How I Became a Technical Communicator (TC)
OK, first things first:
TC does not mean tech challenged
(you are the one that's tech challenged <grin>)
TC is the abbreviation for Technical Communicator
I moved to Israel to live in 1983. I had started out as a nurse, but found the differences between nursing in Israel and the US too difficult to adjust to. During a visit to the States, I believe in 1985, I began working at Manpower and learned Word Processing on a system so old I don't even remember its name (I just remembered, it was called "Display Write"). A monster software where you had to put in multiple codes to get nice bold text...
Returning to Israel, I landed a job in the Department of Medicine in Haifa. There I began working on medical manuscripts, editing, records, etc. Then I transferred to Biomedical Engineering. My job title? English Typist. My job description? Receive manuscripts from authors world wide, edit them, comment, on them, send to Professor for Scientific editing, prepare manuscripts for camera ready publication (including processing of graphics at a photo lab and hand pasting them in place). I also needed to edit manuscripts for publication, assist students with their theses, and write the responses to reviewers based on the edits to the manuscripts (I think that was creative writing). I had E-mail before anyone knew what it was, and was asked to create a website for our department, before there were any web editors, and when searching the Internet was based on the wonders of Copernicus (which I understand is still out there). O, and I was a member of a local poetry group.
One of the poets in the group, Mark Levinson (for those of you who know him), kept telling me I was doing technical writing and I should join the Society for Technical Communication (STC). He bugged me on it for years (and I regret I didn't listen sooner!). I had no idea what that was and didn't really have time to think about. I began to work privately and at some point, a client asked me to write a manual for him. I was like, who, me? I don't know hoot about this... But it sounds like fun, and its in medicine (which I love), so I'll give it a try, and if you don't like my work, no hard feelings.
Well, the client loved my work, hired me, and the rest is history. I worked for that company for 10 years. During that time I did my MA in technical authorship (writing) and graduated with honors. I did my thesis on the Personality Characteristics of Technical Communicators, and later became the President of STC Israel. I learned far more than I ever dreamed I would and loved working in the high paced hi tech world of Israel.
When I got married last year, long distance relationships not being my idea of optimal for married health, I moved to the US (with my cat Guay), and am trying to continue my career here.
Private contracting is not the same as being salaried, and jobs are not aplenty in this beautiful State of Michigan. However, I have just completed an 8 months contract with a manufacturing company. Now I am working in building up private clientele via word of mouth and this site...
Best of all, I am married to a wonderful man and have two lovely step-daughters (not to mention our currently 11 dogs, 15+ cats, 25 chickens, 25+ ducks, and 10 or more rabbits), and I'm very proud of our girls who placed in the State 4-H dog show...
So that is how I got into Technical writing - and I still enjoy it!
