Why HTML and CSS are important

After an developed understanding of English and writers, tech writers need to know technology. The most developed segment of technical writing is the emphasis in computers. A great way to distinguish yourself from other being technical writers is to learn HTML and CSS.

Elizabeth Castro, author of HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS wrote, "Most technical writers will need to know about HTML or actually have to write in HTML at some point."

HTML is the formatting content on web pages. CSS is the design layout for multiple web pages.

Knowing HTML gives you the ability to work more efficiently with online writing. You can alter web pages and even build your own.

After you know HTML, CSS then becomes your new best friend. CSS is great because you only have to design something once and then you can apply it to multiple pages. Also, if you need to change or add something, you only have to make that change once.

It is important to know many tools, and HTML and CSS are two that should be on the top of your list.

The economy making competition harder

Many students who are graduating are worried about finding work a job after college. But what is still available and what can we do?

Are We In Trouble?

J.C. Hewitt, writer of Poe War: Writer's Resource Center, explained which people from different aspects of writing are having a hard time in the struggling economy. He said that many companies have to cut their budgets, and that "Most companies view documentation as a 'nice to have' rather than a 'must have', so if the cuts start to get severe, you’ll see this job market go down as well."

Janis Ramsey, an owner of her own tech writing firm, said that she had been hearing desperation in people she knows.

Don't be lulled in thinking that this problem is only temporary. We have to be prepared to enter the work force when the economy is bad.

What Can We Do?

The WritePoint staff, a tech writing company explains "companies that will be successful are the ones who are dedicated to the latest technologies and trends in technical writing, and have the talented staff to meet the needs of companies, to economize and get things done quickly and efficiently"

Andrew Davis, who runs a technical writing recruiting firm states that a writer not only has improve efficiency and help the customer, but the writer has to generate a profit. While tech writers in the past dealt mostly with efficiency, the customer now needs to know that the work the writer is doing is going to help the company make money.

J.C. Hewitt gave some really helpful tip to help anyone who is struggling to find work:

1. Put your money aside

2. Do your job really well

3. Know your market

4. Perfect your resume

5. Update your portfolio

6. Increase you visibility

7. Diversify your income

To see more into each of these subjects, visit

http://www.poewar.com/surviving-as-a-writer-in-a-bad-economy/

He gives a good explanation on each of these subjects.

Is joining the STC worth it?

I am new to the field of technical writing. I wanted to make sure that I would have a good footing in the field after I graduate in April, so I talked to some technical writers in the area I am planning on living. Both suggested joining the STC, Society for Technical Communication. I wanted to do some research and see whether some others agree. Here are some things I have learned from other blogs:

The STC is a professional society that is dedicated to advancing technical writing. It is international and has hundreds of local chapters.

The Benefits

Networking

Many people have mentioned that this is the main reason for joining the STC. This is the reason why the professionals I talked to suggested I join. It does seem to have good reasoning. We are in a recession right now. The networking in the STC is more than any graduate can find on his/her own.

Job Listings

The STC has a job bank for local employment opportunities. This is a nice feature. Not all jobs are listed online or in the paper and this way you get a job through someone who knows where to look.

Improving Marketable Skills

The STC has conferences where tech writers can learn new skills. Jenise Aminoff explains, "The STC hosts lots of events on topics ranging from usability to structured authoring to writing tools." It is a great way to stay knowledgeable in the profession.

The Downside

The STC costs money

This is one I didn't know about when I talked to the professionals. It makes sense. Money is always involved in organizations. Is it worth it to pay it though? Some people solve this by not offering it to everyone. "This employer doesn’t see enough value in STC to pay for all of the employed technical communicators to belong."- Ivan Walsh.



While we are going through a recession, the money might be worth the job opportunities the STC provides. Here is an image that explains:


It Is Sometimes Outdated

Some blogs explained the inefficient rigidness the STC experiences. No one wants to change and this leaves things outdated. Tom Johnson relates," They do seem to be a bit behind the times. For example, two years ago I was excited to learn the website was going to be redesigned. If I remember correctly, it was announced at a conference. But the only difference I can see now is the big blue buttons and the redesigned logo"

It Is Going Through A Recession

Along with the rest of the world, the STC is having its own financial troubles. n the blog speakertogeeks.blogspot.com, she tells us about reading the Member Update on STC Financial Crisis, "Members are not renewing their memberships, new members are not joining, and far fewer people are attending STC conferences and events, with the effect that the STC now has a more than $1 million deficit."

Will the STC be able to ride out the recession, or is it going to flop like some large corporations that have already gone under?

I like how Tom Johnson explains this:

"But if the STC were to dissolve, although it would be a tremendous blow to the communities across the globe, the hundreds of tech comm. bloggers would still create engaging content to read. Academics and other authors would still publish books and articles. Vendors would still continue to develop and innovate products. Listservs would continue to flourish. Conferences (though smaller) would still be held. The profession would continue to thrive."


I think I will wait until I get closer to graduating before joining.

Let's Talk Cover Letters

Here are some things I have learned about writing my own cover letters:

Too many people focus on making a great resume, which is not a bad thing. However, the cover letter is important too. A cover letter lets you explain some parts your resume more in depth. You have a chance to let the employer know more about what you can do.

Getting Started

Make sure you know what the company does. No one wants to read a generic letter that shows the applicant did not even take the time to learn what the company does. When you know more about the company, you know more about your audience. You need to write your cover letter to this specific audience.

Writing

First of all, you can use I. There is no unwritten rule saying that you cannot. A possible employer will not look at the letter and throw it in the trash just because you have a few I's. When you try to avoid I, the language gets warped and comes out strained and harder to read.

Second, you are trying to persuade the employer that you are the best person for this position. You should explain how you will fit with the company. This means that you need to make sure you can address their requirements for the position. You want to show them that you are qualified.

Lastly, this is a chance to let the employer get to know you. They do not need to know your life story, you should still be professional. But cover letters are more personal than the resume. Keep a balanced tone.

I hope this helps.

Writing Great Resumes

Here is what I have learned about writing resumes:

I bet some of you are wondering " We all know how to make a resume." I don't want to just make a resume, I want to show you how to make a good one.

A resume tells the possible employer about you. It is the best glimpse they see before they make the decision to keep your resume or throw it in the trash with all the inadequate resumes. That means you get one chance to impress them.


Getting Started

There are two different kinds of resumes. There is a chronological resume or a functional resume. A chronological resume is the most common resume. It is directed by time, newest jobs to the oldest jobs. This is a good choice if you have more recent job experience in the position you are seeking. A functional resume has the most relevant projects or education at the top and only lists information that it important to the position. This is a good choice if you don't have much experience, but a larger amount of education. Choose the one that best fits your situation.


Templates

Using a template is a good start, but your resume shouldn't look like a template. A template is a starting tool, but you need to make your resume your own. You can keep some parts that are good, but don't just paste your text into the document. You are different from everyone else in the world, make your resume a representation of you.


Audience

You resume needs to be tailored to your audience. You should be able to see the job description in the resume. One resume cannot be used for 10 different jobs. Each resume should be specific to the job.


Content

Content is king. It does not matter if you have the most stunning looking design for your resume if your content does not tell the employer anything. Don't just tell things you did, but explain why you were important. If you were a waiter at a restaurant, don't just put waited one tables. Explain why you mattered as an employee. An example would be helped over 40 people in 3 hours everyday. This shows why you were more than just a regular employee. Numbers really matter. By putting how many, how much, and how often you are better able to tell the employer what you did.


Little Things

Here are some small details:

• start descriptions with a strong action verb
• alignment is obvious, especially when it is unaligned
• spelling words wrong looks unprofessional

How To Be Different

While it is important to stand out from the rest of the crowd, designs can be taken too far. Resumes should still remain professional.

Here is a website that shows examples of resumes with designs that were taken too far:

http://applicant.com/30-plus-brilliant-and-creative-resumes/

However, here is a website that shows creative resumes that are still professional:

http://jobmob.co.il/blog/beautiful-resume-ideas-that-work/

While I am still learning, these are some helpful suggestions to those who are just getting started.

Using Captivate

I plan to use Captivate to create a more interactive training manual for my work. As of now, the training manual is a bunch of powerpoints. This makes it difficult for people who are not visual learners. Also, reading all of the powerpoints (there are 16) takes a lot of time. I want to shorten this training process and make it easier for everyone watching. I can’t wait to post what I can do to change it.

Tools That Have Helped Me So Far

There are two skills I have learned that are great to have for technical writing. The first is blogging. This last week I really learned the importance number 5 on Tom’s advice for technical writers. I was trying to get an internship. The manager of the company told me that he was impressed with my blog. It was a great feeling knowing that one small thing, like my blog, really set me apart from other candidates. It shows the personality of a writer. It is a great way to get your name out.

The second skill is web design. Computers are now an important part of the business world. The internet is widespread, and anyone who can pay for the domain name and hosting can have a website. The difference in getting a job or not is being able to design the site well. I have been learning how to design a website using Adobe Dreamweaver. While there are other products available, this is the one my class has been working with. It is good to have some knowledge of web design, so when an employer is speaking about web optimization you know what they are talking about.

Adobe Captivate

I have recently started to learn captivate. It is a program where you can create interactive presentations and software simulation.

The interactive presentations can be taken from a PowerPoint presentation. Captivate lets you add interactivity, with text boxes and even a voice over option. Quiz slides can be created in the middle of the project so it will involve the viewer.

A software simulation is a video or picture of what is happening on the screen. This could be a tutorial. It is a great way to show the viewer how to use a product or produce things in programs.

It is a great resource for a technical writer. The writer is still able to present ideas without having pages of plain text or a video the watcher will not listen to.

Adobe Design Suite and Netbooks

I recently bought a netbook, but I still wanted to use Adobe's Design Suite. One of the main problems was the screen size. Netbooks are great for their small, compact size. This feature is not the best when it comes to designing layouts and creating projects.It was annoying to scroll down to see the project I am working on. I learned that I could get a monitor and connect it to the laptop, that way I still get the functionality of the monitor without the size. This has worked out pretty well so far. It limits the space on a desk, but I can carry my computer to class easily. It can be annoying to not have the screen size, but that is the price I paid for buying a computer that is great for traveling.

A Fighting Chance

Every fall, BYU-Idaho has a Pre-Professional Conference for English majors and minors. This year, I was able to hear technical writer Tom Johnson, author of the blog http://www.idratherbewriting.com/, give a presentation on How to Get a Job in Tech Writing.

Here are some of the things he mentioned:

1. Learn the basics.


2. Get real experience.


3. Learn some tools.


4. Make a portfolio.


5. Start a blog.


6. Move to a hub city.


7. Volunteer for a position in the STC.

To get the full story, check it out here:
http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/22/how-to-get-a-job-in-technical-writing-a-7-step-guide-for-students/

He offers a seven step guide to getting a job. These tips were really useful and helped me feel like I have a fighting chance with my career. It explains tools that are good to know and other ways to make yourself better than the competitors.

Becoming a Technical Writer

I changed my major three times in college, going through almost all of the emphasis categories of English before finally settling on professional writing.

Many students I know have chosen professional writing because they cannot make any money from creative writing. So many of these students plan to go into editing-- the closest thing they can get to creative writing in a technical writing field. To those who make it in that career path I wish them luck. But let's face it, how many jobs are there as editors? Especially for young adult fiction, which seems to be the popular genre of choice.

Technical writing is more than just making instruction manuals and guides. Tom Johnson the author of www.idratherbewriting, a popular technical writing blog, spoke at a conference about how technical writing is not just writing manuals, but it is designing and laying out documents, learning software, developing and researching the use of products. It is not boring. Being a technical writer is not a punishment for a unimaginative world, but it is a respectable and fulfilling career. CNN Money says that it is the 28th best job in the United States: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2009/full_list/index.html. Technical writing is a great career choice.