Technical Communication and Your Career

C H A P T E R 1

• What is Technical Communication?• Who Creates It?• When Will You Create It?• Why Is It Important to Your Career?• What Workplace Factors Affect It?• What Makes It Excellent?

Presentation Overview

What Is Technical Communication?

Technical communication clearly and accurately conveys technical information so that readers can understand it quickly and easily and use it safely and efficiently.

It is found anywhere readers gather information to complete a task.

What Is Technical Communication?

• Letters• Memos• E-mails• Resumés• Job descriptions• Contracts• Forms• Program or product

specifications• Process descriptions• Brochures

• Policy manuals• Procedures• Instruction manuals• Online help• Owners’ manuals• Safety manuals• Training materials• Tutorials• Workbooks• Quick reference guides

What Is Technical Communication?

• Flyers• Newsletters• Requests for proposals• Information for bids• Bid proposals• Grant proposals• Directives• Progress reports• Meeting minutes• Field reports• Lab reports

• Trip reports• Maintenance discrepancy

reports• Incident or accident

reports• Research reports• Analytical reports• Recommendation reports• Feasibility studies• Performance evaluations• Web content • Touch-screen displays

What Is Technical Communication?

• Presentations • Demonstrations• Articles for trade and

professional journals• Syllabi• Lesson plans• Textbooks• Cookbooks• Catalogs• Phone books• Warning labels

• Product tags• Signs• And much, much more!

Who Creates It?

• Technical communicators, a.k.a. technical writers, who write as their primary job function.

• Technical professionals who write as part of their job, but not as their primary job function.

• As a prospective college graduate, most likely—you!

When Will You Create It?

• Regularly to perform routine tasks• Occasionally to perform non-routine tasks

When Will You Create It?

A petroleum engineer might prepare technical communications for these routine and non-routine tasks*:

Writing procedures for field personnel

E-mailing information requests and project updates

Preparing a project report

Routine

Tasks

Drafting a professional opinion for a deposition

Preparing a feasibility study of options to solve a technical problem

Writing an article for a professional journal

Non-Routi

ne Tasks

* These are only a few examples of the many potential writing tasks petroleum engineers perform. Tasks may vary according to company and specific position.

When Will You Create It?

A physical therapist might prepare technical communications for these routine and non-routine tasks*:

Writing and updating a patient evaluation report

Preparing patient education materials

Writing a discharge summary

Routine

Tasks

Writing a letter of necessity

Filling out an insurance forms requesting more information

Preparing an incident report

Non-Routi

ne Tasks

* These are only a few examples of the many potential writing tasks physical therapists perform. Tasks may vary according to company and specific position.

When Will You Create It?

A tax accountant might prepare technical communications for these routine and non-routine tasks*:

E-mailing a client with additional questions about a tax return

Preparing a memo with the results of research about a tax issue

Drafting a letter to a client to accompany a return

Routine

Tasks

Revising procedures to improve the process for tax filings

Preparing a presentation for a major corporate client

Setting goals followed by performance evaluations

Non-Routi

ne Tasks

* These are only a few examples of the many potential writing tasks tax accountants perform. Tasks may vary according to company and specific position.

Why Is It Important to Your Career?

Technical communication will most likely be required for you to perform your job:– For typical college graduates, 20-60 percent of

their time on the job is spent writing (University of Maryland).

– For college graduates in technical fields, at least 40 percent of their time on the job is spent writing.

Why Is It Important to Your Career?

Technical communication will help you succeed in your career by:– Allowing you to communicate your ideas

effectively, which increases the likelihood that they will be implemented

– Persuading others of the value of your work– Shaping overall perceptions of your performance

Why Is It Important to Your Career?

Good CommunicationVisibility

Credibility

Enhanced Reputation

Poor CommunicationVisibility

Credibility

Damaged

Reputation

• Organizational and managerial expectations– Format– Organization– Style– Design

What Workplace Factors Affect It?

• Readers’ needs and expectations– Company executives– Managers– Co-workers– Clients– Users– Potential customers– Etc.

What Workplace Factors Affect It?

• A collaborative environment– In planning a document– In co-authoring or writing a document• Each person on the team writes a section, and one

person edits• Each person on the team writes a section, and the

team edits together• The team writes and edits the entire document

together

– In reviewing or revising a document

What Workplace Factors Affect It?

• Time and budget– What is the deadline for this document?– What other projects do I have to work on at the

same time?– Are there limits on the amount of money I can

spend on preparing the document?• Software• Equipment and materials • Graphics or graphic design assistance• Publication rights• Printing and binding

What Workplace Factors Affect It?

• Ethical issues– Language– Graphics– Information

What Workplace Factors Affect It?

What Makes It Excellent?

• Includes honest, ethical information– Chapter 2

• Addresses specific readers– Chapters 4 and 6

• Uses clear, concise language– Chapters 7 and 8

What Makes It Excellent?

• Uses a professional, accessible design– Chapters 9 and 10

• Includes complete, accurate information – Chapter 5

• Follows the conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage– Appendix

Questions?