Jobs
Technical Writing Salaries in the USA
Enter your U.S. city and state in this web site and it tells you the average salary that a technical writer (or any other occupation for that matter) makes. For example, in New York, NY, an average tech writer seems to make $89,000. In Los Angeles, it drops to $70,000. Check your own city and…
Read More"Sorry, I probably won’t read your cover letter"
(The insider feedback by a straight-shooter recruiter. Excerpts…) Like many recruiters, I rarely read cover letters. Most of us zoom right into the resume for a quick scan of the candidate and avoid the cover letter whenever possible. Why should we read two different documents that are basically trying to say the same thing? When…
Read MoreAPI Writing – as “Technical” as Technical Communication Gets
Some technical communication fields have low entry thresholds (like press release and resume writing, for example). Others have far tougher entry conditions and they also pay accordingly. API (Application Product Interface) writing is one such highly technical documentation field. API writing is for software engineers who would like to switch to documentation, or technical writers…
Read MoreCareer Options and New Directions in Technical Communication
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Technical communication is a lot more than just “technical writing.” Every year new directions and career options emerge that keep our field fresh and exciting. Here are some of them to consider to redefine and redirect your career: Distance Education – Specialize in distance education by learning how to put together…
Read MoreHow to Become a Technical Writer
(A personal account published at Tom Johnson’s excellent blog) by Sarah Pruitt Deciding to become a technical writer was easy. But finding the experience and the time has proven unforgiving. My job is not based on writing; in fact, writing is rarely needed. Between working full-time at a bank doing account maintenance (which is equivalent…
Read MoreWriters: Searching Through the Job Ads is not Marketing
© Ugur Akinci Generally speaking, we writers are not good at marketing our services. We love what we do and yet expect to be “discovered” and paid well for it too. Think again. This blog entry was prompted by an email from an obviously-very-qualified reader who asked whether she needs to get a technical writing…
Read MoreFinding Your Way Back: Re-Entering the Science Work Force
(Excerpts) By Brianna Blaser In the idealized career path, a scientist goes straight from earning an undergraduate degree to graduate school, and then on to a postdoc and eventual employment, without breaks between positions. For various reasons, however, not all scientists’ career paths are nearly so linear. Although the most common reason scientists might leave…
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10 Non-Hi-Tech Writing Jobs for Technical Communicators
Introduction: Technical Writing Jobs “Technical” is an interesting qualifier in the technical communication field since not all “technical writing jobs” are technology and hi-tech related. Here are 10 non-hi-tech writing jobs for technical communicators for those who are hunting for a job: Writing Office Manuals Write a manual describing how to use the various office…
Read MoreCNN: Technical Writing is the 28th Best Job in America
A CNN survey of 50 TOP JOBS concluded that Technical Writing is one of the best jobs in America today — 28th best job, to be exact. What’s more than that, the CNN survey also concluded that, in terms of “Quality of Life” and low-stress working conditions, Technical Writing ranks 5th in the USA. Technical…
Read MoreSTC Releases 2008 Annual U.S. Salary Survey of Technical Writers
STC (Society for Technical Communication) has released its 109-page comprehensive 2008 Annual U.S. Salary Survey, available free of charge to STC members. In the email that introduced the survey, STC acknowledged the hits our profession received in 2008. But then, which profession did not suffer during the last year? So we have to place such…
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