The career progression of technical communicators

Abstract

This article describes a pilot study conducted with three technical communicators, one technical communication manager, one human resources representative, and one top-level manager to determine the career path of a technical communicator. The study utilized personal interviews to learn about career options, advancement, training opportunities, and to determine how companies value technical communicators. Participants in the technical communication field acknowledged practitioners could plateau in their careers if they do not actively pursue adding skill sets and knowledge to their career toolboxes. Also, participants who worked at smaller companies and performed a variety of communications tasks tended to feel more valued than those who primarily worked for larger companies.