Levels of difficulty and stress in a technical writer job

I have been thinking lately about how to measure the level of stress and difficulty you could expect from a particular technical writing job. Would it be the type of content you write? The output requirements? The deadlines? This post is a result of some ideas my coworkers and I discussed over lunch the other day.

There’s an article called “What Do Technical Writers Find Stressful?” on the techwr-l website. The author divides the stress into categories and then describes each one in detail. Here’s his list:

What categories would you add to the list? What brings you the most stress as a technical writer?

My next question that I’ll try to answer is, how would you discover the stress level of a job while you’re still interviewing for it? Here are my suggested questions.

• Tell me about the last product release, did the doc go out with errors or did it go out late? Give me a specific example of your choices between quality and deadlines.
• Do you feel like you get enough information about release changes? How are changes typically communicated to the writers?
• How many meetings do you attend each week? (Interpreting the answer might be tricky - more than 15 hours a week of meetings probably means there’s plenty of communication, but how will you get the actual work done in 25 hours a week?)
• What processes are in place for product releases? How closely are the processes followed? Does the team use any Agile methodologies? Is it Waterfall method? Is there no method?
• What platforms does your help support? Do you have any concerns about accessibility? How about multiple language requirements?
• Give me an example of how you gather information from developers or business analysts when you need to write a new procedure.
• What are the specs on your computer? Do you run the product on a separate computer or separate server? Do you have two monitors to run the product and to author the content?

In your interview, also try to read the stress level of each writer and manager you talk to. There may be clues in the amount of preparation they had for the interview itself, and whether the writer needs to immediately go to another meeting. What other observations might offer clues to the stress levels there?

I agree with the Brazen Careerist that one question not to ask is, “How many hours do you work per day?” This is a personal question that has to do with the individual’s work and life balance and may not reflect the department or the company at all.

Let us know your personal favorite interview questions when you are a candidate for technical writing and related jobs in the comments below.

Related links about asking questions as a job candidate:

• Your Turn to Ask Questions
• Questions to ask at a job interview
• 10 questions you should ask in an intervew

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A recent graduate talks about her experiences getting a masters degree in technical communication

In my previous post, I interviewed Diane Fleming who had completed a graduate degree in technical writing later in her career. Today’s interview is with Melissa Burpo, who has completed the coursework and internship portions of the graduate program but still needs to write up her internship report (an equivalent assignment to a master’s thesis) before graduating. I was especially interested in the most current graduate’s perspective and Melissa graciously agreed to answer all these questions.

Melissa Burpo’s Interview

Anne: Could you give me a little bit of a bio - your employer, how long you’ve been there, what you do there?

Melissa: I work for Dovetail Software (www.dovetailsoftware.com), a CRM software vendor. Before I was hired as an intern in October 2006, Dovetail had never employed a writer of any sort, and I had never been employed as a fulltime technical writer. Because both the company and I are new to this whole “technical writer” thing, my job duties can be somewhat nebulous. Common tasks include rewriting, reorganizing, and redesigning legacy documents; writing end-user documentation for new functionality alongside a small agile development team; and lately, moving all of our scattered documents into AuthorIT, a single source content management system. I also occasionally handle marketing tasks, such as writing, designing, and voicing product demonstrations; designing product and company brochures; and producing graphics as needed for other marketing purposes.

Anne: First of all, tell me what your undergrad degree was in?
Melissa: Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Oglethorpe University, with a minor in Sociology

Anne: What led you to a graduate degree in tech comm?
Melissa: An undergraduate professor suggested that I look into tech comm after I finished my bachelor’s degree, but it took me three years to find my way to the MTSC program at Miami University. At first, I was turned off by the idea – I thought tech comm meant writing instruction manuals all day. Eventually I figured out that there was a very cool side to it as well – tech writers are constantly learning new things, exploring new technologies, and then figuring out how best to communicate that information to a user base. It seemed like a fun and innovative space to work in, so I decided to get the degree.

Anne: What other degree programs did you consider?
Melissa: I briefly looked at degrees in Professional Writing and Literary Nonfiction, but tech comm won out in the end.

Anne: What did you learn in the degree program?
Melissa: I learned how to practically apply technical writing theory to real-world problem solving contexts. Almost all of my school projects were for real clients in a variety of industries. For example, I collaboratively put together a website for a waste water group, wrote and designed a procedural reference card for nurses at a local hospital, and wrote a white paper about a local environmental issue for the university.

Anne: What do you wish others had told you about technical writing before you got a job in it?
Melissa: I wish someone had warned me that being a technical writer is just as much about building successful interpersonal relationships as it is about writing and designing good documents. Forging a good relationship with your SMEs is vital, because they are your information resource. Everything works a lot better if he or she is happily willing to share information.

Anne: What do you consider to be the “value” of the graduate degree - in monetary terms, employability terms, and general learning?
Melissa: I don’t see the value as the degree itself, but instead, I see the value as the experience I gained while in the program. The experience translates into a full portfolio, a well-rounded resume, and the ability to find and secure a good job.

Anne: Do you think the degree has paid for itself?
Melissa: Yes, absolutely.

Anne: How well has the education “aged,” meaning, are the subjects you studied still current for the field?
Melissa: So far, so good – of course, I’ve only been out of the program for a year : )

I do want to mention one thing, though. The technology I studied has already been replaced by new versions and new innovations. But that’s okay, because one of the greatest lessons I took away from my program is the ability to quickly learn new technology as needed.

Anne: Do you think that an undergraduate degree in tech comm offers the same results as a masters degree in tech comm?
Melissa: Yes. If the undergrad degree has a practically-based curriculum that prepares students for a professional career, then there shouldn’t be much of a difference. I needed the graduate program because my undergraduate degree was unfocused. It didn’t prepare me for a career.

Anne: If you hadn’t gotten the master’s in technical and scientific communication, speculate about what might be different for your career path and job prospects.
Melissa: In the one year since leaving the program, I’ve already completed two contract jobs and an internship, and I now work in a regular full time position. I don’t think any of this would have been as easy or possible without the experience I gained in my graduate program. If I hadn’t gotten my MTSC degree, I would probably still be struggling to establish myself as an employable, valuable professional.

Anne: What would you advise others who are thinking about pursuing graduate work in technical communication?
Melissa: When looking for a program, find one that gives you practical experience in the field. This will not only start you off with a great portfolio, but it will also give you the knowledge and confidence to move into a real job. Also, keep in mind that studying a specialty area is important. For example, if you want to work in the pharmaceutical industry, you’ll probably need to know something about human biology, drug chemistry, regulatory issues, etc. This should be reflected in your studies, whether it’s before, during, or after you enter the tech comm program.

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Should I get a graduate degree in technical writing? Interviews with those who have

It’s no secret that I have a masters degree in technical and scientific communication from Miami University. With all the hype about Web 2.0, outsourcing, crowdsourcing, and social media like wikis, an interesting question that I get asked occasionally is, “should I get a graduate degree in technical writing?”

I’ve had quite a few interesting online discussions while seeking interviewees, and I’ll post two interviews this week, and then try to discuss all the complexities in answering this question in a third post.

I emailed questions to two current technical writers in the Austin area who have masters degrees in technical writing. This first post is an interview with Diane Fleming, a Senior Technical Writer at NetQoS. The second interview is with Melissa Burpo, a not-quite-graduated degree candidate who’s working as the only technical writer at DoveTail Software.

Diane Fleming’s Interview

Anne: Could you give me a little bit of a bio - who is your employer, how long you’ve been there, what you do there?
Diane: I currently work as a Senior Technical Writer at NetQoS. I provide all documentation for SuperAgent, an end-to-end performance monitoring tool. Because the Training and Technical Writing departments are combined at NetQoS, I provide product docs (pdfs and online Help) and curriculum for customer training.

Anne: First of all, tell me what your undergrad degree was in?
Diane: It’s a BA in English from SUNY Buffalo.

Anne: What led you to a graduate degree in tech comm?
Diane: I had never heard of technical writing as a profession (this was in the late seventies), but a graduate of RPI’s technical communications department offered a one-night seminar at a local college entitled, “A Career in Technical Writing.” After taking the seminar, I discovered that a high school friend of mine had also graduated from RPI, so I started exploring their degree program. At the time, I was working at the Poughkeepsie Journal and they had a very open tuition reimbursement program. They agreed to pay for my degree at RPI, though it required that I work full-time and commute to Albany to complete the degree (a two-hour commute in each direction).
But I couldn’t pass up the free tuition.

Anne: What other degree programs did you consider?
Diane: None, though later I began work on an M.S. in computer science (which I never completed).

Anne: What did you learn in the degree program?
Diane: I don’t remember the exact titles of the classes, but we learned writing and editing, project management, and computer programming. One of the classes required that we work as a team to produce a piece of documentation, which unfortunately required an extra weekly commute to Albany for me. We also took a communications
class, which entailed a general review of communication theory.

Anne: What do you wish others had told you about technical writing
before you got a job in it?
Diane: I’m not sure anyone could have told me, but I always regretted not pursuing computer programming in lieu of writing because of the greater respect programmers garner – tech writers have to constantly remind others of their value. Sometimes it seems like a losing battle. With offshoring, the message seems to be, if you can speak English, even minimally, then you can be a tech writer!

Anne: What do you consider to be the “value” of the graduate degree — in monetary terms, employability terms, and general learning?
Diane: My degree opened a lot of doors for jobs I’d otherwise be overlooked for. I’ve managed to stay employed as a tech writer since 1988, and I’ve been paid well.

Anne: Do you think the degree has paid for itself?
Diane: Absolutely! Especially since my employer paid for the degree. Even if I had paid for it, the degree was worth its cost. It’s enabled me to put two sons through college and to support my family.

Anne: How well has the education “aged,” meaning, are the subjects you studied still current for the field?
Diane: The skills that have aged well are writing, editing, and project management. But as technology changes, my skills degrade. New programming languages, wikis, agile development, blogging, browser-based interfaces, so on and so forth – all these innovations require that I keep learning new things to stay current.

Anne: Do you think that an undergraduate degree in tech comm offers the same results as a masters degree in tech comm?
Diane: Probably. When I got my M.S. degree, lots of teachers were retraining to become technical writers. In fact, the original program at RPI was geared toward teachers. RPI ran summertime institutes so that teachers could retrain during their time off. The masters degree enabled people in other professions to retrain in a couple of years. But for someone coming right out of high school, an undergraduate degree should suffice.

Anne: If you hadn’t gotten the master’s in technical and scientific communication, speculate about what might be different for your career path and job prospects.
Diane: I doubt I would’ve become a tech writer – I’d tried to “break into” IBM for many years – it was the major employer where I lived, even minimally, then you can be a tech writer!

Anne: What do you consider to be the “value” of the graduate degree - in monetary terms, employability terms, and general learning?
Diane: My degree opened a lot of doors for jobs I’d otherwise be overlooked for. I’ve managed to stay employed as a tech writer since 1988, and I’ve been paid well.

Anne: Do you think the degree has paid for itself?
Diane: Absolutely! Especially since my employer paid for the degree. Even if I had paid for it, the degree was worth its cost. It’s enabled me to put two sons through college and to support my family.

Anne: How well has the education “aged,” meaning, are the subjects you studied still current for the field?
Diane: The skills that have aged well are writing, editing, and project management. But as technology changes, my skills degrade. New programming languages, wikis, agile development, blogging, browser-based interfaces, so on and so forth – all these innovations require that I keep learning new things to stay current.

Anne: Do you think that an undergraduate degree in tech comm offers the same results as a masters degree in tech comm?
Diane: Probably. When I got my M.S. degree, lots of teachers were retraining to become technical writers. In fact, the original program at RPI was geared toward teachers. RPI ran summertime institutes so that teachers could retrain during their time off. The masters degree enabled people in other professions to retrain in a couple of years.
But for someone coming right out of high school, an undergraduate degree should suffice.

Anne: If you hadn’t gotten the master’s in technical communication, speculate about what might be different for your career path and job prospects.
Diane but at the time, I was told that women were secretaries and that was that. I had worked as a temp secretary at IBM, even with an English degree. It wasn’t until I received my masters degree that someone would interview me for a tech writing job at IBM. I might’ve eventually pursued a computer science masters degree in order to become a programmer. But if I hadn’t done that, maybe I’d still be at the Poughkeepsie Journal doing graphic design for retail ads.

Anne: What would you advise others who are thinking about pursuing graduate work in technical communication?
Diane: Check out certificate programs first – RPI offers a HCI certificate (human-computer interaction), which might help you find work as a tech writer. Also look into current technologies – are companies using wikis? What kind of technical information do you want to document? If you’re interesting in writing about programming interfaces, you might get an M.S. in computer science to complement an English degree – this might be of more value in the long-run in terms of pay scale and promotability. Also look into distance learning – schools offer low-residency programs in technical writing, which enable you to keep working and pursue your degree at the same time. Also look for a program that’s tied into a particular industry. RPI was associated with IBM, which really enhanced their program. I think more academic programs are less useful. If the program seems to focus on a lot of theory, it’s probably not going to help you be a good tech writer, though it might help you teach. Also, see if you can talk to a tech writing manager at a local company and ask them what they recommend to become a tech writer.

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Interview about wikis for tech doc with Dee Elling of CodeGear

While researching my STC Intercom article about wikis and technical documentation to be published in a few months, I interviewed Dee Elling via phone and email because she left a helpful comment on my talk.bmc.com blog entry about a DITA and wiki combo. Dee’s the manager of the documentation group at CodeGear and she blogs at http://blogs.codegear.com/deeelling/.

Anne -What are some of the factors for selecting a wiki software package?
Dee -I’ve encountered hesitation from some writers about using a markup interface. Many writers preferred a Word-like GUI interface, such as Confluence provides. Another consideration is cost, since there is not always a budget for new systems; at CodeGear we use MediaWiki. Primarily we manage internal information such as schedules and doc plans; lately we are collaborating with engineers to write FAQs and release notes.

At my previous employer, one engineering team was writing the documentation themselves on the wiki (using outlines provided by the writer), and the writer cleaned it up and converted it to PDF for distribution with the product. That is a great use case which I believe could seed the adoption of wikis into the documentation process, especially in companies where there are limited doc resources.

At CodeGear I can post copyrighted material to our Developer Network. The Developer Network technology allows comments on postings, which is not the same as wiki but a good start. Since joining, I have started to post traditional doc content as “articles” there. I’ve already fixed a few doc issues due to rapid customer feedback! We are also working on a design to make the website interface more wiki-like.

Anne -How do you get legal approval for such an open-edit site?
Dee -At my previous company I never got to the stage of implementing a public wiki. However I had many discussions about the legal aspects elated to the product documentation. The legal aspects seem complex, but lawyers can write new terms for new situations.

At CodeGear the issue will involve intellectual property, but the user base is so active on the internet that there are few “secrets”. More important will be the issue of releasing information too soon or otherwise getting in trouble with SOX compliance. (That makes my head spin!)

Anne -What are the considerations when choosing where the wiki is hosted?
Dee -Cost and reliability are factors, but most important is buy-in from the IT department, who would likely manage the hosting.

Anne -Which types of products are best targeted for a wiki?
Dee -Complex software products are a good example. There is so much flexibility in software and product documentation cannot cover every use case. The wiki lets customers add content that is relevant to their own use cases, and that will benefit others.

Anne -How can you encourage your users to contribute?
Dee -Keeping up a dialog with the customers is helpful. If you respond to them, a dialog develops, and they are more likely to contribute again.

Anne -What are some of the success factors for the wikis that contain
technical documentation?
Dee -Does it result in more positive feedback from customers? Do customers help each other and contribute to strengthening the installed base? Does it increase product visibility and mindshare in the market? Is it perceived as a strategic advantage over competitors? Does it cut down on tech support phone calls?

Anne -What traps should be avoided?
Dee -The trap of not responding or not paying attention. Writers must diligently track the “living documents” they have created, and they must truly collaborate. If customers contribute and their contributions go unrecognized, they may think that the company is not fully supporting them.

Public wiki documentation must be actively managed and that takes more writer effort than in the past, when documents were forgotten as soon as they went to manufacturing. Contrary to the fear that with wikis you don’t need writers anymore, I believe that with wikis the role of the writer will grow.

Thanks so much for your help, Dee, and for sharing your experience with all of us who are interested in the best ways to harness the power of wikis for end-user doc.

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