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Technical Writing for Translators

Conclusion

Conclusion

Congratulations! If you’re really reading this as a conclusion (i.e., you’ve covered all the topics before), then you have shown some resilience! That’s great: you will need it to power through even wordier docs in the future.

I hope you enjoyed the guide and found it useful. If not – that’s fine too! We read good documentation to learn how to write, but learning how not to write is no less important. You can find opportunities for growth in anything if you search deep enough (just don’t nag your SME too much!).

Before you go, check out the step-by-step summary below. It’s a sample plan for you to modify or follow as is. Remember: you don’t have to wait till you’ve ticked all the steps off. Look out for job opportunities as you go and you might succeed earlier than planned. Don’t fall into the trap of never being ready enough – but don’t come to an interview unprepared. Try to find some middle ground. Think positive and treat every interview as a valuable lesson, regardless of how it goes. Failing is part of the training.

From here, the floor is yours. Read on, practice, and chase opportunities. Good luck!

How to become a technical writer – a step-by-step summary

With your experience in translation, moving to technical writing should be fairly smooth. Follow the steps below to plan your training, learn new tools, build your portfolio, and prepare for an interview.

PREREQUISITES:

Training

  1. Read this guide. Take your time and explore the topics further on your own.
  2. Include reading industry websites in your weekly schedule.
  3. Include reading existing documentation in your weekly schedule.
  4. Teach yourself the basics of at least one tool from each of the categories in Tools.
  5. Write at least one short sample user manual on a topic you know well.
  6. (OPTIONAL) Rewrite your manual in Markdown or HTML and publish it on GitHub Pages.
  7. (OPTIONAL) Sign up for a postgraduate course in technical communication.
  8. (OPTIONAL) Take the ITCQF course and pass the corresponding certification exam.
  9. Write at least one larger and more complex documentation project. Consider using one of these toolsets:
    • Markdown + GitHub Pages
    • OxygenXML + DITA (output: HTML and PDF)
    • MadCap Flare (output: HTML and PDF)
  10. (OPTIONAL) Start working on an open-source documentation project.

Finding employment

  1. Build your portfolio.
  2. Prepare your resume.
  3. Apply for a job.
  4. Prepare for the interview.

Next section: Glossary