According to a recent report published by the Conference Board of Canada, Inside and Outside the Academy: Valuing and Preparing PhDs for Careers, 60% of PhD graduates end up working outside academia. As a result, literature on alt-ac careers (jobs for PhDs outside of academia) has flourished, including on the GradProBlog!
Some graduate students looking into alt-ac careers move (or fall) into professional or technical writing. That was the case for Patricia Gael, who was doing her Ph.D. in British 18th-century literature at Penn State. As Leonard Cassuto writes for Chronicle, Gael and her supervisor, Robert D. Hume, elaborated a study plan which allowed her to move forward academically and simultaneously equip herself with a resume for the ‘real world.”
If you’re looking to branch out of academia and the sound of "making complex information easier to understand by using various forms of media such as online help systems, user manuals, training guides, and other means” makes your heart flutter, technical writing could be for you.
And while a background in whatever you are writing about is undoubtedly useful, equipping yourself with soft skills to communicate effectively is equally important, according to this TalentEgg article on breaking into technical writing. For the piece, author Daniel Moore spoke with Sumedh Nene, who is a Lead Instructor in Technical Communications at George Brown College. “Technical writers do not usually have in-depth domain or technical knowledge. They rely instead on conducting interviews with subject matter experts,” Sumedh pointed out. “They need to know how to ask the right questions, dig for answers, then communicate them to readers.”
If you’re looking to transition into technical writing - regardless of whether you’re studying engineering, science, programming or journalism - our Introduction to Technical Writing for All Disciplines workshop will provide you with an overview of the writing style and mechanics specific to this type of communication. Workshop leader Franc Gagnon originally trained as a graphic designer, stumbling into technical writing shortly after completing his studies in computer network administration. He’ll be offering an overview of the writing style and mechanics specific to this type of communication and explain the difference between technical writing and other types of writing.
Check GradProSkills' page for upcoming workshop sessions.
Image courtesy of Georgia Southern on Flickr.