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Technical Writers Play Central Roles In L.A.'s Social Sciences

Fostered by a continual dispersion of scientific instruction and growth in Internet-based product support, the number of job opportunities for technical writers is expected to rise in the coming years. By 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nearly 6,000 new wordsmiths will have already entered the field, marking a 15 percent thump in the tally of authors employed in 2012.

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(Photo Courtesy of Marc Fishel)

In Los Angeles, technical writers earn an average annual salary of $66,000, according to current data. Experts say these well-informed scribes will continue to make monumental contributions to many academic disciplines, particularly the social sciences.

"As relationships among individuals become increasingly connected, technical writers will become the linchpins tasked with explaining how tools can enhance the social experience in social sciences," said Marc Fishel, a senior technical writer at High-Tech Publications, a company he founded in 1982.

What defines consummate writers?

"Accomplished technical writers have a passion for writing and technology, enjoy research, and relish communicating their passion to an audience. A creative technical writer devises innovative ways to convey information. As the world gets smaller through connectivity, a proficient technical writer must also take into account cultural and regional differences between him and his audience."

How will your role change by 2022?

"Clearly, humanity will continue to adapt to increasingly sophisticated tools and media. In effect, we will soon see and adapt to a new set of nuts and bolts with which to contend."

How can writers secure employment?

"Technical writers must provide assurances before they're hired that they are competent. They can meet this challenge through specific academic degrees or certifications. Most of all, they must be able to cope with an evolution in response to environmental changes and competition."

What is your message to endeavoring technical writers?

"Technical writing is mentally stimulating creative work that requires someone who is both sociable and well-read. As such, a technical writer does not need to know how to program computers or have more than a general understanding of the technology, but he must have the ability to learn about a new product and then explain it to others."

Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.

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