A Career in Technical Writing: End of Part One
July 23, 2008 by J.C. Hewitt
End games concludes the first part of my series on a career in technical writing. The journey so far has taken us from my beginning as an outsider looking for his first job in the career through to the end of my first contract assignment. This seems like a good point to ask, “How am I doing?”
- Do you still like the structure (bullet points, article. further reading, questions)? Are they making the articles too long or do they add to the value? Would you rather just hear the tale?
- Were you expecting something different? Some people may have expected a “how-to” approach. This is more of a tour of a writing career. I am hoping people find it helpful.
- What do you want to read more of or see less of?
A Career in Technical Writing Series (so far)
- A Career in Technical Writing: Life as a wannabee
- A Career in Technical Writing: Two dates to the prom
- A Career in Technical Writing: The fax about outsourcing
- A Career in Technical Writing: A strange new world
- A Career in Technical Writing: Life as a newbie
- A Career in Technical Writing: Workaround
- A Career in Technical Writing: Last Contractor Standing
- A Career in Technical Writing: Reversals
- A Career in Technical Writing: End games
Related links
- A Career in Technical Writing: The beginning of a new series (0.500)
- A Career in Technical Writing: Life as a wannabee (0.500)
- A Career in Technical Writing: Two dates to the prom (0.500)
- A Career in Technical Writing: The fax about outsourcing (0.500)
- A Career in Technical Writing: A strange new world (0.500)
The structure is fine by me.
As I said, I’m hooked. I work as a technical writer and love it (though I arrived kind of the way the little bird Woodstock flies).
I want to read more. The way you’re doing it, as a tour, suits me.
Well done. More, please.
I tend to respond better to anecdotal examples rather than textbook styles so using your career warms up the topic. We also get to know you better – a bonus. The bullet points draw me in and further reading links are the icing on the cake. I like this format!
@ Craig & JoniB
Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you are enjoying the style.
I enjoy the layout; you’re making points and keeping things succinct like a good tech writer should. However, I’ve been having flashbacks to my own experiences as a tech writer, so I’m going to go have a nice lie down in a dark room until the whimpering stops.
@ Brandon
Wow, I feel like Michael Herr. I’m glad I could induce flashbacks, but I apologize for your suffering.
John, I am thoroughly enjoying the series, especially the slices of humor. Please continue the story.
John,
I’ve really enjoyed this series even though I’m not particularly interested in technical writing. Your insights have far broader application than technical writing, and I really like hearing about your personal experiences. The format works well because it offers something for everyone – bullet points for those who scan, your experience in the body, and additional resources for those who want to learn more.
Thank you Morgan and Lillie for your praise and encouragement. I will start part twp up next week.
John,
I liked this format at the beginning of the series, and I’m still enjoying it. As Lillie says, it offers something for everyone — though, personally, I rather like all its parts!
Jeanne
@ John Hewitt
Very cool.
Thanks for putting in the time and effort to write this series. I have this bookmarked at work as well as at home.
Love it. Can’t wait for the next installment!
[...] a great blog full of advice for writers at all levels and in addition to recently finishing up a series of posts about careers in technical writing he’s just started a new run, giving lots of really useful tips for writers who need help [...]
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[...] Hewitt over at Poewar.com has an intriguing series of personal essays on life as a technical [...]
Johh, ever thought of connecting these articles together into a more tightly linked series using a plugin like the In Series WordPress plugin?
Hi Tom.
I wasn’t aware of the tool. I will have to look into it. Thank you for the information!
[...] A Career in Technical Writing: PoeWar.com Writer’s Resource Center. Tom Johnson | August 3, 2008 | permalink Tags: careers in technical writing, personal essays [...]
Find tips on gettingtechnical writing jobs. I found my technology writing job at beyond.com…… Just a suggestion!