Careers in Technical Communication for English Majors

RA CHEL HOUGHTON A ND

BETHANY BOWLES

Careers in Technical Communication for English Majors

Presentation for the Sigma Tau Delta International Conference

March 21, 2013

Agenda

Technical communication

Skills

Disciplines

Career opportunities

Paths to careers in tech comm

Society for Technical Communication

Values

Benefits of membership

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

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

Creativity

Visual design

Photo

Video

Technical illustration

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.”

Linguistics and International Communication

Source: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Dec12/LinguisticsOutreach.html

Education and Training

Training is much more than manuals!

Online rhetoric

Tutorials

Web-based instruction

Textbooks

New media

Rhetorical (Audience) Analysis

• The basic principles of rhetoric apply to business communication as well as to literature and the arts:

o Research your marketo Know your readers/viewers

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

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

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

Interdisciplinary Approach

An interdisciplinary approach is essential to successful technical communication, because the profession spans so many disciplines.

Tech Writing/Editing

Hardware and software documentation

Policies and procedures

Textbooks

Proposals

Marketing collateral

Video scripts

Magazine articles

Copy editing for publishers

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

Research

Pure

Applied

Research and writing within the field of technical communication

Collaborative writing with SMEs researching within their specialty

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

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

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

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.

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/

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

Tap Core Skills

Writing accurately

Writing clearly

Writing concisely

Writing coherently

Writing creatively

Tapping diverse media

Crossing boundaries and cultures

Growing Job Market

There are 45,000+ technical writers in the U.S.!

Geographical Distribution of Jobs in Technical Communication

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.

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.

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.

Paths to Careers in Tech Comm

On-the-Job Training

Before tech writing programs appeared in universities, “OJT” was the only path to a career in technical communication

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

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

STC Membership

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

Values Behaviors

Innovation

Integrity

Professionalism

Respect

Commitment

Transparency

Open communication

Inclusion

Leadership

Values and Behaviors

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

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

Career Growth

Networking within your Affiliated STC Communities

Job Search and Placement

Career Advancement

Professional Development

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

Joining STC

Membership Levels

Student Membership

New Technical Communicator

Classic Membership

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

• [email protected]

Offer Ends April 30!

* Renew by Dec 31, 2013.

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!

Better Together!

The Society for Technical Communication

Thank you for Coming!

Feel free to contact us! Rachel Houghton [email protected] Twitter rjhoughton

Bethany Bowles [email protected]

Dan Voss* [email protected]

*Co-developer of presentation.