Posts Tagged ‘Success’
Should You Get a Technical Communication (or Writing) Certificate, or Diploma?
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Here’s a question TCC readers ask me often: “Should I get a diploma or certificate in technical writing/communication?” I’m big on education and training. But my answer to this question is always: “It depends.” Let me explain. First off, if your current or prospective employer demands that you get a certificate…
Read MoreIs your Technical Communication career dying? How to revive it
A great article that I’m sure applies to the careers of some technical communicators offers some valuable advice for sagging careers. It starts with asking the following list of signs which might mean that you career is in trouble: You are unhappy with the nature of your work You aren’t growing You feel overshadowed You…
Read MoreBuilding Trust and Credibility for Success
(Excerpt) By Christina At an interview recently I was asked, “How do you build trust?” After thinking about the question for a moment, I answered, Building trust requires that you be honest and transparent. Also, delivering on your promises instills credibility and helps build trust. I think that was a pretty good answer for thinking…
Read MoreTime Management and Productivity Tips for Technical Communicators
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Here are my own time-management and productivity suggestions for technical communicators: If you’re working as an independent technical writer from your own office, check your e-mail only 3 times a day — first thing in the morning, mid-afternoon (3 pm), and in the evening (9 pm). But I realize that for…
Read MoreScheduling and Keeping Up with Your Goals & Clients
You’ve made a New Year’s resolution… You want to write that book… Get that diploma or certificate… Exercise 3 times a week… or whatever it may be. But there’s a slight “problem”… How are you going to keep track of all those promises? Why, with scheduling software of course! Here are some suggestions: Google Calendar.…
Read MoreDon't Quote an Hourly Rate or Fixed Fee for Your Writing Services
© Ugur Akinci Here is something I’ve learned the hard way: if you publish or quote a fixed hourly rate or a fixed fee for different types of writing services, you’ll end up attracting the cheapest and hardest clients and you’ll never make money in this freelance writing business. We writers are generally very nice…
Read MoreWhy Does Persistence Pay? The Mathematical Proof
We’ve all heard it a million times that “persistence pays.” We’ve seen countless examples of people succeeding in something just because they’ve kept trying at it until… SHAZAM! Something gives away, an invisible lever in the sky flips over, and the obstacles disappear like magic. We use the phrase “lucky break” to describe the mysterious…
Read MoreThe Typical Day of a Successful Writer
Bob Bly is one of the most successful writers I’ve known. He has always been one of my role models as a professional writer. So here is a newsletter that I received from Bob this morning. I liked it so much that I asked his permission to reprint it here. He kindly agreed. Read the…
Read MoreHow to Write Well and a Lot
Writing well and writing a lot are closely linked. Take a look around you. Usually, people who write well write a lot too. And those who cannot write well cannot write anything at all. There does not seem to be a middle ground. There is a reason why that is so. A very good reason.…
Read MoreStewart, Cramer, and the Question of Values in Technical Documentation
© Ugur Akinci Did you watch the way Daily Show’s Jon Stewart grilled Mad Money’s Jim Cramer yesterday? It was a trashing well deserved by Jim Cramer in particular, and CNBC in general. As an American citizen who has lost 40% of all his life savings within the last 9 months, I thought it was…
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