How to Create and Deliver Intelligent Information
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Series: In Love with my IT Job

Creatives are eccentric, people working in the technical industry, but also, are “nerdy” and do lack in social skills, right? Well, often people have an accurate picture of the character of a person depending on their profession. But do these prejudices and stereotypes prove to be true? Especially in the IT sector, it is worth taking a closer look at the profession. In the end, it is more varied and communicative than assumed. In addition, IT knowledge and skills are increasingly sought after by companies. The growing digitalization of the economy has an effect on the entire industry. Even non IT-related professions are becoming more technologically active now.

 

In our series, people from different age and professional groups introduce us to their IT jobs. Beginners, students or people with quite long working experience share their motivation and recommendations, confirming prejudices or invalidating them.

Today we talked with Desislava Mihaylova in short Desi. She is a Technical Writer working at the software company Progress in Sofia, Bulgaria. Let us tell her what makes her job loveable:

 

 

Is there a “typical Technical Writer” for you?

Desi: If there is, I might surely not be practicing the profession I think I do! I mean, in Bulgaria, where we do not have a formal educational or certification program for experts in technical communication, we come from various fields like legal, marketing, journalism, linguistics, and even biology. When I ask myself what are the things we all have in common, I come up with something like: an artistic call to create and structure content, an altruistic attitude for mission-critical customer support, and an insatiable nerdy curiosity to know how products operate and fit into the whole ecosystem.

 

 

“[…] if you are curious and want to learn, you will easily decipher the way a product functions and the manner the in-house content-management tooling operates.”

 

Please introduce us to your job. Describe a typical working day, starting after you´ve enjoyed your first cup of coffee..

Desi: Well, here’s the rough list of regular daily activities:

  • Check emails and mark the action-needed ones.
  • Check new tasks for review, editing, and proofreading in the system.
  • Check communications channels for any new deliveries that are needed.
  • List any previously opened tasks that need to be finalized.
  • Communicate with stakeholders. Prioritize.

Of course, in between, I do regular reviews of existing and published documentation, Style Guide improvements, support for colleagues in preparing and handling results from marketing surveys, harnessing customer feedback, discussing upcoming projects with other teams…

 

Desi accomplished the TCTrainNet program. It is an international training and certification program in Technical Communication, managed by tcworld and can also be used as a preparation course for the international tekom certification.

 

What made you want to become a Technical Writer?

Desi: I had never known that I wanted to become a Technical Writer. What I knew, however, was that I wanted to do my job with pleasure and commitment, and a tinge of challenge born by the desire to innovate. I wanted to learn and develop the skills that made me express myself at work. Being who I am and being successful at work was what I really wanted. And when I moved from the financial field to the software industry to become a Technical Writer, it felt like my dreams were coming true.

 

“And when I moved from the financial field to the software industry to become a Technical Writer, it felt like my dreams were coming true.”

 

What surprised you in this profession?

Desi: Since I started, the profession has been giving me more than I’ve ever expected. What surprised me most is that you can always – and always indeed – learn because each industry has its own specifics and requirements for you to meet. So, say, I work in IT now and I get sick and tired of technology, I can just move to a washing-machine producing company and practice my job as successfully as I was doing it at the previous company. And the reason for this is that the qualities to practice the job are in part industry-dependent, but also demand skills on the personal level. Because if you are curious and want to learn, you will easily decipher the way a product functions and the manner the in-house content-management tooling operates.

 

 

Our last question: What advice do you have for those who want to go in the same direction?

Desi: Just go for it and act upon the opportunity. If that’s what you feel you want to do, you’ll never believe how many things you will be able to learn to do.

Thank you, Desi, for this interesting insight into your personal experiences. We wish you all the best for your next years!

 

Series: In Love with my IT Job

Links to job profile and training information:

Facts about TC

Benefits of trainings as an example: TCTrainNet and test it here.

 

 

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