Business and technical writing is a daily activity loathed by most, feared by few, and enthusiastically embraced by fewer still.
Usually, the job of writing, for projects as simple as correspondence or as complicated as assembly instructions, is given to the only individual in the office who listed a Bachelor of Arts in English on his/her application and resume.
Some individuals see their newly bestowed responsibilities as a glorified secretarial job and wait patiently for another job opportunity. Others take the responsibilities seriously and over the course of years, begin to hone their skills and forge a career.
To the audience or consumer, the difference between these two individuals may mean building the filing cabinet for your office in three days or three hours.
For those that have a writing job, they take the product developer specs and write down instructions based on a design that is months old.
As an individual who has chosen a career in writing, I finagle a cabinet from the production line, sit on the floor with pen and paper in the midst of screws, bolts, and boards, and write the assembly instructions - step-by-step - as I complete the assembly. Then, I take the cabinet apart, type up my instructions, scatter the pieces, and dare a member of the office staff to reassemble the cabinet per my instructions. As I watch his/her assembly attempt, I take notes. Returning to my computer, I rewrite or correct any gaffe... then find another unwitting staff member to repeat the assembly.
Seasoned and accomplished writers, such as myself, take professional pride in communicating. We take great pains to organize, write, and then edit because we understand that when there are gaps in information, time and energy are lost.
You may be an existing business that needs a writer/editor to assist you in creating documentation that is accurate and timely — someone who has a talent for creating questionnaires and checklists, designing professional seminar and presentation materials, editing high profile outgoing materials, or developing computer-based/web-based training courses for both your staff and your clients.
Perhaps you are an independent writer who has discovered how counterintuitive it is to edit your own work. You need someone to assist you in fine-tuning your manuscript while maintaining the integrity and intent of your original writing.
Maybe you are a new business that needs someone to assist you in standing apart from your competition with an integrated, consistent, and professional look for your documentation. You need someone who has experience developing company templates for proposals and letterhead, authoring intra-company documents regarding employee orientation and policies/procedures, and creating training materials such as workbooks and process-related job aids.