echnical writers are diligently involved in assisting the technical support staff, customers, and other stakeholders of an organization by providing digital and paper-based instructions, assembly directions, how-to manuals, and frequently asked questions on a given technicality. 2020 has been a year full of challenges, but it had also opened doors to digital writing. This time has been crucial, especially for a simple technical writer who has been driven to enhance his expertise by learning mobile applications, web programming, and cloud storage, and multiple other technologies related to apps and software.
What is the need for sound technical writing expertise in 2020
With the intrusion of the Global pandemic, many organizations have started relying on other sources like digitization to conduct their businesses and professions. In 2020 there is an urgent need for more user-friendly writing tools. More demand for user-centric documentation, growing global demand for standardized documentation in English, more measurability in content production, and Cloud changes in technical writing.
Skills required for Technical Writing Certification:
Technical writing provides a more accessible and actionable form of technical information to enhance the reader experience. Technology is evolving every day, an aspiring technical writer needs to imbibe the following skills in 2020 to be accepted as an expert technical writer by customers and top-notch companies:
- Exceptional Writing and Technical Skills
- Technological Tools and equipment Skills
- Outstanding Communication Skills
- Interactive Design Skills
Job Responsibilities of a writer with Technical Writing Certification:
A Technical Writer can be called a Technical content developer, an Information Designer, or a Technical Author. He/she specializes in writing material for technologies, applications, and gadgets engagingly for all readers. So, he/she first needs to understand the technical information, and then comprehend it and explain it to others.
- Analyze functional and technical specifications of the topic thoroughly.
- Work with internal teams and produce high-quality documentation.
- Write subtle and simple user-friendly text, online assistance, and developer guides.
- Create tutorials and analyze existing and potential content
- Create and maintain the information architecture
- Research, design, write, and edit high-quality print material, sales collaterals, white papers, business proposals, and digital manuals.
- Design and develop documents based on PDF, Knowledge Base, and FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
- Design and implement new learning tools
- Work closely with clients to work on their project requirements.
- Create and maintain status reports and project plans and write SEO – search engine optimized content.
How to Gain a Technical Writing Certification: in 2020?
An aspiring technical writer obtaining certification must possess a Proven working experience in technical writing of software documentation.
- A technical writer needs to have excellent command over the English Language and an analytical bent of mind.
- He should have the ability to understand complex technical documents and programming logic.
- He must possess good comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar.
- He should have apt experience in writing user and service manuals.
- He must be equipped with strong proofreading abilities and interpersonal skills.
- He should possess desktop publishing skills, have expertise in the subject matter, and familiarity with the latest designing, printing, and finishing technologies in the market.
- Technical writers should be proficient in the use of MS Office, Windows desktop publications. Adobe Acrobat & Robo help, Adobe Frame Maker, HTML, XML, Snag IT 7, and ASP.
- A degree in English Literature, science, Mass Communications, IT industry, engineering, or Print Journalism can improve his knowledge.
Areas which require Technical Experts’ expertise
Technical Writing Certification is emerging as a niche profession that provides several specializations. It is a pre-requisite and a mandate in many organizations like:
Online Gaming, Automobiles, nuclear energy, avionics, chemicals, transport, finance, quality assurance, medical, supply, and various sectors of the market. A much higher level of technical expertise is required in industries like defense, Computing, and telecommunication firms.
Strategies of Technical Writing Certification:
Technical writers in 2020 expect more user-friendly. They also have to deliver more measurability and cost control in content production to satisfy the management. Consumers need more comprehensive content. IT demands cloud-based solutions, and above all, Simple technical English – based on understandable vocab without using heavy jargon is global demand. They should be apt in:
- Presenting Information
- Documentation of Project Management
- Documentation and Translation Tools
- Types of User Documentation
- Document Design
- Documentation Cost and Schedule Estimating
- Internationalization, Localization, and Globalization
- User Interface Design
The Job Role of a Technical Writer has changed in the following areas in The Year 2020:
1. Style of Technical Writing:
2020 has changed the focus of technical writing in the following ways. Writing has been placed at the center of design in 2020, as opposed to a supporting role. The style, formation, and tone of writing have transformed from:
- Instructive to Interactive
- Long Texts replaced by Rich media content
- The focus of technical writing has shifted from the product to the user/customer.
- Technical documentation is in great demand.
2. Areas considered for Technical Writing:
Technical writing these days is essential for Enterprise Software Product innovation, E-learning, User Onboarding, and Compliance to Documentation Standards. The primary job of technical writers is to Create Shareable Content and digital formats.
3. Improved collaboration and Cloud Help
Cloud server assistance and collaboration have helped technical writing achieve larger accessibility. Cloud Help Authoring is a trending tool that allows you to document technicalities from anywhere in the world and save the same on global servers.
4. Optimized Mobile Phones
Smartphones are the leading technology that has become a priority for technical writers. Mobile-first reality focuses on easy accessibility, brevity, user-friendliness, clarity, and ease of use.
5. Blended learning
Technical documentation, along with videos and visual instructions, is growing in 2020, wherein companies invest heavily in both – people and digital learning. So the technical writers need to drive and invoke interest in different levels of stakeholders associated with the organization.
6. Full-text search
This has been enabled for the convenience of the users and the technical writers to refer to long, full-text documents just by a click of a button. It is not necessary now to scan the whole document to look for the right part; instead of searching, using a keyword makes your search quite convenient.
7. Use Technical Writing as a Marketing Tool
The technical document can be uploaded on various search engines like Google, social media sites, and multiple websites. This is a strong marketing tool that has a larger audience than print marketing.
Final Words:
Technical writing is not an isolated function; instead, it involves functions like customer success, e-learning, onboarding, software product adoption, and so on! It is imperative to become lean and agile, to cut costs, and to improve immunity from threatening external shocks by imbibing technical writing. A methodical and directed effort can help technical writers bridge the gap among several critical business processes of a company.