The Pleasures and Perils, Part 1

by Jenny Paul, UNT English 4180 student

My experience as a technical communicator is minimal.  Technical writing was a requirement for me, as it satisfied a foreign language credit (go figure).  As a biology major, I was expecting to learn how to, well… communicate technically (a common occurrence in the sciences).  You can imagine my relief to learn the true dynamics behind the trade.  I reveled in the creativity of designing optically pleasing documents, and best of all, learning how to make Microsoft Word do what I want it to!  (Have you ever tried to make a table of contents by manually entering the dots?  It is an un-pleasurable endeavor for sure.)  Currently in my second semester of tech writing, I began to wonder about the “real world” experiences of a technical communicator. 

A friend of mine, J.P. Sol, recently graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s in technical writing.  I thought he would be able to give me a better perspective on what life as a technical communicator is like.

Jen:  Did you have another major before you decided to become a technical writer?
JP:  Well, I started out as a pre-med student in Austin in 2001, but after two years on the pre-med track, I was ready for something else, something different… so I went with English.

Jen:  What made you decide on technical writing?
JP:  I hadn’t even heard of technical writing until I arrived at UNT in 2004.  After my first technical writing class, I decided this is what I want to do.  I’ve redesigned and edited over 50 documents and put together four manuals during my time at UNT.

Jen:  Did you have a job while you were going to school?
JP:  I was an intern for a business newspaper in Plano.  My technical writing background really helped when they would have me copy-edit the paper before it went to print.

Jen: Where are you working now and how has your technical writing background helped you?
JP:  Actually, I’m still looking for a technical writer position.  Currently I work for a small realty company.

Jen: Based on your experience, how would you define technical communication?
JP:  A technical communicator is the bridge between the highly skilled and trained and the average Joe.  It is often our job to break down very complicated processes into simple steps that can be comprehended by anyone.

Jen: Thanks JP, you’ve been a big help!
JP: No problem.