TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
>Susan Seifert wrote:
>
>I have been out of the techwriting field for about 10 years and wonder how
>it has changed, what programs people are using, and so on. I have a vintage
>version of Robohelp that qualifies for an upgrade and wonder if anyone
>still uses that.
>
>I'm really curious about the types of documentation that are going on now,
>and for whom, and on which software.
Hi Susan,
Welcome back.
In the past ten years I've seen the tech writing field 'tighten up'. By
that I mean that I've seen tech writers assume more roles within a company.
My resume now reads Tech Writer/Functional Analyst, Tech Writer/Business
Analyst, etc. Budgets and resources have tightened also. My recent
employers have been more interested to know if I can complete certain
documentation projects without having to take up a lot of a developer's time
and if I can add another component in a shorter period of time.
As for software, opinions vary. I've used FrameMaker five times in my past
seven contracts, and RoboHelp once. The RoboHelp experience wasn't great as
there were frequent problems uploading documentation to the database and
tech support for RoboHelp was terrible. In the past six months I've been
asked about my Documentum experience by prospective employers. I don't
recall that happening in the past.
Since personal experience varies, I can only tell you what types of
documentation projects I've been engaged in. It's been predominantly
software-related; custom tweaks to out-of-the-box software. Hardware
projects for me are few and far between, but have been mentioned frequently
during my recent interviews. Processes and procedures are always in high
demand.
As an aside, several recent interviews by both established corporations and
start-ups have started with "We've never employed a tech writer before and
we have absolutely no documentation at present..."
WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
