Good people skills are as important to success in the profession as good writing because a large part of a technical communicator's job is to gather information from experts and make it accessible to the end users of the product. The majority of technical communicators now create online help for computer software. And because there is specialized software for nearly every profession, writers become fluent in fields as diverse as the automotive industry and health care. As Internet use increases, technical communicators are more frequently designing and writing content for Web pages. In addition to full-time positions, the field has many freelance and telecommuting opportunities.
Many writers find their way into the field after they have completed degrees in other fields.
Catherine Titta, a technical communicator and owner of ArborComm Inc. in Ann Arbor, began her career in the late 1980s writing newsletters but soon became bored and dissatisfied with the work. I wanted to write something I knew people would read and use. She got her opportunity when she discovered technical writing. She worked for several different organizations and wrote material for an array of professions before she began freelancing out of her home. Her freelance business became so successful in 1997 that she hired another full-time writer to work with her.