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.
Diplom Ingenieur (academically qualified engineer) electronic technology
(1976)
Later I developed computer programs to design and produce printed circuit
boards;
after unification of Germany I became adviser for Environment;
became certified counsellor for environment;
became editor of a small literature magazine;
It was hard to find a job, so I used the time for qualification;
certification as trainer
certification as quality assurance manager (ISO 9000 ...)
I read a lot of books and listened to tapes in English language. So I
improved my experience in English. I had few opportunity to speak English.
There was a job opening for technical writers and I have the job now for 4
years.
The difficulty is to write in English, if German is your mother tongue
(native language.)
Now I'm technical writer, and I like the job.
I know, it is much easier to write in the native language, but I'm happy
with the job, and I learned a lot during the last years.
Fortunately we are working together with an office in Canada, and so proof
reading of our manuals may be done by native speakers of English.
The main problem of technical writing is not the language, as I thought
firstly, the language is just an instrument. The problem is to receive the
information what the program is doing, and to be able to translate them
from the programmer's language into the user's language or vice versa.
Often the don't understand each other. It helps me a lot that I developed
programs myself in earlier times.
