理工科學生的好工作：技術寫手
What is a Technical Writer?
什麼是技術寫手？
Technical writing is the art of conveying complex information to an audience with varying amounts of familiarity with the subject.
技術寫作是一門向對主題熟悉程度不同的受衆傳達複雜信息的藝術。
Technical writers, also known as technical communicators, might be employed in a number of fields, which range from manufacturing to the sciences to the Internet industry.
技術寫手，也被稱爲技術傳播者，可能受僱於製造業、科學研究和互聯網行業等多種領域，。
They use their expertise to write everything from how-to guides and journals to instruction manuals and supporting documents like FAQ pages.
他們利用他們的專長來寫各種東西，從用戶指南和日誌到說明書和輔助文檔，如常見問題頁面（FAQ頁面）。
“I've always had a great love of writing and figuring things out,” says Adriane Hunt, president of the Society for Technical Communication. “I enjoyed all things technical.”
技術交流協會主席阿德里安·亨特說:“我一直非常喜歡寫作和把事情弄明白。”“我喜歡所有技術性的東西。"
After earning a degree in English literature, Hunt got an internship at an engineering magazine.
獲得英國文學學位後，亨特在一家工程雜誌得到了實習機會。
Later, she scored a job as a junior technical writer at a company that specialized in hardware and software documentation.
後來，她在一家專門從事硬件和軟件文檔的公司找到了一份初級技術寫手的工作。
Thirty years later, Hunt is still enjoying the challenge and satisfaction that technical writing offers.
三十年過去了，亨特仍然享受着技術寫作帶來的挑戰和滿足感。
In addition to sitting down and writing, the job of a technical writer involves working with a team to determine both the needs of their users and the best way to reach them, whether that might be through an online video, a hard-copy manual or social media.
除了坐下來寫作之外，技術寫手的工作還包括與團隊合作，確定用戶的需求以及聯繫他們的最佳方式，無論是通過在線視頻、紙質手冊還是社交媒體。
They'll also coordinate with their technical staff, designers and product developers.
他們還將與技術人員、設計師和產品開發人員進行協調。
“Technical writers are integral to the success of a product,” Hunt says. “It's absolutely a team effort.”
“技術寫手是產品成功不可或缺的一部分，”亨特說， “這絕對是一個團隊的努力。”
As web-based, scientific and technical products proliferate, so will the need for more technical writers.
隨着基於網絡的科技產品的激增，對技術寫手的需求也越來越大。
In fact, the BLS expects 5,700 new jobs to open up in the field of technical writing from 2016 to 2026 at a rate of nearly 11 percent, which is faster than the average growth for all jobs.
事實上，勞工統計局預計，從2016年到2026年，在技術寫作領域將新增5700個工作崗位，漲幅接近11%，高於所有工作崗位的平均增長速度。
What Type of Education Do Need?
需要接受什麼樣的教育？
Technical writers generally need a bachelor's degree in a field such as journalism or English.
技術寫手一般需要在新聞或英語等領域獲得學士學位。
Hunt notes that a growing number of universities are offering technical communication programs.
亨特指出，越來越多的大學都在提供技術傳播項目。
Some employers prefer to hire job candidates who have expertise in a certain area, such as engineering, medicine or science, in addition to a background in writing. Internships are a good way to acquire this expertise.
除了寫作背景以外，一些僱主更傾向於僱傭在某一領域有專業知識的求職者，如工程、醫學或科學。實習是獲得這種專業技能的好方法。
How to Get a Job as a Technical Writer
如何找到一份技術寫手的工作
The job of a technical writer requires good writing skills and technical expertise. It's a unique skill set.
技術寫手的工作需要良好的寫作技巧和技術專長。這是一項獨特的技能。
But resumes that stand out showcase both excellent writing skills and any related experience to the field in which an applicant is hoping to work.
但是那些脫穎而出的簡歷既展示了優秀的寫作技巧又展示了申請人目標工作領域的一切相關經驗。
Hunt says internships are helpful for two reasons: They show students whether a career in technical writing is the right career for them, and they provide that advantageous “previous experience” line item on a resume.
亨特說，實習之所以有幫助，有兩個原因：一是向學生展示技術寫手的職業是否適合他們;二是在簡歷中提供有利的“工作經驗”。
Hunt says this job is for “people who really like to figure things out – people who like to dig in and figure out what users need.”
亨特說，這份工作是給“真正想要解決問題的人—那些喜歡深入瞭解用戶需求的人”。
They ask themselves questions like, “How do I get into their heads? How can they use our software to solve a problem or complete a task? Why can this particular feature help them solve a business problem?”
他們會問自己一些問題，比如“我怎樣才能進入他們的大腦（我怎樣寫才能讓他們讀懂？）？他們如何使用我們的軟件來解決問題或完成任務？爲什麼這個特殊功能能幫助他們解決業務問題？"
What is the Job Like?
這份工作是什麼樣的？
The BLS reports that professional, scientific and technical services employ 39 percent of technical writers, while the fields of manufacturing and publishing employ 15 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
英國勞工統計局報告說，專業、科學和技術服務部門僱用了39%的技術寫手，而製造業和出版業分別僱用了15%和9%。
Most technical writers work full-time schedules, and a smaller portion work on a freelance basis.
大多數技術寫手都是全職工作，一小部分是自由職業者。
A career in technical writing is much more dynamic than sitting by yourself in a cubicle and writing.
技術寫作的職業比獨自坐在隔間裏寫作要更有活力。
There's a lot of interaction between the technical writers and the product developers and designers.
技術寫手與產品開發人員和設計師之間有很多互動。
Hunt works for a business that uses an agile approach to project management, in which the technical writers work on smaller portions of content for a set amount of time, say two weeks. “It's very fast-paced,” she says.
亨特爲一家採用敏捷方法進行項目管理的企業工作，在這種行業中，技術寫手在一定的時間內(比如兩週)處理較小部分的內容。“這是非常快節奏的，”她說。
The job is not without its stresses. Technical writers have to become subject-matter experts on their specialty. There's a steep learning curve, in some cases. “But if you love to learn, that makes the job really enjoyable,”
Hunt says.這項工作並非沒有壓力。技術寫手必須成爲他們專業的主題專家。在某些情況下會有一個陡峭的學習曲線（在有些情況下需要你短期內學習大量的東西）。亨特說:“但是如果你喜歡學習，那會讓這份工作變得非常愉快。”。
（翻譯：雅蘭）
