Career Overlap Occupation record
RecordJob

Where a technical communicator can go next

5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a technical communicator already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.

Technical communicators prepare clear, concise and professional communication from product developers to users of the products such as online help, user manuals, white papers, specifications and industrial videos. For this, they analyse products, legal requirements, markets, customers and users. They develop information and media concepts, standards, structures and software tool support. They plan the content creation and media production processes, develop written, graphical, video or other contents, generate media output, release their information products and receive feedback from the users.

Also known as technical writer, documentation specialist, scientific communicator, technical documentation author, technical documentation specialist, technical editor, scientific and technical communicator, user experience designer, usability expert, advanced technical communicator, senior technical communicator, technical content developer.

Professionals 46 skills on file 5 career moves 0 above 60% overlap Closest: web content manager, 45%

Fig. 2 · Career map 5 nearest · ESCO v1.2.1
web content manager 45% covered e-learning developer 39% covered instructional designer 36% covered search engine optimisation ex… 22% covered ICT documentation manager 21% covered technical communicator You are here
  • 70% and above · short step
  • 50 to 70% · real move
  • Below 50% · substantial retraining
The 5 nearest destinations from technical communicator, each one a link to that move’s record. Distance from the centre is how much retraining the move takes; the figure on each is how much of that role a technical communicator already covers. All 5 are listed in the tables below.
Table 1

Table 1 · A bigger jump

Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.

Table 2

Table 2 · What the job itself asks for

A technical communicator needs 24 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.

Required skill Area
  • develop ICT safety information working with computers
  • apply ICT terminology communication, collaboration and creativity
  • product usage risks analysis services
  • apply tools for content development working with computers
  • manage information sources information skills
  • publishing strategy arts and humanities
  • documentation types social sciences, journalism and information
  • gather technical information information skills
  • compile content information skills
  • conduct content quality assurance working with computers
Table 3

Table 3 · Jobs that lead here

The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a technical communicator does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.

Index

Look up another occupation

Technical communicator is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.

Note

How these figures were compiled

Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a technical communicator’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.