5 Building Blocks of a Technical Writer

Most of us do not have a technical communication degree or graduated from a technical communication school. I have been hiring and training new hires fresh out of college with different cultural and educational backgrounds.

So how do you help your new hire to succeed in this career?

There are five major building blocks that new writers must learn. All of us writers start from the same core building blocks. Without mastering these core building blocks, there will always be technical and knowledge debt that the writer will have to pay when the writer moves up in the ranks.

1. Writing: Passion for writing is a must. As a foundation, they must learn technical writing and feature writing.
2. Tools: Even if you hire an experienced writer, they may need to become more familiar with the company’s professional desktop publishing tools. Learning and familiarizing oneself with these tools is a must.
3. Product Knowledge: You must know the product you are writing for to be a successful technical writer.
4. Type of manuals: There are many types of technical manuals. Learn the difference. While you are at that, learn about the audience too.
5. Communication and Community: Be a team player and participate in your community to enhance your visibility and circle of influence.

Do you agree? Or there’s more building blocks to add to this technical writer lego piece?

Building Blocks of a Technical Writer