Technical Writer

Overview

Researches and writes technical information-based material and documentation for articles, manuals, text books, handbooks, or multimedia products, usually for education or corporate purposes.

Skills

Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. At least five years of relevant experience may substitute for the formal qualification. In some instances relevant experience and/or on-the-job training may be required in addition to the formal qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Tasks

• determining advertising approach by consulting clients and management, and studying products to establish principal selling features
• writing advertisements for press, radio, television, cinema screens, billboards, catalogues and shop displays
• making decisions about the specific content of publications in conjunction with other senior editors and in accordance with editorial policies and guidelines
• reviewing copy for publication to ensure conformity with accepted rules of grammar, style and format, coherence of story, and accuracy, legality and probity of content
• collecting and analysing facts about newsworthy events from interviews, printed matter, investigations and observations
• writing news reports, commentaries, articles and feature stories for newspapers, magazines, journals, television and radio on topics of public interest
• researching and writing technical, information-based material and documentation for manuals, text books, handbooks and multimedia products
• critically discussing daily news topics in the editorial columns of newspapers and reviewing books, films and plays

Related Occupations

• Copywriter
• Journalists and Other Writers Nec
• Newspaper or Periodical Editor
• Print Journalist
• Radio Journalist
• Television Journalist