TECHNICAL WRITER
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NOTE:
This is not a position for a Release Engineer. Manager is looking for a Technical Writer with background in writing how-to/user manuals for SCM Tools (ClearCase, ClearQuest, RequisitePro, TeamSite, Hudson, etc.), Please look for candidates with this background experience
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Primary Responsibilities:

Well, having finished my last contract position, it has taken me a few days to get everything set up to officially work from home, but I'm hoping to get started soon.

I've been working on a website to help others, and hopefully draw attention to my capabilities, still under development. I had no idea how much work all this is! But it's been good to brush up on my HTML and PHP hacking skills.

Our client is looking for an experienced technical/programming writer with a solid object-oriented programming background and 3 or more years experience writing SDKs, CDKs and similar types of documentation for software developer audiences. The ideal candidate will be familiar with Web service programming, including Web service APIs, WSDL, and SOAP. The writer will write Web service API references and possibly programmer guides.

This is a 3-6 months contract opportunity at Mountain View, CA.

Job requirements: The candidate must have:

by Bruce Byfield

Cattle die, kindred die,
Every man is mortal:
But the good name never dies
Of one who has done well.
--Havamal (Translated by W.H. Auden and P.B. Taylor)

What do contract technical writers have in common with the 10th Century Vikings to whom this advice was addressed? Simply this: Like a Viking, contractors survive--and prosper--on the strength of their reputations.

Most contractors can't afford the time or money to advertise. If they can, there probably aren't many places where an ad would reach potential clients anyway. By default, then, your reputation as a contractor rests on your behavior at each job. Leave a happy client behind at the end of each job, and you'll soon start a word-of-mouth campaign that will keep you employed the rest of your working life.

Are there any illustrators out there getting requests for Web 2.0 logo illustrations?

by Emily Cotlier

I'm a technical writer working in New Zealand, and my jobs here have sent me to Singapore and Australia. When I told my friends and acquaintances that I was planning on moving from the United States, where I had lived all my life, to another country, their responses ranged from disbelief to envy. One person asked me, "Is that actually possible?" Others confessed that they didn't even have a passport.

Over time, I've found that many technical writers working in the Pacific Rim are expatriates from the United States, Europe, and India. In this era of globalization, many others are interested in exploring opportunities in different countries, or accompanying a spouse who is posted abroad. This article offers advice on finding technical writing jobs abroad, setting your own expectations for the new work environment, and getting involved in your new culture and country. It is based on my own experiences as an American expatriate working abroad, and on conversations with other expatriate technical writers. Although many of the examples are based on my own experiences, the information and advice can be applied to anyone seeking employment as a technical writer outside of their native country.

by Alice E. Fugate

Question: I love everything about being self-employed--except for waiting to get paid! My paychecks never seem to arrive on time. Sometimes my clients forget to send my invoices to Accounts Payable or the invoices get misplaced; other times the process just bogs down and takes forever. Whatever the reason, I'm stuck waiting for checks that don't come. How can I get my clients to pay on time?

Lay the groundwork for a happy fiscal relationship at the very beginning of each project. A little planning, plus a judicious dose of effective communication, will pave the way for timely payments.

by Eric J. Ray

As a technical writer, are you finding yourself wishing for just a bit of respect from the engineers, SMEs (Subject Matter Experts), or other technical people you work with? Are you finding that these folks seem to stonewall you on every question you have or every goal you're trying to achieve? Are they obstreperous? Difficult? Or just plain unhelpful?

by Liz Russell

If you're a writer like me, news of a fresh assignment brings both excitement and anxiety. New assignments offer opportunities to further our knowledge and expand our portfolios, and they may result in a bonus or a more lucrative contract. But new projects can also inspire angst and dread if you have past experience with projects that involved false starts, unrestrained scope creep, misunderstandings between team members, uncommunicative teammates, or unfamiliar technologies.

If you have experienced professional or having any skill. You can earn a good living as technical writer.

Technical writing donot need to pass any college exam. Any one who can read and write good language can become Technical Writer.

But If you planning to write technical book then it is good thing to first learn the basic principles about the procedures of that instrument.

For quick summary about technical writer visit:

http://technicalwriter-nigam.
blogspot.com.

In my blog I summarize technical writer introduction.