Any technical writer on the prowl for a new position will find dozens of positions for proposal writing. But proposals are a beast all their own. Some people love them. Others despise them. Few understand them until they get the experience. I’m hoping to dispel a bit of the mystery here and help maybe some of you decide whether proposal writing is right for you.
I spend most of my time on this blog trying to give tips and tricks on how to improve as a technical writer. But at times, we simply need examples of what not to do. Today, we conclude the story of the worst technical writing coworker I’ve ever dealt with. Out of respect for those involved, names have been changed. Out of respect for you, everything else is told exactly as it occurred. The six-part series ends here.
Writing tests seem to be a necessary evil when applying to writing jobs. Sad, but true. We are in a profession where we’re often asked to prove our skills on the spot. Somehow, this one-off, time-constrained document will tell a potential employer whether you are set to succeed or fail in a particular position. So how can we prepare ourselves to perform our best under such unusual circumstances?
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It happens to all of us. The lulls. Maybe you just started your job, or maybe you’ve been there for years, but sooner or later you’ll hit a point where the work is just not coming your way. So what can you do? This two-part piece will help ensure that you constantly have the opportunity to show your talents.
One way to ensure a constant work flow is to be a hunter. What does this mean? Hunters are able to seek out and find opportunities that were not directly presented to them. Being a hunter is important in the technical writing world. Never assume people realize their documentation needs, let alone are aware there is someone in the office who can help. These four steps will help you find the need in your office.
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For all positions, resumes are a first impression. They are used to summarize and list your skills and experiences so that the reader may predict your professional potential. A common idiom around resumes is “show, don’t tell.” The idea is to provide examples and statistics along with your claims as support. The more you are able to show your abilities, the better you are perceived. This may never be truer than with technical writers.
Technical writers are in a unique situation where they are tested as they apply. While technicians and engineers must be taken at face value, technical writers must prove their skills on the very paper they submit. Grammar, organization, communication, formatting, and the like can all be meticulously analyzed from first contact. Technical writers are then under the most pressure to provide resumes that are not only flawless, but effective. In a sense, your resume is also your writing sample.
