Career Transitioning: For ex-Journalists, Flexibility is Key
October 2015
Over the coming months, we will be exploring the challenges and opportunities for professionals who want to switch careers and enter the field of technical communication. In this first article, Tim Grey (ex-journalist) interviews Cindy Staudt (ex-programme leader, Graduate Diploma of Information Design) about what it takes to transition from Journalism to Technical Communication.
Journalists may be known for being quick on their feet, but when it comes to technical writing, long-term success may lie in the ability to learn new steps.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for technical writers is expected to increase by 15% from 2012 to 2022 while jobs for journalists will decline by 14%.
While figures for New Zealand aren’t quite as stark, the trend is the same. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment estimates the number of people who identify as technical writers jumped from 250 in 2013 to 306 in 2014, while journalist numbers declined by almost 50.
But while it’s fair to say employers can expect to see an increasing amount of job applicants from the journalistic fields, technical writing and journalism remain at opposing ends of the professional writing continuum.
There are crossovers in skillsets: writing with economy and speed, analytical ability, time management, and relationship-building skills are important in both disciplines. However, according to Cindy Staudt, the former programme leader for CPIT’s Graduate Diploma of Information Design (GDID), the key to long-term success may lie in the less-obvious soft skills.
“In both disciplines, writing ability is a prerequisite – you simply can’t fake it. But it’s perhaps in the soft skills, like interpersonal communication, understanding end users, and the ability to think visually, where the difference is made.”
In her eight years as a GDID tutor, Cindy advised scores of writers weighing up a career in technical communication.
She also hails from the US (a country in which technical writing has a comparable academic profile to journalism) where she had personal experience working alongside ex-journalists who’d made the transition.
For her, a flexible mind-set is key.
“Technical writing and journalism have much in common in terms of the skills required. But one fundamental difference is that being a technical communicator requires flexibility – the flexibility to learn and the flexibility to write for different audiences.”
While a journalist may write everything to clearly defined style parameters and structures for years – a habit which can be hard to break when the time comes – technical writers have to think like the end user.
Not having the comfort zone of proofreaders, subeditors, and a rigid style guide to follow is the norm for technical writers. And often in environments where the technical writer wears many hats, has to use a complex single sourcing documentation platform, and is typically outnumbered by subject-matter experts they need to work collaboratively with.
In other words, a very different working environment to the traditional newsroom.
“I’ve seen that it can be difficult to give up the rules of the Associated Press style guide, let alone make larger changes, so it can be tough. But with a flexible mind-set and a willingness to learn new systems and consider the information needs of your readers, many ex-journalists have made successful careers as technical writers.
“I’d advise any journalist thinking about making the switch to take opportunities to get out of their comfort zone now. For example, if you have the opportunity to learn a new system, take it. If you have the chance to work more collaboratively with a technical expert, take that opportunity as well. The transition will be easier with a nimble and broad set of skills.”
Five tips for journalists considering a switch to technical writing:
- Consider a transition into a writing discipline more closely related to technical writing before making the jump. Content marketing can be a great bridge before tackling technical writing because it can require a more balanced mix of traditional journalistic skills and instructional writing ability.
- Brush up on Word and other office documentation programs not used in newsrooms. If possible, dabble in single-sourcing platforms like Author-it or Madcap to get a taste of what large multiple-variant documentation creation looks like.
- Take a few pages from the oldest manual in the home and re-write it for plain English. Review your work and re-consider every point you made a decision based on your current newspaper or online style guide. Ask yourself how it could work better for the end user if you didn’t follow the rule book or used a style guide you’re not acquainted with.
- Repeat the exercise above, but this time to create a flow chart to investigate all the failure scenarios. Visual thinking is an important part of the job.
- Talk to technical writers, especially journalists who’ve transitioned into the field, to gain insight into the challenges. If you don’t know someone who has made the jump, network at a TechCommNZ branch meeting or check out an online forum .
Want more? See Career Transitioning from Journalism: Getting the Interview
What do you think?
Are you an ex-journalist now working as a technical communicator who’d like to tell their story? If so, email comms@techcomm.nz.
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