Additions to Technical Communication Skills

[Tim Mantyla]

Technical Communication Skills
From 
http://www.techwr-l.com/articles/employment/technicalcommunicationskills
I was looking for this re: the person wondering about job requirements for 
beginning tech writers...

I've added to these, feel free to keep adding & fine tuning.

Skill areas: Computer, Technical, Organization/Planning and Communication 
General
·       Graphics software packages
·       Word processing software
·       Online authoring software 
Help authoring tools (HATs)
·       Online editors
·       Desktop publishing
·       Project planning software
Specific Applications
·       PC and Macintosh
·       Configuring Windows 95, 2000, NT, XP, Vista
·       Microsoft Word
·       Help Workshop
·       Adobe Acrobat 
·       Adobe FrameMaker
·       Adobe PageMaker
·       Adobe RoboHelp
·       Doc-To-Help
·       Help & Manual
·       Madcap Flare
·       Ventura
·       UNIX
·       Linux
·       HTML, XHTML, SGML, XML and DITA 
Content Management Systems (CMS)
·       C++ code
·       COBOL code
·       Java
·       Visual Basic
·       16-bit and 32-bit online help systems


Hard Skills
·       Concise, audience-appropriate writing
·       Minimalist writing
·       Production, copy, and substantive editing
Proofreading & page markup
·       Web page development
·       Online help development
Soft Skills
·       Creativity,  imagination, visualization
Research
Listening
·       Analyzing audiences
·       Writing from point of view of user/reader
·       Interviewing people (SMEs and others)
·       Facilitating meetings
·       Analyzing & managing a project/multiple projects
·       Working productively as part of a team
·       Working without direct supervision
·       Meeting deadlines
·       Understanding the product
·       Analyzing, planning, prioritizing and organizing skills
·       Familiarity with mediums such as user manuals, marketing 
literature, technical illustrations, documentation, etc.


Tim Mantyla