even in Google Playstore.

 

Write From The Heart. If you are dedicated to your job, and you write with what your heart feels good about, Writing would just be an easy task. Consider your emotions when writing. When you don’t feel good at the moment, stop writing or else you’ll just be writing with mess.

 

Future of Technical Writers. Employment of technical writers a predicted to grow up to 15 percent from 2016 and is quite faster than other occupations. This is because of the growing online outsourcing. For those who have the passion in writing and who possess technical writing skills, you have a promising career starting today an in the next few years.

What It Takes To Develop A Career In Technical Writing

The field of technical writing keeps growing. You might be a student, graduate or experienced worker seeking out a suitable career path. Technical writing is a great career path to consider. According to statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects, technical writing has grown by 15% since 2012. Most of this projections arise from continued scientific and technical projects as well as support from web-based products.

What Does Technical Writing Entail?

Mostly technical writers prepare instruction manuals along with several other support documents. These writers also collect and synthesize technical information between various manufacturers, designers and customers. They are best suited at technical communication. Their work description involves translating dense reported and guide manuals packed with information and effectively translating them into a language that reaches their target audience understands. If you are proficient in explaining complicated procedures and projects in an easy to follow simple-step procedure, technical writing is your best option. On average around 25% of a technical writer time is actually spent writing. The rest of the time is spent interviewing the people you are coordinating with.

What Is The Job Experience?

A good number of technical writers work full-time. It mostly makes sense if we are referring to communication and writing skills. Companies that produce documentation regularly prefer developing the technical writers’ expertise rather than shoehorning them into communications roles for which their skill sets are inadequate. Despite several writers finding full-time jobs a good number thrive working on freelance basis. Those with strong portfolios and broad networks can comfortably balance between scheduling flexibility and reliable incomes. Most technical writing contracts are measured in months unlike the shorter time frames which are required for one-off article and blog posts. This allows technical freelance writers to be more predictable with their incomes than other contracted employees. ,

What Academic Qualifications Are Required?

Technical writing is considered a new field. A good number of technical writers approach the field with degree backgrounds in science, engineering, English, computer science and journalism. For the best transition a degree on a technical field can be very beneficial. For those still studying in school they can demonstrate their knowledge through various exams and courses.

Difference between Regular and Technical Writing

  • Precision – It’s not about creating a scene but getting your point across with very few words.
  • Simplicity – Technical writing does not require flowery content. Adapt to writing simple sentences. Ensure your content is arranged in short sentences.
  • Begin With Key Information atop – This covers the entire document an all its aspects. The beginning of paragraphs in particular the first sentence is very important.
  • Can Be Scanned Easily – A reader can quickly scheme through by checking out the numbered lists and bullet points. A quick scheme should enable the reader to grasp key points without having to dig into content for them.

Reasons Why Seniors Should Be Blogging

Retirement days in some factors can be a bit boring when you had enough playing golf or gone fishing all day. Sometimes, when you are very accustomed to what you are doing, it becomes a routine, and it would, at most times bore you out. Now, to help you pull the “fun level” of your retirement days, I suggest that you try to do blogging.

Express Yourself
Blogging helps you express yourself. If you have something to say to the world, do it through blogging as the blog provides you room to say everything and be heard by everyone.

Help Others
If you have experience something in your life that is worth cherishing or something that you know would help others, then spread it and blog it. If you are an expert in parenting, help the others by giving them tips on how to discipline a child. If you have been a victim of something, say it out loud and inspire people. You will be surprised by blogging alone, you can already help not just one, but a million others too!

Stay Connected
Since the internet has arrived, it has been easier for other people who are countries apart to reconnect again. Blogging can be one of the tools to help you stay connected with your friends and family. You can post pictures, videos or stories in your blog and let your family and friends comment or share their stories, pictures and videos too.

Market or Promote
If you are a businessman or someone who wishes to start a business, blogging help you market and promote your product. It can also help you reach out and market your product not just to your own little town but to all the places in the world. You can always start in blogging and write and promote your product online.

Stay Active
Blogging is all about putting information in a frequent manner. You should always put updated and fresh articles to your blog. To do so, you must always be active and be up to date with the events that are happening in your world or on the topic that your blog is focusing on.

Have Fun
Blogging does not really need to be serious. You are entitled to have fun while blogging. If you have a passion over something, blog it and let the people know. In this way, you did not just spread the information but also had fun doing it. It is just like hitting two birds with one stone.

Make Money
If you have the right commitment and really works hard, there is a great potential that you can get real money from it. If you want to make money through blogging, which a lot of people do, just be patient and practice to know the tricks in making money online.

The Writer

A writer is a person who uses words creatively and transforms them into quality texts. These texts could be short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, biography or more for daily purpose use like news articles and reports.

This work of art is usually published through a wide range of media.
Writers work through a variety of genres for the expression of their ideas. The genres range from illustrations and graphics to fiction or non-fiction. Some writers can actually transform a still-picture into a heart-touching story. Such is a power of a talented writer.
Many of the films, plays and movies that have made history are based on written work. Based on what a writer writes on, their creations are categorized into various titles like: Performative (e.g.lyricst and screenwriters), Reportage (e.g. blogger, journalist, columnist), Utilitarian (e.g. Ghostwriter and Technical writers) Literary and Creative (e.g. Novelist, Satirist, Poet)Interpretive and Academic (e.g. Biographer, Historian, Lexicographer and Translator)

Well written pieces of work have contributed greatly to the society through various cultural expressions. Sometimes, writers prefers to express the motivation behind their piece of work. A beautiful scenery may be a motivation for a poet while a remarkable life history may be an inspiration for a biographer. While others write for getting paid and are called professionals, there are those writers who work for free and are called non-professionals.

There are various methods that are employed by the writers while working and for each writer it is a unique method. A pen and a paper can be one tool for one writer while modern writers prefer typewriters or keyboard and a digital screen.
A sole writer is the one who writes individually which is often a difficult process as he has to start from scratch with no inputs from others.
In a committee writing, multiple writers are given the task of contributing to a piece of writing that is usually edited by an external or a third party writer.
On the other hand, collaboration types of writers usually work together to come up with a unique creation, the commonest cited example being that of the translation of The Bible into English language.
There are various reasons for a writer to write. He may be trying to communicate out an important message to the society or trying to write textbooks for academic purposes. Some writers simply write to tell a story while others, like the letter writers, do so to woo a lover. Most political or hypnotic articles aim at influencing the society while the military style of write-ups focus on providing instructions.
Writers are also sometimes known as Authors although the later is a broader term and may have legal implications.
A writer may use a pseudonym or a pen name for his work. You may be suprised to know many famous authors like Enid Blyton actually have a different real name. The reason for using a pen name could range from personal choice to avoiding getting into controversies.
Finally, the art of expression of ideas through words has such a high value in the society that there are Awards and Noble prizes for Writers.

Technical Writing: A Promising Career

How common is it nowadays, to start earning online through technical writing? The answer is simple: Very common! Infact you can call it a trend. Almost everyone that you meet is hooked online doing one or the other thing. But what all people commonly do online is READ. One can only read what is written and hence technical writing has become an extremely essential online tool.
Writing of course needs an excellent command over a language. The grammar and sentence formation are the basics. If you aren’t good at these you can always learn! You may then start your own blog, write for others or start your own business singly or in groups!
The question is, can technical writing replace your normal office job? In other words, can you opt to fully depend on online income to lead your routine life? The answer is YES! It also means that you can actually make a career out of it.
The catch is that, you won’t become a millionaire overnight. Cash flow may be very minimal initially but as you build-up your clients you will see rewarding results.

Again, it is wise to realise that there is no sense in dropping your office job before you establish yourself online. Instead, convert to full-time only when you are making enough cash that guarantees your sustainability.
A lot of techniques are needed to supplement your writing skills like building blog traffic, advertisements and marketing your products or services to the public. All these put together correctly can make your products or services to go viral. Remember, your ultimate tool is your writing style. Keep it simple and yet mermesizing. The choice of words used should target your audience. Nobody is interested in sitting with a dictionary while reading your articles. Let it be comprehendable and yet have a light note to it where appropriate.
The key to success as a technical writer is lots of hardwork and patience. You may need to do a lot of research and spend tidious long-hours with perhaps little eye-strain in front of your digital screen daily. Initial efforts and hardwork paves way to long-term rewarding returns.
How long is the initial phase, is what many people ask me. Well, it could be anywhere from months to years depending on things like the online social support, your skills and efforts, the demand of your products or services and of course your target.
What’s the initial investment? That’s another common question. The answer is actually quite variable. I’ll explain. If you are planning to start your own blog with an existing platform like blogger for instance, it is actually fee free! All you will be needing is a dependable internet connection with a digital screen (desktop/laptop etc). You may have to pay a small initial fee if you are planning to join an online writing industry with additional benefits. A little more costlier will be owning a domain/website where marketing may take a bigger chunk of your initial investment and so on.
With lots of success stories and encouraging work-from-home nature, technical writing as a career is definitely an option to consider.

Steps to a Successful Blog

Successful blogging is both a science and an art. It is a science in that there are proven methods that can be used to created success. Successful Blogging is an art in that it takes time to learn how to not only craft a blog but to promote and nurture it.

These three idiot proof steps will lead you to a successful blogging experience.

Step 1 – Establish a place to put your blog posts

Blogging is an easy way to get started as an internet marketer. Blogs can be created at a number of free sites and can be monetized through the use of Google AdWords, promoting affiliate products or both. With blogs being free to start and the tools in place to begin earning a living with them, there is no reason not to have a blog and a successful blogging experience.

You need to pick a topic for your blog. Successful blogging is a content game. The idea is to provide high quality content for your readers and in return you will earn real money. There are internet professionals who earn quite a comfortable living just by blogging and there is no reason that you cannot be one of them.

Most people go with their passion because they can talk about it at length and not get tired of it. I say great but make sure that other people are interested in your topic also. Use your keyword tool of choice (Google’s external keyword tool is great for this) and input your site’s topic to see the monthly search volume. If it is fewer than 10,000 searches per month, you might want to rethink the topic. There is also a spot that shows advertiser competition. If it is high, there is money to be made, a very good sign.

Though many people will tell you that you should post five days per week I suggest that you post each and every day if you want to experience successful blogging. Your readers are going to be looking for new content everyday and you should be ready to supply it.

Step 2 – Give your blog a personality

Successful blogging is made up of many ingredients but one of the most important is your credibility. You want to become known as an expert and the “go to” person in your niche. One way to do that is find other blogs in your niche and comment on the posts there. Of course you should include a link to your blog in your comment as well.

One thing to remember when commenting on other blogs is that successful blogging is a give and take endeavor. You want to post useful comments that will not only help your fellow blogger but build your credibility as well. When you comment make sure that you provide useful information, Comments are not a place for you to leave a sales page they are to instill your expertise in the minds of anyone who might read them.

Summary
Use these simple steps to build a successful blogging career. Get out there and create a blog, there really is no reason that you should not. Post new content each and every day for your readers. Comment on posts on blogs in your niche with useful information and build your credibility with readers and successful blogging will be yours.

The Facts You Need To Know About Technical Writing Careers

You can become a technical writing expert as long as you perfectly know and understand the tricks of the English language. It’s important to be excellent in grammar and sentence composition for you to excel in both writing and blogging. Often, foreign people who transition over to the English language struggle with the technicalities it contains.

 

Fortunately, if you’re proficient in writing the English language and desire to become a technical writer, you’ll be able to make some extra cash composing documents of quality for businesses that are in need. The content of this article will guide you on how to become a perfect writer or blogger. So, continue reading to get the right information you need to know about writing and blogging.

 

When writing an article, the first thing you should consider is if you understand the topic you’re supposed to write about very well. Know if are you familiar with it, or if you must do some research to understand it better. In case you’re not familiar with it, consider the time you’ll take to do the research for you to understand it better. Thereafter, consider the amount they’ll pay you for your services.

 

Usually, many writers get approximately $10-$25 per 500 typed words. Now, let’s assume you’re being paid $15 per 500 words you type, and you’re supposed to compose 1,500-word article for a press release. You can also type about 40 words per minute, and you understand the topic you’re supposed to write about very well.

 

500-word article for a person who can type 40 words per minute take 12.5 minutes to complete. Let’s add the fact that you must open your computer and word processing software to set up things. Now, we’ll round up to 15 minutes for a 500-word article.

 

If you’re to be paid $15 per 500 words, and you’re writing a 1,500-word article for a press release, you’ll be earning a total of $45 dollars. Do you understand what I’m saying? You’ve worked less than 45 minutes, and you’ve earned $45. That adds up to $60 every hour.

 

The amount you’ll earn will depend on your abilities. Therefore, if you want to earn more, adjust your abilities, and be a proficient writer. Note that if you have to do research about the topic you’re supposed to write about, the amount you pocket per hour will decrease. It’s wise to find a person who requires articles and blog posts on topics you’re familiar with because it will be an easy way to earn some extra cash. Also, it’s a way to start a new career blogging and writing from the comfort of your home or office.

The Intensity of Blogging in Modern Era

Blogging means publishing articles, which are relevant to the services you provide or the products you sell, on your website on a frequent basis. The reports, as mentioned, should focus on the business offerings, industry in which the business operates and updates related to the industry or company. A blog is a medium for sharing of knowledge/best practices, “How to” related to products/services and so on.

The number of blogs per month and the frequency with which they have to be published differs based on the business model of the company. The business strategy of the company should also be considered while deciding the same.

Post publication of the article, it is important to promote the article with your peers, followers, business partners, like-minded groups, etc. so that the readers get the value from your article. A blog is a two-way communication; it encourages interaction via comments and feedback.

There are many reasons why blogging is important for any business. However the five reasons listed below are the most important ones:

Global online communities are becoming information hungry; they need proper and arranged information to boost up their knowledge as well as awareness. One of the best ways to keep the users informed is through blogging. Through regularly blogging you can inform, educate and interact with the customers; you can disseminate information in the quickest way possible and can have their feedback as well. A new blog added to a site can make a huge difference.

Blogs assist you with carving a niche in your industry as a specialist. They offer you some assistance with sharing your thoughts with your audience in a way that gives them more data about you and your business at the same time. Individuals still need to read articles if they are posting the best suitable information that is worth reading. You can likewise utilize your blog to reinforce your brand/product/service image and to share the sorts of work your company does. Whatever your business, whatever industry you belong to, if your blog shares new data or another viewpoint and lets your voice listened; it is an intense thing and will have a positive effect.

It is simply not true that a blog is just beneficial if many followers read it. It must be useful for customers, partners and followers so that they can take advantage of the information. Furthermore, remember, each time you share a blog entry you are making a quality backlink to your site and blog.

You can consider welcoming visitor bloggers to compose on your blog. Most of the time, they will bring their readership with them, and you may get some new followers. It is worth doing some visitor blogging as well. You will be astonished by the number of followers and the overall reputation of your blog.

The most important thing is that your blog must be industry oriented and should talk about a particular industry so that a specific group of people can leverage it. You can discuss the market, newly developing trends and benefits of a particular product or services; you can also illustrate your information with the help of images, videos, and infographics; it will make your information clear and suitable. Industry blogs are highly valuable as they can elaborate elements and inform their end users in a systematic manner. If you have a website and want to engage a maximum number of users, then must integrate blog section to attract and educate them.

Technical Writing Gigs

 

You too can become a technical writing expert as long as you know a few tricks of the trade. It helps to be very good in grammar and sentence composition. Foreign people who transition over to the English language can often struggle with the technicalities of the English language. As long as you are proficient in writing the English language and you have the knack and desire to become a technical writer, you should be able to make quite a bit of extra cash composing documents for businesses in need,

 

The first thing you need to consider is how much do you know about the topic in which you are supposed to be writing about? Is this something you are already familiar with or is it something you are going to have to do some research about? Consider the amount of time that it’s going to take you to learn about the topic and then factor that in to the amount they are paying you for your services.

 

Many writers will get somewhere between $10-$25 per 500 written or typed words. Doing the math here we will just take the averages and go from there. Let’s assume that you get an average of $15 per 500 words and that you are to compose a 1,500-word article for a new press release. Now let’s also assume that you can type an average of 40 words per minute. Those are both fairly conservative numbers. Next thing we are going to assume is that you already are well versed in the topic being written about and that it takes minimal prep and study time to brush up on the topic of the article.

 

A 500-word article for someone who types 40 words per minute should take about 12.5 minutes to compile. Let’s add the fact that you have to open your computer and any word processing software and get things set up. So we will conservatively round up to 15 minutes for a 500-word article.

 

Now assuming they are paying you $15 per 500 words and you are writing a 1,500 press release you will be earning a total of $45 dollars. Still with me? Now you’ve worked for les than 45 minutes and you’ve made 45 dollars. That’s a $60 dollar per hour pace that you could say you make on average with these numbers.

 

Obviously if you earn less (or more) per 500 words then you need to adjust that for your own abilities. You must also consider that if you have to do any additional research and learning on the topic then this will also decrease the amount per hour that you’ll be earning.

 

My suggestion is to try and find someone who needs articles and blog posts on topics that you are very familiar or comfortable with. Writing about things you know and enjoy is a really easy way to earn some extra cash. It’s also a way to start and sustain a new career blogging and writing from the comforts of your own home or office.