ANIn Gurugram April 2024 |Can Agile and AI work together? by Pramodkumar Shri...
Careers in Technical Communication for English Majors
1. RACHEL HOUGHTON AND
BETHANY BOWLES
Careers in Technical
Communication for English Majors
Presentation for the Sigma Tau Delta International Conference
March 21, 2013
2. Agenda
Technical communication
Skills
Disciplines
Career opportunities
Paths to careers in tech comm
Society for Technical Communication
Values
Benefits of membership
3. Technical Communication is …
• Communicating about technical or specialized topics in
terms the layperson can understand
• Communicating by using technology, including
emerging new media
• Providing instructions about how to do something
4. Skills
• Core skills in writing and editing
• Creative page design
• Photography and videography
• Technical illustration
• International communication: “Global English” for non-
native-English speakers and for translation
• Training and education
• Web and IT skills
6. Writing
“Tech writing? Yccch! Bor-r-r-r-
ing!”
“Not so. The days of ‘Tina the
Brittle Technical Communicator’
in Dilbert are gone! New
technologies bring new
excitement in exercising
traditional skills.”
7. Linguistics and International Communication
Source: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Dec12/LinguisticsOutreach.html
8. Education and Training
Training is much more
than manuals!
Online rhetoric
Tutorials
Web-based instruction
Textbooks
New media
9. Rhetorical (Audience) Analysis
• The basic principles of rhetoric apply to business communication
as well as to literature and the arts:
o Research your market
o Know your readers/viewers
10. Collaboration
• Teamwork is critical in technical communication
• Collaborative writing is the norm in the field
• Your communication skills also posture you well for
leadership in collaborative teams in the workplace
11. Web/IT Skills
Opportunities for both
analytical and creative
technical writing and
marketing communication
Web site content and
design
Blogs
Wikis
Social media
IT expertise for
collaborative writing
environments
12. Disciplines
• Technical writing and editing
• Hardware and software documentation
• Technical marketing communication (e.g., proposals, brochures)
• Scientific writing (and “ghost writing”)
• Medical writing
• Grant proposals
• Web design
• Usability and accessibility
• Indexing
• Information/knowledge management
• Instructional design
14. Tech Writing/Editing
Hardware and software documentation
Policies and procedures
Textbooks
Proposals
Marketing collateral
Video scripts
Magazine articles
Copy editing for publishers
15. Traditional Tech Writing
Instructions for
installing, maintaining,
and repairing hardware
Instructions on how to
properly use software
Detailed manufacturing
process plans
User manuals for
everything from toasters
to automobiles
Medical reports and
research articles
16. Research
Pure
Applied
Research and writing
within the field of
technical communication
Collaborative writing
with SMEs researching
within their specialty
17. Aerospace & Industry
Proposals to capture new
business
Technical reports and
presentations
Marketing collateral to
attract new customers
Multi-media presentations
Web site content and
design
Internal policies and
procedures
Employee communications
Media relations
Community relations
18. Advertising & Marketing Communications
Advertising across multiple
media
Print
Radio
TV
Billboards
Web sites
Social media
Diverse marketing collateral
Brochures
Flyers
Fact sheets
Trade show graphics
Narrated video
Web sites
19. Writing for Non-Profits
Grant proposals
Fund-raising collaterals
Literature for those who
are served by the non-
profits
Web site design, content,
and maintenance
Empathy and
commitment
20. Healthcare
Editing or ghost-writing
articles by physicians for
medical journals
Patient-oriented web sites
Flyers describing illnesses
and treatments, for
doctors’ offices
Medical transcription
Instructions for
prescription medication
Marketing collaterals and
web sites for for-profit
hospitals, pharmaceutical
companies, etc.
21. Gaming
Game designers
Documentation writers
and designers
Strategy guide writers
Promotional writers
Excellent article in STC’s intercom magazine:
http://intdev.stc.org/2012/01/its-all-in-the-game-
technical-communications-role-in-game-
documentation/
22. Career Opportunities
• Technical communication spans many disciplines the
job market is huge
• Unless technology stands still, it will always be a growth
market
• Companies are beginning to realize that poor writing and
poor communication hurt their bottom line
• Solving that problem taps into your core skills as English
majors
23. Tap Core Skills
Writing accurately
Writing clearly
Writing concisely
Writing coherently
Writing creatively
Tapping diverse media
Crossing boundaries and cultures
24. Growing Job Market
There are 45,000+ technical writers in the U.S.!
Geographical Distribution of Jobs in Technical Communication
25. Competitive Compensation
State
Technical Writers Reporters, Correspondents Public Relations Specialists
Employed Mean
$/y
Median
$/y
Employed Mean
$/y
Median
$/y
Employed Mean
$/y
Median
$/y
Oregon 570 69.6K 74.5K 580 38.5K 32.4K 2,180 55.6K 52.2K
Maryland 2,000 70.0K 69.7K 600 39.0K 30.7K 2,900 70.7K 62.1K
New
Hampshire
180 71.1K 65.3K 190 43.8K 38.6K 870 60.5K 55.2K
New Jersey 1,530 71.5K 67.7K 860 47.3K 42.9K 3,820 64.6K 58.2K
Connecticut 910 71.7K 72.2K 570 40.8K 34.6K 990 59.4K 56.6K
Virginia 2,880 76.3K 72.9K 960 41.9K 35.0K 7,300 69.3K 62.6K
Washington 1,610 79.5K 79.7K 740 44.4K 34.4K 4,990 59.3K 56.2K
Massachusetts 1,960 82.1K 81.5K 1,170 64.1K 52.4K 8,650 62.1K 56.7K
California 5,910 84.4K 80.1K 4,010 48.5K 38.7K 22,920 71.0K 62.6K
U.S. 45,120 67.3K 64.6K 45,270 43.6K 34.9K 212,510 60.4K 52.4K
Salary Comparison Table, Part 1
Data is shown for the 9 states with the highest salaries in technical writing,
plus the national average.
26. Competitive Compensation (Cont.)
State
Technical Writers Editors Writers and Authors
Employed Mean
$/y
Median
$/y
Employed Mean
$/y
Median
$/y
Employed Mean
$/y
Median
$/y
Oregon 570 69.6K 74.5K 1,050 52.8K 52.2K 630 56.4K 52.7K
Maryland 2,000 70.0K 69.7K 2,150 59.2K 55.2K 900 73.5K 66.6K
New
Hampshire
180 71.1K 65.3K 330 51.0K 46.4K 240 51.3K 48.1K
New Jersey 1,530 71.5K 67.7K 3,450 64.6K 58.2K 1,070 57.5k 53.3k
Connecticut 910 71.7K 72.2K 990 59.4K 56.6K 380 63.8K 62.2K
Virginia 2,880 76.3K 72.9K 3,190 59.8K 55.2K 1,640 62.4K 57.0K
Washington 1,610 79.5K 79.7K 2,580 64.0K 55.5K 870 70.7K 66.3K
Massachusetts 1,960 82.1K 81.5K 3,860 65.8K 58.2K 960 65.9K 58.7K
California 5,910 84.4K 80.1K 10,930 60.3K 52.9K 6,500 93.7K 65.2K
U.S. 45,120 67.3K 64.6K 98,990 60.5K 52.4K 40,930 68.1K 55.9K
Salary Comparison Table, Part 2
The mean and median salaries for tech writers are much closer than for other writers,
reflecting dependable income.
27. Tech Writing Salaries Around the U.S.
Tech Writing Salaries in Major Metropolitan Areas
The higher the concentration of technology and industry, the higher the salaries.
29. On-the-Job Training
Before tech writing programs appeared in
universities, “OJT” was the only path to a
career in technical communication
30. Degree Programs
B.A. in tech comm
M.A. in tech comm
Ph.D. in tech comm
Undergraduate minor in
tech comm
A certificate based on a
given number of courses
in tech comm
31. Professional Certification
STC-developed
professional certification
program
Portfolio-based, not test-
based
Candidates submit work
samples demonstrating
core competencies
Faster and cheaper than
degrees or certificates
33. Society for Technical Communication
Largest and oldest professional association dedicated
to the advancement of technical communication
Sets the global standards for technical communication
Members reach across every industry and continent
Produces a wide array of educational events
Publishes award-winning publications: intercom and
Technical Communication (a quarterly peer-reviewed
journal)
Maintains a comprehensive website including an
extensive archive of webinars
World’s largest technical communication conference
34. Values Behaviors
Innovation
Integrity
Professionalism
Respect
Commitment
Transparency
Open communication
Inclusion
Leadership
Values and Behaviors
35. Benefits of Membership
• Affiliation (geographic or virtual) with an STC student
chapter
• Affiliation (geographic or virtual) with an STC
geographic chapter
• Affiliation with one STC special interest group (SIG) in
a technical communication discipline of particular
interest to you
• Access to salary scales, job listings, and other valuable
intellectual property on the international STC web site
36. Benefits of Membership (Cont.)
Eligibility for STC
student mentoring
programs
Professional networking
E-access to industry-
leading professional
publications
Reduced rates for STC
conferences, webinars
(plus free webinars), and
certification in technical
communication
37. Career Growth
Networking within your
Affiliated STC Communities
Job Search and
Placement
Career
Advancement
Professional
Development
38. Mentoring
Student Mentoring Programs:
The Why’s, How’s, and More
Bethany Bowles and Rachel Houghton
Presentation to Sigma Tau Delta International Conference
March 21, 2013
41. Special for Sigma Tau Delta Members
•50% discount on membership
for the rest of 2013 (save
$37.50)
•Eligible for 33% discount on
student renewal for 2014
(save $25.00)*
• Sign up at the conference
• Call 1-571-366-1909
• barbra.sanders@stc.org
Offer Ends April 30!
* Renew by Dec 31, 2013.
42. Questions? Come See Us!
•SMEs from STC for questions and answers
•Materials on the benefits of STC membership
•Materials on the various disciplines within technical
communication
•Materials on careers in technical communication
•Materials on core skills for technical communicators
•Typical salary scales for jobs in technical communication
•“Toolkit” (printed book and accompanying DVD) on how to
establish and sustain a student mentoring program
•Discounted STC student memberships!
•Free giveaways!