Technical Writing. Portfolio

If you are a technical writer you have to create your own portfolio where you would collect your works in technical writing and help authoring. And when applying for a job this portfolio may prove your skills and abilities. You should always remember that technical communication as an applied discipline. It is a kind of art, because technical writers don’t just collect theoretical data, they make and even create things. And the best way of proving that you are a good specialist is to show you greatest works. Architects and engineers can point at the objects that they have built or designed, so technical writers are supposed to present the employer with documentation, websites, manuals, etc. Some award for winning documentation, of course, would make your portfolio even more appealing.

A portfolio may exist in two variants: a collection of samples put in hard cover or an e-portfolio.

If you have decided to make a traditional hard cover portfolio, you should put your best works into a separate clear plastic sleeve. You’d better put in this portfolio those works that have been done without any help or collaboration. The binder should be connected with 3 rings. If the document is too long you may select the best passage in your opinion. It is good if the pieces of technical writing are created for different clients, with the help of various tech writing tools and represent different kinds of writing including external and internal documentation, web work and etc.

Employers usually pay attention to extensive research that has been made by a technical writer, knowledge and usage of important technology and skills especially in writing and graphic design. One of the most important factors for the success is the significance of the samples that have been chosen because a few employers would actually read what you have written.

A web-based variant of a hard-cover one is an e-portfolio. One of the key advantages of this type is the possibility of using different multimedia to impress the reader. You needn’t cut your works. You can publish the whole document or some pages from a long document on a website or save it in the PDF format and burn a CD with a portfolio on it.

Each of the types of the portfolio is a good choice. It is good to have both types because a hard-cover might be used for a face-to-face communication and interviewing, the second one can be linked to your CV. So the potential employer has an opportunity to look it through before contacting you.

 The portfolio is an excellent way of keeping your works organized. You never know what you might need tomorrow.

5/15/2013 3:04:06 AM