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> I have a related question--just how does a liberal arts person break into
> technical writing? Every employer seems to want a technical background.
> Well, I took some computer courses in addition to the technical writing
> course, but that does not seem to be enough. Also, what is the demand for
> technical writers in the United States, and in which regions of the United
> States is the demand most pressing?
It's true that you need some technical background in order to be taken
seriously as a technical writer. You can get that by a combination of
experience and coursework. But you don't need a technical degree. EVEN
if the ads say so.
My business partner is an example of someone with a liberal arts degree
- in political science, as a matter of fact - who has become a widely
respected technical writer. In fact, he's 'head geek' in our company.
And virtually all of his 'geekness' is self-taught. You don't need a
lot of coursework to master technical material - you can get a long,
long way by reading the trade press in some detail, and asking questions
of people who are associated with technical projects.
However, because so much of your credibility rides on your resume, it's
also important to create believable experiences - such as courses (taken
online or by correspondence, for instance), technical projects in which
you've played a part, etc. And getting started can be hard. Others
have suggested that you take a smallish contracting job just for the
verifiable experience. You can string together a number of those, and
thus create a credible impression of technical competence.
As to where in the United States there is demand, look through the
various geographic-area newsgroups on the 'net. In the San Francisco
Bay Area, for instance, there is ba.job.contract, ba.jobs.offered, etc.
You should also make a point of scanning the online versions of the
classified ads for the major papers in an area of interest. In the Bay
Area, for instance, the best ads are in the Sunday and Monday San Jose
Mercury News, the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner, the Oakland
Tribune, the Contra Costa Times, and the Marin Independence-Journal.
What you will run into is a whole slew of agencies who have tech writer
opportunities. When you send them your resume, tell them that you're
also interested in their feedback as to what you can do to the resume to
make it more attractive to potential employers. A few of them may
respond with genuinely useful information.
Good luck!
Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems
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