Expert: Dan Smith - 11/16/2006

Question
Dan:
I've been doing technical writing since the 1970s.  In its heyday, TW was the "in" thing but now its hard to find a job doing just TW.  Although I'm currently working, the military contract will be completed next summer and then I'm out on the street again.  On this contract, the prime contractor decided instead of delivering paper documents to the government, he'd deliver electronic web pages.  Without notice, he said the tools now are FrontPage, HTML Help Workshop and Flash.  Talk about a learning curve; mine was straight up.  Although I don't mind learning new things (that's one of the things I like about doing this type of work) but no one can instantly learn all that new technology.  As I've perused other job listings, I've found that today's industries really want not just a technical writer/editor, they want a full programmer, web developer and graphic artist--oh, and by the way, you have to be an "ace" writer/communicator as well.  Does this sound familiar?

I'll be 60 years old next summer.  I don't want to be on the street looking for another contract.  What would you suggest I do that will keep me working without having to compete with high school graduates for the same job?

Answer
I have confronted the same problem, but I have pretty much turned a different direction and away from this kind of contract. I can't help you that much. If you want to discuss the direction I have taken in greater detail, write to me off forum at:

dan@wordsmithofaustin.com