• Technical writers are the people who write the "help" documents for computer users. What's a help document? These are the documents that computer users refer to when they need tips on how to use their software. Have you ever clicked on Help at the top of your screen when you are using the computer? All of the information in the Help feature has been written by Technical Writers. A technical writer has written all of the text in the Help feature that you will read.
• Technical writers "document" software and hardware. That is, they write down in clear and direct language how an application or a piece of computer equipment works.
• The field of technical writing also includes people who write instructional content for web sites and other electronic formats. For instance, some companies put their training manuals on their web sites. A technical writer helps makes that training information understandable and easy to read in its web format.

• In many ways the work of the technical writer follows a cycle similar to the cycle that the programmers and database developers and web developers follow. This is the product development cycle.
• Technical writers may participate in all levels of the development cycle.
  1. If you are in the cycle from the beginning, you may help to interview the people who need documentation, or information, explaining software and hardware. You must research your audience carefully and think about the best means of communicating this kind of information to them effectively. You need to understand your audience and their level of knowledge so that the information you write is useful to them.
  2. The technical writer may also help to research the best methods of delivering that information. For instance, you may have to decide what the best format for the information in a Web environment looks like.
  3. The technical writer then writes the information and tests it with the software or hardware that being described in order to make sure that the information is accurate and helpful.
  4. Finally, you could be involved in you might have to edit or reformat your document according to feedback that you receive from your users and from testing.

• You should:
  • Like to write.
  • Be able to write grammatically clear and simple English.
  • Be creative and enjoy putting information together in creative ways.
  • Like the process of simplifying complex information so that readers can understand it.
  • Be able to communicate with lots of different people in order to understand their information needs.
  • Have some knowledge of the technology that you are documenting, or describing.
  • Many times companies want people with a certificate in technical communication from a community college or a Bachelor's degree in technical writing or English.

Interested in More? Look at entry-level jobs in this field.