Do you live in the scenic coastal city of Vizag and are a student looking for rewarding job opportunities? Someone scouting for freelance opportunities to monetize your skills? Or perhaps you are interested in technology and have a passion for writing, then have you thought about technical writing as a career option?
If it sounds interesting, but you need more information about whether this is the right field for you to enter or transition into and how should you go about choosing where to get trained, then read on to understand pertinent aspects of this exciting field and explore choices for technical writing courses in Vizag that may be suitable for you.
Understanding the Basics
Technical writing involves the creation of content to communicate technical information. What technical writers do is use clear and concise language to provide instructions or information about complex topics to users in an easy-to-digest manner. These could be related to technological, engineering, financial, or scientific topics.
Technical writers employ different writing style guides to do so. Although the audience for the documentation they create can be varied, these documents are created for a specific purpose, and the tone of language used is mostly formal.
What we’ll cover via this article is:
- What Technical Writing entails
- Abilities and aptitude needed to succeed
- Up-skilling yourself, i.e., which technical writing courses in Vizag can equip you for a career as a tech writer
People Also Read about Technical writing courses in other popular cities like:
- Technical Writing Courses in Delhi
- Technical Writing Courses in Pune
- Technical Writing Courses in Bhopal
Let us look at a few examples to understand some of the types of technical writing and their practical applications
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End-User Documentation:
If you have purchased a product and it came with an instructional or product manual or a user guide, that was a technical writer telling you how to install or use your newly purchased item, explaining its features, and/or providing tips on how you can troubleshoot common problems by yourselves.
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Standard Operating Procedures (SOP):
Whether you are a fresher joining his or her first job or a seasoned employee who wants to brush up on operating guidelines, an SOP is a good go-to resource. Businesses can use technical writers to create a step-by-step document that details a standardized approach to carrying out regular tasks and can make use of flowcharts, diagrams, etc, to depict activities. This is different from a statement of purpose, which is usually used for college or visa applications.
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Marketing Documents such as Whitepapers:
The goal of a Whitepaper is to present facts about a problem and provide or propose a solution to that problem. It is written persuasively and can therefore be used as a marketing tool to create awareness of how a company or organization can address a particular problem.
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API Documentation:
If you have ever used a single sign-on credential to access multiple websites, you would have seen an API in action as that is what enabled you to use the same login details across different sites. That’s just one example of how useful APIs are.
API stands for Application Programming Interface, and it is a bridge between two different systems or applications. A technical writer would have, in the background, created detailed documentation that describes how to use the API, i.e., makes it function as an interface between, let’s say, your laptop and the website that you are trying to log into.
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Annual Reports:
Need no introduction or explanation, as everyone would have seen these reports at some point or the other. Company websites usually make these available under the “Investors” section. These could be viewed as one of the types of financial technical content.
This list is only indicative and not exhaustive. As a technical writer, you may also be asked to contribute to writing emails, press releases, technical reports, case studies, and other forms of technical content depending on business and project needs.
Now that we have a fair idea of what technical writers do, you might be interested in getting a better understanding of the scope of technical writing, before we move on to discussing options for technical writing courses in Vizag.
Skill sets that will help you succeed
- Sound communication skills are essential for any type of writing that you do. This is not limited to command over the English language but extends to being able to understand and meet the needs of the users or consumers of your technical content so that the message you are trying to convey is understood.
- Be a quick and keen learner. If you have a degree or possess in-depth knowledge of the industry you work in, that’s great and it is a plus. Otherwise, being able to learn quickly and keeping yourself informed of what is changing in your field of specialization on an ongoing basis, well enough to integrate that seamlessly with your Writing becomes vital.
- Strong documentation skills also matter as knowing how to structure your content, edit & proofread, make it appealing to users will go a long way in ensuring the purpose of writing that piece of content is met, i.e., it receives readership.
- Planning & collaboration. Deciding how much time you need to complete your work, especially where there is a dependency on external factors, planning on how to deliver content, and being able to work well with others to collate information, seek and provide clarifications, etc, to meet deadlines may determine your success in this role.
Technical Writing Courses in Vizag to Gain In-Depth Knowledge
Whilst digital marketing courses seem to abound with some good institutions offering comprehensive learning, options for classroom or in-person technical writing courses in Vizag seem somewhat lacking.
There are, of course, institutions that teach you tools you may use as a technical writer. E.g., Tech Mahindra has a SMART Academy with modules on graphics, UI/UX development (although development experience may not be required, overall understanding helps).
There’s ICA Edu Skills, which has an affiliation with the National Skills Development Corporation and offers a short-term course on Microsoft Office which is also covered by other training centers that focus on software training in Vizag.
While tools that you may use for technical writing are important, your learning should encompass much more. If you are a beginner, then understanding the basics of technical communication, how to write and what to cover, etc should all form a part of your learning journey.
If you are at this stage asking yourself how else can you avail yourself of the benefits of all-inclusive technical writing courses in Vizag, then we’ll help you do just that so stay with us.
Learning Online or Through Virtual Training
With advancements in technology and the pandemic changing traditional approaches to quite a few things, online or virtual learning is a great option to consider too. Our learning did not stop even when the whole world stayed indoors. For example, sitting at home in Vizag, you could still read all about technical writing courses conducted elsewhere or through the internet.
With e-learning or virtual training, you learn from the comfort of your home, avoid managing conflicting schedules or long commutes to the place of learning, and yet you get almost the same learning experience as you would in an on-campus setup, especially when the training is conducted through virtual classrooms.
This form of training is economical and is for a shorter duration of time when compared to traditional classroom offerings. We’ll now delve a little bit into modes of learning when it comes to digital training as it will broaden your choices for selecting the right technical writing courses in Vizag.
Self-Paced Learning
There are a lot of options for you to consider if you are open to or prefer self-learning by going through pre-recorded class videos and lessons. All these courses have a few things in common, which are that you can take your time to finish your course, i.e., learn when you want or can get access to on-demand video lessons, and downloadable resources. They are affordable from a pricing point if that is one of the criteria for course selection.
Udemy has the widest range of courses that are bifurcated based on skill level and also covers specific technical writing streams such as software documentation, API Technical Writing, Technical SEO, Report Writing, etc, to name a few.
Their courses cater both to people who like their learning to be bite-sized and also to those who like all their learning to happen within one course, even if it means spending a few extra hours.
Instructor-led Training
For a more personalized, interactive learning experience opting for a course facilitated by experts through live sessions is the way to go. Taking this route also gives you opportunities to ask questions then & there or even later as you revise, learn from the experiences and questions of other participants and get your submissions or assignments validated.
In simulating a classroom environment through digital means, virtual training takes away inhibitions that you may have as most people are conditioned to think that learning happens best when they are all sitting together in a physical class or meeting room. Going back to the pandemic example, in the not-so-distant past, your search for technical writing courses in Vizag would have only focused on Intracity Institutions, whereas times have changed.
Ultimately, what matters most is if your learning objectives are met and by including options for any time query resolution and provision of feedback on student assignments, you are assured of constant support and feedback on the progress you are making. Let us look at a few learning solution providers in this category.
Top Technical Writing Courses in Vizag
If in keeping with the initial criteria of finding technical writing courses in Vizag, you prefer training Institutions closer to home, then you must consider these companies with a presence or coverage in Hyderabad.
1. IIM Skills
A renowned and established name in the field of education, IIM Skills now has a curated offering which is the Technical Writing Master Course that will give you in-depth and hands-on experience of all imperative facets of technical writing. It is the best among all the technical writing courses in Vizag.
The technical writing course gives you exposure to different types of technical writing such as API documentation, authoring whitepapers, or medical writing so your knowledge is well rounded. It also has a good blend of theoretical and practical learning. You get trained by specialists on the “what”, “why”, “how” of technical writing and then you practice what you learned with assignments.
Feedback on your assignments is invaluable during your learning stage and this way, you can gauge the progress you are making. If you need to go over a topic again for a deeper understanding, simply log in to their LMS for course recordings, which you can access even at a later date if needed.
If you remember discussing some of the skills needed for this role earlier in this article, the IIM Skills course will assist in honing all those and much more. Let us look at how IIM Skills can help you achieve that by taking a deep dive into a couple of course modules.
- Their module on “How to write” will guide you through understanding who your audience is which is necessary to decide what level and type of information to provide and how to research for information which is important as it is the backbone of good content. This will bring you to a stage where you are ready to create or write your document.
- Next, on documentation skills, the course will touch upon the creation and integration of process flows, diagrams, etc for visual appeal and ways to make it all come together into a cohesive structure for your document. Technical Writing need not be dry and this phase is your opportunity to learn how to creatively blend words with visuals.
- You will also familiarize yourselves with the tools and techniques essential for good technical writers. Knowing what to do and how to do it makes your planning phase a lot easier when you start working or freelancing.
- The Internship stage is where you develop your portfolio during the course itself. This will give you a first-hand feel for live projects and the confidence to venture out and take on your first writing gig.
Overall, this course is a great pick and might just end your search for suitable technical writing courses in Vizag!
Other Courses offered by IIM Skills:
2. TechTotal Systems
They are headquartered in Hyderabad, with offices in other locations across India. This company specializes in Technical documentation service offerings that include training. They offer a wide range of certificate courses in Technical Writing that may take between 15 days to 3 months depending on what you wish to learn and the depth of training involved.
TechTotal also offers specific training on graphics and writing tools that are great additions to your overall Technical Writing learning. Their classes are online and if you are working then you can opt to join their weekend batches too at your convenience. It deserves a special mention as one of the top technical writing courses in Vizag.
Here is a list of courses by TechTotal:
- Certificate course in Technical Writing
- Crash course in Technical Writing
- Course in Instructional Designing
- Full-time Certificate course in Technical Writing
If you want to learn software or applications that aid in the writing process, then their offerings include courses on:
- Mastering Technical Writing tools
- Graphics for Technical writers
3. Confai
This is another Institution to consider for Technical Writing Training. They are a seasoned organization with many years of experience in Technical Writing, writing solutions, and training provision. It is one of the best technical writing courses in Vizag.
They have progressive courses from beginner to advanced levels and you can also gain certifications in specific components of Technical Writing, ie, you can learn authoring tools, how to create and use diagrams and graphics in your writing, etc. You can choose from the following options that Confai has.
To learn Technical Writing, you can consider joining:
- Diploma in Technical Writing
- Advanced Writing Skills for Technical Writers
- Certification course in the API documentation
- DITA Certification course (DITA stands for Darwin Information Typing Architecture)
For segmented, supplemental learning on tools and resources:
- Course on Authoring tools
- Certification course in Diagrams and graphics tools
- Course on automating the documentation processes
Advanced learners can look at:
- Certification course on managing a Technical Writing department (suitable for experienced writers looking at leadership roles)
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve put together a few other questions that might be of interest to you, so do take a look:
Q1: Is a degree in computer sciences, engineering, or medicine a must for technical writers?
It helps to have an education and background in specific subjects and your writing will become easier if you know the subject well enough to explain it to others.
Even if you don’t have a university degree, so long as you have developed the right skills and have the willingness to go that extra mile to bridge gaps, you can still pursue a career in technical writing. This is where certifications from Institutions like IIM Skills come in handy as they help you to acquire knowledge and skills.
Q2: Is technical writing a good career choice and how much can I expect to earn?
If you like problem-solving, enjoy looking things up, i.e., conducting research, have an innate curiosity to learn technical stuff, and share your knowledge by writing about what you know or have learned, then this field can be a great choice.
Q3: What are the next steps after completing certification in technical writing?
The answer to this will depend on your career or business goals. You can visit popular recruitment sites such as Indeed or Naukri for suitable openings; take a look at the job specifications, and research to know a bit about the hiring company before short-listing potential employers to approach for a job.
If you are taking the freelancing route, then again, life is all about the choices you make! You can do this on your own, which might be time-consuming but ultimately more rewarding, or consider registering with platforms like Upwork, Truelancer, etc, to review and pitch (bid or proposal) for projects posted by others.
Conclusion
We’ve looked at what technical writers really do with a few relatable examples, helped you look at a few competencies that writers in this field should have, and introduced you to a selection of top technical writing courses in Vizag that you can avail of to obtain the proficiency that you require to kick-start or enhance your career prospects
The fact that there are so many training platforms and courses educating people on how to become technical writers should drive home the fact that this is a lucrative field to explore. The eligibility criteria to enroll in a technical writing course are fairly simple in most cases.
So, as long as you are a graduate in any discipline, have good communication skills and computer literacy which goes without saying, everyone should have these days, you are all set to start on your learning path. We would be happy to hear from you on whether you found the information in this article useful, so leave a comment or share this with others who may find it interesting.