Technical writers must keep up with ever-evolving technology, and this research shows you the skills you’ll need to keep pace.

As an editor and writer preparing to enter the professional workforce, I often wonder what impact technology will have on my career path and job security. Amid claims that AI can replace the need for writers and editors, technical writers may wonder what skills they need to stay relevant in the workplace. This research provides interesting insights into the skills that current technical communicators report they need each day in the workplace.

THE RESEARCH

In the research article “Toward Understanding Important Workplace Issues for Technical Communicators,” Clinton R. Lanier (2018) reports the results of a survey he administered to 203 technical communicators about which skills are needed for success in the technical communication field. Lanier divided the results into four larger categories, and the most commonly cited skills in each category are presented here: 

Information Delivery: Forty-nine comments mentioned the greater need for technical communicators to produce information that will be viewed on mobile devices, “making concise help even more important,” according to one survey respondent (74).

Technology: Thirty-nine responses mentioned using Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) and XML to create and maintain technical documentation. (DITA is a standard that uses XML [a markup language for storing and transporting data] to maintain information.) 

Designing and Writing Information: Thirty-two comments mentioned that agile documentation development (developing content that can quickly adapt at the same pace as technological or software advancements) was an important skill.

The Technical Communication Field: Thirty responses noted that technical communicators need to feel comfortable operating in a variety of roles, including marketing and project management capacities.

Although this list presents just a sample of what Lanier found, they suggest that technical communicators need to do more than just write and communicate.

THE IMPLICATIONS

Lanier says, “Considering the changes taking place in technology, from the way people consume information on mobile platforms or through apps to the increasing bandwidth and data availability, the changing roles for professionals in [technical communication] seems natural” (81). Indeed, Lanier’s research reveals that to be successful, technical communicators must continually practice and gain new skills.

“Considering the changes taking place in technology, from the way people consume information on mobile platforms or through apps to the increasing bandwidth and data availability, the changing roles for professionals in [technical communication] seems natural.”

Lanier (2018)

Constantly gaining new skills can be a daunting task for technical communicators. It takes time to grow into new roles and learn how to write for mobile consumption, use XML, and develop content quickly. However, as technical writers prioritize developing new skills, they will craft dynamic, successful careers and keep up with an ever-evolving technological landscape.

To discover more about the skills that current technical communicators require and the findings of this study, read the full article:

Clinton R. Lanier. 2018. “Toward Understanding Important Workplace Issues for Technical Communicators.” Technical Communication 65 no. 1: 66–84. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26464533. 

—Sarah Griffin Anderson, Editing Research

FEATURE IMAGE BY TYLER FRANTA

Find more research

Take a look at Emma Saavedra’s Editing Research article for insights on how to write comprehensive editing comments on technical documentation: “One Way to Write High-Quality Comments on Technical Documents.” 

Read Lorin Hurley’s Editing Research article about how to dive into technical editing without getting overwhelmed: “Unmasking the Nature of Technical Editing.”

Read Susan Lang and Laura Palmer’s (2017) article to learn more about reconciling the skills that technical writers are taught in the classroom with the skills they will need in the workplace: “Reconceiving Technical Editing Competencies for the 21st Century: Reconciling Employer Needs with Curricular Mandates.” Technical Communication 64 (November): 297–309. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26464505.