Building your Portfolio - Part 2

If you are planning to shape your career as a freelance writer or actively searching a full time position, you may want to employ a broader paradigm to your portfolio. More often than not, recruiters and interviewers look for web presence that helps them understand candidate’s writing skills. So, instead of highlighting your Facebook or Twitter page, you may demonstrate your skills by your blog or website.

 

There are many things you can add to your blog or website apart from your resume. For example,

1. You can put samples of your portfolio on your website. You have better chances of showing your versatility as a website does not limit you to submit limited samples (as most interview sessions do). For more about samples, see Building your Portfolio -1.
2. You can generate HTML help pages (using RoboHelp or Flare) for demonstrating your knowledge of tools.
3. Emphasize that you are aware of latest trends in the technical communication by building articles on the topics that you have studied or have come across on the forums and other blogs (Please create original content from the knowledge you have gathered. Plagiarism is simply unacceptable for writers.)
4. You can add samples of eLearning videos to your website as well. One of the innovative ways of creating eLearning videos can be the walk-through of your own website. You can create a small tutorial showing how someone can optimally find information on your website.
5. You can also create generic user documentation templates like user guide, online help, table of contents, index, glossary, etc.

 Other General Tips: 

• Try to keep your portfolio relevant and updated. 
• Study your portfolio thoroughly. You can be thrown any question based on it. 
• Never reveal proprietary information in your portfolio. If you insist on it, always seek prior permission from the content owners.
• Always try to keep your website organized and clutter free.
• Your blog should be categorized well so that the reader can find relevant information easily.

Please leave your comments so that I can keep improving this blog.

Technical Writer's Toolbox

Technical Writing at the end of the day is not only about writing, but writing effectively (for the reader to grasp). So, to facilitate this need, there are several documentation tools available in the market. If you want a comprehensive list to get an idea about list of tools available, please refer the following link:

http://www.writersua.com/surveys/tools12/index.html

But, the problem with the list is that it does not segregate information as per usability. Traditionally, there are two different output formats readers expect their documentation viz. Printed (Adobe PDF) and Online (HTML Help). So, I will distribute various tools based on their expertise to generate specific output.

There are many other output formats like CHM, Wiki, HTML Help, eLearning videos, etc. Apart from that there are various enhancements tool used extensively in technical documentation.

Printed Publishing – Provides authoring and publishing PDF options

• Adobe PDF
• Microsoft Word
• Adobe Framemaker
• MadCap Flare
• WebWorks
• Author-IT
• DITA Open tool kit
• XMetal

Online Publishing – Provides authoring and HTML publishing options (Also supports CHM and HTML Help)

• RoboHelp
• Madcap Flare
• Dreamweaver
• Frontpage
• Doc-To-Help

Wiki – Provides interactive and collaborative environment where multiple authors can contribute

• Atlassian Confluence
• Microsoft SharePoint

Image Enhancement tools – Provides image enhancements facilitation

• Corel CorelDraw
• Techsmith SnagIT
• Adobe Photoshop
• Madcap Capture 

eLearning Tools – Provides environment for creating video tutorials for eLearning

• Madcap Mimic
• Adobe Captivate
• Techsmith Camtasia 

There are specific XML editing tools like XMetal and DITA which are currently beyond the scope of this post. On the whole, all these tools are used extensively by various technical writers based on their company’s discretion or their personal choice.  

Challenges of an Aspiring Tech Writer

Before diving into the field of technical communication, I would like to notify you about the challenges that you might have to face in your day-to-day work regime.

As majority of the technical authors in the industry are either from technical or communication background, I will limit the scope of this post to candidates from these prospective fields. But, in all likelihood, the challenges mentioned here are applicable to all the aspiring technical writers irrespective of their medium of study.

Technical Challenges

The primary problem with technology students is that they have never taken writing too seriously. Even if they are good with English language, they have never paid too much importance to grammar. If English is not their first language, it also adds to the chaos. So, here are the challenges and their possible solutions:

• Grammar Basics: If grammar is your pain area, you might want to reconsider your decision of getting into technical documentation. If not, I would suggest you should brush your English grammar skills. There are many websites that can help you in revisiting all the grammar you learnt in school. Links. Other alternatives can be renting a grammar book from your nearby library. Grammar Resources.
• Editorial Skills: If your grammar is good, you might not have much trouble in editing content. But, as an editor it is important to make the content readable. All the information put together should be directed to your audience.

 I am sure, the final year reports might have been a demanding job for many of you out there.

Communication Challenges

The primary problem the communication students have is their lack of exposure to technology. So, here are the challenges and their possible solutions:

• Technology: If you belong to the communication stream, it can be difficult to connect with technology at times. Here, the technology means greater things than Websites and Smartphone applications. We are talking out magnanimous ERP or Mainframe applications driving the telecom, security and manufacturing industries. So, it is really important for you to have a mind that anticipates technological assertiveness. 
• Understanding Product: The ability to understand the product can also be a major challenge due to the lack of academic exposure to various technology products. But, that can be solved over a period of time.
• Making Sense: Another connected aspect is making sense out of what you write. You might be an excellent English writer but if the information you provide is not as per the products requirements, the overall output will be hazy and incomplete. So, it really important to focus on getting exactly what is required for the product.

Common Challenges

• Audience Analysis: You must write for a specific reader. The audience is really important in technical writing and you should always have that at the back of your mind. More about it in the coming blog post on Audience Analysis.
• Understanding User’s Perspective: You must understand the user and usability of the application. It is again related to audience of the application. But, your insight on usability is fairly rated as you are the first user of the product.
• Documentation Tools: Though, technical writing is about writing, but it also employs various tools for creating content and generating output in required form. The regular output formats are: Web Based Help, PDF Help and Video Tutorials.

To sum it up, you must have zeal for writing, if you want to be a good technical writer. If have that fervor, there are enough online/classroom courses available that can help you learn the art and science of technical communication.