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Technical Writer, how do you become one?

  • 11-12-2009 11:22am
    #1
    doolox
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭


    I am an Electronics Technician with Diplomas( HETAC level 7 ) in Engineering ( Electronics) from GMIT and a Diploma in Information Technology, also level 7 from DCU. I also have recently completed a level 6 course in Industrial Automation from FÁS in the hope of breaking away from the dying and shrinking electronics sector into a more general technical field.

    I am due to finish a 6 month assignment in my present job which, although I thought was a very good fit to my qualifications and experience to date, I have been told is not a good fit.

    Most particularly, my eyesight is against me as the job entails a high degree of visual inspection and I was missing defects too much to be considered for permanency.

    Also my Excel skills were not up to par for the job.

    On investigation it would appear that the few existing electronic jobs available are for C programmers amd specialists in embedded device designers.

    I have absolutely no experience in either.

    In order to upgrade my pass in Electronics to Honours Degree level I would have to start from scratch, according to the DCU website. DIT would allow entry at year 2 if I had AutoCad 2D skills, something that would take 1 year full time so that is just as bad.

    What qualifications do you need to become a technical writer and what are the ways of entry to the job?
    Would a degree in English be any any help and what are the ways to get that? I do not feel up to doing another language, so does that rule out a BA?


Comments

  • #2
    shoegirl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,029 ✭✭✭shoegirl


    Its not a bad idea. Unfortunately the bad news is that all the technical writers I know either did degrees or masters in it in the US or Canada. There was at some point some kind of post grad course but I believe the University of Limerick offer something.


  • #3
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    I know of people who've worked in it without any specific qualification in it from having experience of writing technical documentation etc. in previous positions. Maybe worth buying a 'for dummies' guide, putting some entry-level past experience on your CV and applying for some junior positions in the area?


  • #4
    LadyMayBelle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,096 ✭✭✭LadyMayBelle


    The amount of Technical Writer jobs that get advertised is phenomenal. I know for the company SAP who seem to continually advertise, there are three stages to go thru, and most people don't even get past the first stage...involves tests and stuff I think...

    I don't know if there is a technical writing course per se in ireland but I know a lot of courses offer it as a module, you'd also want a good command of english..


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