Tech Writing Courses

["A.L. Silva" <jakers -at- SIRIUS -dot- COM>]

I'm new to this list, and am considering a career change from marketing and
advertising to technical writing. It's been very interesting and
stimulating to lurk awhile; I'm presently doing as much research as I can
on this and other career opportunities. I'm hoping that members on this
list can respond to a few questions about starting in this field. Please
post privately and I will summarize for the list. TIA!

1. Firstly, there's a local tech writing course that is being offered by a
professional agency. Cost is admittedly high ($3,500+) but offers:
Framemaker, RoboHelp, and HTML with lots of lab work. A finished sample
"manual" will be produced at the end of the course (24 classes, total 72
hours) and job placement services are included.

Would you recommend such a course? Are there any other programs or training
you would suggest?

2. No excuses, but I like my Mac. However, I can "do Windows." Can Mac
users give me brief tips on how to adjust to Windows: do I absolutely need
to get a PC, etc? Any PC-only software that's a must-have?

3. Could you recommend a niche or specialty in technical writing for
someone who's done 18 years of business writing: advertising analyses,
marketing reports, memos, sales pitches, etc.?

If you have thoughts, suggestions, or strong advice for this wannabe (I'm
very inspired by the members on this list), I would appreciate hearing
them. And if you think I should absolutely stay away, please holler!

Thank you very much,

Angela Silva
Berkeley, California

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 "Out of my mind.  Back in five minutes."
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