Jobs
Hunting for a Technical Writing Job: Forget the Titles; Focus on Your Content
© Ugur Akinci I’m frequently asked this question: “”What kind of job titles I should search for to get a job as a junior (or senior) technical writer?” To such inquiries, my honest and simple response is always the same: “Forget about the titles; focus instead on what you know and what you can…
Read MoreA Membership Web Site and Magazine You Should be Familiar with: SiliconIndia.com
If you’re not familiar with SiliconIndia.com you should be since it is on its way to become India’s LinkedIn and Facebook rolled up in one. It’s a membership web site where you’d find inquiries about CMS, documentation, all kinds of software and hardware platforms or management issues as well as… a spiritual poem a devotee…
Read More"Manual Writer," "Technical Writer" or "Technical Communicator" — What’s in a title?
A reader asked the other day if it’s okay for his customer to address him as a “manual writer.” “Is this really a big deal?” he asked. My short answer is — yes, it is a big deal and of course it matters, for more reasons than one. First off, “manual writer” is not correct…
Read MoreHow to Slide Sideways into Technical Writing
© Ugur Akinci “Ugur, I know technical writing is a good niche, it pays well, and I want to do it. But how and where do I begin? I have not done it before and any time I apply for a technical writing position they ask me to show what I did earlier…” is a…
Read MoreA Great New Career for Nurses – Medical Writing and Illustration
There is now a great career for Nurses — medical writing and illustration. Say you’re a nurse. An RN. A highly-trained and capable health care professional. And again, say you’re a bit sick and tired of the hustle and bustle of a hospital… Yes, the pay is good but there are nerve wrecking responsibilities. You’re…
Read MoreLooking for a Job? Try CNN's "30 Second Pitch"
© 2011 Ugur Akinci If you’re looking for a job you might consider trying out CNN’s “30 Second Pitch.” Who’d make a short pitch better than a technical COMMUNICATOR, correct? This is how it works: You first send an email to 30secondpitch@cnn.com and express your desire to be on the program. If you’re accepted, you…
Read More6 Future Career Paths for Technical Communicators
There are not one but multiple future career paths for technical communicators. Technical communication is changing rapidly like any other thing in our world. Report by The Writers Block A new report by The Writers Block, “Technical Communication Landscape Survey Report (Bangalore, Karnataka, India)”, lists the following future specializations for technical communicators: Technical writing Instructional…
Read MoreTECHNICAL BOOK REVIEW: “Survey of Technical Communication Landscape in India” by TWB
“Survey of Technical Communication Landscape in India, 1st Biennial Report (2011-12)” by The Writers Block (TWB), one of India’s outstanding technical communication training and outsourcing companies, is an authoritative reference volume that all technical communicators should read. Despite its cover price ($499 or 22,797 Rupee), this 158-page report succeeds in giving a detailed snapshot of…
Read More4 Variables to Determine Your Success at a Technical Writing Job Interview
When a reader asked the “best way” to get ready for a technical writing assessment test and job interview I realized how hard it is to give a satisfactory answer. The reason is, the appropriate and really truthful answer depends not on a single but the following four variables: (1) Historically Specific Job Market When…
Read MoreHow to Shift from a Career in Pharmaceutical Sales to Medical Writing
A reader wrote asking what to do and in which direction to go in shifting from a career in pharmaceutical sales to writing. I’m sharing my answer here since it may benefit all my other readers who also find themselves in a similar situation: “The fact that you’re coming from sales should be a positive…
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