Become a Technical Writer and Earn a Great Living!

Would you like to earn consistent, dependable income as a writer?

If you spoke back yes, remember Tweet Board technical writing. It isn’t always attractive, and it won’t make you famous. But working as a technical creator has furnished me with an incredible, regular earnings, and greatly increased my innovative writing abilities.

The subject of technical writing is exploding, because of the need to hold up with advancing generation, so there are lots of opportunities. After all, SOMEBODY has to write the instructions for all the products and offerings we use. And age is NOT an issue! I started out my technical writing career in my 40s, and understand masses of technical writers who began in their 50s.

In 2004, in line with the Society for Technical Communication (from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook), the median annual revenue for access stage technical writers become $42,500. The median annual salary for midlevel nonsupervisory technical writers changed into $fifty one,500, and for senior nonsupervisory technical writers, $sixty six,000. Rates for contractors are constantly better at each stage. In truth, I’ve earned as a lot as $38/hour.

While you do need true writing talents and the ability to speak commands absolutely to emerge as a technical author, you do not want a specialised degree or certification. And you may begin on this field at any degree of your lifestyles. While some technical writing jobs can be way above your talent stage (I’d by no means write a clinical or criminal guide, as an instance), there are numerous forms of documentation that may match in along with your own background (for instance, a former HR expert should write a Human Resources guide or a former accountant ought to write the documentation for a new Accounts Payable system).

Here’s the fine information: an increasing number of, technical writers telecommute… Each author’s dream. In reality, I’ve worked remotely part-time or complete-time considering the fact that 2000. But don’t get too excited yet. You will maximum probably must earn this privilege through organising your reputation first.

So, how DO you wreck into the sphere?

First, examine present examples of technical writing, which includes the Help phase of programs you operate, or even your car’s proprietors’ guide. You’ll soon locate that technical writing is absolutely documenting steps certainly.

Next, reflect onconsideration on educational writing experience you could have. If you’ve in no way written academic material, do a little for your present day process. Volunteer to jot down instructions on workplace processes, a brief-begin guide for the voicemail gadget, or a how-to article for the enterprise publication. If you are not presently running, I’ll guess you could get an possibility if you offer to provide such services without cost to a local commercial enterprise or non-profit organization.

Next, rewrite your resume, including on this new revel in. (But ALWAYS be sincere. You’ll inevitably be tripped up in case you don’t. It’s now not well worth the embarrassment.)

You’ll want two copies of your resume. One may be nicely formatted. You’ll present this resume to ability employers or whilst you mail the resume. The different ought to be stored as text. This is the replica you’ll location on-line. (TIP! Use asterisks [*] in place of bullets within the Text Only copy.)

Next, the process hunt starts offevolved. Most task opportunities for technical writers are located online (see listings underneath), but newspaper Help Wanted sections also are a supply. Check the net internet site on your nearby newspapers for jobs.

Here are some counseled net websites:

• CareerBuilder
• Monster
• Dice
• Jobsearch
• ComputerWork
• Guru