A Refreshing Angle on the Name of our Profession
August 19th, 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized 8 Comments »
I enjoyed David Farbey’s post on the name we should call our profession. Aligning our name with the most profitable business model makes sense. If you look at indeed.com for jobs as a “technical communicator,” you won’t find hardly any. Look for “technical writer” and you find a ton. So what is the benefit of calling ourselves technical communicators, when no one is hiring technical communicators?
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A refreshing angle indeed. And one I agree with, too.
Dare I say it? I have always thought that “technical communicator” is a pretentious term. I only use it in blog posts because it has become so widely accepted in our community.
I always wanted to be a writer. Now it’s actually part of my job title. I like it that way.
I also find “technical communicator” to be pretentious. I don’t care what medium I’m producing in, I am still putting words together, and that means “writer”.
I think the “technical communicator” label came from that part of our peer group that was a little insecure about what we do and getting paid well enough for it.
I’m glad to be getting paid. Period.
What’s wrong with trying to educate the rest of the world that we’re more than just writers? Sure, it’s nice to be called a writer. But why not be proud of our additional roles as editors, illustrators, et al? I’m not just a writer; I wear many hats, especially as a member of a small team. I don’t mind taking the time to explain that to people when they ask, “What’s a technical communicator?”
If I’m job hunting, I know to search for “technical writer” positions. I also know that title does not likely describe the lion’s share of duties an applicant would be performing in such a role.
Robert, thanks for your comment. I once addressed this topic extensively in Tech Writer: Someone who writes as opposed to someone who rides something.” It may be worth revisiting, but I’ve kept a look out on instances where I’ve seen the word “communicator” and “communication.” Almost always it involves humans communicating with animals, or deaf or mute people learning to communicate with those around them. Anyway, just an observation on the way the word is used. I actually like the UK’s term “help author” or “IT author” better.
People need to be able to easily label you. A salesperson is more than just a salesperson. Someone who works in marketing does more than just marketing. A technical writer does more than sit there and write. Doctors, lawyers, police, writers. Specialties abound. We get to educate the curious about what we do. That’s what conversation is for. But people/HR/employers use generic labels. That’s how our minds work.
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