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Subject:Re: Can a Technical Writer be a Web Designer From:Shelley Hoose <hoose -at- mac -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sun, 13 Feb 2000 20:02:57 -0800
HI William,
If you have to ask this question, I'm sorry, but I don't think you're quite
ready to get a web design job. (Not that I am either.) Web design is a
vast business and ranges from overall site design (information
architecture, which is really right up a tech writer's alley), to graphic
design, to programming, to creating content (also up our alley).
If you're wanting to be a webmaster, you must have internet programming
skills -- not only HTML and DHTML but JavaScript, JScript, VBScript and ASP
(Active Server Pages).
If you just want to design web sites and call on someone else's skills for
the programming part, you need some basic graphic design skills and, more
often than not, be able to use a web authoring tool like Dreamweaver or
GoLive. It will be frowned upon, however, if you are incapable of doing
some scripting.
Of course, then there's content -- if you're primarily interested in
writing, you could look for a job as a web content editor.
There are a lot of classes nationwide, including online classes, where you
can learn all this stuff, once you figure out what your focus is going to
be. Good luck.
Shelley
>Hi! I have a Technical Writing background. I would like to do work as a Web
>Designer. I've been told that a person educated as technical writer can be
>employed as a Web Designer. I've been searching for a Web Design position in
>New York but have not been lucky enough to land anything. What skills might
>a technical writer possess that would enable them to be considered for a web
>position? What skills might a technical writer need to acquire before being
>considered for a web position?
>
>William I. Marin
>IBM Poughkeepsie
>Information Developer for OS/390
>
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