tech communication career

[Roy Waggoner <rwfromkansas -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Hello,

I am considering technical communication as a career.

I originally went to school to become a history
teacher, and I am not sure if teaching is for me. 
While I love journalism and am looking into that
possibility as well, newspaper pay, especially for
reporters, is horribly low.

Technical writing, at least from my brief overview,
seems like a very interesting career, something that
would fit my personality well.  And, it appears to pay
well.

But, I find it is better to talk with people actually
in the career than to just read the BLS data or the
few websites I can find on technical communication.

So, here are some questions:

1) What is a typical day like? 
2) What are hours like?  Do you find it takes time
away from your family beyond 50 hours a week or so?
3) What are some of the major pluses and minuses of
the career?
4) What are typical entry level salaries and later
salaries?  Are you happy with your compensation?
5) What is most exciting to you about the job?
6) How vital is a degree in technical communication? 
Is competition for jobs intense?  I ask this since
while I have some technical knowledge, I am sure it is
not enough to start a career in technical
communication right off the bat.  I would need a
certificate at the very least, plus an internship.
7) How is the career undergoing changes, and in what
ways will that impact the job market for technical
writing?

Thanks for any insight!

Sincerely,

Roy Waggoner

 

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