Careers in Technical Writing

Technical writing helps consumers make use of technology by expressing complex information in easy-to-use documents, reports, manuals, and Internet and multimedia communications. Other forms of technical communication include training materials, videotapes, satellite broadcasts, interviews and persuasive speeches. Technical writers produce materials that help users operate everything from nuclear submarines to personal computers. They play an essential role in fields ranging from computing, telecommunications and manufacturing to biotechnology, health care and scientific research.  The California Employment Development Department is expecting between 2002 and 2012 the number of technical writing jobs to grow 23.3% (Source: Labor Market Info www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov).

Necessary Education and Skills for Career Success
Good writing skills, a love for learning, and a background in technology or marketing are a winning combination for success in technical writing. Candidates should also have good interviewing skills and the ability to gather and analyze technical information. Increasingly, technical writers are expected to write and produce publications, so familiarity with desktop publishing, page design, and illustration is useful as well.

General Info About the Program
The Technical Writing Department (formerly the Technical Communications Department) offers students the opportunity to develop marketable writing skills to enhance their current career or provide skills for a new career. As students advance through the program, they master increasingly complex material, progressing from writing short documents to preparing camera-ready manuals. Open media labs provide Macintosh and Windows computers equipped with the latest software to help students produce professional-quality documents.

Technical Writing Certificate and Degree Programs

The following links open in .pdf.

Certificate of Achievement:

Technical Writing

Associate Degree (A.A.):

Technical Writing

For more information contact the Technical Writing Department
Language Arts Division
De Anza L11
(408) 864-8547 or 5565
www.deanza.edu/twrt