Technical Writer.

♣€Describe the skills of a successful technical writer.

♣€Provide at least three examples and explain their importance to the technical writing process. If you were a technical writer, which skills would you consider most vital to your position and why?

The skills that are needed to be a successful technical writer are:

• Writing Skills – write to a specific audience, grammar, and spelling being correct.

• Technical skills - depends significantly on the subject matter, product or service that requires documentation.

• Product Knowledge - is important to have knowledge in that field, able to understand the material.

• Interviewing and listening skills – asking questions, knowing the best people to ask, evaluating answers.

• Design skills / Tools skills – knowledge of computer, graphics, word processors, Adobe FrameMaker, Corel Draw, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator, Quark…etc..

• Information Organization – Having all the information in logical order.

• Speaking - convey your message effectively.

Three examples that are important to the technical writing process are:

1. Writing skills are very important, you have to be able to write to an audience so that they will understand exactly what you are trying to say. You do not want to write above their level, if you do, they will not be able to understand exactly what you are trying convey. If you write below the level of your audience, they will be board and lose interest. When you write a technical document grammar and spelling also have to be correct, you never know who is going to read the document that you have prepared.

2. Information Organization, having information in logical order is important. If you do not have the steps in logical order, no one will be able to follow how things need to be done.

3. Design skills/Tools skills consist of knowledge of computer, graphics, word processors, MS Word, Adobe FrameMaker, Corel Draw, Adobe...