Saturday 26 July 2014

How To Become An Aeronautic Technical Writer And Editor

By Sharron Cantu


Whether writing training manuals, system guides for programmers or user guides for pilots and other employees, there is often a need for individuals to write about aviation. Writers in this field often write from documents, drawings, proposals and specifications. One reason it is important to hire a high quality aeronautic technical writer and editor as these type documents can be quite technical and hard to decipher.

While it is important to hire an experienced technical writer, most individuals can adapt to different subject matter. The actual writing experience is often more important than previously published content though some positions require direct experience. Still, there are others which with some brief training that most anyone trained as a technical writer or editor can provide.

Submitting quality error free work is essential to success. Without the use of spell check and other programs to assure quality authentic documentation, many clients would have been lost over the years. These are some of the most important aspects of any technical writing and editing job whether in the aviation industry or otherwise.

Salaries in this area are often some of the best in the field. There are some cases in which the industry may have entry level positions which are closer to minimum wage. These positions often pay less when first starting and are quite rare. Still, a good way for interested individuals to break into the business without a degree or experience.

Experience is often key when it comes to working in senior technical writing roles. These higher level positions often hold a great deal more responsibility than those at the entry level. Individuals working in these areas are often required to meet with others to determine development ideas, processes, guidelines and scheduling. After which, writers convert the information into easy to understand training materials, quick-start user and system guides.

It is often a combination of education and experience which lands a writer a job in the aviation industry. Recent college graduates can often find a number of intern oriented positions at different airlines. Others, whether having worked for an airline in the past, or otherwise may want to freshen up on old and learn any new software product upgrades before attending an interview.

Individuals looking to work in the industry also need to understand that background checks and drug testing are a part of the process. In the U. S., the departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Transportation generally oversee these positions. It is for this reason, drug testing may be performed upon application as well at random times during daily, weekly and monthly work cycles.

A technical writer or editor with or without experience in the aviation industry need understand the responsibility one holds in writing this type of documentation. While a computer glitch at a local software company can often be fixed by a programmer. Whereas, the same mistake in the aviation industry could pose severe health and safety risks if the problem were not corrected before using the information.




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