Specialization Options for Technical Writers: Introduction || Olga Kostiouchina

Specialization Options for Technical Writers: Introduction

by Olga Kostiouchina

As a new graduate of the technical writing program you’re probably aware that there are many specialization venues open for someone like you. If you haven’t already decided where you want to use your new skills, read the articles in this new series, they may help you figure out where your passion lies. 

We will discuss how and where you can get additional training if you lack some of the essential specific knowledge and how to enhance your portfolio with pieces that will help you get the job in the area you want to specialize in.

We will cover the following main areas of specialization, but keep your mind open to find your own unique niche even beyond these fields:

Instructional Design

Medical Writing

Writing for Engineers/Science

Writing for IT

Business Writing

Writing for the Web

Marketing Communication or MARCOM

It’s obvious that almost all of these fields overlap so you may find yourself specializing in one and at the same time acquiring the skills and work experience in the other, making yourself more marketable and versatile. 

There are many more directions you can choose as a technical writer, it’s just a matter of starting to think out of the box and pursuing your true calling in this profession.

Stay tuned for the next article about Instructional Design. 

Copyright © 2011 || Olga Kostiouchina

Vancouver, British Columbia

Editor: Jacob De Camillis

Going from Technical Writer to Technical Translator | Jacob De Camillis

Going from Technical Writer to Technical Translator

by Jacob De Camillis
Copyright © 2011, 2012

If you know at least two languages fluently, you may be interested in technical translation. What does one need to make this leap? Here are six simple pointers to help you in the right direction!

1. The ability to technical write in your mother tongue(s). Good technical translation is good technical writing---the target text must be well structured, coherent, clean, and accurate, regardless of whether you work into English, French, or Klingon etc. 

Translators as a rule of thumb should only work into their strongest language, which is most often their native language, or the language through which they received 80% - 100% of their education. Translators of Asian and African languages may be forced to work into their second language as few native speakers of European languages translate such languages, i.e. Arabic into English, Japanese into Spanish, etc.

2. Flawless reading fluency in at least one other language. The rule of thumb is, if you can sift through the most complex essay or book you can find in all of your languages without needing a dictionary, then you’re good to go! Translators must be seamless---no subtlety, no thought, nor term can slip through the translator's radar. Although I mention only a second language, it is not uncommon for translators to have excellent passive knowledge of two, three, or even four foreign languages besides their mother tongue.

3. Working knowledge of at least one technical field.  Much like with technical writing, one has to know what they’re talking about. If you mistranslate a term, the consequences can be disastrous! 

With the global domination of the English language in science, technology, business, and academia, a language may lag/lack a developed technical idom of its own. Technical translators find themselves coining new terminology on a continuous basis: you have to problem-solve, understand, be creative, and be accurate. The best two ways to overcome such obsticals is through reading and through talking to subject matter experts.

4. A collection of fantastic references. It is essential that translators keep dictionaries, encyclopaedias, journals, textbooks, glossaries, and anything else they can in all of their working languages. If you travel extensively, make plenty of shopping trips to local book stores. Keep current. Language and human knowledge constantly changes. If the language you speak lacks what you’re looking for (perhaps, for instance, a Swahili dictionary of nuclear physics)---there is no harm in writing one for yourself.

5. Education, Education, Education! Whether you go through a formal degree programme in Switzerland or you invest in a lot of books on translation theory, it never hurts to ground yourself in the literature, techniques, and thoughts floating about in and among other professional linguists. Some pick their trade up by having a mentor and others attend prestigious universities. There are conferences, books, and translation societies---do your research and continuously practice to hone your skills.


6. Network. As with technical writing, translators should network, especially if you work freelance as opposed to for a company. Within networking, build up a good portfolio sampling your best work. Hook up with other translators and put your name everywhere. Translation jobs often involve a bidding process if one is getting their work via telecommuting. The more people you know, the more doors you have you foot in.

If interested in more, a beautiful place to start is a website hosted by translator Gabe Boker called, "Translation Journal" -- it, much like this blog, is a collective of minds and mentors about every facet of the profession one can think of!

http://translationjournal.net/journal/

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Tips For Working With Translators

Tips for Tech Writers Working with Translators

by Jacob De Camillis 

Published: 2011; Edited: 2012

If you find yourself overseeing or working in close contact with translators towards the end stages of a technical writing project, here are a few pointers to ensure quality and to ensure smooth relations:

1. Cultural Sensitivity:
1. Make sure the source text is clear of any cultural-specific references and free of idioms/colloquialisms. Not all translators will pick up on such subtleties, and, not everything can be fluidly translated without sounding awkward, inappropriate, or unintelligible. Isn’t that just the cat’s pajamas?
2. Be Language Aware:
1. Know the language-specifics of the target market----who are you localizing for?
2. Examples: 

                                                              i.      Chinese in China and Singapore will employ simplified characters; Chinese in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and most of the Chinese diaspora will use traditional characters.

                                                            ii.      European Portuguese and Brazilian Portugese, American vs. Commonwealth English, Serbian vs. Croatian, Afghan Persian (Dari) vs. Iranian Persian (Farsi), etc.

3. Stand By:
1. Translation, much like technical writing, doesn't just involve interpreting language---it's about interpreting content as well (and more importantly). If a translator has questions, answer them. 
2. Think---what is the difference in content and language between a passport or a driving licence and a theoretical physics publication?
4. Certification vs. No Certification:
1. Translation certification and formal translation education have increasingly become the golden standard expected of professional translators. To be an accredited and/or degreed member of an agency shows professionalism on the part of the translator. However...
2. Not all translators are certified. Many are multilingual individuals with qualifications in subjects other than languages and translation. Their reputation is earned based on work experience---entry through the back door. Translators of literary works or highly technical subjects may fall under this category. 
3. It is best to assess the translator's work if possible. An accredited individual may not be the best candidate for translating a document of a highly specialized subject like robotics. On the same note, just because someone is bilingual doesn't make them a translator either. Do your homework!
5.  Native Fluency:
1. The ability to write for a target audience is fundamental to communication, good translation is equally good writing. 
2. Although some translators have the fortune of having two mother tongues, the majority will have studied their foreign languages formally. Thus, one works from their second language exclusively into their mother tongue.
3. Note: Translators of Asian languages are very rarely of western ethnicity. Most are native Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, etc. speakers with full command of English, French, etc----rather than visa versa. If you're worried about the translator's competancy, interview them.
6. Single Sourcing Between Languages: 
1. Different languages have their own standards of stylistics and design, as well as of course, different writing systems which can wreak havoc on western computers if not properly handled.
2. Research, ask questions, consult professionals!
7.  Terminology Lists:
1. Many foreign languages have given into English as the lingua franca of science and technology, and often translators thus find themselves coining new vocabulary like a lexicographer in order to accommodate for a vocabulary lag within their own language. 
2. Do your translator a favour and compile terminology lists where possible, OR, point them to fantastic resources.
8.  Low Rates = Low Quality:
1. Good translators, especially specialized translators, tend to charge high prices for their services because they’re worth it. They’re providing quality and passion. Don’t be deterred by it, but rather budget for it. 
2. A translation firm that can offer you fast translation at low rates undermines (and is a disgrace to) the skill level and intellect that goes into translating.  
3. Buyers beware!  

Adobe Captivate for Technical Writers || Olga Kostiouchina

Adobe Captivate for Technical Writers

by Olga Kostiouchina

Companies that are looking for instructional designers often require knowledge of and experience with Adobe Captivate. So if you plan to look for work where you’ll need to create lots of training materials for other employees or any kinds of e-learning courses – you’d better get a good handle on this versatile software tool.

It would be nice to enroll in a course and learn it in the classroom doing projects, but so far I haven’t found any in Vancouver. That’s why I suggest you take the same route as with MS Visio – learn it yourself!

What can you do in Captivate?

One of the opinions I heard of this program is: “It’s Flash for the rest of us.” While learning Flash would definitely be a plus,  not all of us have patience, determination and time that would be required to master it enough for everyday use in the workplace… Captivate is not as cool and can’t do many things Flash can, but it will help you create movies – an essential part of learning in today’s video saturated virtual world.

So, what kinds of movies can you make in Captivate?

You can go as simple as a slide show demo clip for a product, kind of like a self-running PowerPoint presentation, or as complex as a highly interactive learning video with audio, animations, captions, cursor movement and quizzing capabilities, such as software simulation.

The output formats offered are:

• ·       Flash movies (.swf)
• ·       Executable files (.exe)
• ·       Stand-alone files for Windows, Mac and Linux
• ·       Handouts – printable MS Word files (.doc/.docx)

Captivate allows you to create movies from scratch, from image files, from existing PowerPoint presentations, or from Captivate templates. Once the basic movie is recorded you can customize it in a variety of ways and add visual elements (captions, highlight boxes, rollovers, text entry boxes, click boxes, animations), customize cursor movement, include audio and sound effects, add interactive tasks (quizzes and questions) – the possibilities are endless.

How can you learn Captivate?

Once again, my advice is to pay a visit to the local library and check out something like Adobe Captivate 4. The Definitive Guide by Brenda Huettner.

Next step would be downloading a trial version from adobe.com and blocking out an hour a day to practice. In a few weeks you’ll learn enough to be able to create your portfolio piece.

Adobe website is a treasure for self-motivated learners! Check out their TV (tv.adobe.com) to find many free learning resources for almost all Adobe products.

You can also find training videos on sites like YouTube (free) or lynda.com (paid subscription – highly recommended!).

The newest version is Adobe Captivate 5, it is available both for Windows and Mac. It supports many kinds of rich media, and is available in multiple languages.

How to include the product of you learning efforts in your portfolio? You can choose the ”screen capture” route for your regular paper-based portfolio;  you can embed a movie created in Captivate in your website if you have one (and you should!); or you can burn the Captivate movie (and you whole portfolio) on a CD/DVD to show the prospective employer.

Whatever you chose – you will sure impress your interviewers! 

Copyright © 2011

Olga Kostiouchina

Vancouver, British Columbia

MS Visio -- A Cool Tool From Microsoft? || Olga Kostiouchina

MS Visio -- A Cool Tool From Microsoft?

by Olga Kostiouchina 

If you have been searching for a technical writing job and have scanned a good measure of job ads, you’ve probably noticed that working knowledge of MS Visio is often on the list of required or desirable skills.

The Technical Writing program at BCIT doesn’t have a course that would teach you how to use Visio though. So I decided to take a plunge and learn it myself.

Turns out, it’s a really special tool that could make your portfolio look great and help you in your workplace when you get that job!

What can you do in Visio?

First of all it comes with an enormous beginner’s help – templates, and lots of them! Even a complete newbie can start using Visio to create all kinds of excellent visual aids for the technical and business documentation and presentations.

Here’s a list of all eight categories of templates available in Visio Professional 2007:

Business  (business process flowcharts, diagrams and maps; design charts, graphs and diagrams; brainstorming diagrams)

Engineering (electrical, circuits and logic diagrams, industrial control systems, part and assembly drawings, etc.)

Flowchart (basic  and cross-functional flowcharts; work and data flow diagrams, etc.)

General (basic flowcharts and general-purpose diagrams)

Maps and Floor Plans (simple 2-D or 3-D directional maps; home, office, building and site plans)

Network (physical and logical network designs)

Schedule (Gantt charts, timelines and calendars)

Software and Database (tools for modeling and design of software, databases and user interfaces)

Impressive, eh?

How can you learn Visio?

If I did it – you can do it, too! Here’s a short step-by-step:

1. Go to your local library and check out a pretty decent Microsoft published resource: Microsoft Visio 2007 Step by Step. (BCIT library has an electronic version of the book, or you can order a hard copy though Interlibrary loan if your local library doesn’t carry the title)

2. Once the book is in your hands (or electronic version is on your screen), go to:

http://download.cnet.com/Microsoft-Office-Visio-Professional-2007/3000-2064_4-10704836.html and download the 2007 free trial version.  

-    The reason I’m suggesting you try to learn the 2007 version is that many employers are not too fast to upgrade to the latest and greatest, so there’s a good chance you’ll have to work in Visio 2007, not 2010. But I won’t discourage you from learning the latest 2010 Visio – it will give more power to you!

3. Now bring the two together! Set aside some time each day to practice and you’ll have a good handle on the program’s functions within a week!

Alternatively, you might want to explore the training courses right on Microsoft’s website, available for 2003, 2007 and 2010 versions, so you can learn right at the source. There’s also a plethora of training videos on YouTube, be sure to check them out if you’re more of a visual learner. However these are mostly unorganized as they come from different sources. For a quality video instruction, visit my favorite learning website - lynda.com. There’s a lot of free “teaser” videos there, but for $25 a month you get access to all of them – and they are abundant!

The final step is to create the material you can use in your portfolio. Start thinking about the processes you could present in forms of flowcharts or diagrams. Visual aids are always great and make things easier for everyone. Pick a few and fire away using your newly acquired knowledge. Now print the results and insert them in your portfolio folder with brief notes; add a line in your resume’s list of software skills – you’re done!

Copyright © 2011

Olga Kostiouchina

Vancouver, British Columbia