Importance of technical writers in the software and web development!

Technical Writing generally translates to a piece of writing that conjures up an image in the mind of a layman about any device or software application. A technical writer is responsible for writing any type of document as required by the client. Most technical writers specialize in an area of expertise such as safety standards, computers, vehicle maintenance manuals, or virtually any other type of subject matter. In other words, the job profile of a technical writer involves writing and designing user guides, brochures and white papers for a plethora of products. So, technical writing has the importance in the software and the website development .Though these procedures are not new, their categorization under the term "Technical Writing" is quite recent. The latest entrant in the software field is not a whiz kid, but might be a journalist or an English literature graduate. Now day’s Technical writing prospect of technical writing as a full-fledged career at par with more popular contenders. So, technical writers are very much important in designing of the website content and software documentation.

Technical writing was practically unknown till the 1990s. Over a decade old, this profession does not have many takers, but does boast of a strong following in the various metros. Even by an optimistic view, the number of technical writers across the nation would be approximately 6000. These statistics prove that, corporate bosses and the software development company as a whole recognized the need for a specialized documentation team very lately but the thing is technical writing work is now spreading due to the heavy use in software industries. The technical writing job has long come out of the confines of being a strict documentation-related activity. In some organizations, technical writers are asked to pitch in for test case development, product testing, creating API code, creating java documentation etc. More recently, a technical writer has grown to don the garb of a graphic designer, web designer, web-content developer etc. Since a technical background is not a prerequisite for a technical writer, many writers foray into the field even with a Humanities background.

Many US companies recognize the need for a trained technical writer and that adds to the hiring and training impetus for technical documentations. The US provides a lot of scope and opportunities for training and specialized study of the subject. The technical writers, who already exist in the industry having created a golden niche, are fast emerging as the "trainers" for this career option.
This trend, may give the Technical Writing profession the impetus it requires. The final recruiters, corporate, need to step in boldly to hire and provide customized training to fresh technical writers.