In addition to work-related writing, the responsibilities of being a community
and family member require technical communication. The following list
shows how Sergeant Thomas Hardy of the Palmer City Police Department,
father of two and concerned citizen, uses technical communication on the
job and at home.
Colleagues:  
   e-mail, collaborative incident reports
Boy Scout den parents:  
   fund-raiser announcements, directions to
jamboree
Victims:  
   incident reports, investigative reports
Legislators:  
   letter and e-mail in favor of clean-air regulations
Lawyers, court officials:  
   depositions, testimonies, statements
(possibly televised)
State FBI office:  
   letter of application and resume to advance career
Community members:  
   safety presentation at the local high school
Supervisees:  
   employee regulations, letters of reference, training
procedures
Local newspaper editor:  
   letter thanking community for its help with
jamboree, press release announcing purchase of state-of-the-art police car


STOP AND THINK
Discuss the importance of technical writing in the workplace. How can writing
affect your chances for advancement?

Technical writers who help companies manage the information overload are vital resources. They understand that their readers must be able to skim or skip
text and find important information quickly. As a professional in great demand,
the technical writer faces a challenging, exciting, and rewarding future.
Different careers generate different kinds of reports: Nurses chart a patient’s
medical condition so that the next shift’s nurses can continue patient care.
Police accident reports record facts for later use in court. Chemists and
engineers document procedures to comply with government regulations.
Accountants prepare annual client reports. Sales representatives write
sales proposals. Professors write grant proposals. Park rangers write safety
precautions. Insurance claims adjusters write incident reports. Travel agents
design brochures. Public relations officers write news releases, letters, and
speeches.
When you write, you demonstrate your ability to analyze, solve problems,
and understand technical processes. For example, Matheus Cardoso,
personnel director for Osgood Textile Industries, impresses his supervisor
and earns his colleagues’ respect when his proposal for tax-deferred
retirement plans is approved. On the other hand, the drafting crew at
Stillman Manufacturing is frustrated with Jeff Danelli’s instructions for
installing wireless computing at the industrial site. The crew must redraft
plans because Jeff’s instructions are vague and incomplete. When writing
is not clear, the thinking behind the writing may not be clear either.
All careers rely on technical communication to get the job done. Technical
writing is the great connector—the written link—connecting technology to
user, professional to client, colleague to colleague, supervisor to employee,
and individual to community. No matter what career you choose, you can
expect to read and compose e-mail, send accompanying attachments, give
and receive phone messages, and explain procedures.

Candace, an award-winning saxophonist, began teaching saxophone lessons to sixth graders. For the first lesson, she drew a diagram of an alto sax and created a step-by-step guide explaining how to take the instrument apart
and reassemble it. When she saw how easily students could follow her instructions, she was pleased that her words were helping them learn to do something she enjoyed.
Candace might have been surprised to learn that she was using technical communication. Technical communication is communication done in the workplace. The message usually involves a technical subject with a
specific purpose and audience. The approach is straightforward. Candace was giving practical information to a specific audience—information that would enable her audience to take action. When she referred to the diagram
and explained the procedure aloud to her students, she was using technical communication. When she wrote the instructions to accompany her diagram, she was using technical writing. Technical writing is writing done
in the workplace, although the workplace may be an office, a construction site, or a kitchen table. The subject is usually technical, written carefully for a specific audience. The organization is predictable and apparent, the style is concise, and the tone is objective and businesslike. Special features may include visual elements to enhance the message.

Written communication is essential in the workplace for many reasons. It allows readers to read and study at their convenience, easily pass along information to others, and keep a permanent record for future reference.
Regardless of the career you choose, you will write in the workplace.
According to Paul V. Anderson in Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach, conservative estimates suggest that you will spend at least 20 percent of your time writing in a technical or business occupation.
Professionals in engineering and technology careers spend as much as 40 percent of their time writing.
In today’s business environment, employees can easily be overwhelmed by information overload, with information competing for their attention from every direction—television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, e-mail, the
Internet, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. Because of information overload, you must be able to read documents quickly and efficiently, understand them the first time you read them, and know that the information is accurate. Up-to-date
information provides companies with a competitive edge, speeding critical decision making and allowing job specialization.