US News and World Report ranks technical writing as one of the “Best Careers 2011.” People who undergo technical writing training will be able to write a DVR operator’s manual, an assembly manual for a coffee table, and a how-to guide for a smart phone, says US News. Technical writers are masters of breaking down complex information into layman’s terms. Many technical writers come from science, computer, law or engineering backgrounds. Technical writing training helps the science-minded get past industry rhetoric, connecting with the common man seeking common sense to understand something.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that technical writing positions will increase by at least 18 percent, adding 8,900 jobs by 2018. As the number of technological products increases, there will be a burgeoning demand for writers with technical writing training backgrounds. In 2009, the average salary for technical writers was $62,700, with the lowest writers making $37,000 and the highest writers making over $100,000.

Our technical writing training courses have been used by NASA, the Missile Defense Agency, and Fortune 500 companies. In two days, we present all the tools your business needs to create shorter summaries, more compelling tables, better formatting, and clearer instructions. Not only will we customize our examples to your company, but we’ll also provide six months of residual follow-up training to be sure all participants of our technical writing training course have indeed passed with flying colors.

There are many subtleties to technical writing training. We feel the best way to truly develop the skills is to look at samples from your own unique industry and your own communications history. Over the past few decades, we’ve seen all types of errors – some are serious, expensive errors, while others may simply miss an opportunity to get the point across efficiently and dynamically. Here are three of the most common errors we see.

1. Organization doesn’t support clarity.
In the beginning of a report or memo, it’s important to succinctly state the purpose of your writing. After filling out your standard “To” section, you should also include a “Subject” line, as you would an email. Use bullet points and headlines for optimal organizational structure that is quickly scanned and digestible.

2. Most important details are buried.
Far too often, the purpose of the message is reserved for the end. While the end is undoubtedly a great opportunity to re-cap, you should always begin with the most important statements to capture the readers’ attention and clearly demonstrate why they must read on.

3. Jargon bogs down readers.
It can be tricky to know when to use full definitions and when to use abbreviated acronyms. Our In our technical writing training will show you how to determine the best way to summarize, without confusing readers by your ambiguity or bogging them down with too much writing.

Very few writers go to college saying, “I’m going to be a great professional technical writer one day!” While the position promises to pay handsomely, especially by writers’ standards, most people who are naturally inclined to write prefer fiction, short stories, poetry, newspaper or magazine articles. Some are even driven by emerging writing formats like blogging or social networking dialogue. More than likely, the people taking technical writing training courses in college are business, economics and engineering students. Yet, they may be able to graduate without taking any such course. Before you know, they’ve graduated and find themselves having to follow basic corporate guidelines to create internal communications.

Writing Training

It’s a situation many people find themselves in. They become technical writers by default, rather than by choice. They follow manuals, guidelines and checklists to meet the minimal standards. However, this approach can produce copy that is dull, uninspired, incoherent, or unfocused. Technical writing training breathes life into staff members by giving them the necessary tools they need for success, thus driving increased job satisfaction and motivation to continually improve. Even though technical writing training costs an initial investment, the money such instruction saves far outweighs the small pittance you pay to develop staff in a meaningful way.

There’s no shame in seeking technical writing training. Not everyone has a monumental failure, after all. Many government agencies and private organizations hold regular technical writing training seminars to hone their employees’ skills, make their business more competitive, or help their workers’ achieve personal growth and empowerment.
Technical writing training helps you grab readers’ attention, no matter what topic you’re writing about. You can reduce your writing time with effective prewriting exercises and organizational practices. Sharp abstracts and summaries help writers connect with decision makers. Clear definitions, descriptions and actionable instructions are the crux of our lessons.

Technical Writing Seminar

For example, Coca-Cola is one company that uses our technical writing training annually. To deliver thousands of products around the world, Fortune 500 clients need clear and concise correspondence. We tailored our seminars for chemists and engineers at the company headquarters. “We’re starting our third decade with this top company because its leaders have seen results. The writing that bubbles up to them raises fewer unanswered questions, for example,” says Dr. Thomas Murawski, president of the Murawski Group. “And everyone gains from manuals that are worded efficiently and easy to navigate.”
Coca-Cola Company writer-editor Carmen Waschek gave an excellent testimonial to the value in our technical writing training, saying, “Writing That Works isn’t just feel-good training. You give us practical tools we can use right away. And they work. I can tell who has taken your classes and who is still in the Dark Ages.”