Technical writing -- the style of writing used for everything from office policies and procedures to technical manuals and reference guides -- is found everywhere today. Although technical writing emerged as science and engineering became increasingly important to the developed world in the early 20th century, it didn't boom until World War II and the Cold War as military technologies emerged.

But it's only since we've moved from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, with the explosion of the computer professions, that tech writing has evolved into a distinctive profession in its own right.

Why Your Company Needs a Good Technical Writer

Unfortunately, too many companies seem to believe that anyone can write. Often, the task of gathering technical information, writing, and editing is given to a techie type without professional writer's training or even basic skills. The result can be incoherent and downright embarrassing. Still, some company managers are clueless when it comes to understanding how poorly written business communications can undermine not only their stakeholders' confidence in the company, but even their own employees' ability to take sloppily written, error-filled publications seriously.

You wouldn't allow your storefront to look less than immaculate. You wouldn't want your employees to give less than stellar customer service. For the same reason, your company should be producing clean, coherent, and crisply written documents that are easily comprehended. Well-written technical documents convey that you care enough about the details to get it right. And that says everything about you as a company.

What's more, since the advent of the computer age, international business is booming. You can't assume that your foreign customers will understand poorly written and badly organized technical information, particularly if English is not their first language.

Finally, companies that are seeking funding from investors and grant sources will not be impressed by technical communications that display a haphazard style of writing and sloppy organization.

Tech Writers and Information Technology

Today's tech writer is often involved with communicating technologies of hardware or software. The tech writer must be effective at communicating a design, specifications, and instructions for the user. The technical writer is the interface between the computer professional who created the technology and its user.

Unfortunately, the preponderance of technically trained persons in the workplace appears to have occurred with a simultaneous decrease in writing skills. College students aiming for technical employment concentrate on the specific topics that they think will lead to a job, rather than developing good grammar and punctuation, the ability to organize writing projects, and the ability to communicate effectively in writing. Good writing has to some degree, been devalued in importance. You have only to peruse the internet to note the preponderance of badly written content -- even on the pages of prestigious businesses and media outlets.

Developing Tech Writers

You're in luck if you can afford a technical writer on staff. In lieu of that, you may have to take employees with good grammar and spelling, and turn them into tech writers. Often, a technical writer can be the same person who programs, develops websites, and performs other technical jobs. Generally, these individuals should be good problem solvers who are able to simplify and distill your company's technical processes into their essence, and then package the products into effective communications. The ability to meet deadlines is also a plus.

Above all, technical writers should be multi-taskers, capable of becoming certified in several areas.

Training Good Tech Writers

If you're eager to hone some of your employees' technical writing skills, training opportunities abound from your local community college, to seminars and workshops, some of which may be offered online. Even if you already have competent writers in your workplace, their skills can be refreshed and improved by this type of training. Some of the things you will want them to learn are:

1. How to analyze the readership. With whom does the tech writer want to communicate? This can set the tone, length, and style of writing, as well as how the material is organized.

2. Writing to readability level. There is no sense in developing written material that is above the level of the readership's comprehension. The successful writer needs to know how much to explain or not explain

3. Learning how to edit one's own writing. Letting some time lapse between creation of a document and the final review can help the writer see it with new eyes, so it can be polished it to perfection before it's published. That's just one trick a tech writer should know about self-edited copy.

Do you have someone on your staff with the potential to be a great technical writer? Infotec can help your employees fulfill their potential through a training course in technical writing. Contact Infotec today to learn more.

For more information about Infotec or any of our programs click here: http://www.infotectraining.com/ or https://ops.infotecpro.com/course_schedule/course_schedule.cfm.