One of my best friends, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is worried about his career prospects. He’s turned 40, had a decent job as an IT developer but this has been sent to India. He was furious but now he’s just depressed. Where to start? Many are worried that their jobs will be off-shored to India and China. You can look at tis two ways. As an opportunity or a setback. Here’s some ways you can take advantage of this right now.

5 Careers Opportunities for IT Professionals in China

Before I start, I’m in China so I see things from the other side of the fence, so to speak. I’ve worked in the US, UK and most of Europe. I see where he’s coming from and the future is indeed bleak if you’re in the US IT industry, at least in the QA, technical writing & coding.
It’s not if it will happen, it’s when.

For those who are looking at China, especially Shanghai and Shenzen, the skills most in demand are:

1. Project Management – Asians are terrific workers but lack leadership skills. PM is a (relatively) new discipline here and as companies develop they need people who can put shape on the deliverables.
2. HR – likewise, there is a shortage of skilled HR execs who can develop a strategy and show Management the career paths they need to develop to attract, nurture and retain talent.
3. Legal – as China goes global, it needs people in the legal field to help with contracts, litigation, procurements and other such issues. Mandarin skills are a plus, but not always mandatory.
4. Finance – Shanghai aims to be the Asian hub for Finance. They’ve recently opened a new Nasdaq-type stock exchange. So much money is getting plowed into its Finance Centre. You have to see it! The financial world involves interacting with bankers all over the world – and the default language of all business communications is English, which brings us to…
5. Communications – Chinese CEOs want to improve their English. Can you help?  Chinese Marketers want to refine their campaigns. Can you help? Chinese HR Depts want to hire the right people. Can you help with the interviews? Chinese exporters want to arrange meetings in London, New York & Amsterdam. Can you be there to help?

Remember, there are more BMWs per head in Beijing than any other city on the planet! Lot’s on business to be done here.

Opportunities for Entrepreneur

Saying that, I see many opportunities here. Let’s take a step back for a second. Many Indians, Chinese, and Europeans made the move to the US to better their careers. I’m sure you know some.

• They’re hard-working, right?
• They studied English (a foreign language), right?
• They made the move to a new country and survived, right?

Well, it’s the same for you.

It’s do-able.

Unless you’re held back by domestic commitments, which are understandable, then moving to Asia is worth considering. Maybe now it’s (possibly) the turn for US folks to move to these countries to find work. I know this is hard to swallow for many people, but well… why not?

There are so many opportunities for people in India, Singapore, China, and now Vietnam (the new low cost dev centre). And no, you don’t always need to speak the language but if you do, just learn it.

One of the most successful web marketers in the US is John Chow, a guy who moved from China as young man. Today, he’s minting it.

How to get started

• Read the China Daily http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ to get an insight into China today
• Read China Tech News http://www.chinatechnews.com/
• Connect with me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ivanwalsh where I share links, photos and videos
• Signup to LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/ and connect with me http://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanwalsh there.

LinkedIn is an excellent gateway with some really super groups where you can ask questions and get real feedback. It’s for business professionals and has been the most productive social network for me.. I really recommend it.

If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section so we can share with others.

Likewise, if you think you’re friends might like this article, please send it to them.

People email me all the time asking questions about technical writing and other documentation related questions. I was recently asked how to start ‘documentating for a banking solution which is been developed in Java on Open-Source platform. What kind to documents should i write for this project?’ Now, there isn’t much to go on here, so…

It depends on what the client actually wants.

Here’s what I’d do:

1. Ask the person in charge which activities are most important, for example, installing the servers, updating the databases, teaching users and so on.

2. Once you have a list of the most essential activities, discuss with him/her what you believe are most necessary…

3. then you can write books that support these tasks,

Without knowing too much else about the project, I’d say that you need to produce:

•Admin Guides
•User Guides
•Release Notes
•Training Documents
•Installation Guides

If you let me know more about the project, I can give you more concrete answers.

Regards,

Ivan

and you can Twitter me @ivanwalsh

Kevin Manderfield, one of my tech writer friends in Brisbane, just sent me this. PGP are looking for a Server Products Senior Writer to create and maintain documentation for its Universal product line.
Here’s the job description:

Documentation may take the form of guides, online help, short “How do I.?” videos created using screen video capture software, or technical notes.

As a senior level writer, this person is expert in the technical writing process and many industry-standard technologies and understands industry initiatives such as content management, single sourcing, and XML.

The Server Products Senior Writer will report to the Sr. Manager of Technical Documentation and Globalization. If seeking remote position, the candidate must have proven success working independently from a remote or home office.

* 5+ years experience as a technical writer developing end user and system administrator documentation for a technical audience
* Experience with the AuthorIT content management system
* Experience with the process of localizing documentation
* Experience with PGP and other security products
* Understanding of networking and network protocols; messaging and mail protocols
* B.A./M.A. or Certificate in Technical Writing, Professional Writing, Computer Science, Engineering or equivalent experience

You can find more over here www.pgp.com

Regards,
Ivan

Twitter @ivanwalsh
Web: www.ivanwalsh.com

There are many ways to do this but this is how I create that nice mirror effect you see at the end of product images and screenshots.

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1. In Snagit, open the image you want to use

2. Copy the image.

3. Hold the handles at the bottom of the canvas and drag down. Increase the size of the canvas (not the image) to 200%. So, you’ve doubled the space available.

4. Paste the image.

5. Drag it down the canvas so it’s just under the top image.

6. Flip it.

7. Align the flipped (i.e. the upside down image) with the one on top.

8. Use Zoom to align.

9. Crop the lower image. Leave only a small edge i.e. what you’re going to make into the nice mirror effect.

9. Select the lower image.

10. Select Effect, Image Processing, Average Blur

11. Select 3.

This should give you a nice mirror effect as you can see in this example.

Let me know how you’d have done it!

Regards,

Ivan

Twitter @ivanwalsh
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ivanwalsh/
Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivanwalsh/
Ivan: http://www.ivanwalsh.com

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Interesting article over on IBM DeveloperWorks where Elliotte Rusty Harold prognosticates what he thinks is in store for XML. For those of us in technical communications, the section on XML and structured authoring made me re-think my assessment of XML.

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Here’s an extract:

“Before a document can be published, it has to be authored, and here the fight is over. XML has won. All major office suites now save their documents in zipped XML by default.

These include Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, StarOffice, WordPerfect Office, and Lotus® Notes®. Even graphic applications like Adobe® Illustrator® can now save documents as XML. The most notable hold-out is Apple’s iWork, but look for it to join the parade in the new year.”

He adds that “For Microsoft, the nightmare of a younger, nimbler competitor overtaking them is also coming true.

The company was so distracted by Sun and Netscape that it failed to notice Google sneaking up on Office and Windows. GMail, Google Docs, and similar applications from a variety of sources are rapidly rendering the underlying operating system irrelevant.”

Read about The future of XML 

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Indeed.com highlights that “Technical Writer salaries for job postings nationwide are 5% higher than average salaries for all job postings nationwide.”

Here’s a quick breakdown of the salary for these tech writing roles.

• Business Analyst $74,000
• Documentation Specialist $59,000
• Junior Technical Writer $46,000
• Programmer Writer $76,000
• Request For Proposal Writer $59,000
• Senior Technical Writer $77,000
• Technical Writer $61,000
• Technical Writer Contract $68,000
• Technical Writer Editor $60,000

What’s the going rate in your region?

These figures seem to change from city to city.

I have no info for tech writing salaries outside the US. If you have some, please drop me a line or add it to the comments box.

thanks,

Ivan

Opportunity for senior Technical Writer with experience with web development technologies such as HTML, CSS, and XML. As the lead Technical Writer you will:

• Develop strategic direction for improving internal documentation processes
• Lead creating, managing, editing and updating the product documentation
• Write internal and external release notes, functional and technical documentation, architecture-level documentation, white papers, position papers, implementation guides, FAQs, troubleshooting guides, system maintenance documentation, etc.
• Update and enhance product training materials and technical white-papers
• 3 years experience as Technical Writer for complex enterprise business applications
• RoboHelp
• Experience writing for users with diverse technical abilities, including developer (API level documentation), system administrators

PaperThin, Inc. is a privately held software vendor in Massachusetts. “100 Companies that Matter in Knowledge Management”. Go to: http://www.paperthin.com

Vinish Garg is the Director of vhite.com, an Indian technical writing firm that provides technical documentation and medical writing consultancy services.

I interviewed Vinish recently and asked him how he started as a technical writer, about technical writing in India, and new trends he sees emerging in this field.

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Ivan: Could you tell us a little about your background and the type of activities you perform as a technical writer?
 
Vinish: I have been developing technical documentation for software, for five years now. I started with Help Systems, User Guides, and Training Manuals.

In my next jobs, I developed Installation Manuals, Cheat Sheets, Process Documentation, Proposals, Business Plans, White Papers, and Case Studies.

I have worked in traditional development methodology as well as Agile Documentation which is a different experience altogether.

Ivan: Technical writing is really taking off in India. I read recently there may be 10000 tech writers hired in the next few years. Why do you think India is doing so well in this area?  

Vinish: Yes, technical writing is coming up gradually in India, being recognized and getting the respect as any other specialized profession.

One of the reasons is that technology outsourcing has helped Indian professionals keeping themselves updated and rubbing shoulders with the best professionals in the world.

The whole concept of technical documentation, the software, the process, and understanding the responsibility is matched to the most developed countries in world such as US, UK or other European countries.

Two, Indian professionals have generally good communication skills and this, coupled with technical education background give them a good platform to be good technical writers.

Three, I should also highlight the role of organizations such as STC and TWIN. They have been doing a great service to generate awareness about this profession, holding conferences and learning sessions throughout the country.

It is a great encouragement for budding writers who want to make a mark in technical writing profession.

Ivan: What trends to you see emerging in the tech communication field?

Vinish: I guess implementing and setting up of structured authoring would take over the traditional tools and methods of technical documentation.

Software such as Arbortext Editor is not too common in India but I can see such software being accepted in more and more companies in India.

Tip: Read more about XML in Technical Communication here 

Structured authoring brings a rich set of benefits of organization such as a more streamlined authoring process where single source authoring enables content reusability.

In the long run, it saves cost if intelligently implemented in the documentation process. The content management and version control is easier as virtually all lose ends in traditional technical authoring are eliminated.

Ivan: You recently launched vhite.com. Could you tell us a little about why you setup the company?

Vinish: I have worked as a technical writer (or documentation specialist, as was my position in Basware) for more than 4 years now. I worked for diverse product based companies, and an organization that was into B2B projects.

Setting up my own venture has been a conscious decision based on certain factors.

1. I am based in Chandigarh and I think there is no dedicated technical writing services provider in the city though it has made strides in IT. Some very good companies have setup their development centres in Chandigarh.

And as I told you earlier, since technical writing is gradually being recognized in India where organizations have realised the important of quality technical documentation, I thought that it is the right time to strike when the iron is hot.

2. I also feel that there are not too many very good technical writers in and around Chandigarh. When I look at some profiles or technical work samples of professionals, I do not wonder why they are not getting the respect. We did some research and market analysis and realised that many organizations in India offer technical writing training that focus on tool or software, or language.

So, vhite offers technical writing training where we focus on the whole concept of technical writing – the importance of documentation, the process, the review process, checklists, emails, audience analysis, and a host of such concepts that are as important as learning language or a software.

We strive to encourage technical writers take it very seriously, while enjoying the process. And since we are a start-up business, we offer traditional documentation models.

In future, we plan to setup the whole structured authoring platform so that our people and our trainees are keeping pace with the latest developments in technical writing.

Ivan: You also provide medical writing services? What type of documents or content is involved in medical documentation?

Vinish: Good documentation is absolutely vital to any field, be it healthcare or technology. We understand that accurate and clear documentation that is compliant to different style guides is important in healthcare and sciences.

We have experienced medical and healthcare professionals on board who have helped us extend our documentation services to medical writing as well. We offer technical as well generic medical writing which includes developing Protocols, Monograms, CMEs, Research Papers, besides reports and articles on general healthcare subjects.

Ivan: Finally, where do you see the technical documentation field moving in the next few years?

Vinish: I can see it getting more challenging. Technology will lead to intelligent applications where software and web applications would be intelligently and smartly developed, may be leaving less scope or low need of documentation.

Another challenge would be to keep pace with the technical documentation technologies as new software may be more challenging for budding technical writers who would be new to this profession.

On the positive note, I can sense that it would be more fun for experienced professionals. Web2.0 has facilitated information sharing and knowledge exchanged like never before.

Overall, the future is bright at least for those who would be ready to leave their comfort zones, to embrace new technological challenges, and to create their won space in the ever-growing crowd of technical writers.

About Vinish Garg

You can read more about Vinish and vhite, his technical writing company at www.vhite.com

Update: May 18 vhite now offers online technical writing training courses. This is the first of its kind in Chandigarh, India.

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Resources:

Technical Writers of India TWIN

User Guide Templates

White Paper Templates

Introduction to Technical Writing

XML in Technical Communications

1001 Writing Tips: Using Microsoft Word to Create Large Documents

Technical Writers looking for a new role and with experience using automated documentation tools such as Doxygen and Epydoc should contact ImageMovers Digital. This motion picture studio is devoted to the films of Academy Award-winning director/producer Robert Zemeckis and is looking for talented tech writers.

Job Description

The role involves creating, maintaining, and validating documentation that covers features, user interaction and system components. Create documentation by conducting interviews with software development engineers, end users and performing their own testing. Also be responsible for how documentation is organized and maintained throughout the facility.

• Create documentation standards and guidelines for use by software developers.
• Create illustrated user guides and step-by-step tutorials that can be used for both training classes as well as independent study.
• Responsible for publishing, maintaining and validating all documents in an in house knowledge base repository.
• Edit the work of others to ensure it has a consistent voice and content of documentation.

Requirements

• B.A. or B.S. degree in Technical Communication, Computer Science, or 3 years experience writing software documentation
• In-depth knowledge of English, grammar, spelling and punctuation
• *3 years’ experience writing technical publications in an electronics or software development environment, or equivalent
• Experience with Content Management Systems
• Experience writing documentation including managing and scheduling multiple documentation projects from inception to final delivery
• Strong writing and editing skills, with attention to detail and ability to self-edit
• Ability to work independently, without direction or supervision
• Experience with automated documentation tools such as Doxygen and Epydoc desired.

ImageMovers Digital is a motion picture studio in Marin County, California devoted to the performance capture films of Academy Award-winning director/producer Robert Zemeckis.

Contact: jobs@imagemoversdigital.com

If you have a group of stressed out and overworked technical writers and need to add to your staff, hiring the right technical writer can be a challenge. The author, Philip Rastocny, provides some tips on the hiring and interview process and what you might look for in exceptional technical writing candidates that will best fill the needs of your group of technical writers.

Technical Writers – Considerations for Hiring Technical Writers

You can see the number of times people have searched Wikipedia for something, for example, technical writing or Camtasia.

Select the language, date, and enter the keyword you want to search for.
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The most viewed articles are listed here: http://stats.grok.se/en/top

The marketplace for technical writers has often been challenging. In difficult economic times when companies seek to slash their budgets, it is often difficult for corporations to understand the need for a technical writer, let alone to understand the need to increase staffing in the documentation department. This article looks at the benefits of hiring technical writers, since their often diverse skill sets can be used across various departments in the organization.

Link: Justify Hiring Technical Writers During Hard Economic Times

Trackle lets you tracks all types of information, such as local events to breaking news by setting trackers on their site which you can then insert into your blog or webpage. Instead of searching for the info, Trackle brings it to you. While this is not different than many other data aggregators and RSS feeds, it’s the simplicity and breath of choice that Trackle offers that make it better than the rest.
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Trackle offers an index of popularly tracked categories, which Trackle keeps tabs on – from local, to social to shopping. The service is built with advanced algorithms that provide a layer of intelligence to the tracking process. You can then automatically notified over the Web, or by email or SMS whenever Trackle finds a match.

Example of trackers:

Trackle crime in your neighborhood – Be aware of criminal activity in your neighborhood, including home invasions, vehicle theft, larceny, and other types of crime that you should know about.

AddEmailShare – Keep an eye on your web presence by trackling the Internet for your name and activities or groups you’re involved in.

Trackle your home value - Stop wondering about your home value and trackle it! We’ll tell you when your house has gone up or down in value.

Trackle jobs – Looking for a new job? Set up this tracklet to monitor job postings in your area and notify you when your criteria are matched.

Trackle upcoming books by author or title – Get on the reading edge — find out up to three months in advance when that long-awaited book will be available on Amazon so you can snag the next bestseller.

Link: http://www.trackle.com
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With so many people, tech writers included, losing their job in the recession, it’s nice to come across someone who’s turned it to their advantage and made the most of the situation. Shoshana Kleiman, started Pixel/Point Press, a technical writing consultancy in Israel last month. She thought she would have to slowly build up her new company. Instead, clients have been pounding down her door.

"Our business consultant said to be ready to open our doors June 1," she said. "We’ve already been swamped. Business has been amazing."

Kleiman moved to Israel 12 years ago. Last October she was forced to leave her technical writing job at WritePoint Ltd. partly because of the economic situation. Departing the company gave her the push to open her own business.

Read more Tech Writing Israel

If you want to know where is the nearest STC chapter, then this master list of all the STC chapters should do the trick. It lists all the US and international chapters of the STC (Society of Technical Communication).

This is just the STC chapter that start with A. I think they have more than 150 chapters!

Alabama www.stc-na.org

Alaska http://www.stcalaska.org

Alberta — www.stc-alberta.org

Arizona Southern http://www.stc-saz.org

Arizona — Phoenix www.stc-phoenix.com/employmt.html

Arizona — South www.stc-saz.org/jobbank.html

Arkansas http://www.stc-arkansas.org

Atlanta http://www.atlantacontractjobs.com

Atlanta http://www.stcatlanta.org

Australia www.stc-aus.org.au

Link to Master list: Society for Technical Communication | List of US and International Chapters

This page lists technical writers, tech writing companies, and education providers in India. It also provides career advice about entering technical writing in India and future prospects of graduates.

While there is alot of info about technical writing in India, what’s missing here are most Indian tech writers. From what I can see there are only two or three Indian tech writers listed on this page, which seems odd as this is a lot right now

If you’re a tech writer in India and would like to be profiled, let me know and I’ll arrange an interview with you.

Ivan

Link: Technical Writing in India | Resources for Indian Tech Writers

This page lists technical writers, tech writing companies, and education providers in India. It also provides career advice about entering technical writing in India and future prospects of graduates.

While there is alot of info about technical writing in India, what’s missing here are most Indian tech writers. From what I can see there are only two or three Indian tech writers listed on this page, which seems odd as this is a lot right now

If you’re a tech writer in India and would like to be profiled, let me know and I’ll arrange an interview with you.

Ivan

Link: Technical Writing in India | Resources for Indian Tech Writers

Techsmith, the people who make Snagit and Camtasia have an opening for a UI Designer.

Do you know user interface design standards inside and out and when to break the rules? Are your designs easy, elegant, and delightful? Do you believe that people should just be able to use software and not have to learn how to use software? Want to help us turn user research data into world-class software and web services? Here’s the job for you!

TechSmith Corporation – Career Opportunities

I’m writing a series of profiles on technical writers in India. What I plan to do is talk to tech writers in India and get your thoughts on how this industry is growing in India, tips for those entering the profession and other pieces of advice you may have.

I’ll also post the interview on our sister sites to give your interview more coverage. Our sites get over 250k visitors per month, so this could be a nice way to promote yourself and raise your profile.

There is no cost or charge involved. If you would like to be interviewed, please let me know. It’s ivan at ivanwalsh dot com.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Ivan

Klariti has published a master list of all the recruitment sites that specialize in technical writing. They seem to have most of the usual suspect, including tech writing recruitment companies in UK and India. Handy list if you want to get your CV out to multiple recruiters. 

Link: Technical Writing Jobs | Updated Every Day