Resources for Technical Writing

[tjwriter]

Hello everyone. I am usually found the Novels Forum, but I had a question to ask, and you all would be the people to answer it.

I graduate in May, and I haven't yet found a position. My 2 majors are both in business. This morning, I was flipping through the job ads and I came across one for a Project Support Specialist. The core of the job is providing written project analyses to clients and supporting the Account Management Team. I pretty much have all the other skills covered, but experience in technical writing is preferred.

I was hoping someone might be able to direct me towards resources and good reads for aspiring technical writers. If I do decide to apply for this position, I would like to able to say I have done my research, though I might not have the experience.

Any advice or recommendations?

[Frumious B]

Your best bet would be to have a look at the Society for Technical Communicators (http://www.stc.org/).

Also, Raycomm is a great site for tech comm stuff (http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/index.php3)

Hope that helps.

[Good Word]

If you have any writing samples, offer them. Also, your cover letter and resume should be extremely well-written, with not a single typo. You might be able to get some help from folks here when they are complete and you need someone to review them. Just ask.

[azbikergirl]

I got my first Technical Writer job by responding to a newspaper ad. My cover letter and resume were free of typos and misspellings. I had no experience as a tech writer, but I'd written some software for my current employer and used the 20-page 'user manual' as my writing sample when I went for the interview.

Out of over 600 applicants, I was the first one they called for interviews. A few years after I got the job, I learned why: we were cleaning house and I found the folder with some of the candidates' cover letters and resumes. I was shocked at the quality of writing and the number of typos even among those considered "top of the stack."

Amazing as it was, error-free cover letters and resumes stood out, even for a professional writing position.