Technical Communication and Your Career C H A P T E R 1

What is Technical Communication? Who Creates It? When Will You Create It? Why Is It Important to Your Career? What Workplace Factors Affect It? What Makes It Excellent? Presentation Overview

What Is Technical Communication? Technical communication clearly and accurately conveys technical information so that readers can understand it quickly and easily and use it safely and efficiently. It is found anywhere readers gather information to complete a task.

What Is Technical Communication? Letters Memos s Resumés Job descriptions Contracts Forms Program or product specifications Process descriptions Brochures Policy manuals Procedures Instruction manuals Online help Owners’ manuals Safety manuals Training materials Tutorials Workbooks Quick reference guides

What Is Technical Communication? Flyers Newsletters Requests for proposals Information for bids Bid proposals Grant proposals Directives Progress reports Meeting minutes Field reports Lab reports Trip reports Maintenance discrepancy reports Incident or accident reports Research reports Analytical reports Recommendation reports Feasibility studies Performance evaluations Web content Touch-screen displays

What Is Technical Communication? Presentations Demonstrations Articles for trade and professional journals Syllabi Lesson plans Textbooks Cookbooks Catalogs Phone books Warning labels Product tags Signs And much, much more!

Who Creates It? Technical communicators, a.k.a. technical writers, who write as their primary job function. Technical professionals who write as part of their job, but not as their primary job function. As a prospective college graduate, most likely—you!

When Will You Create It? Regularly to perform routine tasks Occasionally to perform non-routine tasks

When Will You Create It? A petroleum engineer might prepare technical communications for these routine and non-routine tasks*: Writing procedures for field personnel ing information requests and project updates Preparing a project report Routine Tasks Drafting a professional opinion for a deposition Preparing a feasibility study of options to solve a technical problem Writing an article for a professional journal Non- Routine Tasks * These are only a few examples of the many potential writing tasks petroleum engineers perform. Tasks may vary according to company and specific position.

When Will You Create It? A physical therapist might prepare technical communications for these routine and non-routine tasks*: Writing and updating a patient evaluation report Preparing patient education materials Writing a discharge summary Routine Tasks Writing a letter of necessity Filling out an insurance forms requesting more information Preparing an incident report Non- Routine Tasks * These are only a few examples of the many potential writing tasks physical therapists perform. Tasks may vary according to company and specific position.

When Will You Create It? A tax accountant might prepare technical communications for these routine and non-routine tasks*: ing a client with additional questions about a tax return Preparing a memo with the results of research about a tax issue Drafting a letter to a client to accompany a return Routine Tasks Revising procedures to improve the process for tax filings Preparing a presentation for a major corporate client Setting goals followed by performance evaluations Non- Routine Tasks * These are only a few examples of the many potential writing tasks tax accountants perform. Tasks may vary according to company and specific position.

Why Is It Important to Your Career? Technical communication will most likely be required for you to perform your job: – For typical college graduates, percent of their time on the job is spent writing (University of Maryland). – For college graduates in technical fields, at least 40 percent of their time on the job is spent writing.

Why Is It Important to Your Career? Technical communication will help you succeed in your career by: – Allowing you to communicate your ideas effectively, which increases the likelihood that they will be implemented – Persuading others of the value of your work – Shaping overall perceptions of your performance

Why Is It Important to Your Career? Good Communication Visibility Credibility Enhanced Reputation Poor Communication Visibility Credibility Damaged Reputation

Organizational and managerial expectations – Format – Organization – Style – Design What Workplace Factors Affect It?

Readers’ needs and expectations – Company executives – Managers – Co-workers – Clients – Users – Potential customers – Etc. What Workplace Factors Affect It?

A collaborative environment – In planning a document – In co-authoring or writing a document Each person on the team writes a section, and one person edits Each person on the team writes a section, and the team edits together The team writes and edits the entire document together – In reviewing or revising a document What Workplace Factors Affect It?

Time and budget – What is the deadline for this document? – What other projects do I have to work on at the same time? – Are there limits on the amount of money I can spend on preparing the document? Software Equipment and materials Graphics or graphic design assistance Publication rights Printing and binding What Workplace Factors Affect It?

Ethical issues – Language – Graphics – Information What Workplace Factors Affect It?

What Makes It Excellent? Includes honest, ethical information – Chapter 2 Addresses specific readers – Chapters 4 and 6 Uses clear, concise language – Chapters 7 and 8

What Makes It Excellent? Uses a professional, accessible design – Chapters 9 and 10 Includes complete, accurate information – Chapter 5 Follows the conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage – Appendix

Questions?