A Career in Technical Writing: End of Part One

Posted by John Hewitt on 7/23/2008 under Featured, Technical Writing, Writing, Writing Business |

Question MarkEnd 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)

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  • Craig (11 comments) said,

    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.

  • JoniB (64 comments) said,

    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!

  • John Hewitt (751 comments) said,

    @ Craig & JoniB

    Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you are enjoying the style.

  • Brandon (3 comments) said,

    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.

  • John Hewitt (751 comments) said,

    @ Brandon

    Wow, I feel like Michael Herr. I’m glad I could induce flashbacks, but I apologize for your suffering.

  • Morgan (54 comments) said,

    John, I am thoroughly enjoying the series, especially the slices of humor. Please continue the story.

  • Lillie Ammann (86 comments) said,

    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.

  • John Hewitt (751 comments) said,

    Thank you Morgan and Lillie for your praise and encouragement. I will start part twp up next week.

  • Jeanne Dininni (98 comments) said,

    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

  • Craig (11 comments) said,

    @ 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!

  • Link-Fest for Monday July 28th 2008 | SEOpsCentre said,

    [...] 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 [...]

  • WriterRiver.com said,

    A Career in Technical Writing — Personal Essays on Technical Writing Careers…

    Engaging, story-driven personal essays on the career of technical writing…

  • Personal Essays on a Technical Writing Career — by John Hewitt | I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson said,

    [...] Hewitt over at Poewar.com has an intriguing series of personal essays on life as a technical [...]

  • tom johnson (14 comments) said,

    Johh, ever thought of connecting these articles together into a more tightly linked series using a plugin like the In Series WordPress plugin?

  • John Hewitt (751 comments) said,

    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: End of Part One : PoeWar.com Writer’s Resource Center Writer River said,

    [...] A Career in Technical Writing: PoeWar.com Writer’s Resource Center. Tom Johnson | August 3, 2008 | permalink Tags: careers in technical writing, personal essays   [...]

  • jeremy (2 comments) said,

    Find tips on gettingtechnical writing jobs. I found my technology writing job at beyond.com…… Just a suggestion!

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