Technical writing is the art of conveying complex information to an audience with varying amounts of familiarity with the subject.
技术写作是一门向对主题熟悉程度不同的受众传达复杂信息的艺术。
Technical writers, also known as technical communicators, might be employed in a number of fields, which range from manufacturing to the sciences to the Internet industry.
技术写手，也被称为技术传播者，可能受雇于制造业、科学研究和互联网行业等多种领域，。
They use their expertise to write everything from how-to guides and journals to instruction manuals and supporting documents like FAQ pages.
他们利用他们的专长来写各种东西，从用户指南和日志到说明书和辅助文档，如常见问题页面（FAQ页面）。
“I’ve always had a great love of writing and figuring things out,” says Adriane Hunt, president of the Society for Technical Communication. “I enjoyed all things technical.”
技术交流协会主席阿德里安·亨特说:“我一直非常喜欢写作和把事情弄明白。”“我喜欢所有技术性的东西。”
After earning a degree in English literature, Hunt got an internship at an engineering magazine.
获得英国文学学位后，亨特在一家工程杂志得到了实习机会。
Later, she scored a job as a junior technical writer at a company that specialized in hardware and software documentation.
后来，她在一家专门从事硬件和软件文档的公司找到了一份初级技术写手的工作。
Thirty years later, Hunt is still enjoying the challenge and satisfaction that technical writing offers.
三十年过去了，亨特仍然享受着技术写作带来的挑战和满足感。
In addition to sitting down and writing, the job of a technical writer involves working with a team to determine both the needs of their users and the best way to reach them, whether that might be through an online video, a hard-copy manual or social media.
除了坐下来写作之外，技术写手的工作还包括与团队合作，确定用户的需求以及联系他们的最佳方式，无论是通过在线视频、纸质手册还是社交媒体。
They’ll also coordinate with their technical staff, designers and product developers.
他们还将与技术人员、设计师和产品开发人员进行协调。
“Technical writers are integral to the success of a product,” Hunt says. “It’s absolutely a team effort.”
“技术写手是产品成功不可或缺的一部分，”亨特说， “这绝对是一个团队的努力。”
As web-based, scientific and technical products proliferate, so will the need for more technical writers.
随着基于网络的科技产品的激增，对技术写手的需求也越来越大。
In fact, the BLS expects 5,700 new jobs to open up in the field of technical writing from 2016 to 2026 at a rate of nearly 11 percent, which is faster than the average growth for all jobs.
事实上，劳工统计局预计，从2016年到2026年，在技术写作领域将新增5700个工作岗位，涨幅接近11%，高于所有工作岗位的平均增长速度。
What Type of Education Do Need?
需要接受什么样的教育？
Technical writers generally need a bachelor’s degree in a field such as journalism or English.
技术写手一般需要在新闻或英语等领域获得学士学位。
Hunt notes that a growing number of universities are offering technical communication programs.
亨特指出，越来越多的大学都在提供技术传播项目。
Some employers prefer to hire job candidates who have expertise in a certain area, such as engineering, medicine or science, in addition to a background in writing. Internships are a good way to acquire this expertise.
除了写作背景以外，一些雇主更倾向于雇佣在某一领域有专业知识的求职者，如工程、医学或科学。实习是获得这种专业技能的好方法。
How to Get a Job as a Technical Writer
如何找到一份技术写手的工作
The job of a technical writer requires good writing skills and technical expertise. It’s a unique skill set.
技术写手的工作需要良好的写作技巧和技术专长。这是一项独特的技能。
But resumes that stand out showcase both excellent writing skills and any related experience to the field in which an applicant is hoping to work.
但是那些脱颖而出的简历既展示了优秀的写作技巧又展示了申请人目标工作领域的一切相关经验。
Hunt says internships are helpful for two reasons: They show students whether a career in technical writing is the right career for them, and they provide that advantageous “previous experience” line item on a resume.
亨特说，实习之所以有帮助，有两个原因：一是向学生展示技术写手的职业是否适合他们;二是在简历中提供有利的“工作经验”。
Hunt says this job is for “people who really like to figure things out – people who like to dig in and figure out what users need.”
亨特说，这份工作是给“真正想要解决问题的人—那些喜欢深入了解用户需求的人”。
They ask themselves questions like, “How do I get into their heads? How can they use our software to solve a problem or complete a task? Why can this particular feature help them solve a business problem?”
他们会问自己一些问题，比如“我怎样才能进入他们的大脑（我怎样写才能让他们读懂？）？他们如何使用我们的软件来解决问题或完成任务？为什么这个特殊功能能帮助他们解决业务问题？”
What is the Job Like?
这份工作是什么样的？
The BLS reports that professional, scientific and technical services employ 39 percent of technical writers, while the fields of manufacturing and publishing employ 15 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
英国劳工统计局报告说，专业、科学和技术服务部门雇用了39%的技术写手，而制造业和出版业分别雇用了15%和9%。
Most technical writers work full-time schedules, and a smaller portion work on a freelance basis.
大多数技术写手都是全职工作，一小部分是自由职业者。
A career in technical writing is much more dynamic than sitting by yourself in a cubicle and writing.
技术写作的职业比独自坐在隔间里写作要更有活力。
There’s a lot of interaction between the technical writers and the product developers and designers.
技术写手与产品开发人员和设计师之间有很多互动。
Hunt works for a business that uses an agile approach to project management, in which the technical writers work on smaller portions of content for a set amount of time, say two weeks. “It’s very fast-paced,” she says.
亨特为一家采用敏捷方法进行项目管理的企业工作，在这种行业中，技术写手在一定的时间内(比如两周)处理较小部分的内容。“这是非常快节奏的，”她说。
The job is not without its stresses. Technical writers have to become subject-matter experts on their specialty. There’s a steep learning curve, in some cases. “But if you love to learn, that makes the job really enjoyable,”
Hunt says.这项工作并非没有压力。技术写手必须成为他们专业的主题专家。在某些情况下会有一个陡峭的学习曲线（在有些情况下需要你短期内学习大量的东西）。亨特说:“但是如果你喜欢学习，那会让这份工作变得非常愉快。”。
