Technical writer
Information about the technical writer education
The education provides a combination of technology, communication and pedagogy. The main work for a technical writer is to convey technical information in the form of manuals, instructions for technical machines and systems in an educational and user-friendly way. Knowledge and competence after the education:
• Form and function of technical language
• Professional writing in technical Swedish and English
• Technical illustration and graphic design of information.
You can create qualitative, secure and user-friendly technical information that meets the client's needs and requirements.
After the education, you can work as: Technical writer, Technical informant, Information designer and Technical communicator.
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Internship at ETTEPLAN
Achievements and experience
I had my internship at Etteplan in Gävle with a supervisor at the Västerås office.
The internship lasted for 8 weeks where I had the chance to use my knowledge gained during the education.
April 2023 - June 2023
Technical writer internship
I got an assignment to create guidelines for how to handle illustrations in a company's manual. I worked in programs such as illustrator and InDesign. I also wrote the instructions how to use the guidelines.
One assignment was to create a term list to be used by the technical informants working on the manual for a company.
I also created a template in InDesign that serves as a basis for the entire manual that was an upcoming project.
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My lessons in summary:
Write clear and professional instructions
Work with technical illustrations
Layout
Work with a new project/customer
Create templates in InDesign for documentation
Work in teams
"We have seen a nice development in Sara during this short period and have full confidence that she will become a good technology informant in the future. Sara has shown the greatest interest in assigned tasks and performed them to our full satisfaction."
Johanna Lötjönen
Department Manager, Technical Communication Solutions
Etteplan Sweden AB
Reference
Vocational education-Technical writer
Courses
English for technical writers
The purpose of the course is to develop language skills and gain in-depth knowledge of various strategies, templates, aspects of language and technical writing, for technically advanced recipients as well as consumers of technical products.
• Introduction to technical English, Simplified Technical English and its use
• The structure and grammar of the English language
• Vocabulary and terminology for technicians
• Typical linguistic traps for Swedish-speaking technology informants
• Overview of aids
• Writing exercises
• Functional and product descriptions
• Instructions
Information design
The purpose of the course is to provide a foundation for the main purpose of technology information; to explain technology, with text, image and sound in a well-thought-out combination.
The course also addresses how data and information should be structured to enable efficient handling.
• Introduction, theory of the subject, overview of information design
• Techniques and methods, e.g. for
topic-based information and information mapping
• Analysis of input and documentation
Introduction for tecknical writers
The course aims to give students an overview of technology information and an industry orientation. In this course, the students get an orientation around technology information and industries that use it. The course includes technical information from a historical perspective, relevant concepts, industries and areas, laws, standards and drawing reading. The course also highlights the role of the technology informant in product development.
Technical illustration
The purpose of the course is for the students to practice independently creating informative, technical illustration.
The aim of the course is for the students to gain knowledge in creating informative images of technical products and functions. The students learn to analyze the different conditions of images so that they can adapt the design for a specific target group and situation. Course objectives/Learning outcomes Knowledge of:
1. Demonstrate insights into illustration, visualization and graphic design
Skills to:
2. Use tools found in the profession
3. Design different types of technical illustration
Competence to:
4. Create qualitative, attractive and user-friendly technical illustration
Text analysis and writing
The purpose of the course is to develop the students' ability to become a professional writer and learn to adapt texts according to the intended target group/user for the production of technical information. The students develop language skills and gain in-depth knowledge of various aspects of language and writing, not least for technically advanced recipients.
An important part of the course is also to give students tools and in-depth knowledge to explain technical contexts and complex information so that the recipient really understands.
The course includes the following elements
• Introduction to the subject
• Cooperation with whistleblowers
• Analysis and adaptation of text for recipients • Terminology and criteria for the quality of texts • Construction of technical texts • Information and product analysis
Tools and systems for technical writers
The purpose of the course is for the student to gain basic skills in commonly used programs and tools for creating technical information. The course includes the following elements:
• Theoretical background
• Review of software / tools
• Exercise tasks in current software
Project knowledge and project management
The course aims to develop the students' ability to be part of, but also to lead projects and drive the technology informant's questions. The aim of the course is for the students to gain knowledge in projects and project management as well as project methods and models relevant to the profession. The students will also gain insight into group psychology, how a group develops, and what consequences this can have for a project.
The course includes the following elements:
• Introduction to different project methods
• Factors for successful project teams and project leadership
• The challenges and opportunities of the consultant role
Master thesis
The purpose of the course is to sum up the various parts by having the students investigate or investigate a question that leads to a deeper understanding of the professional role and industry. The purpose of the course is to give the student experience in processing and evaluating information acquired in the previous courses. The goal of the course is for the student to complete an investigation and a report.
The course includes the following elements:
• Information gathering - evaluation, analysis and compilation of data
• Report writing, content and structure
• Analyze conclusion, reflection and discussion
LIA- Intership
The LIA course, which concludes the entire education, aims to give the students the opportunity to put knowledge and skills from the school-based courses into practice. The course includes the work steps specified in an individual study plan, which consists of the action plan drawn up between the company and the student. The tasks during the LIA period are controlled so that the student can acquire subject-related knowledge and at the same time translate this into practical skills training at the designated workplace. The aim of the course is for the student during the LIA course to participate in and/or carry out various technical information tasks in a real environment. The goal of the course is for the student to gain sufficient experience in the technology information field so that he can then take up employment in the profession.
Technical illustration
2023
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