Scope of Technical Writer in India

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The Merry-Making Times!

Remember the good old days in Indian middle-class households and the arrival of new appliances like Television, Fridge, Washing machines, etc.? In those days, it was no less than a festivity or celebration. The head of the family, father, father-figure or the most eligible elder son used to be the central character to read that user manual or Instruction-manual or user-guide? The rest of the eyes waited for this scientific ritual to be over at the earliest so that they can witness the very functioning of their dream gadget. 

The Technician or Angel in Disguise?

If the difficulty level to handle the appliance was a bit too much for the family members, a technician would appear on the next working day to show the demo. Our technician friend was almost equivalent to an angel who would bless the gadget with life & within some time, television, fridge, the , Washing machine would start working wonders in our life. All the eyes and ears waited for his final instruction that would allow them to have that first date with the gadget. Today, the excitement has gone for a toss, by a finger touch that can explore thousands of online video tutorials in this digital age.

User-Manual: The Soul of the New Family Member!

Have we ever wondered what was there in that user manual that would make its reader and decoder a king in the household? Why was that white piece of paper so crucial for operating our dream appliances? This user manual or Instruction-manual or user-guide is the soul of any new product or service. There is no denying that this new appliance was welcome as a new family member. These gave a basic understanding of the machinery and helped to operate it without causing any damage or alteration to its constitution.

Techies and the Tale-Tellers

While the family techies were busy exploring the appliance, the other young minds of family tale-tellers would constantly ponder upon the writing style of these documents. These documents and their first-sight discipline were bound to attract the attention of the person of the letters. The clear active voice, the language, clear fonts, diagrams, flowcharts would never cease to amaze the minds of a future generation of writers.

Technical Writing and Technical Writer

Today, the drafting of such documents is called Technical Writing & the person writing it is a Technical Writer. Sometimes, content writing and Technical Writing are regarded as the same, though technical counterpart is altogether a different wing of Content Writing. The creativity of a content writer makes the technical jargon as simple for the layman to comprehend.

History of Technical Writing

The history of Technical Writing dates back to an age when Cro-Magnon Man drew encryptions on caves, known as cave paintings. Ideally, Technical Writing flourished with the invention of the computer. After the year 1940, there were many developmental milestones in the history of Technical Writing. Joseph D.Chaplin became the first technical writer with his user-manual documentation for BINAC Computer. Subsequently, in 1959 he documented the UNIVAC Computer with the aid of examples to document the functions.

With an upward trend in electronics, space technology, aeronautics sectors, the demand for technical writers too started to gain momentum.

Varieties of Technical Documents

Technical Writing includes creating content for

• User manuals
• Case studies
• Journal articles
• User interface text
• Training materials
• Proposal writing
• Product features documentation
• White papers
• Documentation for internal research and development
• Reports
• Product descriptions
• Grant-writing

Technical Writing Industry in India

Technical Writing is a fast-approaching vocation in India. In the coming days, it would hold as good as a career option as engineering or management, etc. The backbone strength of Technical Writing lies in the research part. It is the fusion of a brain for scientific-research affinity and a flair for writing it in simple, understandable language. The flow of the content should be precise and accurate that translates complex technical concepts into easily understandable text by any commoner. By all means, India houses some of the biggest companies in its silicon valley and other technology hubs like Hyderabad, Pune, and Gurgaon, etc.

The Technical Writer Job

As discussed in the earlier sections, the job of a technical writer is to break down the difficulty level of the technological process easily understood by anybody and everybody out there. More so, the technological advancement of the 21st century has elevated levels of demand for someone who can do

• In-depth research
• Analyze the data from various sources like papers, reports, etc.
• Interpret them using the various methods of data capturing.

He/She/they should also be adept at handling various tools to Technical Writing like infographics, image editing, screen capturing, etc. The technology giants require highly efficient technical writers.  

Responsibilities of a Technical Writer

• Ability to work as an internal in collaboration with developers, engineers, product specialists to understand the product/service requirements in detail and customer care team in case of in-house technical writers
• Liaise externally with the marketing team to understand their requirement and come up with innovative ideas to supplement marketing initiatives
• To produce high standard documents understanding the audience requirements
• Develop comprehensive, accurate, and precise product documentation
• A grasp of making learning tutorials for the end-users of the product/services intended
• Ability to create value addition by preparing a knowledge hub for existing and future employees/partners
• Analyzing the clientele and segregate them into one-time and recurring clients so that SOPs can be developed and maintained for each kind of work
• Attention to detail

Qualifications to be a Technical Writer

There are no set water-tight qualifying degrees that are a must-have for a technical writer. However, an individual aspiring to be a successful technical content writer should have a good command of the English language.

• A degree in engineering or computer science could be an added advantage
• Knowledge of SDLC is preferred 
• A technical writer certification boosts the profile over others
• A degree in business communications and business writing will be appreciated and preferred
• Any additional technical writing courses from time to time

Skills of a Competent Technical Writer

Though there are no pre-determined qualifying degrees for a technical content writer, he/she/they should have a grasp of a set of skills. The following is a non-exhaustive set of skills that is a must for every technical content writer to excel in this field. Since Technical Writing itself comprises technical things, it is highly subjective to periodic revisions and upgrades. Technology or innovation holding good today might be obsolete tomorrow. Technical writers should keep themselves abreast with the recent technological happenings of their respective domains.

•   MS Office-MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint
•   Google docs, Notepad++
•   Image Editing Tools-Paint, Adobe Photoshop
•   Grammar and punctuation-Grammarly,languagetool.com
•   Technical Writing tools-Snag IT, Macromedia Robo help, Adobe FrameMaker
•   Overview of DITA Tool, API Documentation, XML

Industry Focusing on Technical Writing 

Apart from the conventional known sectors like engineering and IT, many more sectors are increasingly adopting Technical Writing to boost their brand image and communication. Moreover, the improving standards of web-based support, digital revolution, and high-speed internet in India further strengthen Technical Writing as a career in India.

• Electronic
• Engineering
• Medical
• Automobile
• Defence
• Biotechnology
• Aeronautics
• Banking and Finance
• Information Technology
• Telecommunications
• Pharmaceutical
• Construction

Technical writer salary in India

The median salary for a technical writer in India is around 5.00 lacs per annum. It may depend on many factors like

• Educational background
• Professional experience
• Skill-sets
• Sector
• Location
• Organization size
• Exposure

Freshers start with a salary of around 1.2 -1.5 lakhs per annum. Career progress may take this to a level where they can get handsome packages of 10-12 lacs per annum. They have the option of a full-time job or freelance. The freelancers can charge around 500 INR per hour. The freelancers may earn from 2 lacs to 20 lacs per annum. It depends upon the number of clients served and the period invested.

Deciding Factors for a Technical Writer profile

• An appetite for a strong technical aptitude
• Multitasking abilities
• Adherence to time-management
• Stepping into the shoes of the end-user and think accordingly
• An open mindset to new product and service adaptability
• Indexing and cataloging abilities
•  Illustrious and organized
• Smooth transitioning abilities depending on the project requirement
• Good interpretation skills to understand the views of experts, marketing and sales as well as customer-care department
• Liaisoning abilities with translators, printing specialists, and service vendors

Working patterns of a technical writer

• Office-based: Include in-house technical writing jobs for the products and services of the parent company

• Field-based: It includes field-based client meetings, gathering information, and the necessary research possibly at the office/home, etc.

• Team Player-Big corporate houses may onboard more than a team of technical writers. Such technical writers may need to collaborate with other professionals like developers, designers, product/service experts, etc. to understand more about the product/service

• Single-player: Small-sized start-ups may have a single technical writer for the entire portfolio 

• Freelancers or self-employed: Once gained the required expertise with experience, freelancing can be a good working option. It provides the convenience of location, timings, and projects that need to be submitted meeting the given deadlines.

How to Upgrade Technical Writing Profile?

To grow in any profession, one needs intermittent up-gradations like certifications, short courses, brush-up courses, etc. A career in Technical Writing is no exception. It requires these courses even more because the technology employed in any sector keeps changing day-in and day-out.

Best Technical Writing Course in India

Henry Harvin Education is the best institute to master the skills to be a proficient technical writer. It is ranked amongst the top 5 institutes in 2021 by India Today and has been the recipient of many corporate and training awards

• About Henry Harvin Education-Henry Harvin Education is known best for its exceptional courses that would bridge the gap between theory and application. The technical writing course from Henry Harvin Education holistically prepares the participants, increasing the scope of technical writers in India manifold.

• Highlights the importance of being specific when it comes to a career  choice to excel in one’s chosen domain

• Offers the umbrella course like content writing and specialized ones like Creative Writing, Medical Writing, Copywriting, Technical Writing, review writing, etc.

Why Henry Harvin Education?

(i)  The Trainers-The trainers at Henry Harvin Education are hand-picked, all of them being extremely passionate about their work. They have the requisite blend of industry experience of more than a decade and subject matter expertise.

(ii) The Curriculum– Henry Harvin Education crafts the curriculum in a balancing way that meets the required parameters and gives weightage to theory and practical as and where needed.

(iii) Membership– The gold membership to the writing academy comes with its perks. The participants get facilities like boot-camp sessions, brush-up sessions, soft-skill training, interview guidance, etc.

(iv) Certification-The Certificate improves the employability chances of freshers and becomes the hike factor for the working candidates. It also boosts the CV and LinkedIn profile of the candidates

 (v) 100% placement assistance and alumni networking opportunities

 

About the technical writing course from Henry Harvin Education

• The technical writing course from Henry Harvin Education is a single course with nine benefits.
• The course is enriched with training, projects that give hands-on exposure, Certification to boost the career of the learners, Internship opportunities, placement assistance, e-learning sessions with learning management system, hackathons,24*7lifetime assistance, and soft-skill assistance

Benefits of the technical writing course

• Scientific communication ethics
• Literature review exploration
• Thesis writing and research paper writing for journals
• Smart hacks to achieve good writing results in comparative periods
• Availability of free software to be used for that perfect citation
• Refine writing skills like the master of the art

The career path of a technical writer

• Internship-Beginning with an internship at any organization that gives ample chances for growth
• Associate– An associate technical writer can be the first step towards a professional journey of Technical Writing after a successful internship
• Technical Writer– After gaining entry-level experience as an associate, the next move should be to step up as a technical writer.
• Senior technical writer– Experience and promotions owing to improved skills would lead to the next milestone of being a Senior Technical writer.
• Lead Technical Writer– Responsible for the creation and management of a technical writing team. Management of the team would involve initiating and supervising the teamwork
• Documentation Manager– A documentation manager would plan and guide projects and ensure their timely delivery, the final point of approval, or the editor.
• Senior Documentation Manager– Documentation manager report to Senior Documentation Manager in some cases depending on organizational hierarchy.
• Director– Overseeing the functioning of the technical writing team and responsible for developing standard documentation procedures fulfilling its functionality of translating products and services information into easy concepts.

Conclusion

Technical Writing is witnessing booming growth in recent times because of the upsurge in technological and telecommunications advances. Moreover, a year of a pandemic or even more than that has taught us many lessons. One of them is the role of technology and telecommunications. Without these, we might have been mere spectators of unsocial behavior, unemployment, illiteracy, poor economic growth, medically unfit conditions, etc.

Human beings possess a strong mind. Proper functioning of our brain needs a state of emotional well-being. The role that technology has played in keeping human beings together in a close-knit bond. Students studying overseas have not missed the physical absence of their parents. Spouses have managed the show for a year or more distanced due to whatsoever reason. Ageing parents wait for the entire day to have a single glance at their working children, etc. All these have been possible because of the constant emotional support that the video calls, voice calls, conference calls give us.

Due to the day-to-day advancement in technology, there is a severe need for a person who can crunch complex technical concepts into simple words for a layman. Moreover, technical writers do play an important bridging role between developers and customers who are the end-users. Thus there is a high demand for skilled technical writers both in India and abroad.

Technical Writing is a booming career option in India owing to its dominance over other forms of content writing. Given the ever-increasing growth of technology, Technical Writing is slowly becoming a must portfolio for organizations of every scale. Technical Writing will be the futuristic choice as a career option for creative minds with a knack for research and writing affinity.

Recommended Reads:

• Technical Writing Course in India
• Technical Writing Course Online
• Content Writing Courses in India
• Content Writing Courses Online
• Creative Writing Courses in India
• Creative Writing Courses Online

FAQ

1.What are the career opportunities available after pursuing a Technical Writing course?

Technical writers can get profiles like research writers, documentation managers, communication specialists

2.What is the minimum qualification to be a technical writer?

A bachelor’s degree in any field is the requisite though a degree in English, mass communication, journalism, or technical background like computer engineering may be preferred.

3.How are the job prospects of a technical writer?
 

The demand for technical writers will grow by a minimum of 10% from 2020 to 2028. It means that there are going to be increased employment opportunities in the coming days.

4. Which cities in India provide the best pay package to a Technology Writer?

Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurgaon are the best paying cities.

5. Which companies are hiring Technical Writers in India?

Wipro, Accenture, Delloite, Genpact, etc. are some of the companies, amongst many others that are hiring technical writers in India.

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