Economic Times Article: Technical communication, with a lucrative pay cheque, is emerging as the new in-demand vocation
By Divya Shekhar
BENGALURU: The ubiquitous instruction manual, which often gets ‘filed’ to never be found again, is the face of a vocation that is much in demand.
Technical communication, once considered an informal, niche sector, is gaining prominence on the back of the ever-growing IT sector, not to mention lucrative pay cheques. And, Bengaluru leads the pack in the number of technical writers employed, accounting for about 35% of the total jobs in the country.
Nibu Thomas, associate information architect with GT Nexus, said technical writing is no longer a career that people stumble upon. “Many students are opting for technical writing as their first career choice. Apart from that, we also get applications from teachers, writers or engineers looking for a career switch.” The average age of applicants is mid-20s to mid-30s.
Technical communicators need to have a flair for writing and a technological bent of mind, said recruiters. The job has evolved according to how consumers access information online.
Apart from text documentation, technical writers are expected to work with audio and video. Digital tools are used to break down and provide topic-based information so that users can access only relevant information during online searches.